Mali music reviews

This album is incredible. If you read the other reviews, you will understand that the music is phenomenal.
In addition to how wonderful the music is itself, I also love this album because it is so light and uplifting - no heavy Western drum beat (but very beautiful and complex rhythms), a beautiful singing voice, melodies, and an African sound that will take you away to distant lands...
Every track on this album is excellent. I will buy all of his music.

I am new to Habib Koite's music but now I am hooked. From the first times I listened it just made me feel good like sitting in a big oversized comfortable couch. I can't understand the lyrics but the music and his voice carry me off somewhere to another place and time. His voice ripples over the smooth acoustics and laid back rhythms consisting of a blend of blues, jazz and Malian melodies. A Putumayo collaboration, the engineering acoustics on this CD are first rate.

i don't need to say any more. If you enjoy the sounds of Mali, you will love this one.

i listened to this while pregnant, then while nursing. now we listen to it at bedtime, and sometimes in the car. the music is so beautiful and soothing, it's one of my favorites in any category.

This is a great CD and I often listen to it without my child around. I've even played it when we have company and they comment on it being good. The music on this CD is very similar to some of the African influenced music on Graceland. Other CDs in the series are as good.

I received this cd as a gift from a friend for my 5 month old daughter. We listen to it every night as part of our bedtime ritual. She loves it and I probably enjoy it at least as much. A very nice alternative to the routine lullaby cd's out there!

The music of "Mouffou" is haunting. That is the only way I can describe it. It was one of those special finds during a visit to a local music store. I can not imagine not having been introduced to Salif Keita. This album is by far one of the best music purchases I HAVE EVER MADE! The music is rich and full of emotion - it's a complete musical experience, one which I return to again and again.

It's the music that leads you beyond the imagination. It is heavenly serenity and earthly bliss.

With a voice both weary and childlike, Salif Keita is a man for all seasons. Need to romance that special someone? Want to get blind drunk on Boone's Farm in a lonely room? Inviting some folks over for dinner or drinks? This is the perfect record - the production sparkles, the tempos are varied and interesting, and Clear Channel wouldn't play it in 10,000 years.

We first encountered Habib Koite and his group Bamada, through their song 'Sambara' on 'A Day in the Life of Africa' (which cd is another recommendation.) From there we've picked up Ma Ya and now Baro, and I will certainly continue until we own everything they have produced.

The rich sound, so wonderfully filling somehow, is like coming home. As with Thierry Cham, and Khadja Nin (two other strong yet different recommendations) the music resonates, regardless of your understanding of the language.

If you enjoy the Malian sound, give a listen to some of the Senegalese singers as well (Baaba Mal, Wasis Diop, Thione Seck and Wock.)

I bought this album as a consolation after my husband and I had to cancel out on Habib Koite's appearance last summer in Boulder. While still sorry I didn't get to hear (and see) all of Bamada's fantastic instrumentation in person, I listen to the album constantly and highly recommend it.

Some personal favorites: Kanawa (Please don't go), Woulaba (Deep in the bush) and Baro (The chat).

From start to finish, each track is beautifully played and arranged. I am totally addicted to this record.

This cd is smooth and mellow. I've been addicted to it since I first got my hands onto it. A real pleasure.

I love the music of Mali--the home of Timbuktu and some really amazing musicians. Their music and its five-tone scale is supposed to be the roots of the Blues. Though the slave trade was mostly a coastal event (Mali is land-locked), wars in the area resulted in prisoners who ended up on slave ships heading for America. The rich Mali music tradtion may have created our American blues.

Here, side by side, Mali musicians play their music with a mix of electric guitar and traditional harp-lute along with cuts by John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. The music is arranged cleverly--you can hear the similarities quite clearly. But aside from being interesting historically, this music is just plain great to hear. The cd has fascinating liner notes, too.

I've already played this twice through just out of the box, and I know this is going to be one of my play-all-the-time CD's.

When many westerners think of African music, they expect something exotic, something primitive, something mysterious. Yet for all their expectations, few Americans seem to realize that they are sitting on a goldmine of African traditions. The African musical traditions served to feed what would develop into the traditions of Blues, Jazz, Rap, Reggae, Rock, Gospel, Salsa and the like. And the purpose of this particular CD is to explore the African roots of the Blues.
Like most Putumayo CDs, this one jumps from Mali to the US, back to Mali (and neghboring Guinea), and to the US again. However, this only serves to show the similarities between these two musical traditions. Excellent selections from big namessuch as John Lee Hooker, Habib Koite, Muddy Waers, Taj Mahal, Rokia Traore and Boubacar Traore characterize this CD. The music, whether Mande or southern, always maintains a uniquely Blues feel to it.
And, as an added bonus to Blues fans, this CD really expands the entire genere. Compare John Lee Hooker's "I'm in the Mood" to Taj Mahal's "Queen Bee" and you'll see what I mean.

Rich, deep, and mellow -- Oumou Sangare's voice is like a premium cup of coffee. Interestingly enough, coffee was once used to stimulate monks to prayer by some brilliant Coptic abbott. Similarly, Sangare's music has a contemplative quality to it.

The music is simple enough: a basslike instrument, the low rumble of a drum, a higher violin-pitched instrument, and the firm ruler of them all, that is, Sangare's voice. The simplicity, the insistence of the rhythms, and the repetitive qualities of the music make it nearly trance-inducing.

This is beautiful music.

I am by no means a scholar on "world music", as it is often labeled. But, I am definitely curious. I love expanding my musical horizons as far as I possibly can, so I got this cd. From the first few notes, the enchantingly simple rythm of this music captivated me. And Oumou's voice is absolutely amazing - she oozes sensuality and purity at the same time. Everything is unique about it. The band includes familiar instruments such as violin, guitar, bass, and bongos, and in addition there is an instrument called kamelngoni, which I really have no idea what it is. But, this combination of instruments is of course not often heard, and therefore, the sound of this music is incredibly stark, refreshing, and unique. If you need a musical treat, a break from the pop/rap/punk that the media incessantly pummels you with, look no further. If you are of those with a hunger that is not pacified with the common, banal, rehashed "music" that is blindlessly followed by those who know no better, get this cd. You will not be dissappointed.

Oumou Sangare's Moussoulou is a hit. It is one of those cd's that will always be loved. From the beginning it became a hit, and 20 years from today people will still enjoy this Malian tradtional music performed by Mali's superstar.
What amazed me about this music is how well it was received by people of different cultures - Europeans, West Africans, Asians, and Americans. This has to do with Sangare's personal charizma.
Seeing Sangare's live shows (I only saw the video) tells even more of the communicative powers of this beautiful musician.
Get it and enjoy.

This Best Of collection opens with Keita's great hit Sina from his masterful Soro album, an ebullient piece where his soaring voice is framed by soulful female vocals and polyrhythmic beats.

The more laid-back Mandjou has a jazzy structure, skittering beat and yearning vocals. One of my favorite songs is the catchy Nyanafin (from the album Amen) with its tinkling hand-piano sounds, wailing backing vocals and rolling rhythms - a stunner!

The up-tempo Ignadjidje is a gentle pop song whilst Nou Pas Bouger is a funky, brassy number. Djembe is a subdued, soulful affair, the spacious Souareba an evocative mix of Western and African sounds and Tenin is a light, dance friendly track with engaging keyboard and drum patterns.

The atmospheric track Sanni Kegniba starts out with eerie muffled vocals and a solitary drum sound before developing into one of Keita's powerful ballads. The album closes with the lilting pop tune Dalimansa.

My only complaint is the omission of Yele n Na and Karifa from the Amen album. These amazing songs also deserved a second hearing, but overall The Mansa Of Mali is a superb introduction to this popular Malian musician.

This is one of the most beautiful and interesting albums I own. My husband and I traveled to Mali several years ago and became interested in the music there. This album took all the good parts of the music of Mali and added world music to it. While listening to it you can almost see the women picking okra in a field and smell the scents coming from the outdoor markets. I would recommend this to anyone. You don't have to speak Salif Keita's language to appreciate the beauty of this album.

If I had to live on a deserted island, this is definately one of the albums I will take with me. Track # 2 kicks a-s-s !!

I have listened to a lot of Ali Farka Tour�, primarily his later works, and especially Niafunk�. I must say that this CD was both refreshing and a tiny bit dry. The first track is like a cup of strong coffee first thing in the morning, with Ali and another musician playing a little duet on njarka violins, with Ali suddenly speaking very rapidly and loudly. It sounds like he's introducing himself, as one hears 'Mali' followed by 'Bamako.' There are some REALLY good tracks on this CD, especially Machengoidi, Samariya, and my favorite, Hani. All of the tracks are good, but Niafunk� is still my favorite AFT CD. I understand that these are old recordings, and perhaps the mixing isn't the best, but I would really recommend that you have your hand on the volume control while listening to this CD. Ali's voice seems to have gotten better with time. On Niafunk�, his voice is a smooth, velvety, deep baritone. On Radio Mali, however, it is significantly more nasal, is somewhat grating, and lacks the beefiness that you hear in Niafunk�. The vocals seem to be far too loud in comparison to the instruments, and anyone who is familiar with AFT's music knows that he's not shy about using his voice. On many tracks, the guitars' introduction lull the listener into a trance, only to be violently shaken out of it by Ali's younger, much more nasal voice attacking a high note. This happens several times throughout the disc, and I've often found myself reaching for the volume knob. The music tends to get somewhat redundant. With a whopping 16 tracks, the same instrumentation (usually two acoustic guitars, with an occasional ngoni [not the kamalengoni of the Bambara, but an instrument more similar to the Tuareg tahardent lute]), and Ali's habit of not utilizing more than a few keys, the songs begin to sound very similar. Perhaps the CD just hasn't grown enough on me....but I agree with one of the other reviewers of this CD that this is best appreciated by one who has heard other Ali CDs. I am well accustomed to VERY diverse and unique music, and this CD actually began to bore me a little bit near the end. I think this CD is great for die hard Ali fans. And for those of us less dedicated Ali fans, it's a very interesting compilation of his earliest recordings. Great music to relax to.

Radio Mali was the first Ali Farka Toure release I had ever bought or heard. At the time I was listening a lot to Blind Lemon Jefferson and found some interesting parallels between the two musicians. I like the dry, intimate, non-produced, straight to the microphone sound of Radio Mali. Like Lemon Jefferson, Ali Farka Toure has a deep, resonant and booming voice that equals or betters his guitar playing. My brother noted that some of the songs are akin to Celtic music in that they are built from a single melody line that is repeated with variations. Simple but subtle. I'd use the word pastoral to describe this music, since it is very relaxed in feel and rhythm. For a guitarist, Radio Mali is an endlessly fascinating (and at times, frustratingly hard) batch of songs to play along with. Like Lemon Jefferson, Toure is an extremely deft fingerpicker who relies on just a few basic chord positions (open C in particular) and independent bass and melody to sketch out a very full arrangement with just six strings. His rhythmic sense, and use of some very offbeat rhythms (most likely traditional Malian rhythms) add a great deal of depth and complexity that rewards repeated listening. I just really like this stuff and am glad it was recorded and is available.

This is row music, the most traditional of Farka Toure's recordings. when I first heard him, on "The Source", I too thought of John Lee Hooker. This impression gradually faded on "The River" and completely disappeard when I heard this cd.
Farka Toure is an original, and in this cd there is only one track that may be influenced by the blues, which is Hani (track 7).
The rest of the cd is hauntingly beautiful, and rewards each listening with fresh discoveries. In AFT I found a rare instance where a musician's voice and guitar playing rival each other for beauty and skill, with both coming up as winners.
I agree with those who say this cd is better appreciated after hearing other AFT cd's, or for people who have listened to other Malian musicians. I would also like to draw attention to the beautiful liner notes and to AFT's remarkable story of how he became a musician.

I bought this one without hearing it first, based on the reviews. If you like the simpler Mali sound, not the harder blues and pop, you will love this album like I do. Many earlier artists are included that are not on Putumayo's compilation. Maybe I was African in another life, but this music just makes me happy. There are choruses and much native sound. Enjoy.

This was the first Rough Guide CD I bought, and also the first CD covering music from the region. It is still one of my favourite CDs though I have bought a lot more since.

I agree with an earlier reviewer - the song by Balla et Ses Balladins is the best track; although the one directly after it Haidara is also a great song.

But there are no weak points and I would recommend it highly. The inlay sleeve is also quite useful with a lot of history about the musicians and the respective countries.

stand out track balla ses balladines...I am trying for 4/5 years to get music from this unique band...so in the meantime I have to reley on compilations like this superb one from your connaisseurs at rough guide.good to see Mali music catches up with listeners in the USA.I used to live in the remote Ausralian desert and all I ever listened to was Aboriginal rock bands and Mali desert music.You know why? cause it fits in with flat ,open wide spaces and car drives in heat and dust and smiling black faces.move your arse and your head will follow.

Ali Farka Toure was one of the greatest guitarists to come out of Africa, which is quite an achievement, given all of the talent there. His Mali blues sound was as soulful as any of the American blues masters.

I would disagree with other reviewers who insist that Cooder has somehow watered down the music - there's great interplay between these two, and having seen Toure on a few occasions in the 90s, I'd have to say that the album did capture his sound at that point in time.

Sadly, Ali Farka Toure passed away a few months ago (March 2006). His presence will be missed.

It seems clear while listening to this record that Ry Cooder was trying to get Ali's music more well known around the world, in particular, North America. What results is a record that is often overatted especially in comparison to Ali's other work. Ry Cooder is sometimes subtle in his approach, other times he seems like a guest star, and depending on your preference, this could be a good or a bad thing. For a long time, I disliked this record, after all, Ali wasen't all to happy with it, his next "Niafunke" is what he really wanted to record, and it was actually recorded in Niafunke, Mali, near Timbuktu. "Talking Timbuktu" was recorded in L.A., and while it dosen't loose all of it't other side of the world flavor, it sweetened up alot. Ry's production is far worse than Nick Gold's. Ry puts a semi-glossy reverb that allows, Ali's guitar to get lost in the mix and a contempory touch (obviously meant to draw people afraid of African music in). "Soukora" is probally the strangest track because it sounds carribean, far from the islamic/blues/african sound of Toure's past work at that point. Still Ry's influence infuses "Diaraby" and "Lasidan" with a sound that is unique in Ali's catalouge and at these moments the collaboration works. Ali Farka Toure, a genius guitar player (check out "Red" for an easy example at the hieght of his acoustic powers), Mayor of Niafunke, farmer, farther, ect passed on recently. Do yourself a favor, pick up all his releases, this is the only one that is not worth (IMO) of a 5 star rating.

I've been searching for the tune Diaraby since september. I finally found it here. I heard it on "the World" and I haven't gotten it out of my head since. I really recommend this. Great album. Get it.