Mali music reviews

Stop reading. Buy this.

But if you want more of a review... I asked for, and received this for Christmas 2005 and it jumped into being my favorite AFT album.

If you're a fan of acoustic guitars in the right hands, if you're a fan of rhythm that crawls into your soul until you realize you've been hypnotized, rocking back and forth on the floor or couch or front porch for the past hour, you should buy this. Ali was an undeniable master of touch and tone. Basically he's playing a guitar that you might be able to sell on eBay for $20 yet his tone is pure magic. It's a singular voice in the world of guitar. All the top-of-the-line vintage guitars or new necks or more frequent changing of the strings or bigger effects racks in the world aren't going to give you this if it's not inside you. What Ali had in his fingers and soul, you either have or you don't.

Here I think are many of the best examples of Ali's brilliance and emotional power. The melodic beauty of a great njarka fiddle player mixed with the hypnotic, rhythmic drive of the glorious drone-lute (the amazing ancestors of the American banjo) players... here it's all happening on one guitar at the same time. This set, much of Red specifically, is where AFT's perfect synthesis of those things occured and came out in one of my favorite music/song/guitar styles of all time.

During the Red & Green years he truly had the high voice that's often favored in various cultures throughout Africa. There are tunes during his middle-aged (and later) years that have a similar sort of mood as some of Hooker's greats from the Chess years like Groundhog Blues, Worried Life or Down at the Landing but Red & Green has none of that. Not that being compared to John Lee is in any way an insult but "the African John Lee Hooker" always struck me as a journalistic shortcut which made Ali seem derivative. That's false. Ali was all his own. He was one of the greats of the 20th Century. Red & Green may be his pinnacle. He was great when I caught him in concert but he wasn't like this. This is something very special to me.

This is a well-rounded art, not a wanking guitar-slinger. Some of his best songs happen right here. Ali Aoudy, for instance. What a magical singer. If these were separate products I'd have given Green 4 stars but since this is one set it's 5 stars all the way.

The world lost a great gift earlier in 2006. Thank You for everything, Ali Farka Toure. Words will never do you justice.

"Red" contains at least 3 of top 10 songs Ali Farka Toure recorded and released in his career. The reason why this disc has always floored me is his guitar. Many have heard "Niafunke", and "Talkin Timbuktu", which contain good guitar playing, but on "Red" he was at the hieght of powers (even if they were unknown at the time). He manages a finger picking style that could easily pass for 2 guitars, and at times even 3. He is able to play the polyrythms on guitar, almost like a translation of Elvin Jones onto guitar. It really is difficult explain what he is doing, but it is addicitive, trance inducing, and essential for guitarists to hear, and more importantly fans of Toure. "Red & Green" is quite different than his later work, there is alot tension here and it isen't at all relaxing, its slightly angry at times, and usually arabic sounding. "Green" was recorded a few years later and contains a few masterpieces, but as a whole dosen't stand up to "Red". Have patience with this recording when it starts to make sense, it's worth it. "Red" was the recording that was mysteriously discoved in a record pile in Africa by a DJ which eventially got him signed to World Circuit records, and the rest is history.

Track listing incomplete on disk 2.

Disc: 2 Green
1. Sidi Gouro
2. O Kata Gouna
3. Devele Wague
4. N'timbara
5. Zona
6. M'baudy
7. Petenere
8. L'Exode

This album is beautiful from start to finish, although the songs do tend to blend together in a single listening. However, you can't go wrong with including EVERY cut in a mix. In fact, you must !

After doing a stint with the legendary Rail Band, Guinean kora player, balafon player and band leader Mory Kante zoomed onto the international stage 16 years ago with "Akwaba Beach", a bright chunky beautifully-produced album of dance tunes played by a large tight ensemble with a rich brass chorus. It took the European dance floors, especially in Paris, by storm. The single "Yeke Yeke" was the first by an African artist to sell over a million. The similar-styled funky albums that followed also had some great moments but eventually became so specifically dance-oriented that the African essence seemed to disappear altogether, and sterility began to take an upper hand.

So the fresh energy on this album is a welcome affirmation of a great musician gone full-circle. As another x-Rail Band singer Salif Keita did on his "Moffou" album, Mory Kante has put aside the big dance band sound and recorded a totally acoustic rootsy album that is one of his best yet! The dance element is still provided by a pulsating warm beat but this vibrant music really speaks with griot roots. Every track is an invitation to join in the fun, with compelling female backing vocals, sparkling kora and balafon riffs, colourful percussion, a sweet African flute and other instruments all jiving euphoniously together to create a veritable river of sound. The accompanying booklet describes the story each song tells, along with the instrumentation used.

Be swept away by this sublime feast.

This CD is simply joyful in sound. The artist Mory Kante became famous releasing albums with electric instruments but grew up with very traditional music. This album is somewhat of a return to his roots, using almost all acoustic instruments for a more traditional sound. Granted, you have to be expecting an acoustic sound. The vocal choruses are gorgeous, too, but again, this is a different vocal style than is common in the US, so you have to be expecting and be open to a different sound. That being said, I thing this album is awesome. The rhythmic tapestries weaved by the instruments and voices are enticing. I'm actually involved in playing hand drums, and I enjoy playing along with some of the tracks on this CD. Overall, this is a well-composed, well-recorded collection of music, well worth a try if you're open to some high quality, acoustic, African music.