Mali music reviews
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Music reviews for "Mali" sorted by average review score:
Sigui
Released in Audio CD by Indigo (Harmonia) (12 March, 2002)
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Artist: Djelimady Tounkara
Tracks:
- Mande Djeliou
- Gnima Diala
- Sigui
- Ayebo
- Diaoura
- Amary Ndaou
- Djanfa Magni
- Samakoun
- Makan Djan Woule
- Senelalou
- Yamaryo
The lead guitarist of Mali's renowned Super Rail Band and the central character of the book In Griot Time finally gets a chance to step into the spotlight. It has taken more than 30 years for Djelimady Tounkara to make a solo album, but the long wait is worthwhile. Mixing some of the best Rail Band material (and musicians) with traditional pieces, Tounkara comes up with an acoustic gem of a record in which his guitar lines flow like a waterfall in and out of the songs while filigrees push things forward. Throughout, he offers plenty of space to the other musicians, especially Sayon Sissoko and his sparking ngoni (an ancestor of the banjo). But on both "Djoura" and "Samakoun," he allows himself center stage, and the staggering breadth of his talent becomes truly apparent. While African, he's taken music from all over and integrated it seamlessly into his playing, which shows hints of jazz, blues, and even folk in his picking styles. Tounkara's brilliance has been apparent for decades; with this record his position as one of the world's greatest guitarists becomes undeniable. --Chris Nickson
Average review score: 
Oh! Yes I wanna testify, This is the best workI had a chance to listen to this many times at my local shop and I must say don't hesitate to purchase this cd it's good, very good actually. The guitar is clear, unstoppable once Djelimady puts his strong hands on it. The most appealing thing to me about this cd is the guitar, the lyrics(vocals)are great even though the man himself is not the leading vocalist. Some of the tracks have an AfroSpanish feel to it U could swear that Djelimady once had a Spanish guitar teacher. U can actually feel the variety within the songs each with its own sound though I must be honest on first listen I thought the songs sound the same but as I listened more, well I was hooked. I listened to B.Traore' & I must say Djelimady has an upper hand to him i.e Djelimady sounds better than Troare'(Apologies to Troare')Overall? this is a great cd it has a rooty feel, bluesy,AfroSpanish,but at the end of it all its an African Malian music at its best.
Shockingly good!!! 6 stars out of 5.I suppose it's theoretically possible to overstate the quality of this album, but only by saying something like, "This album is better than God. And air." In contrast with his work leading the Malian institution the Super Rail Band, Mr. Tounkara plays acoustic guitar on this record, which from the first track's dizzying intro to the last chord of the last track serves many flavors, all delicious. I am privileged to have twice seen the Rail Band in concert, however I missed Mr. Tounkara's stop in Minneapolis last November. My stomach stirs in anguish at this thought. Buy this album, listen to it over and over, and proceed to buy me a thank-you gift.
Djelimady, Primus inter Pares.
Start at track one, and go on through to the end.
Djelimady Tounkara is the world's greatest guitarist. Coming from a nation of great guitarists, he is certainly first among equals. Here, on an album of originals (except for the last track, in which he beautifully reworks an ancient Mande tune), his jaw-dropping virtuosity with the acoustic guitar takes center stage. The harmonies are astonishing on this mostly acoustic sets, and the vocalists are extremely good (even if they're not quite in the league of the likes of Kassemady Diabate: then again, no one, not even Salif Keita, is.), their voices tending towards a dry, soaring quality. The percussion, too is spacious and acoustic. This is truly a roots recording, but the recording is absolutely first rate. In fact, when I purchased a pair of speakers recently, this was the CD I used as a benchmark as I was testing various systems. The sound is impressively clean and clear without being in the least bit sterile.
A great album. No point launching into descriptions, but rest assured, this man has inculcated everything from flamenco to classical to dirty south blues to kora technique. Just be thankful you've got ears, postal service and twenty bucks.
Soro
Released in Audio CD by Mango (25 October, 1990)
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Artist: Salif Keita
Tracks:
- Wamba
- Soro (Afriki)
- Souareba
- Sina (Soumbouya)
- Cono
- Sanni Kegniba
Soro is the album that brought Salif Keita international stardom though he was already well-known in West Africa from his work with The Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs. Keita's voice is in peak form, soaring and swooping with awe-inspiring power. For these sessions, Keita has gathered an all-star band that is innovative, solid, and turn-on-a-dime tight. The production, state of the art in 1987, sounds just as bright and fresh today. This CD draws its strength from the rich traditions of Malian culture, melded with cutting edge musical technology, and a global outlook. All of the tracks on Soro are crucial, though the bittersweet "Cono" and the intricate and epic title track "Soro" (Afriki) are standouts. --Jeff Grubb
Average review score:
Masterpiece of Malian MusicSoro turned into a great hit for Salif Keita in the late 1980s and was the album that established him on the international scene. Keita's music is a successful blend of the traditional griot style with influences from Latin America and other West African pop styles. The female backup singers play a prominent role in the arrangements, at least equal to Keita's own searing vocals.
The music is a happy mix of percussion, bass, guitar, congas, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and keyboards. Soro (Afriki) is a long piece in three parts with different percussive tempos and instrumental breaks. Souareba is a particularly moving song with a spiritual undertone, orchestral arrangement and soaring vocals.
Sina (Soumbouya) is a more traditional piece with a bubbling rhythm, flashes of trumpet and the intricate vocal interplay. With its slower pace and gently lilting rhythm, Cono is a soulful ballad with a lovely melody, whilst the mournful Sanni Kegniba is more traditional with intense soaring vocals.
Soro from 1987 is considered his masterpiece but I like Keita's albums Amen and The Mansah Of Mali even more for their greater variety. This however remains a classic of African crossover music.
Love at first barThe first time I heard the music of Salif Keita was in Senegal in 1993. I found SORO on tape in a market in Dakar. I fell in love with his music the first time I listened to him. There is something almost spiritual that moved me when I heard his voice. When I saw him in concert in Washington, DC in 1994, I was not disappointed. His concerts are definitely an experience. I took a couple of friends with me and they were truly impressed with his performance.
I haven't stopped playing this album for 3 yearsComplex, rythmic, melodic, and wonderfully unique. I still get shivers everytime "Cono" (sample track 5) plays.
Tunga
Released in Audio CD by Alula (15 February, 2000)
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Artist: Mamadou Diabate
Tracks:
- Dagna
- Dounuya
- Tunga
- Larsidan
- Soutoukou
- Mamadou Diawara
- Djanjo
- Djelimory
- Mande
Son of kora virtuoso Djelimory Diabate and cousin to Toumani Diabate, 25-year-old Mamadou Diabate steps into his own here on Tunga ("Adventure"). It's a strong debut with interpretations of 13th-century African music shaped by contemporary hands. Diabate, who resettled in New York, invites not only African expatriate friends but also noted jazz bassist Ira Coleman to accompany him. Their collaboration is a pleasantly gentle but still intriguing mix of Malian music. On "Dounuya," Chicago-style blues somehow floats into the lovely African landscape, and though "Dagna" is an original composition, Coleman's acoustic bass work blurs the line between bebop and Malian court music. And ancient Malian court music dominates this collection, whether through classic songs portrayed with modern elements or adaptations of Manding standards. Balafon gently chimes in with its woody, teardrop tones on a handful of tracks, and the vocals of Abdoulaye Diabate on "Dounuya" and "Mamadou Diawara" add a distinctly Malian narrative. The overall beauty of Tunga is in its ability to explore the future while staying true to its roots; Diabate may be living in New York, but fortunately his heart's still in Africa. --Karen K. Hugg
Average review score:
As good as it getsDiabate is the master of the kora, essentially a 21-stringed harp made out of a giant gourd or pumpkin. To see him live and watch his fingers barely move across the strings is to see genius at work. He's a hulk of a man, standing at around 6'7", and his hands are huge, but the delicate way he plucks the strings brings to mind the classic Gentle Giant. This is beautiful music, sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes blazing and incendiary, always wonderful.
National Folk Festival in Bangor MEI saw Mamadou and his band twice at the National Folk Festival in Bangor, Me. I was overwhelmed by the power of the music. Mamadou and the entire band signed my CD and were as gracious as they were intensely awe inspiring. The music here is simply beautiful throughout.
New Doors Opened!Last night I experienced the music of Mamadou Diabate. The music and sounds that eminated from his Kora had me seated in awe as I listened and watched wholeheartedly to this wonderful musician. I would recommend this CD to anyone.
Worotan
Released in Audio CD by Valley Media, Inc (26 November, 1996)
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Artist: Oumou Sangare
Tracks:
- Kun Fe Ko
- N'Guatu
- Baba
- Worotan
- Denw
- N'Diya Ni
- Tiebaw
- Sabu
- Fantan Ni Mone
- Djorolen
The 1996 recording of this powerful singer from Mali is both her most fully produced recording to date, but in a strange twist also one of her most grounded, essentially "folk" albums as well. The core African band is mostly voices, with kamalngoni (a thick stringed lute), guitars, flute, and percussion in more or less traditional settings for these powerful and persuasive original songs about the social order and the place of women in the culture. The nontraditional elements are sparse and a little startling. Precise, synchronized violin and bass lines puncture the air; R&B horns (a trio led by Pee Wee Ellis) add an unexpected funk; an African guitar line suddenly takes on an electric urgency. These never detract from the rootsy feel, but rather add enhancements at once surprising and obvious. It's all in service of the songs and the voice of Oumou Sangare, whose sliding soulfulness and chilling wail are positively captivating. --Louis Gibson
Average review score:
Precious kola nuts indeed!Oumou Sangare's WOROTAN follows the rich tradition of Malian `griot', story-teller, music. She sings mainly about social issues, addressing traditional values as well as injustices in a very personal way. The griots have been famous throughout West African cultures as the entertainers at festivals and major family occasions, as well as the recorders of family history and the social conscience of a whole ethnic group. The griots are a special `caste' and only people from selected families are allowed to assume the role. Griots move outside the mainstream of the class society. There are any number of famous griots in the Malian music scene.
Some of the songs might seem somewhat monotonous or repetitive and it is worth reading the text of the songs to understand what she is conveying to her audience. Oumou's beautiful voice is not in the forefront in all songs; she is accompanied by a women's chorus that is typical for Malian music but not necessarily the most melodious for the non-accustomed ear. Her voice though, is powerful, varying with the theme she addresses. It is particularly beautiful in the last track, a haunting song about her anguish about the world around her.
A mix of traditional instruments, such as the ngoni, a one-string guitar-like instrument, the Peul flute and, of course, the essential djembe, the Malian drum, are combined with modern instruments resulting in a good variety of accompaniments.
WOROTAN means `10 kola nuts', a traditional bride price. Kola nuts are in general regarded as a precious gift that is offered on many occasions. Likewise, this CD is a treasure that can be offered and enjoyed by many. For newcomers to Malian music it should be listened to a few times so that the increasing familiarity with the music allows an increase in listening pleasure.
Five stars, but one hundred are fewI love Oumou Sangare. Every time her Wassoulou music come out from my CD player I begin a travel inside the African universe, across the Mali region. Everything is beautiful: the sharp sound of kamelngoni, the soft support to melodie of violin, the counterpoint of the choir, the delicate strenght of percussions. But nothing can be compared to the Oumou's voice. To listen her is to love her. In that voice there is all the deep charm, the fresh sensuality, the strong soul of african women.
This CD is a miracle, born from the encounter between Oumou and the genius of Nick Gold's World Circuit label (who of you knows Nick only for Buena Vista Social Club?). Is the third Oumou's CD, the same intensity of others with some news: the horns of Pee Wee Ellis, the flute of Yacouba Mamouni (Mamar Kassey), the spanish guitar of Nitin Sawhney (hear the sweet ballad Djorolen). Five stars, but one hundred are few.
to die forMy experience of the album followed her concert in Seattle. Within 2 minutes of music I was weeping, my heart changed shape and grew larger. I hardly listen to anything else since then and I will serve her someday. The groove of the band is a drummer's dream, incandescent, and her off-beat phrasing loops long lines over the top. Try singing along!
Worotan
Released in Audio CD by Nonesuch (01 July, 1997)
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Artist: Oumou Sangare
Tracks:
- Kun Fe Ko
- N'Guatu
- Baba
- Worotan
- Denw
- N'Diya Ni
- Tiebaw
- Sabu
- Fantan Ni Mone
- Djorolen
The 1996 recording of this powerful singer from Mali is both her most fully produced recording to date, but in a strange twist also one of her most grounded, essentially "folk" albums as well. The core African band is mostly voices, with kamalngoni (a thick stringed lute), guitars, flute, and percussion in more or less traditional settings for these powerful and persuasive original songs about the social order and the place of women in the culture. The nontraditional elements are sparse and a little startling. Precise, synchronized violin and bass lines puncture the air; R&B horns (a trio led by Pee Wee Ellis) add an unexpected funk; an African guitar line suddenly takes on an electric urgency. These never detract from the rootsy feel, but rather add enhancements at once surprising and obvious. It's all in service of the songs and the voice of Oumou Sangare, whose sliding soulfulness and chilling wail are positively captivating. --Louis Gibson
Average review score:
Precious kola nuts indeed!Oumou Sangare's WOROTAN follows the rich tradition of Malian `griot', story-teller, music. She sings mainly about social issues, addressing traditional values as well as injustices in a very personal way. The griots have been famous throughout West African cultures as the entertainers at festivals and major family occasions, as well as the recorders of family history and the social conscience of a whole ethnic group. The griots are a special `caste' and only people from selected families are allowed to assume the role. Griots move outside the mainstream of the class society. There are any number of famous griots in the Malian music scene.
Some of the songs might seem somewhat monotonous or repetitive and it is worth reading the text of the songs to understand what she is conveying to her audience. Oumou's beautiful voice is not in the forefront in all songs; she is accompanied by a women's chorus that is typical for Malian music but not necessarily the most melodious for the non-accustomed ear. Her voice though, is powerful, varying with the theme she addresses. It is particularly beautiful in the last track, a haunting song about her anguish about the world around her.
A mix of traditional instruments, such as the ngoni, a one-string guitar-like instrument, the Peul flute and, of course, the essential djembe, the Malian drum, are combined with modern instruments resulting in a good variety of accompaniments.
WOROTAN means `10 kola nuts', a traditional bride price. Kola nuts are in general regarded as a precious gift that is offered on many occasions. Likewise, this CD is a treasure that can be offered and enjoyed by many. For newcomers to Malian music it should be listened to a few times so that the increasing familiarity with the music allows an increase in listening pleasure.
Five stars, but one hundred are fewI love Oumou Sangare. Every time her Wassoulou music come out from my CD player I begin a travel inside the African universe, across the Mali region. Everything is beautiful: the sharp sound of kamelngoni, the soft support to melodie of violin, the counterpoint of the choir, the delicate strenght of percussions. But nothing can be compared to the Oumou's voice. To listen her is to love her. In that voice there is all the deep charm, the fresh sensuality, the strong soul of african women.
This CD is a miracle, born from the encounter between Oumou and the genius of Nick Gold's World Circuit label (who of you knows Nick only for Buena Vista Social Club?). Is the third Oumou's CD, the same intensity of others with some news: the horns of Pee Wee Ellis, the flute of Yacouba Mamouni (Mamar Kassey), the spanish guitar of Nitin Sawhney (hear the sweet ballad Djorolen). Five stars, but one hundred are few.
to die forMy experience of the album followed her concert in Seattle. Within 2 minutes of music I was weeping, my heart changed shape and grew larger. I hardly listen to anything else since then and I will serve her someday. The groove of the band is a drummer's dream, incandescent, and her off-beat phrasing loops long lines over the top. Try singing along!
Kar Kar
Released in Audio CD by Stern's (08 March, 1994)
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Artist: Boubacar Traor
Tracks:
- Adieu Pierrette
- Secheresse
- Santa Mariya
- Kavana
- Kevalle
- Kar Kar
- Badialo
- Narena
- Farafina
- Sougourouny
Average review score:
Blues de KayesSomeday I'm going to have to go to Kayes and hear the music on the streets. If Kar Kar's music is any indication, I'll be in for a good time. I thought I'd heard all the deepest blues till I heard Kar Kar. His guitar playing makes us realize that the people didn't start playing the blues on plantations in the American south, they started back on the savannas of Mali and continue from the streets of Bamako to Paris, and right here in California. By the way, if you ever get a chance to see Kar Kar play take it. I saw him in Berkeley and I'm still wondering how he gets all those notes out of his guitar.
Music for happinessThis is such a beautiful album! If you like African music or Delta Blues or just exposure to something new then buy this CD. Every song on Kar Kar is a jewel. I bought this CD because it was recommended based on my love of Habib Koite. I was a little hesitant because of the age of this CD but I bought it anyway. And while I listened for the first time I came back to Amazon and bought all of Traore's CD's. His songs are lyrical and although I do not understand the language of Mali it does not matter. His voice is deep, gravelly and expressive. The music is complex and, at times, intense but still accessible. Being a guitar player myself I recognize the skill of this master.
Traore emotes through his instrument and his voice in ways that make me feel good. That's the bottom line for Traore's music - it makes me feel happy and content. I am never in a negative mood after listening to this CD and I use it and other Traore CD's to lift my mood.
Four stars is usually my highest rating but there is no question here: absolutely 5 stars. Can I get 6?
sounds greatKarKar from 1992 finds Traore in great voice in an upbeat recording of excellent production quality. His jazzy, bluesy guitar work is wonderful. The mix of western and Malian is evident. And it's as good as Toure or Boucoum.
Poems from the Like Free Zone
Released in Audio CD by Words Worth Ink (01 September, 2000)
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Artist: Taylor Mali
Tracks:
- Totally like whatever
- The impotence of Proofreading
- Like Lilly Like Wilson
- Undivided attention
- Poet teaching math and history
- As far as words go
- Objection overruled
- What learning leaves
- Falling in love is like owning a dog
- Playground love
- Taylor Mod Squad
- My mothers ponytail
- If it aint broke, it dont need fiction
Average review score:
Buy it!Taylor Mali is by far the most dominant, original, and flat out boppin' slam poet. Every single one of his poems are filled with pizzaz and emphasis. Mali is not only the man when it comes to poetry, but is a damn good history teacher too. Buy anything of his that you can.
a different Taylor Mali...For those who haven't had the opportunity to see Taylor Mali perform, this CD is definitely a great introduction. For those who have seen him perform, it just might lend a different perspective on his work. Those pieces I'd heard performed at slams in the past, particularly "Totally Like Whatever", were somewhat disappointing for me on this CD. This is obviously a guy who thrives on competition and audiences, and the "live" versions of his poems are infinitely better because he really does come alive on stage. However, hearing his work performed without all the high drama of slam competition did give me a chance to appreciate the verbal nuances of his work in a way I hadn't in the past. He's a better and more versatile *writer* (not just slammer) than some people are willing to admit.
The greatest EverIn a new form of poetry, slam, the mix of a great hip-hop type beat placed in the poems and the rap-style speech is a great mix, especially when the poet is sucha talented man and great person. For three years, i knew the poet from being a student of his, and forever will cherish the lessons he taught. As im sure all who had mr. mali will say, he is the best teacher with the greatest peronality you could ever meet. I have heard most of the poems and know the true excellence they display. I highly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys spoken word and contemporary style music.
Africa: Never Stand Still
Released in Audio CD by Ellipsis Arts (04 February, 1994)
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Artist: Various Artists
Tracks:
- Ndiri Bofu - Oliver Mtukdzi
- Kipenda Roho - Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila
- Rokoto Frenzy (Excerpt) - Abdul Tee-Jay's Rokoto
- Eh Zalahy - Tarika Sammy
- Ngingenwe Emoyeni - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Milouda - Bellemou & Gana El Maghnaoui
- Heygana - Ali Farka Toure
- Kumbusora - Mandinka Musicians
- Za Ayi Neyi - Les Tetes Brulees
- Refined Fuji Garbage (Excerpt) - Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Africa's International Music Ambassadors
- Jino La Pembe - Zuhura Swaleh
- Six Mabone - Lulu Masilela
- Tsiketa Kuni Barassara - Dulce & Orchestra Marrabenta Star De Mozambique
- Rondomori - Pierre Akendengue
- Mariama - Baaba Maal
- Nazingi Maboko - Pepe Kalle & Nyboma
- Allah Ma Diana - Le Zagazougou
- Ngoma Ngairire - Robson Banda & The New Black Eagles
- Angola Na Paz - Mendes Brothers
- Ah Ndiya - Oumou Sangare
- Bassama - Abdel Gadir Salim All-Stars
- M'Fono Yami - Papa Wemba
- Mhondoro - Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited
- Wonda Wonda - Ndere Troupe
- Hassaniya Song for Dancing - Kalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba
- Tuni Nyamwalo - Kapere Jazz Band
- Sai - Kanda Bongo Man
- Sawura Wako - Stella Chiweshe & The Earthquake
- Lanaya - Farafina
- Nyanafin - Salif Keita
- Fakastalu - Youssou N'Dour
- Worio Wata - Seleshe Demassae
- Baba L'Rouami - Gnawa Musicians Of Marrakesh
- Agor - Martin K. Obeng
- Medley: Omo Mbo/Omo Lere Aiye/Ha Egbe Mi Wo Asia - Sir Shina Peters
- Wed Today Divorce Tomorrow - Gabriel Omolo & His Apollo Komesha
- Bayeza - Soul Brothers
- Rosine - Aurlus Mabele & Loketo
- Mariquinha - Bonga
This ambitious three-CD collection is quite simply the best introduction to the diverse popular music of Africa that there is. While it stands by itself as the perfect instant African music collection, it also serves as a fine jumping off point for exploring Africa's myriad musical cultures. The producers have done an excellent job selecting outstanding tracks by a broad variety of Africa's premier groups and recording stars from all over the continent. This compilation offers maximum diversity and impeccable sound quality throughout. The lushly illustrated and annotated 48-page booklet that comes with this set is rich with information about this crucial musical continent. --Jeff Grubb
Average review score:
Best of the Best...I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite. The one-disc "sampler" is like a "Best of..." -- very good, but as many listeners will know from first hand experience, some of the finer, and more subtle pieces are in the original complete recordings. True here in spades. If you only own one set of discs to represent Africa and all its nations and sounds, this is it.
Fantastic collection!If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this. It's got modern and traditional stuff on it -- mostly modern -- from all over the continent. My tapes of this set live in my cassette road case, and I listen to them when I go on long trips. The variety and quality are both excellent.
The booklet's a nice touch, too.
Mansa
Released in Audio CD by Indigo (Harmonia) (13 March, 2001)
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Artist: Super Rail Band
Tracks:
- Silanide
- Mansa
- Kamalimba
- Niamatoutou Kono
- Tolonte Sebessa
- Dounia
- Kanou Sale
- Fourou Kolon
Average review score:
Amazing...and the band's not bad, eitherDjelimady Tounkara is probably one of the greatest living guitarists in the world, but almost no one in the US has heard of him; it's a shame. Without the aid of any distortion in his sound he manages to do dizzying, flawless legato runs that put a shredder to shame, and rhythm work, oddly high on the neck that seems to turn itself inside out. And the vocalists, very much in the traditional Mali idiom, are fascinating in the way that they seem to disjoint the vocals from the musical accompaniment in some sections, then to lead the rhythm back into line. The horns draw comparisons to early reggae with an updated feel added by the keyboards. If you want to branch out your musical tastes into something outside current trends, Super Rail Band are a good place to start.
My gateway to Mali musicSaw these guys at a free concert in LA last year and snatched this up. Gave me the same sensation --- of hearing something for the first time yet feeling you know it from somewhere lost deep deep min your memory bank. Lovely, swinging guitar work, good production (bumping). Dozens of Mali cd's later, the first is still one of my favorite.
Do you like to dance?This album makes you get up out of your seat and bop around.
The River
Released in Audio CD by Mango (01 July, 1991)
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Artist: Ali Farka Toure
Tracks:
- Ai Bine
- Kenouna
- Toungere
- Heygana
- Jungou
- Goydiotodam
- Lobo
- Tamala
- Boyrei
- Tangambara
- Instrumental
This 1990 recording contains one of the best African blues tunes ever recorded, and a classic Ali Farka Toure moment. As the electric guitar roars in at the opening, punctured by a darting harmonica line, "Heygana" lays out the roots and branches of the blues in its journey from west Africa to the Americas, and more importantly, back again. Sung in the Songhai language, pushed by a vaguely reggae groove and pulled along by a sometimes idiosyncratic percussion line on a calabash, it pretty well epitomizes what Toure is about. The sound is stripped down, with the guitar and voice working a bare minimum groove. The calabash clicks, a thick stringed ngoni adds some punch, and a few tracks feature Toure on the njarka (fiddle). In addition to Rory McLeod's harmonica, there is one piece with The Chieftains' Seane Keane and Kevin Conneff on fiddle and bodhran (Irish goatskin drum), and a marvelous duet with saxophonist Steve Williamson that adds a little sideways R&B. The River is one of Toure's most straightforward recordings made in the decade after the light of his international fame had first shone. --Louis Gibson
Average review score:
One of my all time favorites...Although I have owned this album for almost ten years now, I haven't gotten a chance to write a review for it, partly because it's so good and so much a part of my life that I didn't think about it. For those who don't know him, Ali Farka is a "blues" guitarist from Timbuktu, Mali, who has created one of the most unique sounds in music. One critic once described his guitar stylings as "listening to John Lee Hooker played backwards", and in a way, he was right. The rhythms are different --African, Arabic-- and the melodies unforgettable. Toure sings in a variety of languages; while I can understand the occasional French he uses, the majority are local dialects, adding a wonderful dimension to his music. I put blues in quotations marks because it isn't really blues, but that's the closest music we have to Toure's works. It's happy, melancholy, energetic, sentimental and fervently passionate all at once. This is in my opinion his best album, followed by "Talking Timbuktu" which he recorded with Ry Cooder. Check him out!
An Amazing JourneyAli Farka Toure is one of the most prolific contemporary African guitarists. His subtle fingerpicking, complex rhythm, and soulful voice are a perfect combination for not only his original tunes but also his renditions of traditional Mali folksongs. His energy flows throughout the album, and the sometimes sparse arrangements nevertheless radiate a home-like warmth. Within Toure's playing, one can hear the origins of both the Mississippi Delta Blues and Rock n' Roll; his followers span from John Lee Hooker to Ry Cooder. Even though his past four albums have been superb, Toure's "The River" has a wisdom, spirit, and depth that you won't want to miss.
my personal soundtrackI listen to this cd for hours on a continuous loop at work. It's hypnotic yet complex with the African version of the sounds of the American south combined with his haunting voice. (Unfortunately I am a musical illiterate in terms of describing similar genres.) Beautiful twanging tunes and melodies. I bought it on a whim and am a complete devotee.