Sierra Leone music reviews

The lead off single from Late Registration, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is a very nice track. I love the vocal sampling and his rhymes are great, too. (If you want to hear a version that is more about Sierra Leone, and less about other stuff, dowload the remix with Jay Z.) By no means is this his best material, but it's still a really nice track from Kanye.

But what I really bought it for was the instrumental. (Which includes the vocal sample, if you were wondering. I love it.) When you listen to it, there are a lot of small things that you don't notice when he's rapping. It's a great instrumental.

This is worth the purchase, although I would find it somewhere for a lower price because it is only two tracks. (I found it for $4.99 at my local Tower Records. Much better than paying $10 plus shipping and handling for 2 songs.)

kanye west has always got my attention by his production... "diamonds from sierra leone" is no different. this is one of his best productions. i dont know an producers that can sample a james bond theme and get away with it.

the original version is hot 2 def. this song sounds great in my car. the singer on the chorus is sooo haunting that you get drawn into the song...

the remix is just excellent... jay-z flow is just awesome....

byt this single, better yet buy the album... HOTTTTTT

Ummm.... honestly this isn't my favorite Kanye song of all, but I still love it. You all will have to trust me though.... the album (Late Registration) is coming out soon and I know it's going to set the bar higher then we ever expected out of hip hop. Expect some of the best collaborations this ecclectic listener has ever heard and enjoy "Paul Levenine- Common-The Game-Paul Wall" and expect more......I'm not sure if we're ready for such an album. I'll post my review when the album is out.

The great Sierra Leonean musician Sooliman Ernest Rogie started his career in the early 1960s. He had a long string of hits of which the biggest was My Lovely Elizabeth. However, he only received a measure of success outside Africa in the late 1980s with this album.

Palm Wine music is a Ghanaian style first made famous by Kwame Asare; one of its most popular exponents was Kwaa Mensah. It derives its name from a tradition of being played in the villages during the afternoon siesta whilst the audience indulged in this beverage.

The sound is simple but elegant, consisting of gently flowing vocals backed by acoustic guitar and bubbling percussion. This lovely album opens with Joejoe Yalal Joe (I Lost My Wife), a gentle, poignant number with impressive guitar flourishes. Clua Koonde (It Knocked Me Out) is even more laid back, with long guitar passages between the verses, whilst Kekeh Kefarana (The Importance Of Children) is a moving ballad that sounds similar to traditional folk to these ears.

The tempo rises with Loe Loe Lalah (The Joy Of Love), which is one of my favorites with its lilting tune and lovely backing vocals. Ndomei Neneekpa (Oh Love) is slow soulful ballad with a more complex arrangement and Rogie talking as much as singing. There is delicate interplay between the parts with both voice and guitar and those with guitar only. This is definitely a highlight of the album.

The next song, Watigbe (Always) is mellow pop with a catchy tune, whilst Tourist Girl, sung partly in English, is a buoyant rhythmic number with a simple but effective hook. Another favorite of mine is Amoo Loe Lee (Let's Celebrate), a gently lilting folk-pop number with interesting vocal variation.