Wanita

Amazon.com
When Rokia Traore turned to non-Malian vocal styles on Wanita, she didn't opt for an obvious Western approach like fellow West African diva Angelique Kidjo, who steeps her songs in funk. Instead, Traore's multilayered singing has the delicate complexity of Zap Mama alumnus Sally Nyolo's Tribu plus the gentility of chamber music. Instrumentation hews to the traditional arsenal of her country's griot troubadours, though with a modern edge. Rokia contributes acoustic guitar to a solid ensemble of balafon marimba, ngoni ba four-string guitar, djemba hand drum, electric bass, and kora harp from whirlwind Toumani Diabate. "Souba," based none too obviously on an Indian raga, shows her willingness to stretch boundaries in unexpected directions while the title track lingers on lush harmonies seldom heard in African pop. The hushed atmosphere of her performances may lack the raw soulfulness of Mali's best-known female vocalist, Oumou Sangare, but Traore's melodic hooks and quiet acrobatics prove the truth of the old adage that a whisper can be more dramatic than a shout. --Bob Tarte.

Tracks:

Kanan Neni
Mouso Niyalen
Souba
Yere Uolo
N'Gotolen
Wanita
Chateau De Sable
Yaafa N'Ma
Sako Be Ke
Mancipera
Tchwa

Amazon.com

When Rokia Traore turned to non-Malian vocal styles on Wanita, she didn't opt for an obvious Western approach like fellow West African diva Angelique Kidjo, who steeps her songs in funk. Instead, Traore's multilayered singing has the delicate complexity of Zap Mama alumnus Sally Nyolo's Tribu plus the gentility of chamber music. Instrumentation hews to the traditional arsenal of her country's griot troubadours, though with a modern edge. Rokia contributes acoustic guitar to a solid ensemble of balafon marimba, ngoni ba four-string guitar, djemba hand drum, electric bass, and kora harp from whirlwind Toumani Diabate. "Souba," based none too obviously on an Indian raga, shows her willingness to stretch boundaries in unexpected directions while the title track lingers on lush harmonies seldom heard in African pop. The hushed atmosphere of her performances may lack the raw soulfulness of Mali's best-known female vocalist, Oumou Sangare, but Traore's melodic hooks and quiet acrobatics prove the truth of the old adage that a whisper can be more dramatic than a shout. --Bob Tarte.

Customer Reviews:

So far my favorite of her albums.......2007-01-13

Rokia is an incredible artist. Her music is felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She has a gift to share with us.

Excellent and sensitive African artist.......2006-09-23

Rokia Traoré is new to me. I have listened to several of her albums. I have bought Wanita and I love this recording. It contains music I can listen to at any time of the day or night.

Rokia has a very attractive and expressive voice. Many of her songs are "ballads" and she sings them with great sensitivity and style. Her musical accompaniment features traditional Africa string instruments and percussion, as well as her Western acoustic guitar, which she plays to great effect in many songs, and some other Western instruments.

Unlike other African singers, like Angelique Kidjo or Brenda Fassie (two woman I admire greatly), Rokia Traoré's music is much more firmly rooted in traditional music.

Rokia Traoré is a great performer and a very fine singer and I admire her music a lot. I warmly recommend Wanita to any and every music lover, it is a superior collection of music from an extremely talented artist.

It is a pleasure and duty to give this CD five stars - every single one of them well deserved.

Rokia rules!.......2004-08-13

Rokia Traore is an amazing talent; I've seen her live, and it was a great, great performance. This CD is terrific -- she sings with a poise and presence that can stop you in your tracks. The songs here are all unforgettable, and she covers a surprisingly wide range of issues and moods. I've lived in East Africa for many years, and Rokia Traore makes me wish I'd been living in Mali instead. Some of her singing reminds me of the very best of early Joni Mitchell, but most of the time she reminds me of no one else. If you are interested in really immersing yourself in a powerful experience of real African music, this is the best.

Great artist.......2003-01-19

This CD is great. The other reviewers have it right. Read their reviews for more detail on the CDs content. Many of the cuts on this CD (and Mouneissa, get that also!) fully deserve 5 stars.
Actually, I'm writing this review in hopes of bringing more attention to Rokia and her amazing musicians. If you get a chance to see them live, do not miss it. The band is one of the most exciting, talented, mesmerizing acts to come out of Africa.
The ngoni players are two of the most talented on the planet. Having the two together, with their interplay and range, is as good as it gets.

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC -- REFRESHINGLY UNADORNED.......2001-06-26

Rokia Traore is an impressively talented young vocalist and songwriter from Mali. From the sound of this disc, she has her feet firmly rooted in the traditional music of her homeland, but the other subtle influences heard here indicate that she is not afraid to gently expand her musical horizons.

There is a delicate beauty at work here -- the arrangements are uncluttered (acoustic guitar, balafon, bass, kora and assorted percussives) and unadorned, leaving the vocals clear and unburied. The songs all have vital rhythmic cores, but without the over-produced power-pounding of commercial dance-oriented music.

The kora (an indigenous African harp-like instrument) is allowed to dominate many of the arrangements -- and its delicate sound is a good choice to complement Traore's expressive and unpretentious voice. It is the unforced, compelling emotion in her voice that demands our attention. The recording is first-rate and clear as a bell -- every little nuance of Traore and the other singers is there for us to appreciate.

Released under the Indigo imprint from Label Bleu out of France, the package is exceptionally attracive as well -- a quality-printed, oversixed booklet fits nicely inside the cardstock slipcase along with the cd jewelbox, filled with beautiful photographs, a bio of the artist and lyrics in original and translated forms.

There is an airy quality to this music, but it is powerful at the same time -- proving that louder isn't always better. The talent and production values brought together here make for a musical excursion of exceptional quality, taste and strength. I'll definitely keep my eyes -- and ears -- open for more from this gifted artist.

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