Bambay Gueej

Amazon.com
The beauty of Lô's debut, Né la Thiass ("Night and Day"), was its layered mbalax rhythms and Lô's melodic singing. On Bambay Gueej ("Bamba, Ocean of Peace"), Lô adorns these elements with funk and soul, satisfying fans of his music while drawing new ones. Bambay again features a forest of talking drums, the acoustic guitar, and Afro-Cuban horns, but the sound is more polished and the rhythms are more pronounced. James Brown's horn player, Pee Wee Ellis, arranged the brass in stronger outlines, and a Hammond organ floats into the mix. Lô's bright, raspy vocals on Né la Thiass sent chills up the spine as messages of spirituality soared to the heavens. His buoyant singing returns here, still dancing as delicately as an angel but not necessarily over music that's as vaporous as clouds. "N'Jarinu Garab" ("The Tree") is one of the more infectious cuts, as is the funky "Bambay Gueej." Oumou Sangaré's warm, watery voice appears on "Bobo Doulasso," dousing the grit of Lô's while conjuring a Malian folksong newly dressed in R&B clothes. This is a fine follow-up for Lô, not only due to his enormous talent, but also because he has a fully formed vision of who he is and what he's musically about. --Karen K. Hugg

Tracks:

M'Beddemi
Jeunesse Senegal
N'Jarinu Garab
Bambay Gueej
N'Dawsile
Africaden
Bobo-Dioulasso
N'Dokh
Zikr

Amazon.com

The beauty of Lô's debut, Né la Thiass ("Night and Day"), was its layered mbalax rhythms and Lô's melodic singing. On Bambay Gueej ("Bamba, Ocean of Peace"), Lô adorns these elements with funk and soul, satisfying fans of his music while drawing new ones. Bambay again features a forest of talking drums, the acoustic guitar, and Afro-Cuban horns, but the sound is more polished and the rhythms are more pronounced. James Brown's horn player, Pee Wee Ellis, arranged the brass in stronger outlines, and a Hammond organ floats into the mix. Lô's bright, raspy vocals on Né la Thiass sent chills up the spine as messages of spirituality soared to the heavens. His buoyant singing returns here, still dancing as delicately as an angel but not necessarily over music that's as vaporous as clouds. "N'Jarinu Garab" ("The Tree") is one of the more infectious cuts, as is the funky "Bambay Gueej." Oumou Sangaré's warm, watery voice appears on "Bobo Doulasso," dousing the grit of Lô's while conjuring a Malian folksong newly dressed in R&B clothes. This is a fine follow-up for Lô, not only due to his enormous talent, but also because he has a fully formed vision of who he is and what he's musically about. --Karen K. Hugg

Customer Reviews:

Cheikh Lo.......2006-07-16

A stunning record that even if you don't speak the language will leave you breathless. A vocal range and superb command of it add up to an album that can be called a, "masterpiece", in ANY language.

Stayed in Rotation on CD-changer for months..........2002-06-24

I don't understand a lick of the lyrics, but the emotion in this music could raise the dead. Cheik Lo beautifully melds the sounds of West Africa and the Americas (from Tierra del to the Keys, at least!) into something unique and shimmering.

I love both Bambay Gueej and Ne La Thiass, but have to admit I prefer Bambay's dynamic range. This album makes you smile, dance, and thank God that another day has arrived. I listened to this CD more than any other in the past year, and it still accompanies me on any trip I take!

Africa via the Caribean and back!!!.......2001-05-25

Senegal has a new star for sure. Certainly not taking any thing away from his mentor Youssou N'Dour. And there is nothing wrong or un-African when stressing that there's a Cuban influence going on here. Cuban music is deeply rooted in Africa, America, and Spain which is connected to West Africa via the Moorish culture. Cheik Lo's Baye Fall heritage certainly embodies this cultural fusion. The talking drums and Sabar drumming are authentic african all the way through...

Thank you National Public Radio.......2000-12-12

Thanks to a review on National Public Radio, I found this gem. Cheikh Lo is a musical genuis whose CD combines Cuban influences with incredible talking drums,horns and flute. This results in an uplifting albumn of intricate, mysterious and unusual rhythms and songs. This folks, is a masterpiece and is by far the best CD I have purchased this year!

The persistence of rhythm.......2000-09-15

This is a great CD worth its price ten times over. I have not heard any of Cheikh Lo's previous work, but this one shines. It's got a spectacular blend of Afro Caribbean and Cuban influences, but what really makes this CD stand out is the unbelievable talking drums. The percussion is beyond anything else that comes to mind, and keep in mind, I'm fairly deeply immersed in the so-called "world" music scene. Combine the percussion with a killer horn section straight out of James Brown(I believe it actually is JB's horn section), add some funky hammond organ, and you've got pure aural seduction. He actually quotes Fela Kuti musically at one point. So if you like the "African woman" interlude, you should check out Fela's London/Shakara CD as well.

Average customer rating:

Cheikh Lo
Stayed in Rotation on CD-changer for months...
Africa via the Caribean and back!!!
Thank you National Public Radio
The persistence of rhythm

Bambay Gueej
Cheikh Lo
Manufacturer: Msi
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Senegal & Gambia | Africa | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00002DEIC
Release Date: 2000-05-30