World of Indigo

1. Missié Koloni - Granmoun Lélé

2. Bordeono y 900 - Juan José Mosalini

3. Mbo Hahita Avao - D'Gary,

4. Ntate Mahlasela

5. Kelea

6. Greedy as I Get - Sons of the Desert

7. Chant de Bougar - Julien Jouga

8. Altain Magtall - Talyn Duulal

9. Kaira - Super Rail Band

10. Aeroplano a Vela - Gianmaria Testa

11. Angira - Vaovy

12. Bazodlani - The Soul Brothers

13. Sus Ojos Se Cerraron - Trio Gomina

14. Taratasy Maitso - Jaojoby

15. Kaba Myzeque - Famille Lela de Permet

16. African Solution

17. Lagnana - D'Gary

18. Sud - Safy Boutella

Tracks:

Duna Ma Yelema
Baba Drame
Las Enfants de Pierrette
Samba
Bebe Bo Nadero
Tunga Magni
Courir Un Homme Qui Vous Aime
Macire
Serrer La Main
Kalilou
Solo de Kar Kar
Kar Kar Madison

Amazon.com

Like the late Congolese rumba impresario Franco, Boubacar "Kar Kar" Traoré is a legendary artist whose music has been tough to find in the U.S. At home, when Traoré performed on Radio Mali in 1988 after a long hiatus, listeners who assumed he'd been dead for years feared a hoax. Here in his 50s, Traoré flexes his mastery of the acoustic guitar and blues-inflected vocals on his first readily available release in decades. Kar Kar's deeply soulful songs invite comparison with fellow Malian Ali Farka Toure. But if the gritty Ali Farka evokes John Lee Hooker, Kar Kar with his chiming guitar lines and smoke-tinged voice is closer to Mississippi John Hurt. The gracefully mournful "Les Enfants de Pierrette" is a tribute to his late wife, while on "Bebe Bo Nadero," a celebration of motherhood, he trades licks with pop star Habib Koite, the disc's artistic producer. Spanish guitar ripples through the meditative "Courir un Homme Qui Vous Aime," but Kar Kar can also pull off a jump-up number like the bouncy, unbridled "Kar Kar Madison," which reclaims a 1960s Malian dance craze. The give and take between African and African American genres is centuries old, but the tug of war seldom achieves a more satisfying equilibrium. --Bob Tarte.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible.......2005-08-03

If you like intersted earthy music you should buy this, every track will grow into your soul the more you listen to it

Music for all ages.......2002-06-10

Some of the finest music ever recorded. This incredible collaboration with Habib Koite is a treasure. My fellow reviewers have already spelled why quite eloquently. All I can say is, if you like guitar, you will love this album. Note to parents: My 2 year old has actually come to me and sighed, "Mommy, I need Boubacar please."

HIS SOUL THROUGH HIS VOICE.......2001-09-13

This is one of the most moving albums of African music -- or of any genre -- I've ever experienced. Kar Kar's voice is so deep and soulful as he pours himself into these songs. They deal with life, love, death, loss and hardship -- and more. Accompanied by Habib Koite and his incredible band Bamada (see his fine recent release BARO), the arrangements are kept relatively simple, but they are so very beautiful and effective. The acoustic guitar work on all of the tracks is exquisite -- Keletigui Diabate's work on balafon and violin is also memorable. All of this is gifted to the listener through a crystal-clear recording.

The package is attractively designed as well -- as I have come to expect from the French company Label Bleu. Even without full translations, the feeling and soul of these songs comes across very clearly.

The music on this album can be universally appreciated -- by afficianados of world music as well as by those who would like to expand their musical horizons.

Nothing fancy here............2001-08-20

....just beautifully crafted blues. Some poet started a brief ode with "Watch what can be done with a little". Well in this case listen to what can be done with a little. A very spiritual, polished disc. Highly recommended.

Deeper than Your Soul.......2000-12-07

Boubacar Traore has taken my understanding of the blues, and to music in general, to a higher level. Together with Habib Koite, another Malian pioneer, this album is about as tight as I've ever heard. The recording is sharp, the solos and vocals hold nothing back, and it can be played for all occasions. The overall tone of the album is subdued and patient. It bounces you along slowly into a soundscape entirely Traore's. Every instrument is masterfully played, but again, I've gotta stress the vocals. Koite and Traore have incredible voices, friendly yet impassioned and colorful. This album is also an entirely different style than Ali Farka Toure - don't rank either artist over the other - it's basically futile to compare them except to say that Traore's work has a bit more of a beat. Both Toure and Traore have worked at Radio Mali and both artists are accepted as blues Masters in their home country. Macire has become my soundtrack for the world. Try it with headphones.

Average customer rating:

So far my favorite of her albums
Excellent and sensitive African artist
Rokia rules!
Great artist
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC -- REFRESHINGLY UNADORNED

Wanita
Rokia Traoré
Manufacturer: Indigo France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bowmboï
Mouneïssa
Oumou
Macire
New Ancient Strings

ASIN: B00004SPOL
Release Date: 2000-07-11

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.

Tracks:

Chi Chi Mani
La Ceiba
Ven Pronto
Los Sabores Del Porro
Indios Farotos
La Sombra Negra
Carmelina
Las Cuatro Palomas
Mohana
Millo Son
Agua
Hacha Machete y Garabato-La Tres Punta

Amazon.com

Colombian music is incredibly diverse. Cuban son, Latin salsa, and merengue collude with African chants and percussion, primal Indian sources, flamenco and Moorish echoes from Spain, native cumbia, and out-of-control German brass bands. All of these influences and sounds are heard, separately and together, on Carmelina. Toto La Momposina hails from the north of the country, where the Madalena river flows toward the Caribbean, and she is as much a musical hunter-gatherer as a singer of formidable beauty and strength. In every song she becomes a different woman--a flirt, an Earth Mother, or a humble food-seller--and her voice is at once as fresh as a girl's and as ancient as the 500-year-old tradition she personifies. The instruments used on this album are uniformly intriguing, but the gaita, a long-neglected Indian wooden or bamboo flute named for a Spanish bagpipe, is particularly fascinating. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Forget Buena Vista.......2007-01-09

This rocks! The lyrics get pretty heavy at times (if you understand Spanish) avoid it if you're not comfortable with brujeria!

Cool Columbian music, off the beaten track.......2002-11-26

A stunning set from this Columbian diva... This veers sharply away from the standard-issue hyperactive cumbias that dominate most Columbian releases, with an electric mix of Cuban-style sones and guarachas, African percussion and indigenous South American folk styles. Okay, so I admit my description may sound a bit academic on paper, but that's why you owe it to yourself to pick this album up and see if you think it sounds as groovy as I do. La Momposina is an arresting vocalist, and these tunes are delivered with a solid, swinging beat. Highly recommended!

Sensational.......2000-09-16

I read a newspaper review on Toto La Momposina's last concert here in Miami, which motivated me to buy the CD. I am happy I did, it is a beautifully rythmic album. The traditional Afro-Colombian Cumbia music is presented here in all it's primitive glory. I especially loved "Las Cuatro Palomas", "Millo Son", and the last track "Hacha Machete y Garabato". Close your eyes and imagine yourself swaying back and forth in traditional Cumbia style listening to this carribean delight.

Pizzazzz! Sensuous! and Flight of Fancy.......2000-08-26

Great dance music to lighten up your feet!!! A wonderful recording. All the great rhythms of latin america with afro fusion influence. A true delight!

Average customer rating:

A subtle masterpiece
Strong return to form for Madagascar guitar great

Akata Meso
D'Gary
Manufacturer: Indigo France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Malagasy Guitar/Music from Madagascar
Mbo Loza
Horombe
Bowmboï

ASIN: B00005BFA9
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Tracks:

Very Ny Bado
Zaza Somondrara
Lamba Flanelle
Bobo-Drano
Resaka Marandray
Kapitotsy
Plaisir-Nao Mbatro
Akata Meso
Politikinao Nahoda
Samby Lomay
Kinetsa
Fatiky Maiky

Customer Reviews:

A subtle masterpiece.......2002-12-16

Those who have followed this artist know his earliest solo-oriented work,
through his large ensemble arrangements to what is a return to an earlier simplicity. It's not quite a return to old form, the years have added
experience and exposure to new techniques which manifest here to fine
effect. His guitar style is essentially of very fast runs and arpeggios that
he makes seem (and sound) easy, and as a result, one does hear strains of familiarity in his work. Not unlike the type of continuity one hears in John Fahey or Leo Kottke records.

In this case, the arrangements hinge again on his guitar, with his vocal
and excellent harmonies and additional vocals by Rataza. The guitar tone is more evocative due to the use of a nylon string type, and in two of the cuts, he uses an electric (which he plays more like a wind instrument in approach, with no note bending and a distortion level almost warm in tone).

The change in the rhythm section is apparent, with the addition on some tracks of Indian percussion, and in another, a conga played in non-Latin style. This ensures that the rhythms are supple, and add texture to the music as opposed to pure pulse (which I think is better suited to horn
or other forms of guitar music).

Not so apparent, but important, is the change in guitar tone. In one cut, for example, he employs rapid harmonics, not unlike a Hawaiian guitarist, and in another, octaves, which give the music a 12-string guitar effect. Very well done, and evocative beyond any hint of mere gimmicry.

Personally, I feel that way too many African artists take the obvious route of adding lots of instruments and heavy beats. Understandable, as it adds appeal to more listeners, but D'Gary's style often benefits from subtraction. His guitar work is technically extraordinary and very evocative, even to listeners not familiar with African music. His vocals are as moving as any blues singer I've ever heard, and few artists do
as well in using space as he does. The music is often stark compared
to larger scale bands, but there's a lot of beauty and emotion instead
of sheen and volume.

I'm a fan of this artist, and can't claim to be unbiased. However, this
CD left my jaw hanging at times at how beautiful. The electric work
might be a matter of taste, but a good
reference would be that it is somewhat similar to Fred Neil's Raga in
tone, but better executed.

This is one of the best African CDs I've heard this year.

Strong return to form for Madagascar guitar great.......2002-10-10

This album is a big step up over 1997's "Mbo Loza", which had D'Gary rehashing his earlier songwriting and guitar licks. D'Gary grew up in a remote rural area of southern Madagascar, where he taught himself to play guitar. He has a unique, virtuoso sound. But on this CD he has added to that some technique learned from other guitarists that has expanded his musical range. For instance, he would have never come up with the intro to "Resaka Marandray" 5 years ago.

The album is solely guitar, voice, and percussion. Singer/percussionists Rataza and Xavier-Martial Francois are still on board, though they only get to play on about half the tracks. Three of the best cuts ("Bobo-drano", "Politikinao Nahoda", "Fatiky Maiky") are instrumentals, with fiery playing by D'Gary and guest Nantha Kumar on tablas. The latter two tracks are the only ones where D'Gary plays electric guitar. The best of the songs with vocals are "Resaka Marandray" with Francois singing lead, and the gentle "Samby Lomay". Occasionally a riff is reminiscent of the "Horombe" album; for instance, "Politikinao Nahoda" has hints of "Zay Gny Raha" in it.

Tracks:

Retraite
N'Sangou
Kouelohele
Bako [Instrumental]
Kesse Kesse
Havachibora
Liwa [Instrumental]
Wali Ti Mbi
Cheu [Instrumental]
Mancongo

Amazon.com

Congolese musician Antoine Moundanda is one of the giants of African music, and his 1950s recordings with his band Likembe Geant helped lay the foundation for the soukous revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Moundanda is a master of the thumb piano, or likembe in the local dialect, and Kesse Kesse, which was recorded live in 1997, offers ample proof that even in his late 60s his power as a musician is undiminished. Likembe Geant was one of the first groups to blend local music and instruments with imported styles like Cuban rumba. On tracks like "Kesse Kesse" and "Mancongo," Moundanda and his two bandmates weave rippling Congolese melodies and driving Caribbean rhythms into a marvelous tapestry of sound. Unlike most modern Congolese musicians, Likembe Geant eschew European instruments like electric guitars, horns, and keyboards in favor of their own native thumb pianos. They may not be as loud as a contemporary soukous band, but Likembe Geant more than make up for the lack of volume with the intensity of their singing and the passion of their playing. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Roots Of Rhythm!.......1999-05-13

YOW! On Kesse Kesse, (Indigo LBLC 2541) Antoine Moundanda, "Papa" Kourand and Raphael Mahela take the roots of rhythm right back home! Antoine Moundanda and Co. use only three likembe (thumb pianos) and their golden voices to show the world how to REALLY "move that thang!" These three Congolese gents encapsulate and condense the true essence of world beat rhythm into a fascinating, utterly danceable style of music. More than just a "rumba", Kesse Kesse reaches into the very heart and soul of what makes a piece of music an exciting, rhythmical experience - at its most basic, moving level. Yours Truly has been worshipping at the Church of the World Beat for quite sometime, and now, just now with this album, have I been exposed to the TRUE meaning of the "roots of rhythm." Say Amen! Jaded danceaholics and pasty wallflowers alike will revel in the wonderful music contained on this CD - don't wait another moment - buy it and then before you play it, push all the furniture back against the walls and roll up the rugs, because you're going to need the room to DANCE!

Hail to the thumb piano!.......1998-08-24

Together with two soul brothers, Antoine Moundanda forms the incredible trio Likembe Geant. The Likembe is the Congolese version of the thumb piano. On this CD Antoine shows how to create an incredible atmosphere using just three likembes, one of which a bass likembe, and the human voice. If you want to discover the roots of popular artists like Papa Wemba or Remmy Ongala, or recent discoveries such as Extra Musica, this is your CD. Note the close resemblance of the Likembe riffs to the guitar riffs heard in the music of these people. Just sit back, close your eyes, and imagine three old guys on stage, moving to and fro to the rythm of their music, the crowd dancing like never before, and the music will do the rest...

Average customer rating:

Powerful Malian melody and rhythm
i love this group toooo much.

Kongo Sigui
Super Rail Band De Bamako
Manufacturer: Indigo France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sigui
Mansa
The Rough Guide to Franco: Africa's Legendary Guitar Maestro
Amassakoul
Sou Ni Tile

ASIN: B00009465X
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

Mogo Gnaye Kodola
Pirates
Kongo Sigui
Balla Moussa Keita
Sory
Dion Mansa
Tunga
Dakan
Sada Diallo

Amazon.com

For over three decades, this Malian group has set the worldwide standard for Afropop music, with the possible exception of the equally talented Bembeya Jazz. Formed when Mali emerged from colonial rule, this invigorating ensemble, which once included Salif Keita and Mory Kante as members, mixes Afro-Cuban mambo, Congolese rumba, the 21-string kora, Manding music, and Griot praise vocals to create a sound that is both local and global. This CD captures the group--led by guitarist Djelimady Tounkara--in superb and syncopated form. With their twangy, West Africa-tuned guitars, precision percussion, and angelic female vocals, this ensemble shows what happens when Mother Africa's musical offspring come back home, as evidenced by the hip-shaking, grooves of "Mogo Gnayé Kodola," "Balla Moussa Keita," and "Pirates," as wellas the soft, Savannah-breezed "Kory," the title track, and the Memphis-motored "Tunga." These musical visionaries have come a long way from their first home, the Buffet Hotel de la Gare in the capital city of Bamako. Now, everybody gets buzzed from their profound and poetic palm-wine pulsations. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Powerful Malian melody and rhythm.......2007-03-14

This is really an amazing cd. High quality, and Djelimadi's guitar is mind blowing--Like a clean jimi hendrix with delay pedal. Highly recommended. I think th other reviewer below mistakenly put 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 if you read the review.

i love this group toooo much........2007-01-06

i have collected almost every cd available of the group, but still wants to know of some realeses of their albums.Love this group too much.

Average customer rating:

Indigo Red
Amana Melome
Manufacturer: Savana Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAKR9M
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Intro
Caterpillar
Nao Falo
Space Age Mama Jama
Indigo Red
Floss Girl
Platonic
Encantada
Black Sheep
Hear Say
So Glad I Found You
Jack and Jill
Searching for Myself
Indigo Red (Reprise)
Bella Farfalla

Average customer rating:

Let Kar Kar Sing For you
Folksy, bluesy, and a little maudlin

Sa Golo
Baboucar Traore
Manufacturer: Indigo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Macire
Mariama
Kar Kar
Je Chanterai pour Toi
Kongo Magni

ASIN: B000024LV8
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Sa Golo
Mouso Teke Soma Ye
Yafa Ma
Dounia
Jour du Trente et Un
Ntaara Diagnamogo Fe
Ala Ta Deye Tignaye
Je Chanterai Pour Toi
Soundiata

Amazon.com

Recorded in 1996, this is the real Boubacar Traoré, just his voice and acoustic guitar, with percussion from his childhood pal Baba Dramé on the calabash. While Traoré's playing has often invited comparisons to the bluesy pentatonic tones of Ali Farka Toure, the man affectionately known as Kar Kar has been around longer--since the 1960s. On Sa Golo, Traoré's focus is more on the more traditional Malian griot style (and the closing cut, "Soundiata," is one of the most famous griot tunes) than most of Toure's work. Music rarely gets more spare than Sa Golo, where the silences are as eloquent as the notes, each carefully chosen and played, with Traoré's voice almost hypnotic over the top. His playing, too, has never been better--never compressing the material but letting it flow to a natural, winding conclusion. If records had a heart, this one would be beating strongly, with the title track and "Dounia" as special standouts. By far the best of Traoré's worthy albums. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

Let Kar Kar Sing For you.......2005-03-08

Kar Kar is an amazing musician. I speak about three words of Bamana ("Mousso," "Dounia," and "Jali"), but Kar Kar has me singing along on these great tunes.

Kar Kar's music is very different than Bambara and Mandinko jali (griot) music. He is not a jali, so while his lyrics may cover similar themes and his melodies and rhythms are definately African, he is freer to compose material in a different style and mood with a different goal in mind. If you go see Kar Kar perform, you will not see him praising noble members of his audience (there comes a point in every jali performance when members of the audience give money to the jalis in response to praises.) In this respect he is similar to Ali Farka Toure, who is also not of the griot class. But Toure is from a different part of Mali and a member of a different ethnic group (the Songhai). While both play music that can be called African blues, they have a completely different feel to them. Kar Kar's music is perhaps more subtle.

Kar Kar's guitar playing is stunning on all his albums. "Sa Golo" is no different. Listening to songs like "Dounia" (a variant of the Bambara love song "Diarabi")one can't help but wonder what influenced what: Does Kar Kar's music have a Spanish influence or is what we think of as Spanish actually African in origin? More likely, though, it that it is all a big interlocking tangle of influence-- African music and Arabic music influenced Spanish music, African music meshed with Spanish music to become the Caribean "Latin" sound which in turn became very popular in West Africa. All of these no doubt contribute to Kar Kar's music, but his guitar playing, with its crisp treble flourishes, solid bass rhythms, and clean melodic echoing of the vocals, is unique. Baba Drame's playing of the calabash perfectly accentuates Kar Kar's rhythms, making it quite danceable.

Even through the language barrier, one can sense that Kar Kar's music is about love -- love for his deceased wife, love for his dead brother, love for his country and his culture. The latter introduces a strong theme on this album with the songs "Sa Golo" and "Mouso Teke Soma Ye." Both of these deal with the exclusion of women from certain ceremonies. Kar Kar loves his country and his culture, but love can really hurt sometimes. Especially when part of what you love you don't agree with. You can hear in his voice how it pains him that his beautiful culture can be so unfair to women. "Mouso Teke Soma Ye" is a challenge to the traditional healers of his people, asking why women cannot be admitted to the secret societies when they give birth to the men who can.

Love also gives Kar Kar a wonderful feel for the blues. The two bluesiest songs on this album are "Ntaara Diagnamogo Fe" and "Je Chanterai Pour Toi" -- the latter sung in French. The first is one of the oldest blues stories around -- a man goes to see his girl but her papa chases him away. The second means "I will sing for you," and in it Kar Kar croons in his wonderful smoky voice, that if she knew how much he loved her, she would have to love him too. "Hold me in your arms," he sings, "I will sing for you."

Folksy, bluesy, and a little maudlin.......2001-01-25

Traore's recordings are usually about as minimal as can be: an acoustic guitar and a voice, both supplied by him. He's got a unique, distinctive style: his songs tend to be slow, his playing style crisp, and his voice plaintive. It makes for good listening on an occasional basis, but I find I can't listen to it very often. One song sounds very much like the next (does he even change keys?); he overindulges in sentimentality. Still, Traore's music is worth listening to, particularly for fans of Malian music. Look for the song "Santa Maria," which I have yet to find on a CD in the States, and also look for his life story as related to Lieve Joris in her travel memoir "Mali Blues." After I read about his life, I understood why his music is so sad.

Average customer rating:

A must buy

Into Indigo
Anna Murray
Manufacturer: Klub Records Ltd.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003NHU
Release Date: 2000-02-03

Tracks:

Finharr Saunders/Gaol Na H-Oige
Na Goisidich/Tar The House/The Ness Pipers
Saoil A' Mhor
Dolina MacKay/The Ballivanich/The Brown Haired Maid
An Ribhinn Bhoidheach
Southpark House/Tarruing Teann An Crios/Kevin's Celtic Chasm
Mairead Nan Cuiread
The Hazy Day/Zeto The Bubbleman/The Last Tango In Harris
An Deidh's Mhealladh
Braigh Loch-Iall/Miss Campbell Of Sheerness/The Atlantic Bridge
A Ghaoil Saoil Am Faigh Mi Thu?/Hacking Windows
Crann Tara/Alasdair Oig Mhic'ic Neacail
Gad Ionndrainn

Customer Reviews:

A must buy.......2000-03-11

The second of Anna Mhoireach's albums and a must buy for those interested in traditional music, but who aren't afraid of other music - funk, jazz and all sorts of mad little sounds make this a very fresh sounding album - check out the hammond on the big pipe set a la Booker T, or the harmonica on Saoil a' Mhor. Not one for people who like their music all tartaned up - however, if you like haunting gaelic songs, listen to A Ribhinn Bhoidheach. Fantastic.

Average customer rating:

love the man.
Oh! Yes I wanna testify, This is the best work
Shockingly good!!! 6 stars out of 5.
Djelimady, Primus inter Pares
A feast for your ears!

Sigui
Djelimady Tounkara
Manufacturer: Indigo France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Mali | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

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International | Imports | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00005AALF
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

Mande Djeliou
Gnima Diala
Sigui
Ayebo
Diaoura
Amary Ndaou
Djanfa Magni
Samakoun
Makan Djan Woule
Senelalou
Yamaryo

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

love the man........2007-01-06

still waiting for another another solo from the man. his very good.

Oh! Yes I wanna testify, This is the best work.......2003-09-30

I 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........2003-07-10

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.......2003-04-08

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.

A feast for your ears!.......2002-09-11

Djelimady Tounkara has some supurb moments on this CD. Over all a great listen. Instant gratification, great longevity, mega-fun.

World Music: