88.1FM
WYCE
-
or visit our secure sign-in page
sign in or sign up...
OR ...with your email address
Community Media Center
2009-05-11
Amadou & Mariam's Welcome to Mali is a really cool mixture of traditional African music and contemporary music trends. The album was produced by Damon Albarn, of The Gorillaz and Blur, and he also plays many of the instruments. As one would expect, that adds a lot of depth to the record, turning otherwise basic worldbeat songs into a hybrid of modern western pop mixed with African music. When many of the songs start it sounds like anything on top 40 radio, until Mariam Doumbia's distinct voice breaks in her native language. There's nothing ordinary about these tunes, like opener "Sabali" and "Djuru, which mixes hand drumming with drum machine tracks for a nice effect.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2
Various Artists
Kalamazoo Community Rhythm Project
LOS FABULOSOS CADILLACS
El Arte De La Elegancia De LFC
American Babies
An Epic Battle Between Light And Dark
CURUMIN
- Japan Pop Show
Stephin Merritt
Showtunes
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.