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.
Lila Downs
La Cantina
SENTI TOY
How Many Stories Do You Read On My Face?
LOREENA MCKENNITT
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Rupa & The April Fishes
Extraordinary Rendition
Denai Moore
Elsewhere
Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich + Fussible
Tijuana Sound Machine
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.