fR312 PAGES 54-69 (10 Pgs) 4/5/09 18:23 Page 1
f54
Photo: Jak Kilby
Baaba Maal Soznak
BAABA MAAL
There are some really good tunes on gins of the band’s members, who hail from
here too; one might even get the impression Angola, Spain, Ireland, Cameroon, Iraq,
Television Palm Pictures PALMCD2140
that an instruction had gone out to write a Congo, Iran and the UK.
few singles. If so, then ear-worm tracks like
First off, don’t expect
The opening couple of tracks spotlight
the loping, slightly South African sounding
a purely Baaba Maal
Angolan vocalist Beriso Lutonda, with a
Miracle, International and the Neville Broth-
record. This is very
breezy hi-life style backing (Soznak are
ers-ish Dakar Moon might well fit the bill.
much a collaborative
blessed with a booting horn section which
effort with producer/
And then it’s all stripped down to acous- helps no end in getting that hi-life sound),
songwriter Barry Reynolds – the British rock
tic guitar, whooshy keyboards and Maal and Sugar Stick moves over to Afrobeat with a
guitarist who progressed from Blodwyn Pig
Sciubba’s duetting voices on the truly, deeply sense of space that most of the planet’s Fela-
to becoming a mainstay of Chris Blackwell’s
beautiful Tindo Quando. Rarely can an album Kuti-a-likes totally miss. Next up, Cooking In
Compass Point All Stars along with Sly & Rob-
have a more gorgeous closer. The Kitchen, a rousing Latin-flavoured tune
bie, and is Marianne Faithfull’s musical direc- Such a shame then that the corny
that features recipes from various band mem-
tor. Also in writing partnership are co-lead whistling on Cantaloupe drives this listener to
bers (including a Spanish pisto and an Iranian
singer Sabina Sciubba and keyboard player distraction: whistling should be as firmly
aubergine dish) and on through sweet
Didi Gutman from New York alternative banned from recording studios as choirs of
Angolan ballads, jazzy instrumentals and
dance/ world pop electronica outfit Brazilian off-key children. It eventually builds into a
brassed up flamenco, to the closing title
Girls. But stop your knees jerking on receipt good groove, but it’s going to be skipped
track, a touching tribute to Miskin Senior.
of that information: this is a great, original, when this one goes to the iPod. This free-flowing meeting of musical
different album.
Apart from that one track, this really is a
minds will probably induce palpitations in
Engineered by the steady hand of Jerry cracking good album, well worth the wait. It’s
pinched purists, but is miles away from self-
Boys, it is altogether a denser studio creation very good to hear him not following the safe
conscious, synthetically-engineered “global
than Baaba’s earlier work, quite an alluring Afro-lite route. In its sure-handed inventive-
fusion”. Surprising, sparky and somehow
one with lots of layers. No wonder it has been ness, it may be a million miles from Djam
very English.
three years in the making of its eight tracks. Leelii but he may have just, in a very different
www.myspace.com/soznak17; distribu-
You don’t even hear that much of Baaba’s way, produced a few more classics here. tion by Harmonia Mundi.
voice on the opening title track, and it takes
www.palmpictures.com
Jamie Renton
three or four plays of the whole thing before
shapes really begin to solidify in the gently
Ian Anderson
swirling audio mists. KASSE MADY DIABATE
When they do, the second piece Tindo
will probably be the first to really grab your
SOZNAK
Manden Djeli Kan Universal/ Wrasse 531
067 1
focus. Baaba’s voice is really suited to these
Dear Dad Tango Home Made Rekords
duets with Sciubba (singing in Italian), and
634479 813160
ABDOULAYE “DJOSS”
Massamba Diop’s burbling tama is subtly
placed in a fast trip-hoppy shuffle with slide Openness, charm, a
DIABATE
guitar and dubby bass. Along with A Song For sense of fun and a
Sara Completelly Nuts Records CTN-003
Women with its steady sabars in the pulse, it’s taste for the absurd:
the sort of thing Baaba first did with produc- all good qualities, all Kasse Mady Diabate’s
er Simon Emmerson of AfroCelts, and maybe too rare and all album releases tend
the ghost of Daniel Lanois is not so far away found in abundance in this warm-hearted to reflect his cameos
either. Perhaps one could date the gestation and musically adventurous debut from 12- as guest vocalist with
of a record like this to that period in Baaba’s piece Newcastle-based group Soznak (who Malian groups such as
recorded history rather than back to his sub- take their name from an Arabic musical the Symmetric Orchestra and the Mandekalou
lime, stark, acoustic kick-start Djam Leelii or term). Housed in a psychedelic Digipak ensemble, as well as his appearances on land-
his high energy work with Dande Lenol, to (deemed “really Boosh-y looking” by my mark world music albums such as Songhai and
which this bears very little relation at all. teenage daughter), the album is dedicated Kulanjan. Quite content to stand on the side-
Well, what do you expect – that was all two to bandleader Paul Miskin’s late artist father lines while others take centre stage, his all-too-
decades ago… and draws inspiration from the mixed ori- brief moments in the spotlight ooze calm
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84