Badenya: Manden Jaliya in New York City

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 23, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B000068Q2C
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,848 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Originally from Mali, Guinea, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau, these artists are now part of the global beat of New York City's music scene. Though their music has a distinctively contemporary Afropop sound, they are all jalilu—practitioners of ancient performance traditions dating back to the 13th century Empire of Mali. This exquisite recording showcases singing by masters of the soaring vocal style of jaliya and virtuoso instrumental playing on the bala, kora, n'goni, tambin, djembe, dundun, guitar, and bass. A testimony to the vitality and creativity of immigrant communities in America, this music and its performers seamlessly combine contemporary life in urban New York with African traditions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jaliya tradition, February 21, 2003

By 

"Ian Herrick" "PapaIan" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Badenya: Manden Jaliya in New York City (Audio CD)

This album is a wonderful example of the Mande musical tradition persisting in the US. Featuring various jaliya who reside in the United States, I think the highlights come from Abdoulaye Diabate's vocals (His brother Kassemady can be heard singing on Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate's album "Kulanjan")and the fluteplaying of Bah Bailo. But certainly fans of the kora, bala, and ngoni will not be dissappointed, as this album boasts some superb talent on all of the above -- such as Abou Sylla on bala and Mahamadou Salieu Suso on the kora. The extensive liner notes are an added bonus -- full of biographical information about the performers as well as a short history of the Mande peoples and the jaliya.