Customer Reviews

Boomerang

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I heard this CD on the NPR show "The World" (a fabulous source for new world music) and was immediately interested (http://www.theworld.org/globalhits/2004/12/10.shtml). This has turned out to be one of my favorite W. African music collections. The beats are fabulous and catchy (even 14-year olds in rural Vermont were impressed with the music even though they couldn't understand a single word!). They sing in French, Woolof (a Senegalese dialect) and English and even though you might not understand the lyrics (the liner notes contain only selected verses from the songs) it's still an incredible CD. The speed with which the singers rap in any language is extremely impressive (especially on the track "Boomerang") and it had me captured in the first 30 seconds. He flies with his lyrics and you can't help but find yourself bopping your head and tapping your foot (I know, sounds cheezy!). I also love the song "Esperanza," which is very different because of its jazzier sound (and some lyrics in Spanish). Although Daara J sounds like and looks like your typical American rappers, the values and messages in their lyrics are not just about babes and bling. In their song "Paris-Dakar" they say that Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is more boubou than bling-bling, making reference to the traditional loose-fitting outfit, the boubou, that most Senegalese wear. It's hard to articulate precisely what I love most about this album, but it will forever remain as a playlist on my iPod. If you are interested in either rap/hip-hop or world music, this is a must-have in your collection. I will be looking for more music from Daara J and will keep up with them from now on.

This is a great disc! Equally great to listen to in the car and to dance to at a party. Exodus, Paris Dakar, and Esperanza are my personal faves of the moment. I also recommend buying Global Hip Hop -- a collection that includes Esperanza... The perfect record for hip hop fans who are a little tired of cheesy samplings and expletives every other word.

The first song I heard off this CD was Exodus, and I bought the CD the next day. Every time I've played it at a party someone asks me about it. It's really fantastic -- a mixture of rap, hip-hop, and Senegalese music. Despite my high-school (and, sadly, college) French, I still don't understand most of their lyrics, but the music is so great it doesn't matter (and I'm a big lyrics person, so that says a lot).

Best picks: Exodus, Esperanza, Number One, Babylone, Le Cycle. All great and groovy in their own way.

Highly highly recommend. I could listen to this every day. And sometimes I do.

A friend brought this CD to our last party. When the first sounds came out of the speakers, the civilized suburbian crowd stopped their cocktail conversations and started dancing; moving their bodies to unknown magic rhythms of Sengalese HipHop. Words in French, Wolof and English are laying over a very groovy music. Daara J produced a great album, which will convince everybody that African HipHop is electrifying and addictive. Highly recommended (5 stars)

Daara J finally found their voice with this cd. These guys have such raw talent, and they truly brought it together here. I used to hear them play 8 years ago in Senegal, and I was always impressed with the way they blended soul, hip hop, and reggae. Their first two albums were a bit unpolished, but this one is truly excellent!

I feel like I saved so much money buying an album like Boomrang, I mean it's like the whole world came together and just created
One beautiful thing, and that's realy amazing.
These guys are so talented- RAP,R&B,SOUL,REGGAE,DANCEHALL,SALSA...among other genres,
What more can you ask for.
Thanks Amazon, not too many web sites can provide services like this. Keep up the great work.

Its surprising that i have to be the first one to review this group/album. I will keep it short. I have a keen interest in French rap, and this one is among the best in recent years. the title track is a reminder of how rap/hip hop has some rare gems in French speaking Africa. They (Daara J) have also joined hands with some of the best bands/singers in Africa,namely, Rokia Traore and Serigne` M baye ( lead rapper of the famed hip hop group Disiz La Peste). Please, please wake up! I do not understand French Rap; nor do I follow the lyrics of American rap (much of it is nonsense anyways!). After buying this album if anyone is interested in exploring French rap check out the following bands: Saian Supa Crew, Akhenaton, Doc Gyneco, NTM, Disiz La Peste, 113, MC Solaar, Serigne` M baye. If hip/hop is about passion, the beats, the scratches, smooth rhymes, then look no further than French hip/hop. You'll enjoy it, as long as you as a passion for global music. You can start your collection with this one.

The group returns with Best of Africa Title.
If you don't know these guys there is one thing i can say about them, You can Never wrong w/ Daara-j. Their rhyms in Wolof, French, and English have just aways been the best.

As a few others, I heard Daara J's "Boomerang" in the interview on NPR a few weeks back. I was so taken by the interview and the music, I went on-line right away and ordered the CD. With my "limited" knowledge of French and Spanish, I was able to understand some of the words which are very powerful and moving, their native Senegalese Wolof is just as beautiful. What else can I say, but I love it and will keep my eyes and ears open for more to come from these very talented young men.

Be warned that this is one of those CDs that will only play in the proprietary player that comes bundled with the CD--you can't listen to it via WinAmp, Real Player, Windows Media Player, Musicmatch Jukebox, or whatever your prefered computer music software happens to be. Unfortunately, the compulsory bundled player is pretty crummy--songs keep cutting out and "sticking," just for a second but certainly enough to impair enjoyment if you're listening to the CD on your computer. I wish I had noticed this before I bought.

Since I mostly listen to music on my iPod, if I can't play it there (and if I have to suffer inferior quality on my computer), this is a purchase I now regret, despite my enthusiasm for Daara J.