Customer Reviews

DJ Abote

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Anyone who still doubts the relevancy of African music, or thinks that Western music is somehow superior, should be made to watch Doudou Ndiaye Rose in action. While I have not had that pleasure, SBS TV in Australia was kind enough to broadcast a program about the making of this CD on television recently. Fascinating stuff indeed. There was Rose conducting his compositions with a team of Western recording personnel looking on in awe. Not only because of the intricate and complex rhythms of the compositions, but also because of the way in which Rose conducted the orchestra of 50 Muslim drummers and 80 Catholic singers on the Island of Goree in Senegal - much like the way in which a conducter of a Western symphony would conduct his orchestra in a great hall. All these drummers were really one, with a perfect mastery of their art and what seemed like an amazing joy for living. Doudou Ndiaye Rose is a master musician and arguably the best rhythmatist in the world. It is fortunate that he has passed his knowledge on to his children, especially since so much of the traditional musics of the world are being lost. Ali Ndiaye Rose (one of Doudou's sons) is a guest lecturer at the Royal School of Music in The Hague, The Netherlands and since 1989 has worked and performed with the Percussion Group The Hague. (They recorded together on the Dutch CD "Skin Hits").

The CD "Djabote" is very well recorded and belongs in the collection of any serious African music listener.

This is a historic recording - for those interested in rhythm, in African music, and in music in general. Doudou Rose has the advantage that many members of his ensemble are family members - it takes a special link to create such harmony in a large orchestra. In this sense, though this is a very different style of music, it reminds of Taiko drumming. In its richness and complexity, it is on par with classical Indian music. I enjoy that the recording is purely rhythmical with hardly any vocal sections. A real and rare treat. Wish there were more recordings.