Customer Reviews

Foly Live Around the World

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a great CD this is, as faithfully and as beautifully recorded with an absolutely perfect balance among the instruments, voices and dynamics! For the uninitiated, Habib Koite is one of the most original guitarists to have emerged in the last few years. His finger picking is extraordinarily lyrical and his original songs are among the most captivating you'll ever hear in any discipline. An incredible musician and writer, an expressive singer and an absolutely enchanting performer, Koite has assembled a protean group of colleagues to bring his music to life in concert, and this document tracks him over a European tour playing to audiences who succumb totally to the wonders of theis Malian artist.
I can think of few others who have burst upon the field of music with such grace and command of their art! If you are familiar with any of his CDs, you will exalt at this live set. Songs find new directions, as the improvisations evolve in turns and twists as mysterious as the Malian tradition of griot prophecy. As you listen to this set, you'll find yourself wishing you were there. Highlights include "Bitile" "Muso Ko", "Wassiye" and "Cigarette Abanna". But the whole concert is a marvel. If you have had it with the endless parade of hip hop pablum and the dulling monotony of almost all music out of Los Angeles or New York, turn your ears here. The record company hegemony ends on the shores of Mali, and you'll find yourself connecting with a trance-like tradition that came to America and became the fertile delta of jazz, blues and rock. This is not college radio world music. This IS MUSIC itself of the highest order and deepest passion.
FOLY is the front runner for the best CD of 2004!

I didn't appreciate Habib et al when I first heard them on a compilation. However, I had the opportunity to see the band live a few years ago. I was blown away. I have never seen such enegry on a stage, especially by the drummers. This album captures the brilliance and dynamic nature of a very impressive and underrated group. It's the next best thing to seeing them live.

I listen to a lot of live CDs, and was discouraged to read the review that said this was of "terrible sound quality". I've listened to both discs a few times and believe the sound quality is actually really great for a live recording. Crowd noise is very minimal and the mix (levels) of instruments is very true to being at a Habib show (excellent experience, by the way). Great discs to add to any collection.

I got this after hearing Putamayo's "Mali"; Koite is on that one twice. What a great choice. Taken from several live performances, this set of CD's shows that the rich complexity of his music, his singing, and the musicianship is wonderful. It makes me happy when I am driving, even when the traffic is bad.

I've heard Habib Koité and Bamada in concert twice now, and his studio recordings, while all top-notch, can't quite capture the magic of his live performances, honed over several years and paced to build in energy so that the audience is on their feet and moving for the last part of the show. The music, all composed by Habib, incorporates a wide range of moods and musical influences while retaining the flavor of his Mali roots. All the members of this very tight band are virtuosos on their respective instruments, and each player can be heard distinctly in the mix. While the songs here were recorded at a number of different concert dates, they have been carefully engineered and seamlessly blended to offer as close an experience as possible to an actual Habib Koité concert, from the order of the songs to the overall length of the recording. If they come to a town near you, don't miss them. In the mean time don't miss this CD.

For me it's hard to be objective (not that that's really the point) after hearing these guys live. I first heard them in 97 at the New Orleans Jazz Fest having no idea who they were and was completely blown away. I've never been less than thrilled hearing them subsequently. Fortunately they've played Minneapolis/St. Paul several times in the last few years and I've heard them all. This is one of the great live bands on earth and this recording is testament to that. I'm hard pressed to think of any CDs I've listened to more in the last couple of years than this. My friend and I have bootlegged the Habib shows we've gone to and I love listening to those recordings, but this recording is the best of a whole tour and is consistently great. This is the Allman Brothers at Fillmore East or Monk/Trane at Carnegie Hall of African music. This band is so tight, so versatile and the songs are a beautiful array of an ancient/modern blend of Malian music.

I love live music, go to tons of shows and tend towards jazz these days, but I'm hard pressed to think of anybody I'd go hear rather than this band on a particular night if given the choice and this recording captures as well as recording can why that is.

I became interested in Habib's music thanks to the fine folks at Putumayo on their 1999 Africa cd. I was very excited to find that he had put out a live ablum and snatched up a copy. It's become my favorite album...Bar none. Out of 18 tracks only two fall under six minutes, without ever seeming too long. The music is beautifully arranged, Habib Koite is an astounding guitar player, the best way to discribe his style is liquid sprays of sound...his playing alone is worth the price of the cd. Also the band is super tight and can all be heard soloing on Kunfeta (track 8 disc 2). There are plenty of different styles on this cd as well, latin with tracks like Batoumambe (track 5 disc 1), and Cigarette Abana (track 7 disc 2), and Fatma (track 2 disc 1) has a Middle Eastern flavor. It's a great intro to Habib Koite and Bamada...and a must for fans of good music!

This is music from the sky. The whole band comes together to play melodies that just make you happy, or make you want to get up and dance or move around. Very joyous music. Little drops of sunshine all around as you listen - really fine tunes. Beautiful!

Foly! Live Around The World is a 2 volume CD set capturing eighteen cuts recorded from live performances of self-trained, critically acclaimed singer and guitarist Habib Koite and his band, Bamada. Melding the diversity of musical styles and traditions of Mali into a rich and textured whole, Foly! Live Around The World is lively, compelling, and carries seeds of a future vision in which modern technology and cultural roots of history, tradition, and folklore go hand in hand. Tracks include Muso Ko, Fatma, Ma Ya, Sirata, Batoumambe, Bitile, Imada, Kanawa, and Wari on the first CD, and Nanale, Komine, Nimato, Saramaya, Sin Djen Djen, Wassiye, Cigarette Abana, Kunfeta, and Takamba on the second CD.

This is on my fav rotation now. Heard about Habib Koite on a UK internet radio show and have been hooked ever since. Muso Ko is my favorite.