Customer Reviews

Jammu Africa

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the re-release of the CD, and I'm so happy to finally have a copy of it after waiting for so long! The music here is truly excellent - Lo's singing is very soulful and from the heart. He captures so many different moods, in all of his songs. The instrumentation is captivating, and there are parts that I dance to that remind me of Paul Simon's "Graceland." All of the songs on this album are great, but there are some I like more than others. Dibi Dibi Rek is just the best. The duet with Marianne Faithful is unforgettable. A must have!

Ismael Lo's sound is unique. Less sophisticated then Youssou N'Dour, his voice his perhaps more soulfull. This CD contains some of more famous Lo's songs: Sophia, Dibi Dibi Rek, Tajabone (the song of "Tutto su mia madre", the Almodovar's film) and the beautifull Jammu Africa. Lo at his best.

One of my favorite CD'S. This was one of the first Cd, of any genre of music, that I didn't tire of listening to it repeatedly. His voice soothes, and his music reaches. I was wonderful surprise to find Ismael Lo and this Cd 'Jammu Africa'.

In contrast to the above review, I feel that this is as good, if not better, than ISO. With Jammu Africa (Peace to Africa--Pulaar), Lo creates another work of subtle beauty. Nafanta, one of my favorites, evokes the warm wind of the coming rains and the endless horizons of inland Senegal. Reminds of the mythical relaxing bush taxi ride. It is, moreover, very accessible to the American audience-- as long as they can abandon the need to understand the words. As with all African music, the music is the thing, not the content-- though for those who do understand french (or Wolof or Pulaar, though if you understand those languages I doubt you need persuasion to buy this particular CD) he does turn a good phrase. For those who have only heard this record on a scratchy west African market tape, buy this CD. The difference is amazing and, well, everything you expected it would be. I think the duet of Femme Sans Haine is wretched, the worst song on the album and rather like hollywood's version of just about any french movie. Marianne Faithfull sounds like a frog in an oven, and the english translation is hokey. Try Raciste, or Samba et Leuk, or the "dance mix" (as we called it) of Dibi Dibi Rek to get a better feel for the thing. Buy it, you'll love it.

The title track is truly a moving emotional track that can't be played less than a dozen times or more over and over. Other tracks are excellent and will draw you into this artists experience. Really liked Tadiau Bone as well.
This album will move you, bring you to tears or bring bright smiles. Considering that I am a 37 year old white guy from Flushing who grew up on Black Sabbath, AC-DC, and Rush, you can bet that Ismael Lo is for a very wide audience of music lovers. Find this album somewhere and buy it...it's hard to find nowadays.

This is a deceptive album that may, at first, sound basic, but with each listen I hear something -- rhythm or harmony or a vocal line or a melodic run -- that I didn't hear before. The reason for the purchase, at first, was the duet with Marianne Faithful, a haunting melody. I didn't pay a great deal of attention to the rest. On second hearing I recognized how varied and complex his music is in melody and in rhythm -- from French ballads to Latin to African. It's a good listen, and good stuff to improve your spirits.

A beautiful album, Ismael is a great singer. The music is real world music: truly African AND truly global. I guess it's an album which appeals equally to the newcomer to African pop music as well as to the Africa expert.

This album grows on you. It's not immediate, so at first listen not all the beauty and appeal are evident. But with every subsequent spin you'll discover more of its rich variety which includes 3 distinct styles. The first is the catchy uptempo pop song of which Nafanta and Sofia are great examples; there is a resemblance to the soukous style of artists like Tabu Ley Rochereau and Ray Lema. The hit Dibi Dibi Rek is a tad slower but has highly addictive hooks whilst the rhythmic texture of Raciste is exceptional. Percussive tracks like Samba et Leuk and Takou Deneu represent a subgroup of the pop style possibly influenced by Nigerian music like that of King Sunny Ade.

The slow, often mournful, melodious ballad is the second type. All of these have beautiful tunes and moving vocals. They include the undulating Tajabone with its distinct country tones, the atmospheric Nabou spiced with synth and soulful female backing vocals, the melancholy Lotto Lo which has an introspective singer/songwriter air about it and Souleymane, the one with a pop-rock arrangement that starts slowly & gently before the tempo increases & the vocals intensify to transform it into a soaring power ballad. This "southern soul" is a staple of West African artists like Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour.

Thirdly, there is the torch song with aching vocals over a meandering rhythm, represented by the title track, Khar and Without Blame, the devastating duet with Marianne Faithfull which is in a class of its own. Sometimes the voices are in harmony, then they diverge in a call & response style. Marianne's English lyrics are most poetic and Ismael's French lines sound equally so. Furthermore, a similar timbre characterizes both voices for a stirring complementary effect. This tour de force ranks among my top 10 songs by Marianne and is the highlight on an album of soulful songs and beautiful melodies that offers impressive stylistic variety.

Four and a half stars! The title track that opens the album is meandering, intense and mournful like a torch song. The expressive solo voice occasionally reaches into the higher registers, juxtaposed against the stable baritone backing vocals. Both the catchy numbers Sofia and Nafanta are uptempo pop with lilting rhythms and addictive melodies, the type of African pop I associate with e.g. Ray Lema, Kasse Mady and Tabu Ley Rochereau. Other light songs like Samba et Leuk and Takou Deneu have intricate percussive patterns.

West African artists like Baaba Maal, Salif Keita and Youssou N'Dour have a special gift for a type of melodious "southern soul" ballad, and Ismael Lo too. My favorites include Tajabone with its lovely flow and distinct country feel, Nabou which is embellished with atmospheric synthesizer infusions and charming female backing vocals, Lotto Lo, melancholy with a typical folk or singer/songwriter feel about it and Souleymane, this one in a pop-rock vein starting slowly & gently and then developing into an impressive power ballad. All of these are outstanding tracks in delivery, melody and arrangement.

The rhythmic texture on Raciste is most appealing and Dibi Dibi Rek, the huge hit with the addictive hooks remains as charming as ever. Khar resembles Jammu in style as a type of torch song. The real Wow, however, is the duet with Marianne Faithfull! I've been a devoted fan of hers for many years; in my opinion this is one of her most successful collaborations ever. Their voices blend and diverge stirringly on this tender and haunting song, resonating to the same emotions within the scope of a shared or overlapping vocal timbre. The blend of languages also contributes to the magic. This song alone would have made Jammu Africa essential; fortunately the entire album consists of beautiful songs and sounds.

I first heard this album while driving through an emerald boom-town in western Madagascar. The place was teaming with recently arrived prospectors. Stone-faced refugees of poverty, seeking a meager fortune through backbreaking labor. There were so many people walking along and across the only road that we could only drive at walking speed, the tempo of Jammu Africa. The air was thick with the smell of smoke. I don't know what Ismael Lo is singing- but to me the solemnity of the title track captures every bit of what i felt at that moment.