Customer Reviews

Moussoulou

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love Oumou Sangare. Every time her Wassoulou music come out from my CD player I begin a travel inside the African universe, across the Mali region. Everything is beautiful: the sharp sound of kamelngoni, the soft support to melodie of violin, the counterpoint of the choir, the delicate strenght of percussions. But nothing can be compared to the Oumou's voice. To listen her is to love her. In that voice there is all the deep charm, the fresh sensuality, the strong soul of african women.

This CD is a miracle, born from the encounter between Oumou and the genius of Nick Gold's World Circuit label (who of you knows Nick only for Buena Vista Social Club?). Is the first Oumou's CD, wich sold 200.000 copies only in Africa. You can imagine the African people, without money for eating, doing the queue for buying their music and dream. Buy this CD, and then buy the second and the third of this lady. Five stars, but one hundred are few.

I've found this to be a very rewarding disc; recorded prior to "Worotan", Sangare's first American release, it has a freshness and energy I find somewhat less available in that recording. This is one of those CD's I find myself putting on constant play - I find my mind drifting to the lives of women across the ocean who hold up their families through the spirit evident in these songs. It's lovely, heartfelt music: rootsy, but not without it's share of African pop sounds. Imagine a female Baaba Maal - in his less glitzy years.

I first heard of Oumou when I bought an African sampler CD. Ah Ndiya was a little less than halfway through the CD. Let's just say that I soon found myself only listening to the CD to hear Oumou! Being that I'm a huge Asian music fan, her music was especially geared towards me in that the music of her region uses many scales shared by the Chinese. Later, by sheer coincidence, i heard a section of Diaraby Nene on a computer program and I fell even more in love with this mysterious and exotic music. Soon I was at the store and purchasing my copy of Moussolou. The first track, Djama Kaissoumou, really moved me, believe it or not. It had an urgency and pulse that were very energizing. When I found out the meaning of the lyrics, it made sense; Oumou emphasizes how short life is, that death comes to us all, and that we ought to respect our ancestors. Diaraby Nene can get a bit repetitive after a while, but the song's lyrics' meanings overcome that feeling quickly once you are aware of them. Tracks 3-5 are only my second favorites compared to 1,2, and 6, but they are also good - with lighter and more pleading qualities(especially Moussolou). Track 3 is nice...it starts out in a swinging triple beat, and then halfway through, the whole mood of the song turns around as it goes into a fast duple beat with guitar solos. I have since purchased Worotan and I'm finding out that Oumou just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to purchase Ko Sira and for Oumou to release another album!

Rich, deep, and mellow -- Oumou Sangare's voice is like a premium cup of coffee. Interestingly enough, coffee was once used to stimulate monks to prayer by some brilliant Coptic abbott. Similarly, Sangare's music has a contemplative quality to it.

The music is simple enough: a basslike instrument, the low rumble of a drum, a higher violin-pitched instrument, and the firm ruler of them all, that is, Sangare's voice. The simplicity, the insistence of the rhythms, and the repetitive qualities of the music make it nearly trance-inducing.

This is beautiful music.

I am by no means a scholar on "world music", as it is often labeled. But, I am definitely curious. I love expanding my musical horizons as far as I possibly can, so I got this cd. From the first few notes, the enchantingly simple rythm of this music captivated me. And Oumou's voice is absolutely amazing - she oozes sensuality and purity at the same time. Everything is unique about it. The band includes familiar instruments such as violin, guitar, bass, and bongos, and in addition there is an instrument called kamelngoni, which I really have no idea what it is. But, this combination of instruments is of course not often heard, and therefore, the sound of this music is incredibly stark, refreshing, and unique. If you need a musical treat, a break from the pop/rap/punk that the media incessantly pummels you with, look no further. If you are of those with a hunger that is not pacified with the common, banal, rehashed "music" that is blindlessly followed by those who know no better, get this cd. You will not be dissappointed.

Oumou Sangare's Moussoulou is a hit. It is one of those cd's that will always be loved. From the beginning it became a hit, and 20 years from today people will still enjoy this Malian tradtional music performed by Mali's superstar.
What amazed me about this music is how well it was received by people of different cultures - Europeans, West Africans, Asians, and Americans. This has to do with Sangare's personal charizma.
Seeing Sangare's live shows (I only saw the video) tells even more of the communicative powers of this beautiful musician.
Get it and enjoy.