Customer Reviews

Ne La Thiass

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At the moment this is my favorite cd. The first few times I listened to it, I thought it was ok, but maybe a little bland. However, all I can say now is that it grows on you! I love it so much now that I have found myself wondering why anyone even bothers listening to anything else.
The music is almost mystical, almost trance-inducing. Certainly don't buy this cd if you want rock or dance music, but its intricate rhythms, beautiful singing, and superb guitar and drum playing make it well worth buying for anyone else. The songs have layers: each time you listen to one, you hear new things. The lyrics also have multiple possible meanings. Is the song Set, for example, about cleanliness, as the liner notes claim,... or about man's relationship to god? It's about all three, and probably others, as well.
When I first listened to this cd, I was struck, as was another reviewer, by its Cuban sound. However, since Western popular music, from blues all the way through jazz, gospel, rock, and hip hop, ultimately comes from west Africa, I think it is more appropriate to say that Cuban music sounds like it.
Anyway, its a wonderful cd.

The first thing I noticed about this disc was how gentle the music seemed compared with the usual African offerings on NPR -- it's definitely African, it rolls and flows in the way that only music from that continent can do -- but there are no pounding dance rhythms here, no in-your-face horn sections. There's no heavy drum kit either, but there is an earful of some of the most expressive, captivating percussion you'll ever hear. There are electric instruments, but the arrangements are tastefully understated to the point that the overall impression is of an acoustic African music at work.

And then there is the voice -- Cheikh Lo is possessed of a remarkable instrument. He never shouts or screams, but there is such power contained in his vocals that I had to go back again and again to experience it when I first discovered this remarkable disc. Even without first reading the (thoughtfully provided) English translations of these songs, I was struck by the soulfulness and spirituality they embody. Cheikh Lo sings of love, of his faith (he's a Baye Fall of the Mourides Islamic sect), of the lives and tribulations of his homeland, Senegal. His passions are honest and his conscience is deep -- 'Set' addresses itself to the need for cleanliness in the environment, so necessary for good health. The spiritual songs speak with a longing that is universal -- we can feel it in our hearts, no matter what faith we profess.

The music on this disc is powerful. It will move your spirit as well as your feet -- and you will not feel afterward as if you have been bullied, but that Cheikh Lo has been moved sufficiently by love to impart his message to you.

How lucky are we that Youssou Ndour gave a great artist like Cheikh Lo the space to record this rare jewel in his Studio in Dakar. Cheikh Lo is singing with such inspiration and the gifted musicians ,weaving a beautiful carpet in the beat of the heart ,add something so natural and deeply moving to his spiritual voice ! This music lifts you up and cools you down at the same time and even if you are not a Baye Fall,you can feel a love for this faith through the way Mr. Lo sings about it.

Please Cheikh Lo....dont let us wait too long for your next CD !!! @:-)

This album truly deserves the 5 stars. Give this as a gift to the seemingly increasing number of people nowadays who have been scared into distrusting all Muslims--let them read this man's lyrics.

The lyrics are of love and redemptions, the music is organic, spiritual and uplifting. No joke, this is one of the best albums I have purchased all year. The Nonesuch label never disapoints.

Cheikh N Diguel Lo is a Senegalese protégé of the African superstar Youssou N Dour's studio Xippi. Although both Senegalese that is where the similarity ends in styles. Cheikho Lo music is heavily influenced by Cuban riffs and rhythms so much so that on the first song "Boul di Tagale" you feel that you have put on the wrong CD. The remainder of the songs are more of a fusion and what a fabulous fusion it is. The traditional Senegalese beat made famous by Youssou N Dour flows mellifluously around and inside the gentle Cuban lilt that never swamps the overall African sounding album. This is an album of pure musicianship excellence. A must buy.

This is world music. It is so refreshing to hear a so-called western influenced album by an African that does not sound like the only western albums they heard were by James Brown or the plethora of albums of American funk, Jamican reggae or Euro-pop. Youssou N'Dour's influence is heard on this record, but the man has a voice of his own. The drums are unmistakenly African. The guitar toys with American and Latin-American influences and the flute is with or without trying to be grounded in the best mid-sixties jazz (remember many jazz flute players main instrument was the sax). This is the Africa of the 21st century. Not African, not European, not American, But totally inclusive.

I love music, I listen to everything from Jazz to Rock, to Blues, To Hip Hop, to Merenque, to Punta, to Salsa, to country, to Classical, and also Gospel and New Age. I have never heard music like this, it is a religious experience. Mr. Cheikh Lo and his band take you directly to Senegal and beyond with their sound. The music on this album incorporates every title listed above. You have to hear this CD, it is beyond the title of this review. How can I tell you how much I enjoy listening to it. Let me try: If I were left on a deserted Island with a CD player and only one CD from my collection, which is vast, and someone told me to be careful how I choose because this is the only CD you will be able to select. This CD would be the one. Thank you Mr. Cheikh Lo. I hope to be able to see you and your band in person some day. I LOVE your music!

One of the greatest albums to come out in the 20th century..and I've looked long and hard. There is no language barrier - the music speaks to you so clearly, you begin to understand the words--even if you were born 12,000 miles away from Dakar. A most magical voice with the most beautiful instrumentation. I have seen him live and he is a musical prophet - the music comes from above and is translated through Cheikh LO!!!

Since buying this disc last summer, Cheikh Lo's Ne La Thiess has been in heavy rotation on my CD player. Though he draws on an eclectic brew of genres, his gentle and expressive vocals coupled with superb backup cohere effectively while avoiding the occasional lapses into glitzy pop that have undermined some of his mentor and producer Youssou N'Dour's more recent work. The sinuous cross rhythm of Guiss Guiss are a particular treat. I caught his act during last year's Africa Fête tour in Washington D.C. and he proved to be equally adept in putting across his music live though his stage persona is rather diffident-something that may change with more exposure. Highly recommended for those who enjoy Mblax, rootsy Brazilian music and the traditions growing out of the Africa-Cuba diaspora.

A truly delightful example of pop mbalax music. The musical arrangements are superior and the production is flawless. "Doxandeme" is one of the best song I heard in a long time: warm, inspiring and "transcendant".