Customer Reviews

Timbuktu

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is simply beautiful. This is the first of its kind I've heard and I was blown away by the combination of suble, sophisticated arrangements and tight techno-like beats that would put most rap or techno albums to shame. The production is second-to-none and even though I don't understand a word, every song feels poignant and perfectly blended. This is an album with both rhythm and genuine musical quality. If you have ears, they will want to hear this.

the latest installment in the travel series from six degrees, we find ourselves with mali records' issa bagayogo. this particular release is a fusion of soft electro and african chanting/singing/speaking, but without the synth lines of prior african fusion acts. what intrigues me the most is the method in which both the vocals and the instruments fuse and blend so wonderfully. this album contains great tracks inspired by all manner of electronic music, including hip-hop, drum'n'bass, breaks, and house - but done softly so as not to make the vocals a mere sample in the song. while this album is produced quite well, it is nothing that grabs you, sits you down, and forces you to listen. on the contrary, it is nice for background music and music for the car on an afternoon drive to a nearby city.

The musical sensability of this album stands up to the best creations out there. It's not only infectious, it is also masterfully composed.

When I first heard Issa, it was at a performance at an outdoors amphitheater and was hooked ? I rushed out to get his latest CD. He combines traditional West African music with modern electronica into a most distinctive contemporary sound, which is easy to listen or/and to dance. I enjoyed this CD very much and would highly recommend it!

For the most part my musical tastes are all over the place, rooted in Hendrix, The grateful dead, Zep, Pat Metheny, Fela, the blues, jazz, funk, etc. Issa's Timbuktu and Toussomakan are delightful combinations of percussive, trans-type, hypnotic grooves that should proove to be wonderful additions to anyone's musical collection who has an open mind and is looking expand their horizons.

Thought the general sound of Issa is very grounded in the classical and popular Mande genres, he touches it so subtley with chill dance grooves reminiscent of Soul II Soul

Yesterday I came home with six albums plucked from a 500Yen (about four dollars and change) bin and this was the first one I listened to. Three cuts into it I told myself that, even if none of the others panned out, the money would have been well spent. Fusion/techno/trans/synth lines/house/break - read the other reviews - I'm not sure what all of that adds up to, but Issa Bagayogo had me dancin' in the kitchen. Very groovy music.

Issa Bagayogo,with the help of studio wizard Yves Wernert, magically blends traditional Malian music with electric beats. It's a very organic blend, beginning with the Afrobeat/highlife opening "Sisi." "Nogo" sounds like a track perfect for an African science fiction film. It sounds as if a theremin were in it, giving retro,outer-space vibes to the piece. The title track evokes the rough beauty of Mali's capital city. "Toroya" and "Gnele" have hypnotic female vocals. The closing song,"Dama",magically blends natural sounds with African electronica.

Issa's stateside debut is as electrifying as ever. I have all three of his albums,and they paint a picture of Africa as ancient as it is modern. It's a great introduction to urban music...from Africa!

The first time I heard this album, I was fixiated to his voice, and how soulfully his lyrics are--Issa Bagayogo is a Griot (West African oral historian) who found a truly wonderful match for his epic histories of ancient Mali, bravery, and social issues--techno rhythms.

I think this entire album is skillfully put together, with hauntingly beautiful vocals that make you think of how much Issa Bagayogo is a link to both Mali's glorious past and it's vibrant future.