Boulevard de l'Independance

Symmetric Orchestra, Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra, Toumani Diabate

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: July 25, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000FVHKFW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,375 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Africa > Mali

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Toumani Diabate, scion of one of Mali's oldest hereditary musical dynasties, was born into a few-centuries-worth of hard-acts-to-follow. But his output continues his father Sidiki's life-long exploration of the manifold possibilities of the kora, West Africa's glorious 21-string harp-lute. Aside from folklore-based recitals, such as New Ancient Strings with fellow kora virtuoso Ballake Sissoko, he has also released a quiver-full of genre-bursting experiments. The flamenco-infused Songhai albums, Kulanjan, with American roots master Taj Mahal, and 2005's Grammy-winning In The Heart Of The Moon with the late, great Malian guitarist Ali Farka, are only a few highlights. The present project, featuring a 50-member big band hailing from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte D’Ivoire, and Guinée, can best be described as neo-trad-with-attitude. Local xylophones, plucked instruments, and percussion abut drum kits and electric bass. The string arrangements sometimes recall Zanzibar's Taarab orchestras, while the brass charts have an aggressive yet tasty swagger; you might not imagine that the kora could work as a lead instrument in such company but it does. Further graced by the astounding vocals of Kasse Mady Diabate and a mixed chorale, this is a ground-breaking and soon-to-be-legendary release. --Christina Roden

Product Description

Boulevard de l'Independance is an ambitious , big-band follow-up to In The Heart of the Moon; a bold synthesis of acoustic and electric, elegant and earthy, shimmering melodies and irresistable grooves, recorded in two weeks' worth of all-night sessions in the Malian capital of Bamako. It's a vivid recreation of the group's Friday night residency at Bamako's Hogon nightclub that retains the hot, lookse and live feel of the popular gig.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes me want to dance to the passport office!, July 25, 2006

By	J. Farrelly (Hanover, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the finest albums in an Afro World genre that I have ever heard. The liveness of this recording jumps out of your speakers with an energy similar to that from Orchestra Baobab except Diabate has gone big -- a great big band sound. The spirit reminded me a bit of what Van Morrison was able to achieve with the New Caledonia Band (back in the day.) When I heard the horns I thought of Van's arrangments when Pee Wee Ellis was in the band and was pleasantly surprised to find Mr. Ellis' name among the credits on this album. Of course Diabate's wonderful kora playing sweeps in and out of the songs, but it is clear that the conductor is more interested in seeing that everyone in the band has the chance to shine. Truly superb performances by everyone involved. Wish I could give it 10 stars.

Please bring this wonderful music from Mali to concert halls or dance halls or churches--this is the kind of music that transforms and makes our higher nature emerge into the world.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious and Lush, January 22, 2007

By	applewood (everywhere and nowhere) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Diabate's distinctive singing and Kora playing (West African lute/harp) is beautifullly enhanced with the backing of the Symmetric Orchestra. With big band arrangements for percussions, horns, guitar and vocals the sound is irresistably lively (sometimes like Nigerian Highlife), but also smooth and urbane (like Youssou N'Dour and Super Etoile's mbalax sound). Helpful liner notes as well put the orchestra and songs into context.

Strangely enough, I'm reminded of the big band treatment Frank Zappa's tunes have gotten recently; creative arrangements of complex material yielding an easy listening experience.

This recording embodies what I love about African music - superb musicianship playing complex rhythms, with contemporary sensibilty and traditional, timeless grounding.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best albums I've ever owned, February 13, 2007

By	Brent V. Keener "Earthward" (Fredericksburg, Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album is sheer brilliance and I just can't seem to get sick of it. Unlike Toumani Diabate's other albums (all of which are great as well; see especially IN THE HEART OF THE MOON), this album has more of a big-band sound to it. It's significantly more jazzy and less acoustic than his other work. The "Symmetric Orchestra" adds an incredible touch to Diabate's already-amazing musicianship. The vocals in "Wasso," "Mamadou Diaby," and "Boulevard de l'Independence" are breathtakingly gorgeous and provide a calmer, more spiritual sound to the jazzed and high-energy tracks like "Africa Challenge," "Toumani," and "Single."

All in all, a great album: diverse, unique, traditional elements juxtaposed with modern sounds, inspirational, energetic, reflective: perfection. My only complaint is that I wish it had more tracks, but an album this good would never have enough tracks to satiate my ears - it would always keep me wanting more!

Give this album a Grammy!