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Songhai 2 Selected this world music gem due to another Amazon customer's recommendation, and the used CD arrived in perfect condition VERY quickly. I give the seller the highest recommendation, and the CD is terrific too.
A Balafon playing in a middle of a Flamenco track? Oh yes.
Super Fast guitars that jump 3 minutes into a Malian Kora based track? They are here also.
My point is that there is no book, list of albums, etc. that the musicians on this album had as reference to make it. They had to use their musical experience to try to figure out exactly what would work. The good news is that they did put a pretty good job. But still sometimes the contrast between the Spanish and the Malian is impossible to hide.
While it is true that the Malians on their own often use Latin music to augment their traditions, their use is, like many other Africans, dominated by the sounds of Salsa, not Flamenco. While Rumba Flamenco also uses some sounds from Salsa, those shared sounds from Salsa specifically are not emphasized in this production.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2004
I also found this as a cassette, in a "99-cent" store, of all places, alongside cheesy oriental imports and a variety of low-quality goods. I was familiar with Ketama, so I snatched it up, thinking I might have a pretty cool find on my hands. I had no idea this would become one of my favorite albums. I have since purchased the first Songhai album, but the second is superior, in my opinion. I have owned it for about 8 years, now, and although the cassette itself is wearing out, the music itself seems to get even better.
I know nothing about flamenco music or Spanish guitarists, but I got this recording because I dig the Malian musicians on it. The vibe they create with their Iberian compadres is truly something to listen to. The songs run the gamut from the soothing strains of "Pozo del Deseo" to snappy numbers like "Su te mone bo." Songhai's first recording is just as good, though it seems not to be available here. Fans of Malian music--particularly the ubiquitous kora player Toumani Diabate--will no doubt admire this striking and unusual collaboration.
Ketama are in the best New Flamenco frontier.As a flamenco lover, I must say this boys represent where flamenco will evolve to. Being terribly respectful with their ancestors (all their families are flamenco artists), the mix of African percussions, counterpoint voices, etc. really open a whole new world in the marvellous flamenco one. Powerfull, wonderful, passionate. As a Spaniard, this is what flows in my veins.
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