Search - Cheikh Lo :: Lamp Fall

Cheikh does it again

J. TIMMERMAN | Lawson, NSW Australia | 05/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Cheikh get in the queue! His first album in six years, and his third solo international effort for World Circuit, is another masterpiece. It was recorded in Dakar, London and Bahia, Brazil. Like his others it is eclectic, individual and brims with joyful melodies, nicely sprung rhythms and tasteful, creative arrangements.



Cheikh Lo, from Senegal, states that the theme of the album is his Africa, a plea against war and poverty, but it's also about love, religion and spirituality. As on his previous albums there is a huge variety of African rhythms, with a little Latin thrown in as well. Apart from two that are vaguely similar, each track is a completely different adventure, from songs of praise to full-blown dance numbers.



The opening song "Sou" sounds very French with its mellow accordion, although it is sung in bambara, a Burkina Faso language. From there we proceed to some delicious funky dance tracks like "Xale" and the soukous-inspired "N'Galuia", a processional "Senegal-Bresil" conjuring up a carnival, psalm-like soulful ballads such as the evocative "Sante Yalla", a reggae "Bamba Mo Woor" and more.



There are plenty of contributing musicians yet mixes remarkably never sound crowded. In fact they range from almost understated to grandly symphonic. Many are elegantly mbalax percussion-driven, while Cheikh's wide-ranging mellifluous voice is always clearly focused whether it is intimate or passionately soaring. There is a judicious employment of wind or vocal choruses, and guitar, saxophone or other instrumental solos blend rather than project.



The warm unpretentious music always flows naturally, the ensemble playing is as tight as it gets, and the ambient recording is full and detailed. A most engaging album that will never wear out its welcome.

"

From Africa to the Americas and back to Africa again

The Djeli | Ile Ife, Nigeria | 04/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent album from one of today's most incredible musicians. Not only does "Lamp Fall" find this West African artist embracing ancient Wolof musical traditions that reveal the Wolof as one of the primary African origins of the music of people of African descent in Cuba, the U.S., Brasil, and the Caribbean, but he re-Africanizes the music of these diasporic Africans into a rich, multifaceted, and sophisticated sound.



Though this album doesn't proceed "Ne La Thiass" in greatness, it remains a remarkable contribution to the evergrowing and complex music scene overflowing in both Senegal and Mali."