Search - Salif Keita :: Sosie

This all-around strange record comes from "the mansa of Mali," one of Africa's most revered artists, both in and out of Africa. Known for his high-tech fusions, often criticized for his complete dedication to pop music, he takes a big leap on Sosie by taking on a set of chansons made famous by French pop singers like Serge Gainsbourg, Michel Legrand, and Bernard Lavilliers. What's so amazing about the project is that musically it comes off as one of his most contemporary, yet most "African" recordings in a long time. He blends pure Euro-pop guitars with kora, dancehall drum machines with acoustic balafons, traditional rhythms with the slickest of disco grooves. It's overblown, almost cheesy at times, yet it is a real case of "the singer not the song" here as he roars through a set of love songs from Paris as if the Bamako was a stop on the Paris Metro. This is primarily for Salif Keita fans. Fans of Gainsbourg may not get it. African-music purists will hate it. Those with a taste for slightly confused and skewed pop music will love it. --Louis Gibson