Search - Various Artists :: Rough Guide to African Blues

The Source of the Blues from the Heart of the Desert

Zekeriyah | Chicago, IL | 06/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With the popularity of artists like Tinariwen and the late Ali Farka Toure, theres been a great deal of interest in West Africa as the 'birthplace' of the Blues. If you travel to the Sahel, that hot, dry, dusty region south of the Sahara desert, you'll find strong similarities between the music of the Mande, Fulani and others and the American Delta Blues. But thats not the point of this CD. The point is to showcase some of the great names of African 'desert Blues,' and this compilation delivers. Here you'll find the Ethio-jazz orchestra of Ayalew Mesfin and the Black Lion Band, Senegalese pop star Baaba Maal (with long-time collaborator Mansour Seck), the beautiful voice of Sudan's Rasha, legendary Sahraoui igawen (griot) Mariem Hassan, and the Gnawa-inspired sound of Nuru Kane. But the real focus here is Mali, that great powerhouse of West African music. Of course, the late Ali Farka Toure is included, doing a collaboration with Corey Harris, as is his protege, Afel Bocoum. Other important Malian artists on this CD include wassoulou diva Oumou Sangare, Rokia Traore, Djelimady Tounkara, and Taureg/Wodaabe group Etran Finatawa. This is music from the heart of the desert here, and well worth buying. If you like it, there are increasingly more albums of 'desert blues' and 'Sahel pop' available in the west, including 'Festival in the Desert,' 'Putumayo Presents: Mali,' and the deluxe two-CD and booklet 'Ambiances du Sahara.' Any of these albums are great places to start your journey of 'African Desert Blues,' and who knows, maybe one day you'll even find yourself traveling to Essakane for the Festival in the Desert."