Varios Artistas - Desert Blues 1 - Ambiances du Sahara - 2 CD- 1995

 

Disc: 1

1. Mwashah - Hamza el Din 

2. Saa Magni - Oumou Sangare 

3. Sama Guent Guii - Youssou N'Dour 

4. Eilan Akabar Warigazaz - Baly Othmani, Steve Shehan 

5. Diaraby - Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Touré 

6. Y'shebellu - Aster Aweke 

7. Samba - Baaba Maal 

8. Almaryood - Abdel Gadir Salim 

9. Ere Mela Mela/Meche Neu - Mahmoud Ahmed 

10. Duniya - Tata Dindin 

11. Tono 

12. Agne Anko - Kante Manfila 

Disc: 2 

1. Ma'bud Allah - Hassan Hakmoun, Adam Rudolph 

2. Ashabab Yidie Shabab Aldual - Dimi Mint Abba 

3. Yero Mama - Baaba Maal 

4. Umri Ma Bansa - Abdel Gadir Salim 

5. Roucky - Taj Mahal, Ali Farka Touré 

6. Beyt Bieh - Ensemble El-Moukhadrami 

7. Sakhadougou - Tata Dindin 

8. Kel Akalin - Baly Othmani, Steve Shehan 

9. Ntanan - Sali Sidibe 

10. Jaarou 

11. M'Boré - Sona Diabate

The Desert Blues. Ambiances du Sahara(2CD box) is unusual release for Network label which produces CDs by its own means. This time several Eastern & North/Central African musicians are united under one cover, which seems to me not quite justified. I won`t comment on the "Eastern" part of this album but pay special attention to the other which explains the title "Desert Blues". I`d just like to point out an absolutely fantactic composition of Mahmoud Ahmed from Ethiopia - "Ere Mela Mela/Meche Neu"(a real masterpiece).

You can`t come across "western" blues in Africa. The most comprehensible out of many is Ali Farka Toure`s music(such well-known blues stars as Ry Cooder, "Diaraby" and Taj Mahal,"Roucky" took part in its recording). However, if you still treat this album with the "blues feeling", "Sama Guent Guii" by Youssou N`Dour(quite rare song from Yande Codou Sene & Youssou N'Dour`s "Gainde/Voices from the Heart of Africa") and "Saa Magni" by Oumou Sangare will turn out to be the true blues. They sing about the pain, the loss, the tiredness and hope. The terrific Youssou N`Dour`s voice just looks better with the simple guitar accompanement.

Sahara`s Baly Othmani, Tuareg`s nomad, collaborated with a famous "multi-cultural" figure Steve Shehan(an original cherokee), which lead to the sound of pre-electrified blues last years. One more extreme sample of this sound is Abou Djouba`s music(unfortunately, I know nothing about him). There are two unusual compositions by Baaba Maal, one of the recognized African musical rebellers; the instrumental "Samba" is the most wonderful, almost pure blues.

Ebraim "Tata Dindin" Jobarteh from Guinea presents Manding music, which hardly associates with blues-feeling; but these tunes allow to hear the clear sound of kora. The real surprise for those who knew him only in "Salam" group.

Sali Sidibe shows more "rawer" version of Wassolou style, popularized by Oumou Sangare. And luminous and warm final song "M`bore" by Sona Diabate from Guinea sounds similar to Louisiana cajun music reminding of the general french influence.

The album leaves a good impression(thanks to well-built ending) but does not create a feeling of a whole. In my mind, it would be more interesting and justified to place music from such different regions on separate CDs,- each part would look like a completed powerful fusion, and a convincing contrast would appear.