Lam Toro

A great reminder of my chosen life philosophy to have little to no expectations for anything good so that even the slightest deviation above nothing feels like a gift from the gawd of love. This album is Baaba's gift to those expecting another monotonous dirge. How delightful to hear a couple drums now and then, and a goofy synth here and there. Even melody. And as nice as that is, I think we all can agree this is number 1002 on albums we must hear before we die. D+

There’s very cool things happening on this album, cool time signatures, cool singing and an expansive African inflected palette. But I’m constantly distracted by the dated synth effects, the synth horns, etc. simply ruins songs for me. I was eventually won over into thinking this wasn’t awful, but among the 4s and 3s there were some 1s and 2s in my track by track ratings. 2

I already listened to Baaba Maal's earlier album with Mansour Seck for this list, and I dug that one. This one is less driven by acoustic guitar (which is a welcome change), and there's more of a worldbeat//fusion vibe. It's enjoyable and Maal is clearly a talent - but the whole thing has a contrived crossover feel that cheapens it. From looking online, it seems most streams and info relate to the 1993 mix of the album, which has even more of a brash, commercial and dated 1990s sound. I'm basing my rating on the 1992 mix which at least has more of an organic atmosphere. I'm glad there's some African music on the list, but it feels like the editors didn't dig very deep here. 3*

I'm not worldly enough in my musical listening to appreciate this the way I should. Unfortunately, I don't really listen to much of it.

It’s difficult to properly critique albums like this, because criticism is, at least partially, about being about to place a piece of art’s place within cultural context, explaining the trends that have led to it’s creation and whether or not it works as a continuation of, break from, or subversion of those trends. The albums that I find easiest to review are those which I have a personal connection to, those which I have something to say regarding the political, cultural, or social context, or those which I disliked enough that I can really rag on them. I know precious little about Senegalese history or culture, and even less about Fula, the language Maal speaks. So with the exception of Minuit, which is in French, I wasn’t able to even guess at what the themes of each song was. In some ways, I feel incredibly lost with this album. But in another way, the beauty of this record really does transcend my need for understanding. Like Classical or Jazz, the timbre and melody are enough to make me feel the music on a more instinctive level. And that instinctive level is telling me that this is just great music. Sometimes it’s fun to overthink and to intellectualise, try to make sense of everything, or come up with rational explanations as to why you enjoy things. Other times, it’s fine to just admit that this sounds pretty and funky, and that I enjoyed listening to it. It’s fine to have fun

Atmospheric world music, in places etherial or upbeat. An album I very much enjoyed but I doubt I would listen to again.

Bangeer!

Like a holiday in Africa with extra everything.

I enjoyed listening to this and it was interesting, but lacking the language or any real cultural basis in the music, I think my ability to appreciate it is pretty limited.

Perfect Vibes!

Absolutely LOVE this album! From the year I was born too! Loved that last Baaba Maal album that came up and this follows, I maybe even prefer this one! Toro has such a moreish sound and the opening Yela is another major highlight. Delicious album! Can't fault it. Love that he's promoting and championing traditions of the Pulaar-speaking people.

Really something unique to listen to

This is as funky and "rootsy" as it gets, and I am a total sucker for funk. Couldn't sit still in my seat while listening to this. Also couldn't find an English translation of the lyrics online, which is a huge shame as lyrics are a huge contributing factor for me. Either way, 4 stars for the original sound and lovely voice.

Amazing album. No skips.

Gotta get myself to Senegal, they make some good shit. This was amazing

Makes ya wanna go to Senegal, right?

started off not really clicking with me despite how amazing his voice is and a love for music with similar timbres but by the end of the last track I was in a daze and hadn't realised how moved I was for past however many minutes. Then checking the release date and it was early 90s??? Who the fuck produced this it sounds so crisp and massive. The mixing on this was ahead of its time for sure, ranging formform beutifully crisp sounds of the more stripped down tracks to big soaring ones that almost sound like something that Mike Dean would produce. So sick wtf

I love when I'm exposed to an artist/genre like this and it just clicks with me. I loved listening to this and will play this in the future. I'm always wary when anything international makes this list, but this was a wonderful listen for me.

This was my first exposure to Baaba Maal for me that I know of. It was a treat and I enjoyed being introduced.

I listened to this on a plane, coming home from a vacation with my oldest and dearest whom I only see in person once a year or so. So I was a little sad but this music made me happy. Very fine.

I was sitting by a waterfall and put this on - and felt instantly transported to some other place. I had never heard of Lam Toro but these songs were fantastic and are definitely worth hearing before you die.

Unexpected and groovy

Loved it. Need to listen more to full appreciate.

I have always been a fan of international music and this is a good artist to add.

Another easy listen. African albums hit different.

Loved it! Very different from what I usually listen, but feels very familiar in some way .

this was a lot of fun. i definitely have a weird soft spot for african rhythms, which this of course lit right up. overall, quite enjoyable.

Un álbum que no solo no conocía, probablemente no hubiera topado nunca de no ser por esta lista. Nada acabó en mis playlist, pero está bueno diversificarse

It's a shame that there's no Wikipedia entry for this album, only a profile of Baaba Maal, as it's hard to know why this particular album was selected from his apparently extensive discography. And his story is fascinating, with a lot of interesting connections to Western artists (Brian Eno is everywhere!) and his work on soundtracks (like "Black Panther") or collaborations with other big names like Taj Mahal (for a Fela Kuti tribute album). But this album doesn't have any of that, and I don't really even feel like I can appreciate whether his music on this album is more traditional or more innovative in Pulaar/Fula culture (although the non-lyrics music seems largely modern, and sadly in a horrible 80s/90s synth- and drum-track mire). I guess it's fine? I liked "Yela" and "Daniibe", more from the sound than whatever the lyrics meant; everything else is kind of lost on me. I was often reminded of Babatunde Alotunji's "Drums of Passion", even though they're different generations and cultures and countries, of course. Looking at the entry for this album from the 2005 edition of "1001 albums you must hear before you die", it appears that the draw for this album was the collaboration between Simon Booth and Baaba Maal (and the editor particularly (perhaps solely?) liked the track "Daande Lenol", which ironically is named after Maal's band, but mixes in all the usual world-music suspects), and how this was a sort of launchpad for Simon Booth to explore world music and later form Afro Celt Sound System (without Maal involved at all). So I guess this album was included more for Simon Booth than Maal, although the editor notes that "Maal continued his pop fusion with varying degrees of success"?

Vilken skit!

favourite song - yela favourite lyric - idk idk the language cover - 5/10 album overall - 5/5 i want to eat it

great album by senegalese artist

Intense ethereal afropop magic

This was my first exposure to music from Senegal. There is a wide range of musical styles within this album, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them - very moving and beautiful.

All over the place stylistically, but I’m loving everywhere it goes.

Loved coming back to this one. Amazing sounds.

I really enjoyed this album. I wish there were more non-Western, non-English albums on this list. This is the kind of stuff I want to experience, not every crappy electronic artist that ever came out of Britain. This album is eclectic and a lot of fun. It ranges from (what I assume to be) very traditional Senegalese sounds to tracks that fuse indigenous and Western traditions. The Arabic influence is also very apparent throughout the album in instrumentation and singing style. His guitar playing is fantastic as well. Hamady Boiro is a Western-funk-rock influenced song that I wasn't expecting after the first few tracks. It's catchy as hell. Anyone who likes Western-African influenced 80s pop (think Talking Heads, Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, etc.) would enjoy this song. The Peter Gabriel connection isn't surprising once you realize they're both involved with Afro Celt Sound System. There are a few more tracks like that on the album, like Gidelam. Olel could be a song off the "Weekend at Bernie's" soundtrack ... take that as you will haha. It's very fun. It also reminds me of Vallenato music from Colombia, and I wonder if there's any historical connection there via the slave trade. I was surprised to find that Tidal had the English lyric translation to Daande Lenol, which is just a lovely song. I wish I had more clue what the other lyrics meant and some cultural context about the album and the artist. Given his association with Afro Celt Sound System and his soundtrack work on Wakanda, it makes sense that he's made this very Western-biased list, but I wonder how he's viewed in Senegal and Western Africa. But just taken in isolation as a pure listening experience, this was a great one. This is one of those albums where I definitely plan to dig deeper into the artist's other work. 5/5

Another 5/5 African album. That continent just does not miss!

unique cool funky trippy groovy awesome and cool

Fun Afro-pop

This is what I wish there was more of on the list. Unfortunately, I don’t have any knowledge of the cultural significance of this album/ artist. But even without that, I found this very enjoyable. It is another world music album that suffers from leaning too much into western culture, and seems to lose authenticity in doing so. But it’s still very good.

Whenever I tell a friend to try music outside the english language, this is what I mean. Beautifully written and composed. Daniibe is probably my favorite track on this. Love the percussion throughout. Vocals get a bit much here and there but my ear just isnt used to it I'm guessing

Right up my alley. A little too pitchy sometimes but the music was great. Especially loved that corny ass 80s track in the middle of the album

Interesting mixes

Un autre album de Baaba Maal qui m'a épatté. Vraiment son style m'accroche beaucoup. La variété de son est vraiment intéressante et sa voix est tellement bonne. 8.5/10

de chor isch jo meeega geil. sowiso mega sphärisch und groovy glichzitig irgendwie mega cool. toro cool. sehr happy im verglich. daande lenol wird hert schneller, d bassline isch geeil d melodie woner songt sind seehr cool. uuud noch vier minute chunt fängs schlagzüg haha. geil. hamady boiro isch uuultra funky. slappt. daniibe geile titel. zerst redt er und denn RIPPT er e melodie. song seeeehr cool. baut uuuhuere uuf. ich lieb s fake saxophon uf gidelam. git mir sehr elohainu. au afoch wie jede 16tel usgfüllt isch mit öpisem mega en coole bode. olel isch chli so wie ich mir westafrikanischi musig vorstell zs de 90er. digitali synthis, die clean gitarre, sehr upbeat, eifachi wiederholendi harmonie bass macht viel, sehr nice. aber begeisteret mich jetz nöd. er singt afoch haaammer. Ndelorer und Lem Gi sind beidi recht inoffensive aber no cool, aber ide 90er sind d albe z lang worde, CDs hetter sölle chürzer sii figg dich Herbert von Karajan. uuh oke minuit isch französisch und ich verstoh zum erste mol waner seit, no schön waner seit. uuuuh e-gitarre lesgo? goht no hard. mandela is free. ich vergiss mengmol wie langs apartheid no geh het und wie essenziell de mandela als figur gsi isch. yo isch er am shredde? maaad.

I don't have a lot to say about this album, since I don't have a lot of context for Senegalese music from the early 90s, but the music is all solid and he has a nice voice 4/5

I love African music - I know that's far too broad of a statement; I'm not versed enough to be able to place countries/regions/styles, but I really do enjoy it. Listening to this album, I thought - wow! This really reminds me of the Black Panther soundtrack/score (which I love) - I should see if it's specifically because it's Senegalese, or the types of percussive instruments used, or what is it exactly that sounds so similar? Turns out, the first thing the composer did was spend a month with Babaa Maal, who was one of the main advisers for creating the music of Wakanda, and whose voice is featured in the score. I often struggle to find the words I want, but I always trust my ear. I will absolutely listen to this again.

I liked this a lot. Good find for me. Would I like it more or less if I knew what the lyrics mean?

This album threw me of the deep end to say the least. African music isn't something I have listened to at all (except for some Cristpher Tin songs). So this African singing with soothing background noice or pop rythms was like a whole new experience that I truly loved. Experiencing something new in ways of music doesn't happen very often so even tho I probably wont play this on repeat in the future its something I will carry with me.

I guess I really like world music. This was a really good album. Definitely will be coming back to.

I found that the task that I was completing while listening to this album could not have been better. This uplifted my spirits.

Really fun. Some great bops, really nice guitar

Interessanter Vibe, mal ein anderer Sound, hat mir gut gefallen, auch wenn ichs mir nicht nochmal anhören würd.

I’m a fan of African music, and this is a great one. If these beats don’t get you moving, you might want to get your hearing checked.

Proof that Music and Passion can transcend language

Good vibes and energy. If your in the move for something different, this is it.

4/5

If his voice sounds familiar, that’s because he was tapped for both Black Panther films as part of their music. Such a good voice that carries so much weight to it. I’m shocked he showed up on here but well deserved. Hamady Boiro even opens with a similar drum beat to some of the BP themes.

Shocked to see that this is number two from Baaba Maal? The other was a collab album with someone else. Anyway, a welcome departure from the usual fare, very cool textures and sounds all over this thing. Great album, I'm grateful that we're still getting a few cool, unexpected picks this late. That said, do we have any big hitters that haven't appeared yet? Favorite tracks: Yela, Daande Lenol, Hamady Boiro, Gidelam, Olel, Minuit. Album art: Just a floating head with some script text. Nothing special really. 4/5

will listen soon

wippppee

J’ai tout aimé de cet album tranquille et solide. Voix polymorphe, percussions, arrangements jazzés ou africains/orientaux, sobriété et maîtrise.

Virkistävää kuunnella tällaista afroakin! Hyvin toimi ja meni jalan alle. Ehkä tuon ajan soudit vähän oli miinuksena mutta ehta nelonen minulta 4/5

Aurinkoinen levy tiistaiaamuun! 4/5

I have no frame of reference for this. The voice is clear, the performances are precise. Musically, this is solid. Is it a fantastic representation of Senegalese music? I dunno. So many albums on this list that I had to listen to were questionable additions, to put it charitably. Did I like it? Yes. Is it great? No idea.

Really enjoyed this one. Not an artist I'm familiar with; hailing from West Africa and not a genre I listen to, but found his voice calming and the songs well constructed, to create an album well worth a listen. 4/5

4 Stars

I am vaguely familiar with Baaba Maal, largely due to various collaborations he has done for many years. But I haven't ever listed to an entire album of his before. I really wish there was more information available on what was meant to make 'Lam Toro' a significant release. From a small amount of reading, it doesn't seem to be among his most popular albums, just one release among his early years. So I'm taking an educated guess at what I'm meant to be hearing. Maal is clearly bringing traditional African music (specifically, that from Senegal) to wider audience and introducing what sound like early experiments merging it with Western instruments and composition. More than a decade into the world music movement, it's maybe not the most successful blend of worlds, but refreshingly, it gives dominance to Senegalese music. You'd be forgiven for missing the Western elements altogether, if not for the heavy use of synthesizers in some songs. It's not always successful unfortunately. The electronic sounds on 'Gidelam' in particular are dominant and sound like a cheap Casio keyboard that a 10 year old might learn on, but not really used by serious musicians. It works a lot better when those sounds are subtle textures to accompany more traditional sounds. Fortunately, that's the majority of the album, minus a few misses. 'Sy Sawande' is a personal favorite. There's enough here to make me curious to explore Maal's discography one day.

This album has such a happy and joyous vibe. I found myself dancing to many of the songs here. The music is great and has such a strong rhythm section. I like the bass playing on it. Baaba Maal's voice is beautiful. Likes songs added: - Ndelorel

This is super interesting and I like it! and I fuck with the album cover’s font. I really like the instrumentation. This is easily a 4/5 album. I like the percussion in “Gidelam” and “Olel” a lot. This is just good vibes! “Sy Sawande” is very bright and calming.

79/100

Really nice production. I like the large rhythm section. Last song is awesome.

never heard of hime before this, enjoyed it, quite relaxing

It always feels good to listen to something a bit different. His voice was a bit too nasally for my liking though. Great instruments and sound.

There’s so much JOY in these songs. You can tell how much Maal enjoyed creating and singing them.

Really enjoyed this

pretty cool

Great African rhythms! 3.75

Song 4 was surprisingly ‘modern’ Song 6 got a good vibe. 7 This is good. Not something I’ll revisit, but a pleasant listen. 4 star

An amazing album, full of energy and complex time signatures.

Beautiful

good worldbeat

I am so serious I fw this album heavy. If I had rated The Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat a 5 (which I should have and regret short selling them now), this could also very well be a 5. Just a really unique sound, very otherworldly at times, and it just all fits together so nicely and I loved it. Added to library and checked out the song he did with Mumford & Sons, which I also liked. 4

Captivating otherworldly music

Loveddddd

I only listened to the first part of the album. It is not something I would likely listen to again but, it was enjoyable

4 stars, grooviness.

Jaja

Unique and fun. Not like most music I am often exposed to, but quite enjoyable. I feel like one of the songs (Daande Lenol) had an Irish feel to it, but maybe that is just in my head. Would love to come back to this one for a few more listens.

Vibesy

Fantastic.

- interesting instruments, very surprising for me - nice way to preserve traditional music for wider audience - catchy and accessible. if you have never listened to african music you will vibe to this

Proof that you don’t necessarily need to understand the words to find music a total joy.

Just like the last Baaba Maal album (from just a few years prior), I was only able to find lyrics for a minority of the songs, but I was really interested in them! Themes of love and freedom and community and Senegalese history, a cool hypnotic instrumental backing, incredibly precise and powerful singing, what's not to like! I'm guessing this is going to be another album that's going to get very low ratings from listeners who can't be bothered to look up lyrics or consider music from other cultures. Lol.

This is exactly why I joined this site, to discover hidden gems. A solid 4/5 and that's my first impression.

I liked it. Cool African beats.

Love

I had a good time. Didn’t have time yesterday to listen through twice and I’m not always reliable off of just one listen but the songs were varied and interesting with some cool fusion vibes happening and I finished the album despite being quite busy which must’ve been a good thing - right?

Although I didn't enjoy his voice so much, this is the kind of music I'm looking for when I open this site daily. Something different from the standard that touches on sensible themes and has historical importance, especially when it is unknown to me. This Lam Toro album meets all points.