Lam Toro

liked this. no idea what it is about but sounds good

5/10. Voy a pecar de ignorante, pero para mí es como escuchar la BSO de El Rey León. Veo en internet que es uno de los músicos más importantes de Senegal, pero me temo que en Occidente no estamos preparados para esto. Algún tema está guapete.

niet mijn ding

No necesitas entender las letras para disfrutar. Como me pasa con otros grupos que cantan en idiomas que no logro entender, la voz es otro instrumento más, capaz de hacer sentir a través de sus cualidades únicas. Entonces, ¿Lam Toro se salva tan solo con su musicalidad? Pues sí.

Love all of it. 5 stars

This should be up my street and it was for a bit, but by the end I wasn't really feeling it. It's too long, for one, but also the more 'modern' production choices don't really mesh, for me, and sound a bit tacky.

Baaba Maal is a completely new artist to me. I can’t say I disliked this album, but it’s not really my taste. Still, I imagine it would be fun to hear live.

I don't understand the lyrics at all, but the music is very good. 4 stars or B.

Lion King ass music. Kinda cool though

Some unique and interesting sounds on here - variety, nuance, but as someone who concentrates on lyrics it's hard to review something in another language.

I don’t get it. African chanting, he doesn’t have a good voice and there is no musical ability demonstrated. A real slog

Interesting, but it's a no for me. His voice at the beginning was pretty annoying. It got a little better, but I'm not a fan of this.

Beautiful, beautiful album. Groves are rich, beats are sublime, and his voice is a miracle.

Fand es etwas anstrengend und lang. Einfach nicht so meins.

Okay, something a little different and in some way, a nice change and gives a broader spectrum. Although do find it harder to connect with. Maybe it’s my uncultured ear, but just not doing it for me. Also weird than none of this album is in top 20 songs on streaming services for him so maybe they will come later in the list. Not sure what more to say. Pleasant enough and nice to get a change but just doesn’t connect for me.

Things I liked: 
 His massive top end! I could almost feel the windows shaking. The predominantly afrobeat songs (thankfully that was most of them). Things I didn’t like: The more ‘western’ songs, heavy electric guitar. Stick with what you know, Baaba. The use of cheap synthesisers. The fake sax was particularly bad. Bottom line…ok

Cool beats, interesting vocals, but I’m nowhere near worldly enough to truly appreciate it.

✅ Sy Sawande ✅ Minuit

Felt like listening to the inspo for Graceland (maybe it was?). Enjoyed it, but not my style.

this is something my fourth grade music teacher probably made us listen to while she loudly clapped along and attempted to sing in Pulaar

2 not for me

Bien, algo que no es rock. Ok, bastante lindo aunque se pone monótona por momentos. Nota: 3.3

Great sounding album and an interesting listen. It works well as background music while working, since I don’t speak the language. I can’t say any tracks particularly stood out, but it’s a cohesive album sonically that sets a vibe that’s hard to argue with.

Tengo una duda. Esta disco debe ser el único en esta list (a lo mucho habrá 2 o 3 más), de Senegal. Para estar en esta lista, para haber conseguido ese único lugar, tendría que ser el mejor disco en la historia de la música de Senegal, cosa que me parece muy remota. Y es cuando me pregunto sobre la validez y veracidad de esta lista. ¿Cómo llegaron a esto, cómo dijeron: e"l disco de Baaba Maal es el mejor de Senegal y no hay otro para meter?" No sé. Dudas que esta lista me genera, pero ya llev mucho más de la mitad, adí que seguiremos. ¿El disco? Olvidable. Hasta mejor me puse a hablar de otra cosa por aquí.

so good!

So far this album is very cool. The riffs and instrumentation are great, and I really like Baaba's singing.

Entertaining, for sure. I would listen to this again.

Different

Naw

Had this on while I was cooking lunch and enjoyed it as background beats

Good background music, each song was different enough!

not my thang

Pretty great.

нормалек.

Rätt skönt skiva. Inget mästerverk och inget jag nog kommer lyssna på igen. En typisk trea.

Trevlig och lite kul lyssning. Han har en bra röst, men i övrigt är det inget som verkligen sticker ut för mig (förutom första låten som var bäst). Stabil trea.

Great music transcends countries, culture, and language. No idea what was being sung but it was sung unique and beautiful. My son liked it, said it had: “Lion King vibes.”

Idk how representative this is of Senegalese music, but sounded more Asian/south Asian than I expected. I appreciate when non-anglo albums are on here, so it hurts to give this a low score, but it just didn't click with me. Some fun moments. 3*

This album is probably the most unique thing I've listened to so far. I don't understand a word of what's being sung, but the singing sounds expressive and highly distinct. Instrumental accompaniment varies from song to song and sometimes leans more toward an 80s pop feel and something towards the album's African roots.

Good

Pas mon truc

Interesting

7/10

it was okay but i can’t engage with it like other music because i don’t understand the language, i enjoy the instrumentation and the culture that surrounds it

Cool album and I enjoyed it. Refreshing to have an album not in English. Still, not sure I'd listen again

Nice, in turns it's mystical & mysterious and upbeat & groovy. Baaba Maal is a powerful vocalist and sounds sincere. I haven't the foggiest notion what he is singing, but I kind of like it that way.

A wonderful sound

Not bad, but I liked the other album on the list more.

Jangly afro rhythms. They're probably better even if you speak the language. I felt there was a real difference between the tracks produced by Baaba and by other people. Maybe more of a European influence sometimes? I probably need to be steeped in the culture to appreciate these properly.

I do like the atmosphere Maal creates here, especially the funky and rootsy tracks.

This album sounds exactly like I imagined it would, so I guess that means it's pretty typical and basic for what a world African album sounds like to me. It's not bad, and it was good while I was listening to it, but it doesn't really make me want to come back to it.

World Music. Maal mostly sings in Pulaar, he is from Podor in Senegal. The little I know of Senegal involves wars and famine. I can't imagine what Baaba Maal's upbringing was like and what has influenced him. I can only guess at what themes are on this album due to the language barrier. Musically there are some high points with expert musicianship and production.

I wanted to like this, but I can’t get past the cheap synths. This could sound so much better

Horror of a production.

Overall is fine. Quite charming in places and made for a nice listen while I read. I do wish he’d had a more sympathetic producer, because my word from track 5 those MIDI synth horns jump out at you. They are totally out of keeping with the rest of the composition. The bass playing is also a bit wacky in parts.

Today is a low 3 for me, a lot of the playing and singing is fantastic, especially the bass work and guitar style which I absolutely love and reminds me of Zambian Kalindula which I listen to a lot of. However, the production on this record frequently ruins the effect for me, the weird midi strings and synths are HORRIBLE and the overall production sound is very strange to me and clashes with the style of instrumentation.

Somewhat entertaining and something I wish I could understand more of. Don't see myself coming back at all though. Low 3.

While I don't think this is specifically "bad" in any sense, I really could not sink into this today. The instrumentals were fine throughout, and at times quite pretty (Sy Sawande, Lem Gi), but I could not get into the vocals. Perhaps I would feel differently if I could understand what was being said, but as it was it was a bit distracting. That said, I found this to be a generally bright album that would pair nicely with a sunny day. Just not my cup of tea and I don't see any replayability for me outside of that context. So for that this gets a 2.

This one definitely had some jaunty tunes in Hamady Borio, Gidelam, and Lem Gi. Singer also sounded like he could be in Genesis. Senegis, if you will.

Fun different type of music that we are used to. Dragged on a bit being an hour long. Last song was a weird pop type song it sounded like that was not a good way of ending the album.

Not really my cup of tea but still entertaining at least. Meh 3

A interesting album with a great voice and a unique composition. Not my style 2/5

Very cool album and easy to listen to, Good!

Nope

Not bad, but it didn't move me at all. 2/5

not my bag.

Refreshing, interesting, unique, and attractive fusion of styles. Not overbearing. 4/5

Quite enjoyable but well out of my wheelhouse. Good groove with the rhythm section, slap bass used sparingly and well.

i can dig 3/5

I enjoyed this a lot! Good vibes wish more songs stuck out to me.

Lam Toro just kind of passed through my listening today. The production is polished and the performances are good, but nothing struck me as earth-shattering. Maybe it's that I don't understand the lyrics, which makes it harder to connect with the content and that's on me. Solid but not transformative. Kinda like scenery looking out a train's window. But I'd rather this list be albums that just stop you in your tracks. 3 stars.

This was great, fantastically varied sounds, great voice, lots to love

Lam Toro was a pleasent suprise. The album features exception tribal vocals by the Senegalese singer but provides plenty of space to breathe and rewards the listener with strong groove that sits right in the pocket. It's a great example of where to start in World music.

I do not know the language

What an interesting album. I looked into this fella a bit and he's got at least 16 albums, but somehow this is the first I've heard of him. I definitely enjoyed the music and the whole vibe, and there was more than enough bongo to satisfy my unending need for the hour this was on. Would recommend.

Very unique record. I’m not even sure what to compare it to unless you’ve listen to other African music. It’s not bad but I think I’d have to be in a specific mood for this.

Wouldn’t be the first album I’d choose but I did appreciate it. It’s a great big world out there with all kinds of music. Duh.

IT was OK. Fun music. World cuture style.

not my thing

Meh

This is completely different to what the generator has been giving me so far. It's a welcome change and it's good to see representation from Africa. The album is also creative with its instrumentals and vocals. 3.5/5

Not my cup of tea

Pretty great actually. Not all my jam tho.

Experience foreign culture thru music. I’m here for it

Nope

Naw….

Senegalese singer and guitar player

Not really my style but very eclectic and has a broad range of musical notes to it

Man I dont know what to do with this. I have zero experience with African music in general. I know sorta the band thay Tyler the creator sampled on chomokopia. And I know die antword. Basically nothing. In general this is nice to listen to. Some of it sounds a bit fake, synthesized. But there are some really nice pieces of songs too. Mostly in the drums and whatever kind of mallet instruments they use. I know too little to name them but they are very nice. Probably my favorite parts of anything on the record. But I dont get grabbed by any full songs. That's my biggest problem. Its good but nothing stays with me. Worth a listen for sure, maybe you would get more out of it than me

Not bad

Nice African music, reminding me of the annual African festival we had in my home town. Not too complicated or traditional to enjoy it. Four stars

I really enjoyed this really like his voice. I liked this better than other album of his we got earlier. I’ll have to come back to this one.

This was really cool i would definitely listen to this again. 4.5

This was cool. His voice is so fun to listen to

The translated lyrics seem like rather generic poetry. It also has a diverse sound.

Blind album and artist. I didnt understand a word but the percussion was kinda neat.

Vibez

This is a terrific record, though I don't understand the language and don't know what the songs are about.

Lots of atmosphere and subtle, graceful arrangements, but short on memorable tunes.

I like the instruments but not the biggest fan of the vocals. Still an interesting album to listen to

Forgot I was listening to this... Not sure if that is good or bad.

You have to imagine being a kid in the 90's for this album to work.

I hated this but I also don’t have any cultural context for this type of music. It was a struggle for me.

gillar afrikanska rytmer men det blir lite väl kanske.

No!

A pretty good album, I liked Daande Lenol and Sy Sawande the most.

Ok

African with a slight Indian influence

Brutal.

Agradezco escuchar y conocer cosas diferentes. En este caso concreto no me ha interesado. Pero valoro la variedad de la propuesta

7/10

Definitely an interesting listen, though not part of my typical genres.

10/10 - the more I listen to Baaba Maal, the more I love him such an underrated talent :)

Man idk, some of it is pretty nice, but a lot is a little boring and drawn out. Certainly still more interesting than a lot you hear here... Also I appreciate the cultural exposure

This was pleasant enough to listen to, but it's honestly not my thing. I probably won't be going back to this, but not because it's bad--everyone performing on the album is clearly talented, and the songs are well-written--but this just isn't a sound I'm into. I'm giving it a 3/5, to acknowledge both of these things. I am glad I had a chance to listen to it, though, as the purpose of me doing this challenge was to hear music I would never have heard about without it.

beautiful blend of musical genres. Certainly, inspired and quite impressive and stunning guitar work. Fun note: contributions to Black Panther

I liked his singing and I liked the rest of it too

I’m sorry but due to the pitch and fact that I don’t know any of the words it feels like it was written and performed by Doodlebob

This was a fun album but I don’t know how many times I’d revisit

sounded interesting and different, but hard to connect and doubt i will revisit

Great

Good album.

A surprising delight from a world beat, afro vibe artist.

No es de lo que escucho normalmente

pass

I don't feel I know enough about World music to give this a rating

i dont really know what to rate this

3.5

Engaging and interesting in lots of places; unfortunately kind of synth heavy and like, smoothed out & Disney-fied(?) in others. Favorite tracks were Daande Lenol and Sy Sawande, which I would happily revisit. The rest of the album, probably not, though I’m glad to have heard it.

3.7 This is the kind of thing I thought this list would be rife with. It's not, so I'm glad of it's appearance. Really not my usual thing, not anything I don't recall ever having listened to before, but quite interesting and therefore enjoyable. Not one I'd have on rotation, but I am really glad I've heard this before I died.

Super interesting album.

3.5 cool album liked the funk influence

It's very difficult for me to evaluate this album, but I didn't hate it.

Quite alright, but I did find most of the stuff on here dated and not quite fun to listen to.

The occasional dated sound puts it a notch below some of the other world music on this list. Unfortunate, there are also interesting instrumentations found here. You kinda have to take the good with the bad on this one.

Decent sound but didn't pull me one way or another.

Tempted to bump this to a 4, since I feel like my lack of enthusiasm has more to do with not understanding the language or cultural context, instead of the music itself being lacking.

Like his other album, this was largely good background music with distinctive vocals. Wore thin after a while but mostly a nice mix up from the usual.

This was a chore to get through. It seems like a "diversity" addition to the list. I personally couldn't really connect with this, which is understandable given the cultural and language barriers, even though I do listen to a fair bit of foreign language music (although I have certainly never listened to a Senegalese artist). There's some good instrumentation scattered throughout, which cool time signatures and even some funk influence. The vocals weren't really for me and I'd even go as far as to describe them as a bit annoying, although they're definitely unique. In general the album didn't sound particularly genuine to me and struck me as more of a world music record crafted to appeal to Western listeners. I could be totally wrong, though, just my completely uncultured impression. Production sounded mostly very dated. It's understandable that this is not like a sonic masterpiece and I didn't expect it to be, but I genuinely laughed out loud when I heard the cheap saxophone keyboard effect at the start of "Gidelam," which is not the only instance of amateurish production on this album. Still, I have no clue what it looked like recording and producing music in Senegal in the '90s, so I may just be completely ignorant here. All in all, don't feel like I'll be getting back to this album, or to any particular song, which is unfortunate because I was super curious about it and really wanted to expand my taste. Also I'm honestly confused by so many 5s in the reviews - might have to read through them to see what I'm missing with this one. 2/5

I am really not familiar with this type of music, so it’s hard to judge it. Anyway, I don’t really feel like going back to this album, but it was certainly a interesting listen. (2.4)

This is what the album generator is all about 4

This album is by no means bad but I didn't really feel captured by it throughout it run time. Still, impressive musicianship

I'm groovin

Fun stuff. I feel the are a little sprinkle of some more energy and this shit would burn places down. Solid 3.5

This was a really good album. Full of vibrancy. Language barrier be damned, this is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear on this list. I enjoyed it. 4/5 Would listen again

2.5

this unfortunately really wasn’t my thing. i could not get past the vocals. i really wanna like stuff like this, i wish this project had a different singer. i can see the appeal but it couldn’t be less my thing

I understand what Maal and their producers were trying to create: a Western-sounding album with Sudanese influence; however, it came out sounding very Sudanese. Which isn't bad, but it isn't for me.

More an album to have on in the background for some atmosphere

I don't have the cultural background to understand this music but I love the sound and feels.

I don’t have anything good to say, but it is not the worst thing I have heard.

Different. In a good way.

Why

I don't have any idea what he's saying, obviously, but the vibes are immaculate. Enough that I plan to do a deep dive and learn more.

Simpatično

05/07/2025 I won't say it's my thing, cos it isn't, but I appreciate the creativity.

3.5

I appreciated that this was something very different from the usual stuff we get in this game, but I probably won't revisit.

Hamady Boiro (Yelle) - 4/5 Daande Lenol - 4/5 Lem Gi - 3/5 Ndelorel - 4/5 Yella - 3/5 Toro - 5/5 Daniibe - 3/5 Gidelam - 4/5 Olel - 4/5 Sy Sawande - 3/5 Minuit - 4/5 Average score: 3.6/5 (rounding down)

Decent album of African grooves. Helps to put into context the musical styles used by Stewart Copeland, Peter Gabriel, Damon Albarn and Paul Simon.

I liked this, but not quite as much as Djam Leelii. A couple of the songs were a bit too synthy in a way that didn't work for the music; similarly with the guitar solo on the final track.

One of the more weaker Worldbeat albums but the end is pretty strong. 5/10

This album wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it but it was great to hear it for its cultural value.

Something different, definitely not a brit-pop band.

Nice.

It’s always hard to rate the world music selections because I usually lack the cultural context for it and sometimes feel obligated to rate higher than I otherwise would because world music is such a small pool of the whole list. That said, I enjoyed this quite a bit. There’s a good deal of variety between songs that kept it feeling fresh the whole time.

Very intense music, unusual and unlikely common pop music stuff

Some 800 albums back, I reviewed Baaba Maal's debut album as sounding not bad, but much too repetitive to really enjoy. There's no lack of variety on this one. The mix of modern styles and ethnic styles I'm not at all familiar with was a refreshing experience and for sure a positive one. But in the end, it's just not my style and while I enjoyed the fresh input to some extent, I didn't much enjoy the music itself.

Rhythmic world music

I have no business reviewing this album. I liked the sound and overall vibe. No clue what it was about or how to interpret it.

Not offensively bad but not interesting either.

So, I really can't pretend that this is gonna be a review. Touching on a point I saw someone else make, part of writing a review is being able to place a work's part in the culture and how it relates to surrounding material. Like, sure, it **is** largely "sharing your opinion," but if you don't have an awareness of the larger context surrounding it... And of course, I don't. I don't know the first thing about the Seleganese people, their culture (music or otherwise), their language... So while I can offer my thoughts on how I think it sounds, as for a "review..." Well, short of putting in time to do the actual research (and with how behind I am, I certainly don't have enough time)... Y'know, as much as I feel like it's doing the material a disservice, allow me to take this material as I do most Coheed And Cambria songs: as, for all intents and purposes, instrumentals. And taking this thing on a purely instrumental level, I'd struggle to call it bad. It's a nice vibe; I can picture a Seleganese block party or whatever where this is the stuff the local musicians are playing. For my purposes, it'd probably work decently as audio wallpaper. The problem, though, is that in trying to take it beyond just audio wallpaper... It's not terribly engaging? Don't get me wrong, it's all well played, and I think the language that's being sung is very appealing, but there's this level of repetition that doesn't do the material any favors. It strikes me as an album that could've been whittled down a little –– and I listened to the vinyl track listing that only has 8 out of the 11 songs, so I can only imagine how the uncut experience feels. Honest to goodness, there were points on this album where I was so unengaged, my ears actually stopped listening to it. Not that I paused the music or anything; just that, every now and then, my attention would snap back and I'd go, "Oh, this is still happening?" I wanna stress again, I wouldn't call it bad. As audio wallpaper, sure, it does the job fine. And if you actually have an understanding of Seleganese culture, I bet it hits even better. Heck, in general, I'm happy I got to hear something that wasn't another random UK post-punk album. I'm just left wishing I could be more enthusiastic about it. Maybe it caught me on the wrong day... Who knows? For now, all I can say is that my favorite thing this guy did is still his short appearance in the BBC Music cover of "God Only Knows". Seriously, if you ain't heard that... Goodness.

World music is underappreciated, sometimes. Solid 4 Stars.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. Hard to say that much here, given the language barrier, the lack of any translations, & a general unfamiliarity with this style of music. It’s one of those albums where you either like it, or you don’t, and in my case, I was liking it until I didn’t. It never got bad, though; it simply lost its luster & got a little too stale for me. I was at a 4 through the first 6 tracks of this album; there’s a sense of progression on each track, some good instrumental / vocal work, and even with the repetition present, the loops at least had a nice energy to them to keep them from feeling stale. They’re also, at an average, about 4:57 long, if you do that math. It wasn’t doing anything special, but it was at least fun to listen to – there’s a distinct line between a “good listen” and a “fun listen” for albums like this for me, where a good listen is technically sound, but not the most engaging, and a fun listen IS engaging. It’s tracks 7 through 10 where this album takes a dip for me, simply into “good listen” territory, but to a really, REALLY unengaging degree. The repetition is more potent, the vocal work feels limited to a couple of lines followed by a vocal run for some “flair” that feels manufactured, and the sense of progression on each track is just lost. Those tracks average out about to 6:04 long, so even though it’s only about a minute longer on average, that’s a lot more measures of repetition that just add up to feel frustratingly incompatible, especially with how nicely the first 6 tracks felt for me. At least “Minuit” is really nice as the last track. I liked that one. At the end of the day, I just think this album could’ve trimmed itself down, because 58 minutes of this will lead to a bit of burnout, especially with how many tracks go over 5 and a half minutes. At its best, this is super engaging music from Senegal, and I really do think it’s a soundscape & a style worth listening to. At its “worst”, though, it doesn’t do anything necessarily wrong, it just painfully loses its luster, making the album experience just kinda drag, at least to my ears. Someone who’s on a drive, or a run, or using this as ambient background noise without giving it the same sort of focused attention I did will probably really vibe with this. Hell, I probably need to listen to it that way. It’s not a bad album, and it’s certainly at least better than the dogshit that was “Haut de gamme”. For my ears, it’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3, but it could pop itself back up to a 4 if these just catch me differently on another day.

I do not know a damn thing about Senegalese music, nor do I understand a word of this record. It’s pretty, it seems very well done for what it is, and I will try my best to review it strictly from a musical standpoint. The guitar playing is very interesting, there’s some melodies and chord progressions that I have never heard before in my life, and I find that very interesting. From my very narrow view of music, as a North American, it’s almost like listening to music from another planet. Everything is technically sound, I think, the percussion is interesting, and I’m actually pretty curious to know what some of the percussion instruments used are. The vocals are powerful, but not what I’d consider enjoyable. I don’t entirely understand the inclusion of this record on this list, but we’re far past logic on that front by now. 2.5*

I enjoyed listening to this album but unfortunately I don't know much to say about it. I have very little context to understand it in, and there isn't much to read about it. But I enjoyed it. It does start to get a bit monotonous.

This was a great album. I could see myself listening to this while working and being completely relaxed.

I feel like I don't really have enough cultural or musical context on West African music to give this a real intelligent review, but I did like it for the most part! I think his voice is really nice and the way he was able to move his voice with the vocal runs sounded cool. the instrumentals sounded like an interesting mix of western and traditional African instruments, which worked better for some songs than others, and I think it's cool that he sang mostly in Pulaar, with only the last song being in French (with some very schmaltzy instrumentation to boot). it is disappointing that there is no specific Wikipedia page for this album, especially considering that Baaba Maal seems to be reasonably well known (at least enough to collaborate with Brian Eno and Marcus Mumford, and to contribute to the Black Panther soundtrack!) but overall, an interesting pick for sure!

It just didn't really stick with me, but not a bad album either!

So many cool ideas on this one. But I just don't think my pallette is really attuned to it. Certainly on my list of albums I'll probably give another shot once this challenge is over, but it's not entering my regular rotation.

A delightful slice of West African folk traditions mixed with some slight Western pop sensibilities.

It didn’t click with me like I had hoped. Some kinda fun songs in there, but most either didn’t resonate with me or went on too long. It wasn’t *bad* though. I just probably wouldn’t listen to any of it regularly.

You can never know what to expect on a foreign album with a language barrier, but the vibes completely won on Lam Toro. These guys know rhythm!! I also noticed some remarkably clean production, and I highly recommend listening to Sy Sawande with headphones on - it's a simple track, but the way the guitars were recorded is ear candy. Had a lot of fun with this one! Standouts: Hamady Boiro • Daniibe • Sy Sawande • Ndelorel • Minuit

Very hard to rate this one. There are some absolutely exquisite tracks on here. Stuff that really just makes you feel amazing. Then there is some stuff that fades into the background. But when I finished up with Minuit, I realized that the fantastic stuff is so good it cancels out the less interesting bits.

I have trouble engaging with music that's this devoid of any actual consistent musical ideas. Occasionally Baaba Maal will strike gold with a particular vocal melodic lick or (very rarely) a guitar riff, but in every single case he just discards the lick as soon as it's played. Because of this, the album comes across as 58 minutes of uncertain noodling where none of the instrumentalists really know what they're doing. Even if the guitarists and percussionists are skilled, it absolutely does not sound that way on this record. "Theme and variation", the tried-and-true method of hooking your audience into music and keeping them interested with a balance of familiarity and innovation, is completely thrown out the window, with essentially all musical elements being repeated with no variation whatsoever (à la hip-hop backbeats) or played once then never again. The xylophone part is great – or would be great if it were consistent. My three chosen key tracks are the closest to resembling something musically engaging (to me). Toro is actually a pretty solid track, with a psychedelic guitar part that doesn't drag out at all. At that point in the album I was expecting to give out a 3-star rating. Gidelam almost sounds like a Western funk track that's a little out of place in this context, but enjoyable nonetheless. Hamady Boiro is similar and incorporates some 80s-esque synth lines. On the other hand, songs like Daande Lenol, Lem Gi, and Sy Sawande just don't have that much sonic content. There are periods of complete silence in some of these that, rather than being tasteful, feel as though the band forgot what comes next. 1/5 Key tracks: Toro, Hamady Boiro, Gidelam

Baaba Maal is a talented guitar play and writes some interesting arrangements. There are some interesting varieties in sound, I particularly like the baroque feel of Daande Lenol Towards the end I was getting a bit fatigued and a lot of it was starting to blend together, doesn't help that I have no idea what hes singing so it'll feel more samey because of that Highlights: Daande Lenon, Hamady Boiro

Umm..

I'm unqualified to evaluate this record, which I found at times pleasant and at others discordant.

I enjoy listening to this - not sure if its good or not by its stylistic standards? Sounds like the guy Peter Gabriel collaborated with.

Cool in that I've rarely heard anything like it, but the percussion was sometimes overbearing and the vocal stylings just weren't for me

I’m trying to give this record and its songs a Google, and it’s interesting how many of those searches just point me back to the 1001albumsgenerator website. I can’t, for example, easily grasp what “Sy Sawande” means – but I can see what another reviewer thought of its “discursive reach”. Good for them. This record floated by in a pleasant enough way. I’m occasionally reminded of Electric Fields, a contemporary act I’d do well to check back in with. And the aforementioned “Sy Sawande” inspires a return listen – there’s a tenderness to the track that communicates regardless of how little else I understand of it. A lovely collection of songs from, by all accounts, a quite remarkable man.

It was alright, don't know enough about African music to understand its significance. Rating: 2.3

I kinda liked it, after a bit of a rough start. I’m a sucker for African rhythms.

This is an album that I have a love hate relationship with I like it one minute then I don’t. Think it’s my mood. Xxx

Sonorous and sweet

No clue what he sang about, but a fun album. Some of the songs have a Lionel Richie "All Night Long" vibe, but for the most, a distinct voice.

Not for me. Had a hard time finishing the album. Some nice call/response-chant in the first track, but it was never revisited. One track had nice harmonies, none of the other tracks had that. Some driving group chanting at the end of one track. Not anywhere else. Didn’t like the instrumentation, and none of the tracks were memorable

Un álbum fundamental en cuanto que se trata de la primera vez que un artista africano lanza un álbum de afrobeat teniendo en mente a un público blanco y occidental. Esta vez no se trata de un artista occidental apropiándose de la música de África, como haría Paul Simon en Graceland, sino que se le da voz directamente al artista original. Entonces, ¿por qué le estoy dando peor nota a este álbum que a Graceland? Aunque Lam Toro sea muy bueno, excelentemente producido y entretenido, creo que le falta algo de autenticidad. Un álbum que ha sido seleccionado por el editor de este libro más que nada debido a que su productor, ¡oh sorpresa!, es inglés. Hubiera preferido que se hubiera incluido un álbum de afrobeat completamente producido en África o, al menos, de música tradicional y no tan adaptada a la radio de los 90. De todas formas, es un álbum diferente y merecedor de buena nota.

I was unfamiliar with Baaba Maal. This is a gem of an album.

First time listen. Remember him on LWJ. very good

I really really did not enjoy this. I appreciate I am not the target audience for this sort of music though Some of the instrumental parts were ok, it was just the singing as such I didn't like. A hard album to rate but it feels unfair to give a 1 2 ⭐️

I obviously don’t understand any of the words that he’s saying. I also find his very high voice to be kind of irritating. Most of these world albums have a lot of very cool instrumentation but I don’t find that one either. For me not a lot to recommend.

An interesting listen. I didn't mind it but it started to grow old half-way through. I have a hard time with foreign language artists because I tend to connect more with lyrics than music, and if I don't have any basis in the language I just don't get that solid connection. Nothing against the artist, that's all on me. Well produced, excellent voice quality and control. Was neat to listen to once but not something I'll pull up again.

I enjoyed listening to this, It's vibrant, rhythmic, and full of life. Baaba's voice is captivating, and the music feels rich with tradition and emotion. That said, lacking the language or a real cultural context, I think my ability to truly appreciate everything this album offers is limited. Still, it was an interesting and worthwhile listen.

Not terrible as background music but wouldn’t listen to it again through choice.

Pretty good album but it does suffer from its length a little bit. There are some good moments but as it goes on the songs start to all sound the same, especially the calmer ones. High 3.

Enjoyable, but hangs around too long, and I’m unlikely to ever think of this again.

Not my tempo

Not exactly in my wheelhouse, but I appreciate it for what it is. Some of the production was VERY 1992, which really threw me off.

I enjoyed this album. I'm not much for world music, but I liked the melodies and the singing was well done.

...

I don't know anything about this. I don't understand the lyrics, know whether the rhythm or used instruments are typically Senegalese, or if this is a revolutionary cultural break. The best conditions to simply let the music speak for itself - and this music doesn't appeal to me.

Afrikanische Rhythmen, ohne irgendeine Spannung für das europäische Musikgehör. Man fragt sich, warum muss ich dieses Album unbedingt noch hören?

Interesting to hear, though repetitive and not that ejoyable after the novelty wears off

African music and vocals, good background

Good album. I don't have much to compare it to, but I enjoyed the whole thing. 3.3/5

This was ok, but I was finding myself not able to focus on it by the middle. It's too self-similar in a genre I don't know well, so I'm not able to differentiate :( 2.75/5

Nice! I find his voice a little graying but I think that has more to do with my sensitivities than any negative qualities of the music.

I’m not qualified to rate this, but I enjoyed it. African beats, Senegal language. It’s a 3-star because I just don’t know enough. It’s a good listen though.

I don’t know, man. Not offensive. Good variety and a couple nice grooves.

Oh wooowww list, you are sooo interesting and thoughtful to include this, list - benevolent even. What a sophisticated list you are. So worldly and intelligent. You’re a very good list.

Wow, not a pretentious reaction here. There were some really great cuts and I didnt get bored with it. Yela is the only song that id skip. I added Gidelam, Sy Sawande and Minuit to a playlist. Minuit had a guitar solo that sounded straight from Prince (super fast flurries of notes and ultra clean sound)

I'm not sure why this is an album you have to listen to before you die...I can't really imagine breathlessly recommending this album to anyone. It was fine?

With some more time, I may find more to like in this album, but nothing grabbed me on the first or second listen.

- moody und weitestgehend entspannt, habe ich so nicht erwartet - könnt man mal wieder hören 3

i love the rhythm and beats its like a dancing

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 😐✒️⬜ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 👣🌞🔥 Rating: 🌍🌍/5

From the very first track of this album, I was instantly reminded of the guitar work and grooves that I come to love from Ali and Vieux Farka Touré who are both Malian artists I discovered through their collab with Khruangbin. Baaba Maal has a unique quality different from Malian soundscapes. The Tourés have a sound that is more bluesy-infused-soul of the Sahel region of Africa, whereas Baaba Maal’s music featured more percussions that came from all parts of the world. I heard moments of Caribbean soca influenced and even Baila - which is music from my dad’s country Sri Lanka. His vocals on this album were interesting, in some of the tracks his voice felt like a call to a spirit which felt ethereal yet bold like in the tracks “Daande Lenol” and “Daniibe”. The production of this album combines the sounds of Fulani with a mix of reggae and pop. Listening to this album felt like I was in the Fulani region experiencing the vast culture surrounding it, while simultaneously connecting back to me as it celebrated sounds from all over the world. Lam Toro also made me reflect on the region it was created in, Senegal 🇸🇳, and how West African heritage continues to ripple across genres. From the traditional Fulani melodies in his music to the raw, trap energy of Sheck Wes, a Senegalese-American rapper I first heard on “Mo Bamba”. Though they’re worlds apart sonically, both artists carry the imprint of their roots that I found personal and profound in their own right. Overall I found this album to be an international treat. To me this is the first album that didn’t come from America or Europe which pleasantly surprised me that the generator included albums all over the world. I’m looking forward to travelling sonically though this challenge. I enjoyed it for what it was, not entirely sure it would be a part of my future rotation but there are songs I will definitely come back to. Standout Tracks: “Daande Lenol”, “Daniibe” and “Gidelam”

we in wakanda? described as an epic storyteller but idk what he sayin. feel like i gotta have some connection to the culture to enjoy this

Interesting to have in the background. Not something I have a lot of desire to listen to…but I can see where this style has been influential.

i liked it a lot.

surprised myself with how much i enjoyed this album! its not like anything I've ever listened to before, and I wouldn't be familiar at all with sengalese music. i found it really beautiful to listen to a culture of music so (assumedly) different to my own, only to hit lilts of what i'd recognise as Irish trad sounds in the opening track. however, in saying that, i didn't love the cheesy synth in olel or lem gi, it made me feel like I was on a cruise ship. this would be a 4 star album without the cheesy synth. particular shout outs to: - yela - hamady boiro - sy sawande didn't like: - daniibe (but not strongly dislike) - olel songs saved: 0/11 would I listen again: yes

I'm sure this album is culturally significant, and there are redeeming qualities to it, but I mostly felt out of the loop and uninterested in what I heard.

Maal creates music that links ancient Fulani traditions with global sounds, achieving a spiritual resonance that speaks to both cultural roots and the impact of African music on the world.

As always, I love exposure to new world music, never would have found this otherwise.

Wonderful album and for once a real album you should hear before you die. No medicore USA/UK band playing something, which so many bands have also played, which for some reason found its way on to this list.

I always like albums that are not from the usual European/Northern American/Australian - Western - world, as I like world music and getting to know different artists from other cultures, countries. I liked Baaba Maal's other album which was already on this list. This album is a good mix of African rhythms and singing with Western arrangements, funk and electronica elements. It was a bit long and the 90s production is a bit dated but overall it was a nice listen. P.s. some of the comments below mine was saddening to read, as if some people who do this challenge don't want to open their ears and minds and automatically rejects anything that is not from the Western world. Try to be a bit more open, please.

Appreciate some sounds but the album overall just did nothing for me. I really struggled to get through it.

This was terrible. I don’t know how it made the list. Only got as far as I did because I listened while mowing the lawns. The only reason I’d put it on again would be to try and scare cats away.

This did not work for me. I didn't make it all the way through a single song. I want to enjoy music, not be irritated by it.

Didn't understand a bit of it, but it was fairly good listen.

This is fine but not my thing

No lo conocía, resulta bastante árido y demasiado etnico.

This was an interesting album, definitely can't say that it is something that I listen to very often, but it was enjoyable having it in the background. The typical African music element in it was interesting to hear, but I am not sure whether I would listen to this again.

Exciting.

It was groovy, at times. I am not cultured enough to appreciate this though to be blunt.

Not completely bad. Decent rhythms but the voice irritates me.

3 out of 5. I liked this one better than Djam Leelii.

Not for me

Too worldly for me.

I'd rather die than have to listen to this all over again once more.

I'll probably never return to this but i still enjoyed it. its cool that's something this foreign, at least to my canadian ass, is on this list mostly comprised of albums from western and European musicians. I know damn well that this is the first (and probably the last) Senegalese album that myself and people most the people on this website have ever heard. this worth hearing, expand your horizons idk dude he works on the black panther soundtrack wtf thats so cool. too bad it was for the shitty sequel but idc its still cool

Fun change of pace

Excuse me what is this doing on my boomer rock list?

Not for me

Glad to hear a record totally out of my wheelhouse, but eh, this didn't really grab me. could have died without hearing!

Son cursis y pedantes esos que al oír música étnica, dizque se sienten en el nirvana y son casi monjes. ¡Hipócritas!, yo vivo en una región multipluricultural ridícula y su música solo es y debe ser disfrutada por cada cultura

First time I listened to the whole album twice in one day. Really nice, good to see more non-English music.

Hated the first half, back half is great! Noticing a trend. I would play some of these tracks for my kids, my grandma, my parents, and some are to get drunk and dance embarrassingly to. Fun listen, begging to be sampled.

Upbeat and boppy. Slow at times, but not in a bad way. 4/5

This was fine, nothing I'd ever go out of my way to listen to.

I really did try but alas I didn’t enjoy it

Ill take unique underrepresented "world music" like this over yet more britpop

i just learned the n in nba stands for national!

this was a vibe

A fun, chill and interesting listen. Very nostalgic sound

idk whats happening

Where are the drop D power chords?? I dig it anyways 😊 Very calming. This gets me in the mood for a David Attenborough documentary

Solid Album! I enjoyed being immersed in the Senegalese culture, and I can appreciate the use of instrumentation. The singing overall was pleasant. It was refreshing to hear the diverse vocals throughout the riffs. 4 not 5 simply because I didn't understand the lyrics to analyze the lyrics vs musicality. I did look up the translation to some of the songs and found there were a variety of topics expressed such as Senegal, love, and life. I could imagine for a native speaker this would be top tier.

4.0/5.0: Great

interesting listen, enjoyed the more upbeat songs

More enjoyable than expected. Amazing African polyrhythms throughout.

ziemlich Arsch der erste war am kosten insgesamt Ned meins

Nice sounding album unsure of its overall greatness.

very good

Haunting vocals and lovely, melodic guitar work.

This album is really cool.

Finally. I was wondering when we would get to a Baaba Maal album. Baaba is definitely my favorite Senegalese artist and this album didn't disappoint. Hamady Boiro was my favorite tune and was happy to see him reunite with Godwin Logie. Pretty interesting album, but when you follow a country folk album, it's difficult to NOT find any other music interesting. 2

2 I don’t like the term “world music” because, well, all music is world music. The way it’s typically used feels like an anglocentric term that generalizes an incredibly vast, diverse scope of genres that span the entire globe as simply “non-English”, almost as if they’re a lesser product or an afterthought compared to anything you can find stateside, across the pond, or, to a lesser extent, from the Great White North (sorry Canucks, if it’s between the three, you’re sitting firmly in third, though I’ll give you all credit for Alanis and Crash Test Dummies). That being said, I’d be lying if I said I don’t share the same difficulties with so-called “world music” that many others do… it’s just hard for me to grab on to something that I can’t really understand. I’ll be the first to admit that’s entirely a product of my own ignorance surrounding foreign language, but it’s unfortunately a barrier for me nonetheless. Obviously there’s much more expression to be found within music than just what the singer is saying - instrumentals exist for a reason - but lyrics resonate heavily with me, so you’re really going to have to make me feel your “voice” in your performance if you want it to strike me the same way as some of my favorites. And this… does not. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun. Hell, I’ll say this, if there’s one thing English-speaking countries suck at, it’s fun music - no matter how enjoyable some of our stuff may be, you can tell that we don’t know how to have a good time like the rest of the world does. But in this case, it’s just not really an interesting kind of fun. Nothing about this album felt particularly groundbreaking or really all that remarkable in any way, and as a result, it reeeeally started to drag on about halfway through. Overall, really more of a net “mid” for me, but the length pushes this just into the realm of “dislike”. I certainly owe more of this genre (Fula) a listen, but I’m not sure Baaba Maal is it for me. Shoutout to his work on the Black Panther score though - maybe I owe that a relisten to help bridge the gap.

Not really a fan of this album, but I liked the guitar solo at the end and that took this one to 3 stars.

This album sounds exactly like I imagined it would, so I guess that means it's pretty typical and basic for what a world African album sounds like to me. It's not bad, and it was good while I was listening to it, but it doesn't really make me want to come back to it.

It's outside my personal comfort zone, partly because it's not sung in English but also instrumentally falls outside of my usual palate but I found it really joyful and rhythmic. There is some brilliant guitar and bass work and I enjoyed a few plays through this week. I'd be happy to listen to this again even if I am unlikely to seek it out. Definitely what this challenge is all about as I'd never have found it without a nudge in the right direction and it was also interesting reading more about Baaba Maal and his significance.

Almost completely under the radar, Baaba Maal added Senegalese music into the modern vernacular. The infectious grooves and fun melodies really bring the listeners in. Even not understanding the lyrics, it makes you want to move your body and have some fun. Can't wait to return to it

Didn’t understand a word, but I enjoyed listening

That was fun, def a unique sound and some fun moments … not a genre I replay too often

Not for me.

Although it’s outside of my comfort zone I quite like this album. It’s very similar to other music on the list originating from Africa so my knowledge of such musical compositions and the artists making it is so limited you could put these albums side by side and I would not discern any major difference. My problem of course but I”m not enticed enough to research and listen more closely. Always happy to hear this stuff as a change especially when artists such as Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon incorporate it into their music, when African and other ‘world music’ really hit the spot. 3/5 17/4/25

Funky soulful human

Happy to have listened to this album which is out of my comfort zone. Hard to rate really, but appreciated it being here, and found it to be an interesting listen. Some great music coming out of Senegal. Makes me wonder number of lost musicians there are in Senegal and the African continent.

This is my real experience with African music. Some of the instrumentation sounds inspired by 1980s synth pop rock/ soft rock. The vocals to me are the biggest difference. The cadence seems a bit sporadic at times and the melody contains semi tones and vibratos that don't entirely fit the accompanying music. Overall, the music is strange enough to dissuade me from listening again and not unique enough to warrant praise.

In the right setting I can dig some world music with Indian/ buddhist chanting and such, but I had to fight through this one. I believe it was track 2 that I thought would have mixed well with the “Ewok Celebration” song AKA “Yub Nub” at the end of 1983’s Star Wars-Return of the Jedi.

I dug this. Definitely a mood setter to be enjoyed in the right setting. And interesting to see how his music served as an influence for the soon-to-be formed and really good Afro Celt Sound System.

This made me want to find a little lion cub, put some red jam on his forehead and hold him up high over price rock. Offensive? Allow me to double down with a little… NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA!!! I struggle with this. It was an interesting listen and outside of my norm. Not something I’ll put on very often and the cynical part of me feels like this is something some ‘hip dude’ would put on to show how cool and cultured he is. 2.75

Def the best Senegalese album I've ever listened to! Interesting listen with many enjoyable tracks, although would have been well-served to cut 15-20 minutes from the runtime. I was digging the drums that reminded me of the Black Panther score and then only later found out he was involved in both movies! Neat! 2.75/5

People love to complain about this list being overpopulated by English alternative rock (and they're not wrong) but then consistently give low scores to all the non-Western music on here.

3.9 - I was torn by this album. He really has an incredible voice, but I'm not sure about the music that accompany it. It feels a little bit commercialised. I'd love something a lot more raw. Still good

Quite fun, not that special, but I tended to like the tracks that leaned in a more garish 80s direction. Fave Tracks: Hamady Boiro, Daniibe 3.6/5

Nah

Odd but ok

The shrill atonal vocals are not my cup of tea, but the music is cool. Highlights: "Toro" (nice percussion), "Daande Lenol" (the guitar work is solid), "Sy Sawande" (mellow with understated guitar work)