Lam Toro

Mostly decent songs. Some are a bit repetitive or even annoying.

Pleasant, celebratory, finds a groove and sticks with it. I've gotten one of his albums before, and can't say I remember much of it, but this is fine enough when it's on. Favorite track: "Daniibe"

"Yela" is a beautiful opener, expansive and heartfelt. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the mix of afro-islamic tunes and early-nineties western influences on other tracks hasn't aged very well. More barebones tracks such as "Gidelam" and "Sy Sawande" hold their own pretty well, though. I don't know... Being unfamiliar with this style of music overall, I think I need more time to revisit this record (and maybe others by Baaba Maal). In the meantime... Number of albums left to review: less than 500 (I've temporarily lost count) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately. Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me). Temporary grade: 3/5 for the purposes of this list (and 8/10 for more general pusposes: 5+3)

Not for me.

Baaba Maal Doo-doo-da-doo-da-doo.

paas maal

Senegalese music. Termina mejor que empieza.

There are some interesting things on this album, but it is a bit out of my depth and experience. I know a bit about Baaba Maal's humanitarian work and contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He seems like he's somewhat of an ambassador for the nebulous category of African music, but of course he's playing in a very culturally specific style informed by his Senegalese roots which lends his music French touches. Overall, the music sounds very dated yet is very skillfully layered with polyrhythms and a diverse instrumentation drawing from both African and western sources.

Couldn't understand a word of this but the rhythms and vocals embodied a lively energy that had my toe tapping throughout the full playtime.

Badly dated production but still there's some good stuff

Cheery and fun to craft to in the morningtimes

Good, interesting to hear music from Senegal! Some of the "western" aspects date it though (but I kinda like them). It was pretty nice! Standout Tracks 4, 7, 9, 10

Not really my thing, but I did enjoy it

Fun listen, great afro beat music.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Olel

this was an interesting listen. tribal beats with an indigenous sound. rap, soft rock, and reggae/ska influences are also present on this album. certainly an adventure.

Some okay afrobeat-y stuff. Not my favourite of the genre that we've had on the list, it gets a bit bland later through the album

Great instrumentation

Pretty good!

African music. Good but can’t understand it

I really found this interesting, it's a nice mix of cultural instruments and more commonly recognised ones

An enjoyable international listen. Cool singing and melody and great grooves.

Standard World music 3 Rating

A few more world music inclusions would be good. This album was a nice change and well received. It got a bit samey towards the end, but I liked the tunes.

I'll take some variety any day of the week. If it's not generic rock, all the better. I liked this, I found it really pleasant. I can't see myself listening to it again but I enjoyed it today.

Very enjoyable. Can't really remember any faves but the whole album is a great listen.

This is probably really good. I enjoyed listening to it but I don’t know how to process this music into an album review. 
Favorite Track - Gidelam 3 out of 5 stars

Fula music, traditional to the Fula people of western Africa, features an array of musical instruments not often heard in western popular music. Baaba Maal, having studied music in Dakar and Paris, has devoted his life to this traditional music and bringing it to a wider audience. Thus, we have Lam Toro. You can hear some concessions to make it more accessible to a western audience. While I appreciate continuing to sing in his native tongue, I would prefer if the album was fully reflective of traditional Fula music in order to get a better understanding. Regardless, Lam Toro provides a unique listening experience that is not often heard by westerners, making it an invaluable record.

3.5

I only listened once. It was alright but not somethng I'd pursue. 3*

Liked this. Very danceable.

I give 3 stars because it is not bad. I find it well constructed, melodic music. But this is absolutely not my type of music.

Está bien. No lo escucharía de vuelta.

It's ok and I liked some tracks. Authentic African rhythms with 80/90s synth/drums. It would have been better without the extra bits (since they are dated now).

Can't say this is my fav thing ever but it's fun to hear something so far from my wheelhouse. Senegal eh? Would rather this than any more post punk. I'm gonna add this to my world music office playlist I think. Got pretty groovy in places. 3/5.

Second Baaba Maal album in a week. Enjoyable, but simply not good enough to keep Salif Keita or Cesaria Evora inexplicably off this list.

Good, different. I thought this was slightly above average.

Enjoyed it. No idea what he's singing about mind.

Comme très souvent lorsque je manque d'inspiration, je vous propose de vous référer à la critique de mon ennemi juré eltrapeze, bien que je sois en désaccord total avec son opinion.

Un nouvel album de baragouinage, mais Baaba Maal a au moins le mérite de bien baragouiner ses sénégalaiseries.

Beautiful voices and satisfying beats. A nice listen. No idea what they're singing about though.

Pretty repetitive. 5/10

Traditional African beats. Amazing vocals range and instrumentation. Not my style but I appreciate the artistry.

How can you fail to be uplifted and refreshed by these kinds of wonderful African rhythms and singing. I had a smile on my face throughout. Its a little cheesy 90's Casio keyboard in places, but I try not to hold that against people because the early 90's were a weird time. Plus it kind of works here with the uplifting vibe of the record. I think my favorite track was Olel but they are all strong and I think that's this albums weakness as well as strength that its all about the same quality so its easy to get lost in and I can absolutely see why it would fail to make an impression on a lot of people.

I appreciate hearing these albums and being exposed to a different sound than I'm used to. Overall though, I struggle to see myself registering to albums that are in a foreign language over again, and struggle to connect with them in a way that I don't for English language or even instrumental focused albums.

A lovely change of pace. Absolutely love the percussion. The instrumentation for Daande Lenol is really pretty and Hamady Boiro is so much fun. Those two are my favorites. I’m afraid the rest of the album doesn’t really stand out to me.

👳🏿‍♂️👍

fun gorgeous rhythms, had never heard of it. only 30K plays on spotify for their top songs? criminal!

Quite funky and just really fun, also pretty ethereal at times too, and it made for an interesting commute into and around the city while I was listening to it. Unfortunately some of those MIDI-esque synths really threw me off, though they probably sounded way better in '92.

Lively. Clear. Not something I feel super connected to, but definitely some good melody work here.

Loved the voice, and the music certainly filled the room with atmospheric sounds that I'm not entirely accustomed to. I nonetheless found it a bit of a trudge from time to time. Chalk it up to ignorant listener as opposed to bad musician - I think a little longer with Baaba Maal and I'd begin to enjoy it more. But this app demands swiftness, and so on we plunge...

This is the best Paul Simon album yet.

ok

Parts of this are the smoothest and most hypnotic Afro Beat I have encountered on this list. However other parts attempt a similar sound to Youssou N'Dour but don't teach the same heights

Feels very 90s. Maybe too many world music albums this week to give this its proper consideration.

This is a pleasant enough listen, although more subtle and less dynamic than other West African music I've heard. Not super memorable as an album. Fave Songs: Daniibe, Sy Sawande, Gidelam, Olel, Hamady Boiro

Some good percussion in there but wasn't super into it

A guy singing his heart out in a language I’ll never understand. A drum kit and a keyboard were also there. And a flute?

Very good world music that embraces the 90s

Fav song - Daande lenol (dahndey lenyol) - Super cool instrument called the “Kora” Least Fav - Olel - Basically did the same groove for 7 minutes

Great fun listen. Doubt i'd go back though

Not for me

It's not a bad album, but there's so much better music from Senegal than this specific album.

the bass was cool

Its all a bit alien. Amazing voice and terrific rhythms. All sang in some Senegal language. The synth brass is cheap sounding and irritating after a while. The Bryan May type solo on the last track is a bit strange. Interesting but I'm sure I wouldn't play this again.

It was pleasant listen but a one and done for me.

Enjoyable, but I’d rather not listen to a whole album at once. I like the music/instruments, but his voice starts to grate after a bit.

I enjoyed it, but I'm left wondering, with only so much West African music on this list, why this artist, why this album? Seems like he has albums that were more successful, this one doesn't even have a Wikipedia page - what the heck? So, why not Firin' in Fouta? Those questions aside, I enjoyed listening to it.

Not huge into this style of music but nothing was offensive, cool that he sings in Pulsaar to promote the language.

sounds intense. 3.

ma mère aurait mis 5 pour sur je vais lui offrir pour son anniv

I think I preferred this to the last Baaba Maal, I like how upbeat and optimistic sounding it is. Its not my fave but I appreciated it

Interesting sound, also quite modern. Some I liked a bit more, some a bit less, nothing really stood out.

Was aware of the name but none of the music before this. It all sounded good and I enjoyed it, but nothing particularly jumped out at me. The title track was possibly my least favourite. Probably need (and hope) to give it another listen at some point and try to take it all in in a bit more detail.

This is the sort of thing I like to get thrown my way. Totally out of my wheel house, and I've never heard of him before.

Interesting. Not sure I'd listen to it again, but I'm glad I listened to it once! 3 stars.

Whenever this list has picked a world music album, you can generally guess what it sounds like. Chorus pedal guitars, horn synths, funky bass lines etc. It's all good but... well... y'know. Best Tracks: Toro; Hamady Boiro; Ndelorel

Ritmos africanos. Un poco rollo. Pero venga, ni fu ni fa por salirse de los estilos trillados.

Two Baaba Maal albums in three days. The album overall was okay. The enjoyed hte album more as it went along. Maal has some interesting percussion and beats. "Hamady Boiro" and "Olel" were my favorite tracks. Maal is talented, but I can't quite round up to 4 stars.

Senegalese music mixed with reggea and disco. Certainly refreshing for in between. (5/10) FT: Yela

pretty boring but its alright

Nice rhythms, but probably needs a second listen before I get even vaguely hooked

Interesting in its own way

1/27/22

Great album, wonderful to listen to as background music

Zafa, va un 3

Very nice.

Not something I would ever consider listening to but it was worth a listen.

World music with Baaba Maal's touch of African soul. 'Lam Toro' carries with it a weight of meaning that can't be fully uncovered without understanding the language, yet it invokes emotions of longing and hope. Polished for the most part, with a cultural backdrop style that can be enjoyable.

Erster Eindruck: bunter Abend im JUZ. Dann aber doch recht Sehnsüchten und tiefer als die gut gelaunten Polyrhythmen vorgeben. Etwas zu vokalig für meinen Geschmack (wieder das Ziegen-hafte der Stimme). Bei „Olel“ blickt Paul Simon spitzbübisch um die Ecke. Schön 3.4

Kriegt mich erst beim dritten Track, Daande Lenol, ein wenig. Hypnotisch und glimmend erscheint es da und wärmt meinen Klischee-Ofen. Bleibt mir trotzdem relativ fremd - zumal beim Gang durch die nächtlich nasskaltgraue Dezemberstadt.

76. Lam Toro - Baaba Maal 11 tracks. There are bits of this that remind me of Traditional Irish "diddly-diddly" music, (in a good way), but with African vocals. It really grew on me. 3/5

decent

Didn't appreciate the preset drums and horns

doesnt sound that special to me besides the fact that its from a different african originated language

Seems like another token album for the list good music but I wonder how this differs from the rest of the catalog of the seemly quite prolific artist

Czego jak czego, ale kolejnego albumu z senegalu od tego samego artysty sie zem nie spodziewal, sporo wiecej niz podczas sluchania ostatniej plyty pana Baaby Maala sie nie dowiem, bo informacje o tym materiale praktycznie nie istnieja, a recek na amazunie nie ma co czytac, ale z skrapow lirykowych ktore udalo mi sie odszyfrowac muzyka nadal traktuje o pieknie afrykanskiej ziemi, w szczegolnosci senegalu, bo to rodzinna ziemia Baaby, ponoc wiekszosc liryki jest spiewana w Fulbe, ale nie jestem w stanie tego zweryfikowac wlasnymi uszami, wiec nadal jest to folk o pozytywnym upbeatowym brzmieniu, ale zdecydowanie wiecej jest tutaj elementow z muzyki elektronicznej, slychac takze eksperymenty z klimatami reggae, czy nawet funkowego rocka jak na hamady boiro, gdzie najbardziej slychac mocne samplowanie i zabawe z synthami, zabraklo mi tutaj gitarki pana Secka z pierwszej pozycji, no ale nowy material to nowe pomysly, wydaje mi sie, ze moze byc on nawet bardziej przystepny niz debiutancki material poprzez wykorzystanie bardziej standarowych instrumentow jak elektrykowych gitar czy klawiszy, ale przez to material traci na afrykanskim uroku, plyta to prawie godzina na 11 trakach, ale nawet pomimo tego nie czuje sie zeby album sie dluzyl, jak ostatni pik i tuskowy material, wiec moze nie tak murzynski jak pierwszy album pana Baaby, to jednak nadal insteresujacy na swoj sposob, na plejke dodam lowe songa zatytulowanego daande lenol

3.5

I don't speak the language. So it makes it a bit harder to judge but honestly, it sounds pretty dang rad.

Wasn't sure what to expect. It was enjoyable in that the music was creative, with a very diverse set of instruments and rhythms. As it was senegalese, i didn't understand anything and the vocals were quite forward, i think detracting a bit for me.

Good world music album. Love hte arrangement, though it didn't knock my socks off

Nice senegalese sounds mixed with other influences

Étnica africana.

Es un buen disco, tal vez un poco largo, la producción luego no le juega a favor en algunas canciones.

Me gustó, pero así como una gran canción larga. Puede ser que no haya escuchado tanta música africana como quisiera, pero de lo que he escuchado, sí pienso que hay quizá cosas más emocionantes, más variadas. De todas formas, fue agradable, quizá sólo esperaba que de pronto hubiera algo más. No tengo canciones fav. 7/10

Just okay

Wouldn’t be into it

Not bad at all, but probably won't be getting back to it.

Background world music

All new to us. "It's inoffensive enough. Background music. Like being in a taverna somewhere." So said Julia just now. True enough.

Malardo, no es inescuchable, pero malo malo.

Mid

nothing wrong with it but i don't care for it and would not listen again

This was fine and some beautiful singing. It just didn’t grab like I had hoped it would.

Decent but way too long. Becomes repetitive fairly quickly.

Interessante, único, mas não consegui ter a experiência completa por não entender o q ele fala

Kort geleden kregen we een ander album van meneer Maal. Het kreeg een 2, omdat het saai was, maar de gitaarmuziek nog wel aardig samenging met de Afrikaanse zang. Dit album focust zich meer op de Afrikaanse kant. Of is ditmaal het hoge 'lalala'-gehalte, in bijvoorbeeld 'Toro' de westerse inbreng? 1,5 ster.

Traditional music/synth pop/Ali Farka Touré vibes. Plus 80s guitar solo.

Different, interesting, but not for me

Could not get in to it

also good, also tiinariwen vibes

This does nothing for me. It really feels like it was americas introduction to “world music” and could be why this was acclaimed. Almost feels like pity because it doesn’t feel different from anything else other than its origins. If I don’t understand the language how can I truly rate it besides its music which isn’t ground breaking or elevating.

Not the album for me. The vocal are quite grating to my ears, especially in the early track, though near the end the vocals got kind of tolerable. There's really percussion rhythm in the song "Hamady Boiro" - I think that's the main highlight of the album. I have nothing against non-English albums, so my rating isn't from that. My favourite genre according to the generator is literally Latin. I just don't think this is a great album. This is all just uninspiring. Highlight Song/s: "Hamady Boiro"

Not really of that much interest for me.

na prvu sam si mislio: pa neka, nije loše ovo, da, malo razvlači i mekeće, ali je svakako bolji od meketa nila janga (užas) ili denisa kataneca. no kasnije mi je postajalo lošije, glazbeno manje zanimljivo i nekako naporno. zadnja pjesma na francuskom još mi je dodano narušila čitav dojam. eh sve skupa

matige

world, 1992 -> 2

Trop ethnique je suis pas fan de ce genre

Pas trop trop ma came

Man it was OK I guess. The urge not to be xenophobic cannot negate how whatever this was to me.

I literally just got Djam Leelii lol. In any case, this album wasn't quite as interesting as Djam Leelii, and if I was only going to pick one I'd pick the other. This one was fine, just a little boring. 2/5 stars.

1.6

It is good but I don't know that I'd want to listen to it in most circumstances. Maybe on a trip.

Beats for thee but not for me.

On one hand, I appreciate hearing something different. On the other, I think I just prefer my comfort tunes. I bet this would slap in Senegal

I always feel a little culturally insensitive or very unworldly when I listen to the non-English speaking albums on this list and find it difficult to engage deeply. I liked a lot of the energy and the vibe to it, but struggle to connect with it a bit when I have no lyrical engagement, although the voice does often remain powerful and inviting.

It’s sung in hieroglyphics.

The compositions feel maybe a little simple compared to similar works on the list, though it's not unpleasant to listen to

I'm obviously not the target audience for this, and am not familiar with this genre in the slightest, so I feel like because of that I can't really rate it properly as I'm sure this resonates much more for people within that culture. However if I were go go off of my impressions alone, I did quite enjoy much of the instrumentals for this. There was lots of cool work with the drums along with some synths and guitar sprinkled in. And the soundstage was great too as I felt like I was in the room with them. However the vocals just weren't it for me at all and I can't see myself returning to any of these songs as a result. Again I'm sure this resonates a lot more with people who speak the language and are in that culture, but I just couldn't get into it. 2/5

First ever African album. Likely the last

p683. 1992. 2 stars. And a cursory nod to World Music. Nothing much to dislike her, but nothing much to like either. Once heard, immediately forgotten.

It's not that I don't like world music. I do. It's just that I like music with harmony or rhythm or that has flow

No banque mucho 5/10

Uff, fa mal puntuar o criticar un àlbum des qual no coneixes casi res des context, s'idioma i sa cultura que l'envolten, més que res perquè no el pots apreciar be del tot. M'ha sorpres obviamente perquè mai havia escoltant un àlbum sencer d'un artista senegales, ara be, igual es perquè no estic acostumada a sa música africana pero... not for me aquesta manera de cantar, sorry. Si que te qualque moment que sa base m'agrada bastant.

Two Baaba Maal albums in a week. Seems impossible but here we are. The first album was rough and this was no better. I knew from the first 10 seconds what this album sounded like. The vocals are so dreadful that I can't focus on what seems like pleasant music.

I really wanted to like this album, and I did for a while, but there just seems to be so little invocation going on with it, he’s content doing the same thing for the better part of an hour with very few change ups. I liked the first 15 minutes, next 45 seriously hurt its rating for me.

There's been other albums (Zombie comes to mind) where I've listened, not got it, but then read about it and gone 'Oh, okay, not my bag but I see why it's on here, it's got real significance'. This doesn't seem to be that? The instrumentation is good in parts but equally bits of it really drop off and feel slightly jarring, and I couldn't find much by way of the wider cultural or socio-political importance of this.

This album didn't do much for me. I found the instrumentation to be pretty dated feeling and wish I could have learned more about it, but it didn't have a wikipedia page.

Hankala sanoa mitään. Hienoja elementtejä mutta ei itselle herätä mitään kummempaa kiinnostusta.

Seems completely arbitrary choice since there’s probably a million better African or even Senegalese albums that haven’t been considered for the list. Just be honest and say it’s a list of uk or USA albums

★★½

I always appreciate the diversity present in this list. But i didnt get mgh out of this. There are soke interesting rhythms and new instrumentation but it didnt have anything that made it jump out. If it wasnt in a different language it wouldnt be here.

Cool artist. This is not my favorite style of singing, but the music behind it sounded good at times. I liked the last song "Minuit" the most.

Tried, but not for me. Interesting rhythms in places (Gidelsm) but the album didn’t grab me.

Not a bad album just didn’t spark much in me

This is good at what it is seeking to accomplish and the grooves are solid, but this just isn't my style of music. They definitely know how to play a groove tho Liked Songs: "Toro" , "Hamady Boiro" , "Olel"

Est-ce que c'est raciste si j'ai pas aimé ?

Segundo álbum de este señor en la misma semana. La primera vez estuvo bueno, era algo diferente, interesante, nuevo. Pero ya está, es más de lo mismo. Es peor este que el otro que escuché? No lo creo, pero le va 2. Lo siento bro

Ok

Not my thing

Nah

I hate the term "world music" as much as the next guy. But I just usually don't know how to enjoy it. This album wasn't bad, it was a nice little something playing in the background. But when I listen to music, I expect more.

It's not going to make my playlist but it's still interesting to hear music from different cultures from time to time.

Some good moments, but nothing outstanding for me. When it's good, it's repetitive and the song seems to go on too long. Some cheesy keys at points, but the beats are on point. Not something I'd listen to again so it has to be rated 2 stars.

49/100. An important record that helped push West African music further onto the global stage. Even if it did not land for me right now, I can respect what it represents. Sometimes appreciation and enjoyment are two different things.

2,5

The instrumentation does have a dated feel, but nothing particularly compelling here 2.5*

(32/100)

Some of the juxtaposition of traditional instrumentation doesn't land well. Last song is just cringe.

It's gonna be a "no" for me dawg. Don't get me wrong, some beautiful stuff, rich with vibrant percussion and emotional depth, going down here - it just doesn't illicit a damn thing from my mind + spirit. Good restaurant music. I could hold a decent conversation about cruise lines to this.

Didn't like the mashup with the global sound and the 90s sound - hasn't aged well.

I’m sure it’s great music and well played and sung but I just didn’t enjoy it!

Some poor production choices here really hinder my enjoyment of this one. Mostly those garbage sounding digital horns. Deducting an entire point for how bad they make the song Lem Gi. Favorite songs were Hamady Boiro, Daniibe, and Minuite.

#850. I didn't listen to this whole thing. This is the third day in a row of singers with irritating voices, and I simply cannot today. 2/5: meh

Interesting mix with the Carribbean sounds, however didn't resonate with me 3.5/10

Albums in another language are tricky to click with. Wasn’t a huge fan.

Glad we got the token Senegalese album out of the way

Same 30 seconds forever

I don't think I've ever listened to this type of music for more than a couple of minutes. This wasn't unlistenable or anything but I will say that if I was a quitter this would have been my first DNF.

2.5

Nice boogie, but only a couple of songs stood out for me.

Not for me

Ich checks, aber ist Worldmusic, die ich mir so nicht anmachen würde. Man kennt nichts zur Kultur oder der Bedeutung, es ist in Ordnung zu hören, sicher auch gut gemacht, aber einfach nicht meins. Daher ne 3, ist jetzt nicht schlecht, aber hör ich mir nicht nochmal an sehr wahrscheinlich.

2.2 1x easy listening but not my thing

how do you rate an album of a gender you're not familiar enough to rate? I guess that only based on what it felt like when I heard... so not much. 2 stars.

Talented. But I can't get past the production. The same virus that affected many (most?) 80s reggae album renders this album passable. There another - much better - Babba Maal album on this list so I feel ok trashing this one as he should be heard - just not here - except for Daanda Lenol which brings some Baaba heat.

Just not for me.

Definitely one of those albums that I'm just not going to get into because I just am not a part of the culture. Like samba, bossanova, etc., this is more "vibe" music to me and not listening to music. That said, a lot of the sounds on this album are pretty dated in an 80's pop way. I'm just not feeling this one. And generally I'm not one to speak on whether or not an album is deserving of a place on the list when it comes from a country/culture I'm not familiar with, but this one I'm confused on. One of the lower rated in his discography on rateyourmusic, no article for the album itself on Wikipedia (While others of his do). When I look up the genres associated with this album, Baaba Maal nor this album tend to rank very high (Aside from his album Missing You being #1 for Fula Music). I probably shouldn't expect an answer to this, but getting some context of this album's inclusion would be appreciated.

I understand this was his ‘breakthrough’ album but Firin’ in Fouta and Nomad Soul are much more interesting to listen to.

I really need to listen to this multiple times to appreciate it.

Some interesting tracks, but overall due most likely to my not understanding the music or the context, found it Ppretty much the same throughout the album.

я такую музыку не понимаю и не знаю как комментировать и оценивать. просто 3, может когда-нибудь пересмотрю своё мнение, но пока так...

Sin palabras. No vale la pena escucharlo.

At times I feel as if artists such as Baaba Maal are elevated bc they seem exotic to a Western audience, who is not going to understand any of the lyrics and will only be able to guess at the cultural context. And as music, the touch of the “different” has a tendency to be fetishized. All to say, I was not really seeing this as much different from any of the other sounds and music I’ve heard from West Africa.

Unfortunately realized he sounds like Tom Kenny

65

++: Daande Lenol, Yela, Sy Sawande +: Hamady Boiro (Yelle), Ndelorel, Toro, Daniibe, Hamady Bogle +-: Lem Gi, Olel 5,0/10

Supporter of world music on this list, but this did not do it for me. Olel had some fun vibes tho.

Suffering my way through this one.

Reminds me of the Lion King sound track, not in a bad way though. If you like the Lion King world music then you will like this album. It's really good but there isn't a lot of variety and I have no idea what he is singing about which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The guy is super talented and has a great story about his rise to fame, super interesting. I'm not sure I would listen to it again but it was great this one time.

Could not get into it. Not necessarily bad music. Just not something. I could connect with

meh

I like this okay until I got to the screaming guitars in Daande Lenol. Bumped down to 2 stars.

Las melodias son un si rotundo, la voz.... me esperaba algo un poco más folklorico y menos fusión, en otro mood creo que me puede gustar un poco mas, pero es por lo general no me gustan cuando gritan tanto.

As with his other album, this is skilled enough, but I'm just not into it at all. As such, almost a whole hour of this was a hard time.

mid

I liked Gidelam and Olel, but I struggled to really get into it. I appreciated listening to it, even if I felt that it was too long, it's a 2 for me.

Traditionell African music.

2.5

More like Shopping Maal. This is just a big, long, intensely cheesy and dated shopping mall version of Baaba’s other album on this list. It almost sounds Lion Kingish except very muzaky and is not fit for a Lion King nor a Burger King or Dunkin Donuts for that matter. If Baaba Maal became friends with Forest Gump and started Baaba Shrimp then it not be very good shrimp at all, the business would close down fast and you’d have quite a weak chapter in the Forrest Gump story actually.

I have no idea how to evaluate this. The music was really pretty good. The singing while im sure desirable in certain cultures was not for me

https://zaneis.moe/ss/2025-11-23_10-30_23434.png

Mid

I’m sure it’s great once you key into it.

Ok 2/5

In terms of random African guys with multiple albums on the list Ali Farka Toure clears

didn’t listen to all of it but it was interesting, distinctly 90’s sound

Not my style

I think this album was lost on me. The African tribal sounds are beautiful, but I don’t believe I appreciate them properly

Pretty nice to put on in the background when doing work. Good vibes. Otherwise, I’m so removed from the context, it’s difficult to determine if I really ‘liked’ this.

Don’t feel qualified to have an opinion on this.

Baaba Maal is a super good singer, but everything about this album is totally cheapened by some really bad production choices, like those really terrible midi horns that feel like are on every single song. The best tracks are by far the most minimal ones. I think Hamady Boiro has a different producer, and it’s definitely my favorite song on the album. I think everything would be way better if it was literally just vocals. Overall, it just ends up wasting talent and leaning way too hard into 90s western pop. Standout Tracks: Hamady Boiro, Daniibe

This album blends traditional West African instrumentation—talking drums, kora-like textures, and intricate percussion—with a soaring, ornamented tenor and group responses that feel vibrant, expressive and remains exotic, while at the same time the lyrics remain inaccessible to me due to the language barrier.

Hamady Boiro

Not bad music by any means, but just not much on here that I can appreciate. Even with some understanding in the French language, I just didn’t really like much about it.

I cannot fathom why this was considered essential to this list.

All tracks sound the same. It's fine enough, but nothing really pops.

Too long, dragged towards the end

Interesting sound!! I like the cultural feel/sound, but is not something I see myself listening to. Cool experience tho:D 2/5🎉

2.5 stars. 90's Senegalese worldbeat by Not bad, not super memorable. Standout is "Gidelam".

I feel kinda bad about this one but I just don't care unfortunately.

Not the worst music in the world. It got better as I listened. Still not my cup of tea.

niet mijn ding

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.

Lion King ass music. Kinda cool though

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

✅ Sy Sawande ✅ Minuit

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

2 not for me

Different

Naw

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

not my thang

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

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.

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.

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

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

not my bag.

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.

not my thing

Meh

Naw….

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

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.

African with a slight Indian influence

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

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

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

pass

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

i dont really know what to rate this

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.

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)

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

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

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

Not offensively bad but not interesting either.

Umm..

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

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

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.

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

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 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

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

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.

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

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'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.

This is fine but not my thing

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.

Too worldly 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!

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

idk whats happening

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.

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