Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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.
not really for me
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
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)
safe to say this is outside of my usual comfort zone. it felt like the vocals were doing jazz improvization over the band. i liked it, but some tracks felt so full and unique while other tracks - mainly the beginning ones - can feel really empty. fav track: hamady boiro
Daande Lenol
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
I really struggled to get through this one. It started okay, but the production on tracks like 'Hamady Boiro' and 'Gidelam' and 'Olel' seemed particular cheesy and cheap.
I know the language barrier makes it hard to fully feel in-tune with the music presented, but I just found this album to be exactly what I expected from it. There were no hidden gems, or cultural shake-ups, but rather just an album that feels like it is included in lists for the sake of diversity, and is by no means bad, but by no means a seminal release. I will admit getting up and moving a little while listening did make it a bit more enjoyable, but not enough to be anything magical. Just a record of filler.
While I appreciate his voice, this is not something I would choose to listen to.
Kinda weird
African music from a very specific region of Senegal. It's very nice to learn of the Futa Tooro culture and music, but it might be too exotic for me. I appreciate Baaba influence, but mostly from the distance.
Niet mijn ding
A unique record that blends in atmospheric world music with unique vocals that are honestly welcoming outside of the more anglocentric albums that this site suggests. That said, I feel that this record is hindered by the very dated instrumentation that makes it rather harder to enjoy. There are layers in this music which seem very much culturally engrained and I just feel like I cannot fully grasp this album. It was a nice listen but I don't know if I'll revisit it again. I enjoyed it for breaking up the palette of known classics that tend to populate this site.
Interesting to be exposed to, but if I’m honest, I’m never gonna listen to this again in my life
So yesterday I said D'Angelo wasn't as relatable to me because his music is outside my cultural sphere. If he's out of my cultural sphere, Baaba Maal is outside of my cultural world. It's hard to know what to make of this or feel about this. Some of it sounds like the kind of thing you'd hear with the awfully general label of "world music." The droning vocal style of the first tracks can be very off-putting to western ears. But the further you get into it, the more it starts to liven up and become something a little more accessible. I'm not saying the first few tracks were bad because they weren't accessible at first. I'm just saying that thankfully, for the album's sake, it picks up and becomes something a little more familiar. Do I think this album needed to be on this list? No, I don't. I'm honestly a little worried it's here as a token pick, one that the author's felt needed to be there in order to say that they were including "world music." As an album, how is it? It's fine. Some of the songs are bouncy and fun, and some of them are a little boring. I hate to do this because I don't want to the western listener who dismisses this simply because it's different. I promise I'm not trying to do that. But I need to give it two stars because while I'm happy to have listened, I can't say I'll seek it out again, sadly. Standout Tracks: Hamay Boiro, Daniibe, Gidelam, Ndelorel
This one never hit my radar, or anyone else's based on listener counts. Since its release in 1992, an average of only 20K people have listened to this collection of songs. The biggest track, "Gidelam", has 74K listens. The opening track mostly sounds like wailing or yelling to the sky in a different language. It's not background relaxing type music since his voice is double-tracked and high pitched. The one track I sort of enjoyed was "Hamady Boiro" which had a bass line. The second half of the album is weak as can be in any language. This is an album for people who appreciate world music, not for a first timer who isn't going to relate or absorb this in the same way. I didn't hate it, I just didn't enjoy it - I love African rhythms, Jamaican/island music, this just didn't have that vibe and the words are incomprehensible. I don't feel this is a masterpiece or something I needed to hear once before I die.
Another solid one
There’s groove, there’s texture, but something’s missing, and it's not the fact that I can't sing along. I usually dig World music. The production is too clean, sanding off the edges, I think. It reaches for the hypnotic, but doesn’t quite get there. There are flashes of awesome, but they don’t last. Playlist Additions: - Yela - Gidelam
Not my style but I respect it.
Baaba Maal’s Lam Toro album is a significant work for the Senegalese people, bringing to light the rich culture and traditions of the region, as well as conveying messages of resilience and identity. However, I personally failed to connect with the album in the same emotional way. Despite its relevance and the sonic experiences it offers, the musical and lyrical nuances did not resonate deeply with me, making the experience more distant than I had hoped.
Finally something interesting. I mean, I don't like it but at least it's new to me.
I could not find a lot of information about this album online. This album is not really my thing. Maybe, if I had more context to what he was singing about, it would have been better. The blending of Western instruments and the traditional instruments was interesting.
Nothing special about this
I'm glad he was able to break out of his caste and become a successful recording artist. I still don't really enjoy this style of music all that much.
I feel like I’m in the opening credits of an 80s movie where a recently divorced woman goes on an island vacation to find herself but soon finds herself solving a mystery. (ntm.)
Sy Sawande // 1.5/5
Not my type of music at all. 2/5 because it didn't make my ears bleed, and it didn't kill my enthusiasm for music generally. But it's not a good album.
This album was forgettable. I'm glad that there's diversity on the list, but it's hard to connect with songs in a language that isn't at all similar to what you know. It was fine background noise but I almost forgot I had it on. It's not bad, it's just not memorable.
Not really my thing, but interesting nonetheless. There are some nice rhythms, and it definitely makes me want to move. This is so far removed from what I'm used to that I can't really find a way into it.
Regardless of the language, the vibe of the music is frequently not engaging. Some of the guitar starts to interest me (listen to Hamady Boiro) but not usually enough for me to pay attention. It feels unfamiliar and at the same time dated. Two stars.
Best Song: Gidelam. Lovely little shuffling rhythm. Worst Song: Minuit. Felt more like a monologue than a song. Overall: It's pleasant to listen to, but I also feel unequipped to even begin to evaluate it, let alone appreciate it. That said, it's fun and fine for background, but also not particularly exciting for me.
não é exatamente ruim, mas tá distante de ser bom pro meu gosto jamais escutaria de novo. mal mal aguentei escutar essa vez. infelizmente eu não sou desenvolvido o suficiente pra gostar de world music
I'll never listen to this again, but it wasn't totally irredeemable I suppose. I'll give it 2 stars.
I was not able to understand much of what Baaba Maal was singing about, but it is obvious that he is very passionate about the topic(s). I was tapping my foot along to these songs, yet as it is with a lot of music in a language I am not fluent in, my engagement/enjoyment can only go so far. I'm not smart enough to know whether this album deserves a place in the book, as this type of music is so foreign to me I don't think I would have a good reference for comparison.
2.5
It sucks, but you already knew that.
2.5
kinda dull i'm afraid
This is music that would require a lot of cultural knowledge, understanding the language and tons of context for all kinds of things. I don't mind not understanding the language, but not understanding the musical cues and rhythmic communication also, kinda defeats the purpose of reviewing or rating music in the first place. My rating is purely from "how am I enjoying this as an aural canvas" standpoint.
Mildly diverting but I'm not sure this is the genre for me. Seems pretty influential, from a read of the Wikipedia.
Didn't mind this, it's nice to hear some less western music, but tough for me to relate to! I got a bit tired of it by the end, but it was nice enough. 2.5
Listened to this while playing Imperium: Legends. I won! There were parts of this that I liked, but mostly it wasn't my jam. There were a number of times where I thought "I feel like Vampire Weekend loves this album"
Afro pop
musica africana molto interessante e per ritmi strumenti e cori. Sono partito con un 4, per arrivare con l'ascolto ad un 2. Bello a piccole dosi ma troppo lungo
Not for me
Very unique sounds and singing style that makes me even further appreciate the diversity of music. The tones and melodies used are a bit distracting for me and it can be difficult to get through this record in its entirety. I pushed through to give it a chance, and glad I did, but I don't think I'll be coming back to this one. It was an experience though.
I feel bad sometimes when I have to do international albums. On one hand, I love the challenge of finding some music in areas I never would have thought of looking. Not every banger has to be sung in English. But then when I get this types of albums, they don’t really keep my attention and this album is no different. There are parts of this album that I liked. I actually did enjoy some of the more dates aspects of the album (the synth effects and everything else that makes this album unapologetically 90’s as hell). But none of it could keep my attention for long, and I just lose interest before the final track. Baaba Maal is talented. I can’t deny that. But that can’t justify this nearly hour-long slog. Favorite track: Olel Other hits: Sy Sawande, Toro, Hamady Boiro
This feels like it should be more interesting and fun than it really is. I felt like I should be experiencing emotions, but wasn’t. It provoked the concepts of exuberance and joy without delivering them: Some long songs, but they don’t really change or develop or progress much. So while there are some interesting - guitar riffs, vocal melodies, rhythmic grooves, random fusion-y toned bass, cheesy synthy horns, unique instruments and sounds - to catch my attention, but it was rarely enough to hold it.
Y'know I did enjoy it at some moments, but overall I just don't feel like I can give it higher than a 2. It's really hard to compare "world music" to the rest of the modern popular music on this list. Music like this is pleasant and nice but doesn't have a lot of the attributes present in the kind of music I like
219/1001 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
Not for me
So I definitely see significance here. At some points I was definitely vibing along to it and really enjoyed but I think overall it was hard to find incredibly interesting just because it’s a different language. I definitely see its popularity though.
Mixed bag at best. Some of this was straight up disappointing - e.g. the first two tracks especially "Toro" aren't necessarily bad but there's a sterility and dated sound to it that just prevents me from making any connection. Actually track 6 "Gidelam" IS bad. Track 3 "Daande Lenol" is more of what I'd like to hear. I don't know, overall I was expecting something different... maybe it's my ignorance which I'll fully cop to but the attempted melding of genres ends up occasionally sounding cheesy. I do think much if not most of it stems from the arrangement and production. Anyways I'm nowhere near knowledgeable-enough about Senegalese or even African music but my limited knowledge can't help but compare to MC Solaar or Amadou and Miriam which I like infinitely more. Baaba Maal isn't getting to me. 4/10 2 stars.
I found this album a real slog to get through. The songs feel repetitive and almost every track starts to sound the same after a while. There’s very little here that grabbed my attention or made me want to keep listening. It’s supposed to be energetic and lively, but I just found it dull and uninspired. Nothing really stands out and the whole album feels forgettable. I was ready to move on long before it ended.
It’s tough to listen to an hour long album that isn’t in a language you understand. Definitely affected my listening experience. That being said, I didn’t hate a lot of what was going on. If someone had it on in the background I’d probably be vibing to it but I wouldn’t actively put on this album myself. 2/5
Not too crazy about this one
Needs more variety in the voice
not for me
Not terrible but this is just not my thing. Some of the backing music was enjoyable but the vocals kept taking me out of it. 2.5/5
not rlly my vibe but it wasnt bad or anything. 2.5/5
The vibes are continuously killed by the terrible synth sounds.
No offense to Baaba Maal or the country of Senegal, but why is this on the list, and why did I have to listen to it now? I mean, I just got the other Baaba Maal album like 8 days ago. I'm kind of burnt out on Baaba Maal. Not only that, but this album really doesn't seem to be nearly as impactful as Djam Leelii. I mean, this album doesn't even have a Wikipedia article! The last time that happened was with Koffi Olomide, and I gave that album a 1, largely because it has seemingly no reason to be on the list. Fortunately, I will not be giving this album a 1 because I do respect this album. I don't think it needs to be on the list at all, but I respect the album. There are definitely things to like about it. The sound is okay, as is the singing. I don't know what the lyrics say because I couldn't find them anywhere, but I'm sure it's not too bad. The album's not too repetitive either, which is a point over the Koffi Olomide album. I don't have anything else to say really. Lam Toro is fine, I guess, but I really don't see why it deserves to be here. High 2/5.
this was mostly enjoyable, but not my bag
Despite the production’s tendency to 90s new agey world music tropes that have not aged well, the Kora and guitar and rhythm parts are effective - though Baaba himself is a bit atonal and goaty.
Nice but wouldn’t put it on
It was ok but nothing I remember now. Maybe I will listen to it again maybe not.
Albumi #26, 22.08.2024 Maailman musiikkia.
O.K. but not my jam🤷♂️
First listen. Ok.
meh, idk if i need to hear this before i die, but i guess
Pre-listening thoughts: So I have once again never heard of this artist but this is my first non-English album. It kinda snapped me back to reality that there are in fact albums in other languages and by people from other countries besides the UK and the US. Like so much of this list is so western focused it’s crazy. Made me realize how unbalanced it is. Post/during listening thoughts: so obviously I do not speak Pulaar so I will have no commentary on the lyrics. I do agree with some of the other reviews that some of the production dates itself and is very distracting. The vocals are impressive and overall the melodies are ok. My thing is I have no knowledge of the culture or language so I’m sort of at a roadblock in terms of actually *getting* it. And that makes me wonder like did I need to hear this before I die to gain an appreciation for a different culture’s music? Or is this like a really bad pick (not bad ALBUM bad PICK there’s a difference) from said culture’s music and I’m getting screwed over by the editors of this book to think it’s semi-representative of this subset of African music? Who can say. Why is he mogging on the album cover tho 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: ?! Fav tracks: Hamady Boiro, Ndelorel Least fav tracks: Minuit, Lem Gi
Look I'm sure this is a good album but after the second track I saw there was still 50 minutes to go...nah.
Kinda silly, didn't really interest me. Was not bad, but he could've been recording videos of himself saying "subscribe to keemstar" instead, so he gets a lower score
meh. more unique songs than the last album of his we listened to but still not much to care about
Not really our thing. Baaba Maal is an impressive musical figure and is deserving of a lot of respect, but this album wasn't for us.
This was a fairly interesting listen that I enjoyed pretty decently. But even though it was a decent time, it felt just so frustratingly token being on this list. It felt so glaring that the author thought "I've done nothing but 70's-80's classic rock for 90% of everything here... I better throw in some random off-the-beaten-path album to make it seem like a more well-rounded list, before I get back to more classic rock". And this was what was arbitrarily chosen.
Started off ok but quickly lost interest The dated 90s production really does it no favours
Interesting, fairly enjoyable. Nothing really grabbed me though.
Preferred his previous album
Nothing to report. Listened to it while cooking dinner. Had some Paul Simon sound to it
Enjoyed more than I thought I was going to
The music was great, but I couldn't take his voice
Cool grooves, dated midi sounds, never listened to something like this before
I'm glad I listened to it.
wasn't too impressed with this.
Lo que me imagino con el tag "African World Music". Bueno, pero nada especial.
hilariously dated 90s synths cheapen what could have been a cool African world music exploration with some legitimately good singing. A slog to get through overall, sadly.
Synes i princippet det er rigtig fedt at Afrika er repræsenteret på den her liste! men synes også at den her plade blev temmelig ensformig, selvom det egentlig er super catchy
Ikke lige for mig. Pænt syntetiske instrumenter.
Not for me - good luck to you if you like it, but I couldn't finish it
Appreciate the listen, but can't connect with this very much. Will I listen to again: 0%
This just felt like a dude doing pretty standard African style music and there was nothing exciting about it, like at all. 2 stars
This seemed fine. Nothing really objectionable but that's a slow bar. I didn't find this inspiring but it's also not in my native language and so that's a reasonable explanation for why it didn't click.
Thought this was fairly average as background music, not much really stuck out to me. Musically it sounds a bit dated, and I don't really have any reference points for the lyrics. Not really much to draw me back for another listen!
Ok
It was ok at the beginning, but then it fell off incredibly hard towards the middle. This is the first album I couldn't finish.
It’s 2016, I get dropped off in a field in the middle of Dover, DE. I’m fresh off a breakup and full of adrenaline and can’t wait to get hammered and dance around. I find my buddies’ campsite and Josh who’s been awake on a Molly binge for 72 hours nearly has a stroke when I show up. My trusty fake ID and the bit of cash from long hot days at the deli get enough drinks in me to kill a small village while I’m inside the festival grounds. There’s some trend where girls are daring their friends to make out with strangers, so I’m snogging random women left and right. I find my new fwb and her friends and jam with them at Blink 182 (the Matt Skiba era L) and then lose them in the crowd immediately after. With no service, having lost everyone, and unsure how I’m going to get a ride home, I wander into the Mumford and Sons crowd. They quiet the crowd and announce that they have a special guest coming out to perform…and they bring out BAABA fucking MAAL. Thanks for coming to my TED talk about the time I saw Baaba Maal IRL at Firefly in 2016. 2/5 album
Not really my thing. Couldn't get into it.
Not for me
Like it less than I thought I would.
The opening notes had me thinking Lion King, but (thankfully) it turned into something else. Still, not my bag. It's like it borrows the wrong parts of American pop music and injects it with the wrong parts of African jams.
Funky at times, cringy synth at times but alway annoying, bleating vocals. It’s odd that this guys has as many albums on here as Madonna.
I can't do much with world music. I just don't like it. With this in mind, I didn't think the album was too bad. But I don't think I'll listen to it again. 2/5
boh
Hard for me to rate fairly but I can say I enjoyed it and found it interesting
EXT. WESTERN AFRICAN MARKETPLACE - DAY The sun casts a warm glow over the bustling marketplace, where vendors and shoppers weave through colorful stalls adorned with vibrant fabrics, spices, and handcrafted goods. The atmosphere is alive with the sounds of chatter, laughter, and the rhythmic beats of traditional music. You get the idea of what this is in the first few minutes. You don’t need the whole hour.
I just listened yesterday and already forgot whether it was good.
Interesting to find something different, but not really my jam for some reason. All songs sort of gelled together and they were lacking any hooks, so it was hard to single out any favourite ones. It passed me by a bit too much unnoticed to warrant any higher rating.
Not bad but not great either. I thought it started off strong but got worse the longer it went on. Like with most music styles I'm not really familiar with I feel it's hard to review the album without the genre. Still i enjoy "Bombino" which feels a bit similar to this. For now this gets a strong 2 star.
Ok
World Music eben. Auch irgendwann immer das gleiche.
Hello Africa
Pretty enjoyable. Listening to Vieux Farka Toure recently kinda spoils it though, since Vieux is much more enthralling.
Some good songs. Some annoying songs. In my memory the album was a bit better.
Some interesting parts but overall just not my thing
So I got Youssou n-dour a week ago, album from I think 1982, and loved it. Seems a fair comparison then to this from ten years later and the same country. The 90s can often sound way more dated than the 80s these days. When Hamady Boiro started I thought Spotify had accidentally switched to The Police. Daniibe gets back to a more enjoyable 'authentic' sound but then halfway through Sting bursts back in with his bass. Sy Sawande breaks this pattern and stays good all the way through, the obvious album highlight for me. I also enjoyed Ndelorel. I see Baaba has one more album slightly earlier on this list, hopefully that is better, I am infinitely grateful for the inclusion of these albums in the list amid a sea of white guys with guitars, but this was mostly a miss for me.
Poor one
I enjoyed the rhythms and vocals on this album, and it made me pretty curious about the artist and previous records they have made. But I didn’t like the production. I thought it was dated and detracted from an otherwise curious find Two and a half. Fave track: Daande Lenol
Es interesante las fusiones de musica tradicional africana con estilos como funk, r&b, hip-hop, etc. Todos los temas se deben a un elemento protagónico y esto lo hace bastante intelegible en cuanto al arreglo se refiere. La voz principal presenta bastante reverb en todos los temas.
There's a lot of problems with this album. First of all I find the production really inappropriate for the genre. It's like they tried to make his music "exportable" by using a thin pop production that was typical in the early 90's. Also the albums is way too long and way too samey. Nothing works.
"Okay, let's add some international artists on this list'' *Adds one of the most boring album from a great Senegal artist* I can't do this anymore.
Baaba Maal is a great singer with a nice delivery, but the songs and their production/artistic direction is killing this album soul to the very core. Very pop, synthetic, fake, no surprises or risks, so easy listening that it becomes boring to death.
Baaba Naah
Den ryger nok ikke på igen
I wasn't able to get much from this one. Some of the guitar work sounds like it could build into something interesting but I can't point to anything that stood out. Some of the effect work seemed very out of place.
Some fun energy here. Not a fan of the synth stuff.
Glad I heard this, but im not listening again
Not my cup of tea
Meh, its not bad by any means, just very African and not sure when I would listen to this album entirely … I like his newer work where he collabs with several other artists
Some enjoyable music but don't understand any of the words! That matters.
This was interesting - I quite like a bit of world music and reading the entry in the 1001 book made this getting into the selection a bit more sense and understandable. It was the bad synth instruments that let it down for me - its not aged well and I would have rated it higher if real instruments had been played.
Beautiful for what it is. I would have never listened to it without this project, but just not for me.
Ok.
Vraiment pas mon style 😬 1,5
Excitant comme du Jean-Michel Jarre
2+ Stars (6/15)
C’est pas d’la bonne musique de Noël
Dope Senegalese music. Very accessible with pop hooks, cool instruments, and a modern clean production. Probably the least impressive of this list. Long and repetitive, relying on too many gimmicks that don't last the lengths of each track. Favorites: Toro, Hamady Boiro, Olel, Lem Gi
No way katoin historian kommentteja ja mul oli winter in america väärä albumi :D:D:D Mitä vittua mää kuuntelen :D 😂. Tää oli aika vibes mutta ei sovi itelle töihin kyl. Jossai afrikkalaises rantaravintolas toimis kyl . En ymmärtäny sanaakaa mut ”aijaijaijai” oli tulkinnanvaranen
1.5 - I feel bad, but I really didn't like this album. This type of music is just really not for me, which is okay. It's not made for me.
Some things on here sound quite nice but it's just not got me. A generous 2 because it at least has a groove.
Had its moments, a slightly harsh 2*
Listened to this in the bath and the wife shouted in to ask if I’d joined ISIS
Canciones con ritmos étnicos, sin mucha complicación. No destaca especialmente ni me ha aportada nada
its good but i dont fuck with that voice that much. I grew up with african music and i heard many albums i prefer more than this. But all love and espect to Mr Maal.
I wanted to like this. I really did.
I usually default 3stars on world records. This however was a bit unlistenable
Album 225 of 1001 Baaba Maal - Lam Toro Rating : 2 / 5 Listened to this last week on the playlist and again this morning for background music as I buzzed my head and turned an unruly beard into a goatee. Background music is about all it can be for me. I didn't dislike it. Certainly an interesting listen. __________________________ Baaba Maal (born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.Maal sings primarily in Pulaar and promotes the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking people, who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro.
cool aber nit meins
Not my thing, album cover looks cool.
# 105 : Ok if you're into African Muzak…. Plucky guitar with African (Senegale) lyrics. Sounded pleasant. Same whiny old songs throughout. Interesting in its own way. Cool sound though. Listened : 08/11/2023
I.. Don't quite get this album. Let it be the culture disconnect, I suppose. There are some really fun bits in this album, but most of it just has a rhythm that gives me slight anxiety.
An ok "world" album that was kind of ok as some background noise. I can appreciate the talent that Baaba Maal has but it's just really not my thing in the slightest. Best: Yela Worst: Sy Sawande
I loved the acoustic instruments in this, and there were some wonderful and vibrant melodies. The electronic areas of this record haven't aged well though. I also found a lot of the tracks too long and boring.
58 mínútur af lítið eftirminnilegri tónlist. Ekki leiðinlegt svo sem, en þörfin til að spila aftur er engin. Það var bara lokalagið, sem er um Mandela og er á frönsku, er það eina sem mér fannst töff við fyrstu hlustun. Tvistur.
Originally was memeing on how how absurdly niche this was but ended up being alright
Although the last album was desert blues, I still felt a bit fatigued by African music once I got done with this album. But that could also be because I thought that this one was overlong and a bit boring. There were a couple of tracks that had some cool instrumentation and if it were a half hour shorter it’d probably get a 3 but unfortunately I was getting that irritated feeling I get from 2 star albums by the end.
I generally do like African artists but I find Baaba Maal's voice a bit too high pitched and shrieky. The music accompanying his singing is quite good, but when he starts singing I cringe a bit. I prefer other African vocalists like Youssou N'Dour or say Salif Keita who are lower pitched.
Nice voice, occasionally good rhythms, but not the rootsy African stuff is not my thing.
Bad except for Hamady Boiro
Not really my kind of music. Not bad overall, and some catchy songs too!
Undeniably atmospheric and interesting in places but not a lot I can connect with.
Hard to rate. On sound and feel. Wasn’t my thing.
Sadly not a big fan of this :( I like a lot of the traditional instrumentation and stuff, but I dont like how they add cheesy synths and stuff all the time. I heard his other stuff is more traditional, so maybe I will listen to that sometime.
Not my typical cup of tea: It's not bad to say I'm a massive fan of world music but it jst doesn't confide to my usual listen habits. I really wasn't enjoying this album until the very last 2 minutes of the final song which bloody slapped. The guitar in that rescued it from the dreaded 1 but I still don't even remember that.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this isn't one of the most important African albums of all time. I'm going to take another wild guess and say that the writers of this book don't know a lot about African music in general, so they just randomly picked a bunch of albums for diversity sake.
Not for me
There was some nice moments during the album but I think its a 2/5 on dot for me. It needed a few more stuff to be 3/5
Great voice. Like, really great. The Bontempi keyboard effects ruin it for me. Could have been great live with a horns section. The kind of music I would dance to if drunk. Liked it, didn't love it, didn't finish the whole album. 2 or 3 stars.
This album isn't really doing it for me. Maybe I'm a little removed from the sound of this culture but there aren't many moments where I am saying "wow!", or "I love that!", or "this is one of the best 1001 albums of all time". I appreciate representation of music outside of the plethora of US and more popular EU made records though. "Gidelam" was a standout for me, the rhythms are cool and unique and yet still approachable. I think I hear a cool tuned percussion in there too- sort of like a tabla. Overall it was alright. Not bad but not really my thing.
I don't have much of a frame of reference here, but I enjoyed it well enough. Why are the Spotify play counts so low?
Liked the sound, didn’t love it though.
More enjoyable than I was expecting but probably won’t listen again.
Not my kind of genre to begin with and it doesn’t help that Mail can’t pick a genre to stick with - the shift towards pop orchestration in the second half is a bit baffling and leaves the whole LP feeling disconnected and haphazardly conjoined together
Really enjoyed the few songs that had a nice melody or groove but disliked the rest
very world
Not really for me but I could see why others like it
Started out promising, but soon got boring. Soz Baaba.
Seems like a lot of cool sounds coming from all over the place. Very musical, just not up my alley. I’ll give this a 2. No playlist adds.
As many others have said in the reviews, due to the cultural and language barrier, I feel my ability to appreciate this is lessened, I get the idea, and appeal, but can’t fully get with it.
I much preferred the album where he collaborated with Monsour Seck. Best track: Sy Sawande
Did not expect the slap bass/ xylophone pairing half way through