Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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
Though the album didn’t resonate with me, I found some of the rhythms alien and infectious. Joyful, no doubt.
Als ik dit vorig jaar tijdens Brew @ The Zoo live had aangetroffen op het plein bij de olifanten na 3 uur bierdrinkend rondwandelen + nog een uur lang bierdrinkend wachten op 2 schalen minisnacks dan had ik er zeker de pracht van ingezien. Het is voor zover ik kan beoordelen niet slecht. Maar ik merk dat ik met m'n CKV petje op zit te zoeken naar een manier waarop ik dit 3 sterren kan geven, uit een soort combinatie van respect en opluchting dat het meer is meegevallen dan ik vooraf had verwacht. Ik denk dat 2 sterren de meest realistische beoordeling is.
.....
I am completely ambivalent about this. Rating 2 stars to avoid being too harshly dismissive of something I just couldn’t get it up for.
I could say a lot of things about this, but I think the biggest takeaway is that it’s just not for me.
The cover photo and choice of fonts together are quite arresting. Taking the album for a spin, though, the actual music is only great here and there, quite a few tracks are surprisingly quotidian. I tend to be a sucker for this kind of music so maybe my expectations were unreasonable, but these are supposed to be the 1001 most interesting albums right? Lam Toro is perfectly nice, but I'm not sure it belongs on the list.
Good sound here but I don't think I would seek it out.
extra point as it's different, but just not something i can listen to
Het is op zich prima om naar te luisteren en vast erg goed, maar voor mij toch een beetje te ver van mn bed show. Ik hou er toch meer van als de zang enigszins te begrijpen en mee te zingen is. 2 sterren.
I didn't mind listening to this, but it failed to grab my interest. Having said that, this album is my second favourite Senegalese album that I've ever listened to, after Maal's other album on this list. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Hamady Boiro Date listened: 02/02/23
Dunno not speaking to me
Lam Toro is the third album by Senegalese singer and guitarist Baaba Maal. This worldbeat album is a mixture of ragga, salsa, and traditional Senegalese chants & music. It was interesting because it's not music I normally hear in my daily life, and I could appreciate the talent behind it. However, I don't think I'd listen to it again or try to find similar music.
Not my cup of tea
Not my thing.
Not my thing
Some good rhythms.
This was the least accessible of this style. The higher points are where it picks up and stays with a constant rhythm. Those with many changes were off putting.
At its best when it commits to the trance-like hypnotic stuff; at its worst when it strives towards its pop sensibilities. The more western influenced stuff is really very bland, with the songs not really going anywhere. The repetitive nature of the songs becomes boring instead of meditative
Interesting album some songs feel a bit long. Vocals are interesting but not for me. It’s fine but the 80s synth influence that creeps in I do not like.
A reviewer mentioned a 2nd album by this fellow. Unbelievable
Mixture of 90 synth sounds and African music (think "The Lion King", albeit a few years earlier). Not too bad, but I'm not a big fan of this kind of world music. (which, in any case it has been done better by the likes of Peter Gabriel.) It would take a few more years before the integration of African and more western music would become somewhat more authentic - here, it sounds like an experiment. 2/5
It’s somewhat enjoyable but I really,really don’t like world music and I’am having a shitty day so that doesn’t help but hey you can tell that this guy is having fun and it’s better than Ladysmith Black Mazambo having absolutely no instrumentation. I think to be fair on it it’s a 2/5 for me personally but if you like this kinda thing it’s great.
My dad would have loved this.
Pretty interesting. Doubt I'll listen to it again though
Happy vibes
Note to self: Give this another go the next time you trip on shrooms. Or as the kids say, Microdose. Without my mind expanded, this didn't do anything. Fuckers.
That's a lot of synth.
I don't think I'm cultured enough to fully enjoy this. Unique, kept me on my toes, but ultimately not my jam.
This could have an interesting deviation from the generally bland and uninspiring albums brought forth by this list. Alas, I couldn’t find much of interest in this particular album. I’m sure worthier representatives of world music are out there in greater numbers.
World music just takes longer to appreciate when it is so different from what you are used to. This one, is like that for me. I can appreciate it, but not totally get it - for now. I am sure as i become more familiar with it, i will enjoy it more. For now it is a 2/5.
Not bad if to my ears a bit backgroundy (as often happens when singers sing in another language than English), two or three very strong tracks.
Fine record, not really my thing, but it sounds okay
Few decent tunes, some really bad ones too. I liked more of the classic worldbeat style then the straight forward pop songs. Enjoyed more of his guitar playing than his vocals as well.
Dated production techniques have marred what could have been a much more interesting album. I want to like it but the out-of-the-box synth tones and the all too crisp and clean recording style make it sound like it was created in a vacuum.
Dit voelt te veel als een andere wereld waar ik niet helemaal bijhoor.
Nee, dit is niet echt iets waar ik warm voor loop.
Mwa.
This was totally not my thing.
I didn't dislike this. It just wasn't for me. I really do try and experiment with different genres. But this didn't have any connection to me. There's some decent rhythms and a nice groove going off. Two stars for that, but I'm struggling I'm afraid.
I think I get the appeal of this music, but not the culture or insightfulness to fully appreciate it. His voice sounds incredible, and the album itself sounds great.
I tried just not for me
Ok, it's African world music now.
First time of listening to this Album, I can see it's merits in world/African music terms but not a great fan to be honest. Quite liked "Toro" and "Daande Lenol" with some interesting guitar licks. But not a stitch on my favourite African Band "The Bhundu Boys" with their up-tempo African-rock/Jazz fusions. can see the credit but not to my taste to be honest.
From Senegal. African music.
Very cool. Some songs got me groovin' But it's not that interesting. 2
Didn’t listen super closely, but it sounded like a million other things
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2.9
overcrisp 90s world music production
the jazzier songs were the best in my opinion
Kiikunkaakunkakkonen
It worked as background noise, but I guess I'm not really into this type of music.
Not familiar with much world music, this has good beats and very upbeat. But not for me, I’m probably just not cultured enough to appreciate this fully. Wouldn’t listen again but can see why it’s on the list.
“When you make music and write songs, you have to know about the messages. From the messages, you know what the instruments are and how to put them together.”
5/10
Amanda said I wouldn't like so did not listen to.
I enjoyed listening to this, it was interesting. Researching the artist also led me to learn a few things about Senegal along the way. Probably won't listen to this again but enjoyed being exposed to it!
I can see how this led to Afro Beat Sound System. I think the fusion there was more successfully realized but this is still entertaining.
I was excited, then I was bored.
Öde.
Polyrhythms and afrobeats. Pretty good, but not my thing.
Rustgevende afrikaanse muziek. Leuk voor op de achtergrond maar ook niet veel meer dan dat. Het is mij iets te exotisch om echt van te genieten. Muziekaal zit het allemaal wel goed in elkaar hoor.
Didn't do much for me but was still interesting. Last track is like a bad 80s ballad but African
Ficou um pouco a abaixo da expectativa em relação as referências de músicas africanas do Toureg.
at last!!! a shit album!!!! wtf is this music, why on earth do i have to listen to ts before i die
Tja, we hebben echt deze maand nog het andere album gehad van deze knaap. Ik vond er toen al geen klap aan. Ik zal deze nog even een paar nummers luisteren voor de vorm, maar als het hetzelfde laken een pak is, dan druk ik op de 1-ster knop en gaan we weer over tot de orde van de dag. Ja hoor, het begint al gelijk met allemegallie. Ik ben na 1 seconde al klaar. Doei!
Perdón no pude
What the heck?
The sort of album you hear constantly in your head while having motion sickness after being on a boat all day in the sunshine. 1/5
No thank you
Much like Africa, underdeveloped and primitive.
I always try to give albums multiple listens before judging them, but this one never really connected with me. While the atmosphere and instrumentation can be pleasant at times, none of the songs truly stayed in my mind afterwards and I struggled to remember anything once the album was over.
Very atmospheric. Does sound a lot like tuneless shouting. No requirement for a 2nd listen for this listener
Rhythmic African chanting is not my jam.
An obviously talented man but I just can't relate to anything about this album. The songs tend to sound the same to me and the main thing it made me feel was relief when it finally ended.
не моє
ni a palo escucho esta poronga, ya con la primer cancion me liquido 0/5
I saw old mate at a Womad in the late 90's and it was a fun gig. Is this essential "tell Laura I love her" listening? Ah no.
Not for me
ni me gaste
no
I'm not in the mood for this. I already listened to another album by Baaba Maal just two days ago and honestly it was interesting then, but it feels boring now.
Just cruising down the road listening to some tribal tunes - really? Does anyone do that?
15/03/26 - dropei dps da segunda faixa é bastante cultural e forte, inclusive na voz - o instrumental também é interessantemente cultural (até meio repetitivo, quando se pega a diversidade musical br de exemplo) mas não gostei de como o baaba canta, e as faixas sempre duram demais, metade do tempo seria melhor
would’ve voted 0
Meh
Boring country
Not for me. Didn't give me much of anything
Not my jam
I like me some African shit, but this ain’t it.
maybe the language barrier, maybe the style or the instrumentalization. not my taste at all.
I enjoyed the first track Yela, but it appears this created misplaced optimism. The rest of the album just feels too synthy/poppy (or even worse too Glockenspiely) for my taste in world music.
It's just not my thing. Did not enjoy it.
Fun and funky, but I prefer singing in English.
1001 Albums Generator 186 (12/18/2025) Lam Toro is an album that I absolutely did not need to hear before I die. Not only is it not very good; I can't even find anything that explains what its supposed impact on the wider music world even was. It doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. I find the production on Minuit quite dated, but the guitar solo is actually pretty good and really took me by surprise. That was kind of the only notable moment to me, and I didn't even like that song that much. The album is way way too long and unfortunately has nothing that really sticks out. 1/5. Favs: Daande Lenol Gidelam Ndelorel Least Fav: Olel
i bet it's reallly great but i cannot connect to that musicstyle
Imma gonna pass
Nej det här går inte hem
Shut the fuck up
Not everything is for everyone.
What the hell
Second album proposé par le générateur après 'Djam Leelii' que je n'avais pas aimé du tout (noté 1/5). Ce second album n'est pas mieux que le premier ... =>1/5
Not my jam. On a positive note, I have listened to all of Baaba's stuff on here and will never have to hear this again.
The world music selections are not my favorites. This is no different. Ladysmith Black Mambazo did the African singing over 80s African music best. Daande Lenol sounds like the music behind a montage of an African scientist and a white scientist working in the lab tirelessly to discover the cure to the epidemic that started as something they saw in one boy in a village and is now threatening to wipeout humanity. Hamady Boiro has a similar feel to Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction. Everything sounds like Graceland. This is so foreign as to be boring because it all sounds the same.
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.
Nope
I do not know the language
Not my cup of tea
Nope
I hated this but I also don’t have any cultural context for this type of music. It was a struggle for me.
No!
Brutal.
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
Why
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
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
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.
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
Appreciate some sounds but the album overall just did nothing for me. I really struggled to get through it.