Savane

I didn't really know what to expect when I saw desert blues. This was okay to listen to. I had it playing in the background and for most of the album, I had no issues with what I heard. I will say that overall length was a little too much for me. I did catch myself checking the amount of remaining songs a few times near the end.

Thanks for recommending this. Great example of why the world music of the early 2000s was so much fun. Familiar yet exotic.

Not a bad blues album, nothing crazy about it just ok!

#436 Quite enjoyed listening to this, although in all honesty I was more engaged to begin with before it became more of a vibe. I’m a fan of Songhoy Blues and the influence here is obvious, and doing a little reading up, I can see there are clear links between the two. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): Penda Yoro Rating: 6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mali has the goods

Bliss upon bliss of Touareg guitar style that pleases the ears to no end

Just intensely boring blues-adjacent music. Starting to get a sense of another genre I despise...

That's more like it. Just as I was complaining about the parochialism of the list, and its geographical blindnesses. Great album, particularly the fantastic title track. 4.5*

Music from Africa will always have some fascinating and fun rhythms to explore. The droney sustain of the guitar works super well under a blues foundation by Ali Farka Toure. A good surprise from this list from music I would never find time to hear for otherwise.

Quite interesting, not really my thing, but I can see the worth in this one. There were several instances that caught my attention unlike many of the recent missives. Definitely worth a 3

Really good! Liked the bluesy guitar work layered on some interesting African music.

Well, it started off ok, I was enjoying the repetitive rhythms, appreciating his complex guitar work while not understanding what he was saying with his rather abrasive vocal style. After a while thus style which first engaged me started to become monotonous.I was pleased I chose to listen to this in the car with the Sat-Nav on, as when the nice lady voice regularly spoke to me to tell me which direction to go. Her silky voice was like a relief to my ears, breaking said monotony. Such promise, I thought I had found a breakthrough African album like Fela Kuti, but it was not in the same class.

I read before listening that Ali was known as the “John Lee Hooker of West African Blues” and that is accurate!

As much as I dig the way Ali Farka Touré displays masterful guitarwork throughout this album, especially in the titular track, I just don't see this being an album I'll come back to. It's deeply world music, a style of music that is completely foreign to me though still distinctly north African. Aside from the highlight Savane, this album just misses my comfort zone entirely.

It's alright.

It’s very like Delta Blues, but the tonality in it doesn’t work for me. Give me Howlin’ Wolf or Muddy Waters and I’m happy as a pig in shit, but this stuff just doesn’t jibe with me. Plus, it’s boring as shit.

Skön ökenblues

끝까지안들음 높은2점? 거의3점

A long one. Very long

Very solid background music 3/5 ⭐️ 238/1089

I mean taleneted and all but not my cup of tea. But it’s fine and I never heard anything like it.

Great blues style album, really fantastic listen. So glad this popped up, never would have discovered this on my own

I always feel the same way with Ali Farka Toure's albums. They start off interesting, but they are rather one note so I'm always bored by the end. It's not bad, but just becomes boring as it goes on.

I have a problem in that I just don’t get any African music. Sorry, this album has not changed that.

God forbid the people who think this is repetitive listen to Fela Kuti. For me, I think this album is incredible. Fewer western influences a la Talking Timbuktu, you can really hear where bands like Tinariwen and Bombino get their sound. I don't know if he's the route through which all desert blues were channeled but Toure was truly one of a kind. This album is going straight in to my rotation.

Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Cruisy, vibey desert blues. Almost made me want to take a trip to Timbuktu

So apparently this is called Songhai Music? It's got moments but everything mostly just blended together for me. Favorite track: Savane

A pleasant listen and exposure. Savane was the standout with French lyrics I could understand.

Not my stuff.

*all-time.

Different but ok.

Liked it way more than i thought i would. Might be my favorite non english album. Has the same effect as jazz

Ok

13 songs Another album that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. The songs can get a bit repetitive after a while, which sometimes made it become just background music. That being said, really good vibe, great guitar playing, and it had such a nice blend of blues, African rhythms and what felt like even Arabian influences sometimes.

Savane sounds like it could break out into Child In Time at any moment. Sadly it didn't.

This put me in a trance. In a good way.

This has a nice groove to it, but doesn't really get there for me. Nice background listen.

5.5/10

[4/5] desert blues. warm and comfy songs with a hypnotic aura. makes me want to buy an armchair. i appreciate much of the instrumentation and the new instruments this album unlocked for me, however, i found some of it quite repetitive, which reduced my personal enjoyment. 3.5 // it’s personal! track notes: 1. trevor phillips driving down a dirt track 2. it’s giving collaboration. kinda folky campfire energy 3. dancing down the guitar 4. shredding it. harp(?) like a ticking clock. instrumentation feels minimal but emotionally charged 5. warm milk to soothe the mind. hypnotised into contentment 6. surprise harmonica! 7. squishy rolling elastic rhythm 8. sparse open space as the cast of the film are about to enter 9. njarka popping off. like stress when there are a lot of people around me 10. wholesome reflection vibes, taking a moment 11. sounds like he is talking to the masses 12. repeating instrumental reminding me of when i’m watching a reel and drop my phone down the side of the bed 13. peacefully winding down. pondering a dialog option in a video game

nice

something I've never heard before! I liked it a lot!

Idk jag gillar text, det blir svårt när jag inte vet vad de säger

Sick guitar work, didn’t understand a single word. “The king of Desert blues“, dude was from Mali.

Solid blues 3 - deserves to be on this list

Rating: 4.9/5 Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: Patient, earthy, and quietly magnificent. Savane feels like music that has existed for centuries rather than something that was recorded in a studio. Ali Farka Touré never rushes a phrase. Every guitar line, every vocal, every rhythm has room to breathe. Favorite Track: “Soya.” It unfolds at its own pace, with Touré’s guitar carrying the melody so naturally that it feels almost conversational.

Godfather of pretty much all African music that got popular in the West. That said, I'm never quite as big of a fan of his work as a lot of other contemporaries of his. The lack of percussion or anything else besides Ali Farka Touré and his guitar makes it a bit of a long sit through. It gets a bit monotonous and I miss my bass and percussion here. Still, he's a master at his instrument and the way he plays guitar is unlike anyone else.

Максимально нишевая музыка - африканский блюз. На мой взгляд не самый яркий и выдающийся жанр для 2000х годов. Звуки приятны только если они звучат в правильном месте и в качестве фона. Не представляю ни единого шанса что это можно слушать специально и внимательно

Interesting bluesy concept that went over my head.

JL : 3, Savane A : 4, Machengoidi

Alright, I've been getting quite a few repeat artists lately and not all of them have been particularly exciting for me. Ali Farka Touré is one of them. I thought Talking Timbuktu was nice, but it wasn't leaving me hankering for more Touré. So, getting Savane today was very much so an "Oh, okay, let's do this, I guess," situation. How do I feel about the album? It's alright. I thought Talking Timbuktu was more interesting from a musical perspective, but Savane wasn't bad at all. It's a nice time, but not one that stimulated me a whole ton. There's nothing serious that I have against this album. The music is pleasant to listen to, even if the songs sometimes feel more like showcases of talent rather than complete songs. Speaking of talent, Ali Farka Touré did have it. His guitar playing on here is pretty good. I don't have a ton to say about that. The album is a little long, but it wasn't that much of a slog, so that's good. Unfortunately, I couldn't find lyrics for the album anywhere, so I just have to listen to the music without having a clue as to what's being said. Granted, when it comes to music or lyrics, I definitely care more about music, but I'd at least like to know what's being said here. It could allow me to appreciate the album more. But, as is, I respect this thing, even if it didn't hook me that much personally. 3/5.

Yeah 50/50 on this one, I really like most of first half, the more gritty blues sound, but it gets a bit more tinkly traditional Soweto sounding from halftime - which I don't enjoy so much ⭐⭐⭐

Good melody even if it's not my taste you can hear it good songs for once listen no more

Repetitive intricate guitar work. Groovy fun, and extremely chill. A vibe I haven't really experienced before.

This was incredible. Another one of those genres I didn't realize existed but man was it my jam.

This album is like giving your child a stern warning about the difficult realities of life that he is going to experience, just before he leaves home to go to university in a new city. There will be good times, and he will get into mischief. He'll experiment with drugs. He'll experience love, heartbreak, and the rollercoaster in between. People will give him a hard time, and there will be points where he will feel like he is drowning amongst a busy world. You know he'll make bad decisions, but you also know this is part of his journey to adulthood.

It seems ok, but its not really for me, and I could not tell you why this kind of folk, blues style world music is important. Im sure it is, it was probably an album responsible for some New generation of artists. But on its own with no context... meh.

Both of his albums in the space of two weeks. I've warmed to it more this time I think? I've got a lot of respect for it and it's quite joyful but I think once again I can't give above a 2 as it seemed to blur mostly into one whole. Just makes me feel unappreciative of foreign language music though and like I'm really closed to a wider spectrum of music so I just feel bad now.

Interesting. Different. Enjoyable. Wish there were more albums like this and less Bowie,Dylan,Eno

I think this is the most unique album I’ve got on this list so far, definately not a style of music I have really listened to before or have actively seeked out and therefore I have nothing really to compare it to which makes it quite hard to give a rating. I did enjoy the instrumentation a lot but I do find it slightly difficult to connect with music where I don’t understand the language of the lyrics, but I have to say I’m surprised at how much I did like it. FT: Soko Yhinka Rating: 3/5

I like it !

Beautiful guitar play and a nice voice, the songs all kind of flow by in the same chill vibe... Reminds me of JJ Cale, who I also appreciate as a song writer and artist, but this kind of music doesn't really catch me, I could never be enthusiastic about it. Extra point for non Western music in this list, though!

Totally new album to me, but it sounds great.

Favourite Songs: Soya Ledi Coumbe

2.7 1x

The vibes of this were very good, and his voice is cool. I thought it almost sounded Southern-Gothic-y, which the scratchy guitar and twang. Like something from the bayou. Ultimately tho, this is too long. Doesn’t need to be an hour. And I just have trouble fully connecting with an album where I can’t understand the lyrics. That’s totally on me, I know! But it is a barrier. There’s probably a 35-40 minute version of this album that I give four stars to, tho

This album doesn’t do anything for me It doesn’t hold my attention I can’t say it’s a bad album but I also can’t say I like and I want to listen again 2 or 2.5/5

hypnotic and bluesy. kinda ritualisic like you're in a trance. I would show up to a show for this really blasted.

it was fine

Not exactly my kind of music, but nonetheless worth a listen. Captivating at times.

Ali Farka Touré's Savane was a fascinating listen. While the opening tracks didn't immediately draw me in, the album gradually revealed its strengths as it unfolded. The slow, hypnotic rhythms and understated guitar work created an atmosphere that became more immersive with each song, rewarding patience rather than demanding instant attention. What stood out most was how unique the music felt. I'd never heard anything quite like it—the blend of traditional Malian music with blues influences creates a sound that feels both deeply rooted and surprisingly familiar. Touré's guitar playing is subtle yet expressive, and the album has a timeless, unhurried quality that encourages careful listening instead of chasing catchy hooks. Savane isn't an album that aims for immediate impact. Instead, its beauty lies in its gradual development, drawing the listener into its rich textures and understated melodies. Although it didn't make a strong first impression, by the end I found myself appreciating its authenticity, emotional depth, and distinctive sound. It's an album that expands your musical horizons and one that I could see becoming even more rewarding with repeated listens.

It becomes so clear where the roots of the blues are planted. Soya is sublime.

Boring

Smooth escapism with so many interesting rhythmic variations. I will definitely be returning to this one. RIP Ali Farka!

I enjoyed this, and it’s relaxing desert blues repetitive vibes

A different sound from what I'm familiar with, but not one that appealed to me

I enjoyed the song Yer Bounda Fara and Soya. I really didn’t like Savane the title track - where the repetition worked for me in other places it really grated on me on that song in particular. This was all quite meditative and it made me sleepy which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I’m really glad to have listened to it!

Really dont know how to rate this one. So outside my wheelhouse, but I'll give it a 3 for the talent it had to take.

Really liked the raw guitaring and African vibes

Really enjoyed this

Unique and really interesting, will definitely listen again

There is a lot I like in here and some great guitar work, augmented by the local sounds and instruments. I felt it got redundant at times, they would lay down a great grove and it would run the whole song. Overall enjoyed.

Pretty good as background music, but didn't really draw me in

Ask Beto, this album is good.

a good switch up from the generic british music i’ve had lately, this was cool

quite cool, I liked the call and response kind of stuff

Meh

Not to familiar with music from this part of the world. I thought it was pretty good. Between the percussion and the obviously virtuoso guitar playing, this was a fun listen. 3/5

This was not fun to listen to. It was an hour long. It is not a style of music that I am at all interested in and it was in a different language.

perdon, tenia otras esoectativas y no las alcanzó (creo que es muy crudo y diferente a los oidos de primera si no estas acostumbrado o no sabes lo que se viene) capaz con un segundo relisten me familiarice con el sonido y genero

Love the finger picking on this one. There’s some stuff that feels familiar like American blues but then most of it is distinctly African. Towards the end it seemed a bit repetitive but that probably comes from me not understanding the lyrics. The instrumentation is the high point though. 3.5 stars, not sure which way I’ll round. Deserves several listens.

I don't know that I have ever heard anything classified as "African Blues" before. This is really interesting. I like the music but the language is a barrier for me. I was reading a translation of the lyrics as I listened and I liked the message. THIS is one of the main reasons I wanted to do this project. I like being reminded of all of the classic albums I already loved - and nitpicking what should/shouldn't be included - but I was really hoping to learn about things I hadn't been exposed to. Like this album.

Peaceful and relaxing

I’ve never heard anything like this and I really like it

Not bad.

Having a hard time understanding how this album merits inclusion on this list. I guess if I had to liken it to anything, I would liken it to “jam-band” style blues, but overall very repetitive, not for me

Interesting hearing the influence blues had outside the US. Other than that, pretty passable for me.

Ali Farka Touré's Malian take on Blues is refreshing. It's still blues, which is not my favorite, but it's still quite interesting.

this was an interesting listen, not what i expected but not mind blowing enough to change my relationship with the genre either

It's like dub but with a real guitar. Also, it's Touré man.

Kinda interesting.

Didnt blow me away, but a vibey time

Great blues, great desert music, great vibes

Got a great rhythm that I enjoyed more than I was expecting. That being said, I didn't understand a word, which detracted immensely.

Really easy to fall into. I'd actually heard one of the latter tracks on a hi-fi mix for testing speaker placement for imaging and tone prior and always enjoyed it. I won't claim it is earth-shattering but that isn't what the album is after. It seems to be after, compositionally at least, getting you to relax and be like Ali on the album cover. Mission accomplished where I am concerned. I'll listen to this again. Wish I had any idea of the lyrics but I almost feel like looking them up has as much a chance of spoiling my good impressions as anything.

Banga

It was good music just kinda repetitive after a little while

I kind of liked this. It was interesting and different.

I always look forward to the world music entries, and was looking forward to another one from AFT. Savane did not pan out, too sitar forward, and it sounded harsh like it was strung too tight. Didn’t enjoy it. (1.95*s) No where near as good as Timbuktu.

Savane is better than the previous Toure/Cooder album. Got some bluesy guitar and instrumental songs that are more polished. I still was kinda bored though. This one may make the list for being a final, send off album much like the ones from Cohen and Bowie. I'm moving on...1.62 stars.

Pretty good African blues album. I can't understand any of the language but still feel like a I got a sense of the artist's emotions. The alternate style/approach of a blues album from another continent was surprisingly engaging as I found this album went down pretty smoothly. The guitar work is pretty effective and some of the finger-picking on the forefront of a couple tracks work as a solid hook/basis. Backing instruments and harmonies when featured were enough to keep me interested. It's a bit too long but even for an hour long world music album I was rarely bored or disinterested. It's always iffy when some of these world music albums pop up but quite a few of them have been decent listens. Keep them coming. 2.19 stars

I thought this would rip from the album cover and the first track but I found it boring... 2.5/5

Unbelievable swag on the album cover, and he serves us up some pure desert blues goodness. What's not to love?

I liked this better than Talking Timbuktu, but it had similar problems of just kinda being slow with nothing happening for long stretches of time. It’s weird cuz you can tell there are some really cool things happening with instruments but it’s only glimpses that don’t really go anywhere.

Mesmerizing. In a very backwards sort of way, I’m a sucker for good instrumental loops, and this feels like an acoustic version of that. I love the way Ali Farka Touré lets his guitar licks ride for minutes at a time. You can pretty much picture him sitting exactly as he is on the cover art, entrancing you with guitar licks. Then in the last seconds of the album, right after he plays the final chords of N'jarou, the recording subtly picks up his chair creaking as he gets up from his seat. It's silly, but that tiny detail really struck me with the knowledge that this was the man's last project before his passing. Just a beautiful project overall! Standouts: Beto • Savane • Soya • Banga • N'jarou

Pleasant and cool but extremely long and eventually I got the gist. Felt sparse in places and not in an intentional way.

Oh cool, I’ve enjoyed Ali Fark Toure since I first heard Ai Du. Great album.

I like your funny words magic man

Never herad of him, didn't really enjoy it and can't remember anything after a day. Then I've learned that there is another album by Touré on this list and I have roughly a hundred albums left...

Just like the last time this artist appeared….didnt enjoy.

Ok. Not my music style but not bad either.

I saw blues musician and had set expectations with myself thinking it was going to be an american style blues. A little more discordant than that, and ultimately couldn't get into it

Great musicianship, good for camping vibes.

I ain't smart enough to articulate why I like this so much but it's fucking dope. This is why I'm here

OK, I can't. I just can't. the music is Okayish? it's not blow me away, and the singing is not that good and it's in Songhai... nope. 1.75 out of 5 stars because even this is better than Krautrock.

Great work by a great artist. It is really a shame that this list does not contain more of other music than the mostly average US/UK pop/rock.

Fascinating listen. Very interesting to hear how traditional African music and blues are blended together. I only wish my ear was more accustomed to the non-Western sounds more, as that would have greatly enhanced the overall listening experience. Still worth listening to if for no other reason than broadening musical horizons. Top tracks: Savane, Penda Yoro, Gambari Didi

While the instrumentation was stellar, everything else made it unappealing to me. 2/5

Unique mix of sounds (that reminds me of) India, blues, latin.

i like when i get albums from different cultures on here

African music is a one of my bigger blind spots so I’m glad to listen to more of it. I’ve listened to some Malian music in the past and loved pretty much all of it, such wonderful scales and hypnotic rhythms. This fuses all of that with more familiar blues; really soulful, beautiful stuff.

Gorgeous but not compelling. Didn’t understand a word of it but that’s a me problem and I’m never against listening to something that is on many levels out of my comfort zone

Super cool and beautiful!

In serious catch up mode. Cool album, but this genre of music isn’t really for me. A bit too slow and repetitive. Nice vibe though. 2.5

This was pretty good fun

Ok sans plus

Très sympa et original en fond

I am happy i was alive to hear this music. love it!!

Naja.

Desert blues and Malian folk built from hypnotic guitar lines, subtle percussion, earthy grooves, and weathered vocals feels like watching a vast landscape pass slowly by from the shade of a tree—patient, grounded, and deeply self-assured. The album rarely seeks dramatic peaks, instead drawing its power from repetition, groove, and quiet authority. Its understated confidence makes it one of those records that grows richer the longer you stay with it

Lite bättre denna gång (kan ha att göra med att jag inte hittar nån Ry Cooder) men det blir aldrig tillräckligt intressant, jag zoomar snabbt ut

Nej. Inte min grej.

Okej gung, men det blir samtidigt väldigt monotont. Ungefär som förra albumet med AFT. Gick att lyssna på men jag spelar nog inte det igen. Svag tvåa.

Ökenblues är vad det är. Det blir snabbt enformigt och småtråkigt. Men i grunden ett gott hantverk.

Super unique in the context of this list therefore totally deserving of its spot. The rolling, repetitive, layered guitar playing will stick with me. As well as the fusion of west African music with a little blues and creole flare. “Soko Yhinka” is the best example of the listening experience imo, it’s got a sticky little call and response vocal section. This guy has two albums on the list but they’re both fairly different in nature and sound. And maybe I brought it up last time but there’s a whole rabbit hole to go down in terms of the amount of non-English albums on this list that aren’t purely foreign (English speaking collaborators or fusing a foreign genre with a traditionally American/uk genre). Is it ultimately a good thing for listener exposure, is it disrespectful or tokenistic to favor english-crossover projects? I respect this one a good bit, firm 3/5

Not my thing.

I was familiar with Talking Timbuktu as it had come up earlier in this exercise. This was a pretty good listen. The music is a pretty stripped down folk/blues. The deep vocals are quite atmospheric and enjoyable even if I don't understand the lyrics. I wouldn't mind hearing this again although I may not seek it out either.

Solid bluesy album with an Indian? African? flair.

Interesting and exotic.

Don’t care

Brilliant

Lovely.

A fascinating blend of blues and world music. Cool find.

Listened several times, enjoyable blend of jazz, some African tribal sounds (instruments, beats, etc), and even some almost classical Spanish guitar. Introspective as melodies and instrumentation go, with some parts more exalting.

This is the second or third desert blues album I've hit, and I've enjoyed them, but am not blown away.

I love Desert Blues. It's such meditative music, but manages to sit right at the front of your consciousness. It demands deeper examination, morphing in and out of more familiar blues sounds and traditional Saharan rhythms. This is a 4/5 from me.

One of the things this project is good for: exposing me to unique and interesting stuff that is good to hear exactly one time (along with plenty of things I would have preferred to hear 0 times, but this is a good one-timer).

I saw “desert blues” on the album cover and expected something very American - this wasn’t that at all, and was probably better for it (though the blues sound is still there, if transformed). It feels simultaneously traditional and modern, which results in a timeless sound; I was surprised when I saw this album was from 2006, because I hadn’t even considered when the music was recorded when listening (and I think the look of the cover made me think it was older). Very cool guitar that blends seamlessly with the other, more exotic instruments I cannot name. Favorites: Yer Bounda Fara, Savane, Soya 4

Interesting

I think the obly reason why this album is in the 1001 is because it was released postmortem, cause musically...

Meh.

No molesto, pero malo, al menos era corto.

Sinceramente desilucion, pensaba escuchar un Soul o Blues interesante, escuchable y lo unico que escuche fue musica que no estoy familiarizada ni siquiera con el idioma. Tal vez sea una alerta para que pueda empezar a expandir mis gustos musicales hacia lo desconocido, pero la realidad es que con Savane no encontre nada sentimental ni bueno ni malo, simplemente no entendi de que va. Si me gusta escuchar candombe o percusion, solo sonidos pero no puedo entender que dice las letras. La guitarra en las intro es lo que mas rescato. No Top Picks

Pretty nice!

Bluesy fun right here! Sometimes I felt like I was listening to Ozzy Osbourne sing the blues in a different language Soya (my personal favorite), Yer Bounda Fara were great

Very groovy, I love blues music. I really like the guitar work. Fav song is ‘Soya’.

Gets a bit samey, but glad I listened to this and would like to hear more African music.

An enjoyable, horizon-expanding listen. Thank you.

Pretty laid back and chill, but to the point where it becomes a little bit tedious and the long album length turns into a negative. Didn't hold my interest long enough and it was all very samey by the halfway mark. Two stars.

1. Erdi (★★★☆☆) 2. Yer Bounda Fara (★★★⯨☆) 3. Beto (★★⯨☆☆) 4. Savane (★★★⯨☆) 5. Soya (★★★☆☆) 6. Penda Yoro (★★★☆☆) 7. Machengoidi - Rerecorded (★★★☆☆) 8. Ledi Coumbe (★★★☆☆) 9. Hanana (★★★☆☆) 10. Soko Yhinka (★★★☆☆) 11. Gambari Didi (★★★☆☆) 12. Banga (★★★☆☆) 13. N'jarou (★★★☆☆) 3+3,5+2,5+3,5+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3 = 39,5 39,5 / 13 = 3,0385

This wasn't bad but it did just keep going on and on. It was well done, but it was more just background noise for me. Not bad necessarily, but not really special either. Liked Songs: "Yer Bounda Fara" , "Savane" , "Penda Yoro" , "Hanana" , "Banga" , "N'jarou"

Interesting listen. I like the vibe and unique sound. A little too long and drawn out for some songs but a decent experience overall

Pretty awesome but not my fave desert blues

Woah. What. Ok. Lots of stuff happening. Wallahi bro. Interesting. I like how personal it feels. It feels like I'm in the room with him while he's singing and performing these I really like it. Very intimate vibe. I really like how twangy it is really great music. Very nice. Favourite: Soya Least favourite: Yer Bounda Fara

African guitar vibes to mellow your mind grapes.

Some decent parts, and an interesting listen, but felt it got a bit samey and perhaps a bit long. Okay though.

2/5

I’m generally not a fan of an album by a really old artist that used to be good that he puts out hours before he dies but that appears to be Robert Dimery’s favorite genre of music. Dude should go to music time at an old folks home when they wheel the semi-animated corpses into the activity room and let them blow kazoos and weakly hit tambourines with their bony desiccated claws and just absolutely jam out. It would be like his Woodstock. But even though this is one of those formerly-good-but-now-super-old-artist-releases-album-right-before-they-die albums, I thought it was okay.

This is a change from the usual crap on this list. Felt very relaxing to listen to on a summer's day. Sounds purer than most music

Meh... interesting and even a few I'd listen to again, but overall just not that great to listen to. 2.

Very relaxing

Very interesting recording

Was very pleasant to mission to.

I guess that was the first time I ever heard about "desert blues"... very interesting. 4 stars, I need more

Sonidos lindos, se escucha muy bien lo remasterizado. No es mi estilo ni lo volvería a escuchar pero fue una linda experiencia

This has definitely made me realize how many genres of music I'm not knowledgeable enough about to know if it's good, just if it I like it or not.

It’s good. Not sure why this album is necessary.

Bit too long but decent to an extent

If the entire album was as captivating as the title track, this record would earn top status. “Savane” boils Toure down to his essence of an acoustic guitar and vocals. The guitar provides layers by itself that pulled me in with its hypnotic figures. I could hear the magical qualities of Toure’s playing in “Savane” and the two closing tracks, “Banga” and “N’jarou.” However, other tunes either had never landed, particularly those using a great deal of other singers. To go back to an earlier comment from my Led Zeppelin review, Toure may suffer from groups that came after his rise. The desert rock “craze” for North African bands has dimmed Toure’s originality. I knew of him earlier, and enjoyed his collaboration with Ry Cooder. After a decade of Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar and others, Toure’s blues meets the desert style no longer seems quite as compelling. This album features his acoustic playing which differs from the roaring distortion of later bands. It makes for a more contemplative set of songs, but with less rock oriented appeal. Obviously, language limits my ability to fully assess Toure, but I do not find him too interesting as a singer. Neither as sweet sounding as Central African rhumba-style artists, nor the declarative power of his fellow drone groove guitarist, John Lee Hooker. I am glad that this record may represent a more authentic version of Toure and Malian music, but aside from a few great highlights, it falls under, good, but not great, status.

I feel this is a fault on me more than the album as this is a genre I am near-completely in the dark on. I enjoyed it, but there's no urge to ever listen to it again. Perhaps, I will find a new interest and appreciation for it as we travel further in this album experience.

I can see how this album may have had an influence on lots of artists after it came out, and it has a unique sound that I haven't heard before. That said, there didn't seem to be a lot of differentiation between the tracks, which I would like to have seen.

1. erdi - 2 2. fara - 2 3. beto - 1 4. zavane - 2 5. zoya - 1 6. yoro - 1 7. machen - 1 8. ledi - 2 9. hanana - 1 10. zoko- 2 11. Didi - 1 12. Banga - 1 13. Jarou - 2

Como indica el título, el rey del blues del desierto. En el listado ya está el que hizo con Ry Cooder, para mí mejor. Este no aporta más, pero es igual de bueno

Would I listen again: probs not It’s not bad. Bit repetitive for me

I wonder what Mali is like. Cool music, anyway.

Another classic (to my ear anyway, maybe for the local population it's like "Coldplay") from the Africa-infused blues genre. Thanks list!

**Savane** (2006) is the final studio album by Malian guitarist and vocalist **Ali Farka Touré**, recorded in 2004 at the Hôtel Mandé in Bamako and released posthumously after his death from bone cancer in March 2006. Touré himself considered it his best work , and it stands as a defining statement from one of the most important figures in African music and the "desert blues" tradition. --- ## Lyrics & Themes Touré sings across at least four regional languages on *Savane*, including his native Sonrai and the Kel Tamashek (Tuareg) tongue, making the album largely inaccessible to non-Malian listeners in a literal sense. However, the emotional weight and social consciousness of the lyrics transcend translation. The title track, "Savane," offers one of the album's most direct and poignant lyrical statements. Sung partly in French, it addresses the African diaspora experience with startling frankness: > *"J'ai quitté mon pays et ma Louisiane / Mais dans d'autres pays, adieu Savane / J'ai trouvé le métro n'est pas un petit boulot / Mais je suis, je suis un nègre"* > ("I left my country and my Louisiana / But in other countries, goodbye Savane / I found the subway is no small job / But I am, I am a Black man") The song critiques the false promise of the West—where emigrants find "not only bombs, but car engines and hard jobs in the subway"—and pleads for practical aid ("powered pumps") rather than weapons. It is a deeply personal yet politically charged meditation on migration, identity, and post-colonial disillusionment. Other tracks carry a spirit of civic responsibility reflective of Touré's late-life role as mayor of his hometown, Niafunké. "Machengoidi" opens with a direct challenge to his countrymen: *"What is your contribution to the development of this country? Who has worked? What has he done?"* . This is not abstract philosophy; it is the voice of a community leader demanding accountability. The album also draws heavily on Malian folklore and spiritual traditions. "Hanana" is a swirling arrangement of a song traditionally performed to celebrate a forthcoming male circumcision, while other tracks touch on the supernatural and the elemental relationship between people and the land . --- ## Music & Production Recorded on location by longtime producer **Nick Gold** using World Circuit's mobile studio, *Savane* captures a vivid sense of place. The slightly echoing acoustics of the Hôtel Mandé evoke "a cool, capacious interior space, whose bare, solid walls shade it from the light and heat outside" . The sonic palette is extraordinarily rich. At its core is Touré's instantly recognizable electric guitar—dry, percussive, and blues-drenched—but the album expands far beyond his typical trio format: - **Toumani Diabaté** (kora) provides intricate, almost baroque counterpoint - **Ngoni** (four-stringed lute) adds a buzzing, ancestral texture - **Njarka** (one-stringed violin) brings a keening, human cry to tracks like "Hanana" - **Bamboo flute, harmonica, and saxophone** make guest appearances - Traditional percussion (calabash, hand drums) grounds everything in ritual groove The production philosophy is organic and unhurried. Rather than the stripped-down improvisational duets of *In the Heart of the Moon* (which could drift into "aimless, under-baked free-form noodling" ), *Savane* employs a more structured, ensemble approach. Tracks anchor themselves around central melodic phrases that pause on a "base" note, creating what one critic called "a perpetual state of 'coming home'" . Musically, the album occupies a crossroads between West African traditions and the blues—not as an African *version* of American blues, but as a revelation of the blues' deeper origins. The American echoes (Mississippi slide guitar, hill-country repetition) feel like "signals travelling back along older wires" . The result is pan-Atlantic music that is simultaneously ancient and contemporary. --- ## Influence & Legacy *Savane* arrived at a pivotal moment for Malian music's global recognition. It formed the third part of a trilogy of albums recorded at the Hôtel Mandé, alongside Toumani Diabaté's *Boulevard De L'Independence* and the Grammy-winning *In the Heart of the Moon* . The album's influence on the "desert blues" movement is profound. Modern Saharan bands like **Tinariwen** and **Etran Finatawa** clearly learned from Touré's template of trance-inducing repetition, modal drones, and electric guitar textures rooted in nomadic tradition . It also helped solidify the idea that African music was not merely a precursor to Western genres but a living, evolving tradition capable of reabsorbing its own diasporic children. Touré's passing just weeks before release lent the album an unavoidable elegiac quality, yet it resists morbidity. As one listener noted, "it still sounds more like a celebration than a mourning" . It is a living system left running—heat, road, voices, dust, work, rhythm, memory. --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Masterful guitar work** | Touré's playing is economical yet deeply expressive; every note carries authority and intent | | **Rich, organic production** | The mobile studio capture preserves spatial depth and ensemble interplay without over-polish | | **Deep cultural synthesis** | Seamlessly blends Sonrai, Tuareg, and blues traditions into a coherent, innovative whole | | **Emotional universality** | Despite language barriers, the emotional and spiritual content communicates powerfully | | **Social consciousness** | Lyrics address real civic concerns—development, migration, peace—without didacticism | | **Trance without tedium** | Repetitive structures build hypnotic momentum rather than monotony; small variations reward close listening | | **Fitting epitaph** | A mature, authoritative final statement from an artist at peace with his legacy | ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Language barrier** | For most listeners, the specific lyrical content remains inaccessible without translations | | **Repetitive structures** | Some listeners find the cyclical, groove-based approach "unadventurous" or "painstakingly repetitive" over longer tracks | | **Mood consistency** | The album's uniformly calm, daytime atmosphere may feel one-dimensional to listeners seeking dynamic contrast | | **Accessibility** | The density of instrumental layers and unfamiliar rhythmic patterns can be disorienting on first listen | | **Length** | At roughly an hour, the album's sustained mood can feel slightly overlong; a tighter 40-minute runtime might have heightened impact | --- ## Verdict *Savane* is not background music, nor is it a polite entry point into "world music." It is a deeply rooted, socially engaged, and musically sophisticated work that demands—and rewards—patient attention. While its repetitive structures and language barriers may alienate casual listeners, those who enter its groove discover one of the most authentic and moving documents in contemporary African music. As Touré himself maintained, "It's not so much the music that's important, as what you're saying. But the music has to be good for people to listen to the words" . On both counts, *Savane* succeeds magnificently.

I really vibed with this

#934. Guys will see something like this and just say Hell yeah. 4/5: Hell yeah

Wow wow, very cool, but a little bit samey after a while

I listened to the other Ali Farka Touré album on the list recently, and I found both to be enjoyable. I didn't think the vocals were overpowering on this album, but I don't remember how it compares to Talking Timbuktu. It had great guitar work again, and it is definitely something I could listen to again.

I remember seeing Ali Farka Touré in Martin Scorsese’s “The Blues”, a brilliant documentary about the origins of the blues. In the first episode, titled “Feel Like Going Home”, Corey Harris travels to Mali to meet up with Touré, who gives his very strong opinions on the Americanisation of African blues music. What always stayed with me was the scene when they started to jam together. Sitting under the shade of a tree in a gorgeous setting (that makes me want to ignore the travel advisory warnings and visit the amazing-looking Mali), the two initially take turns playing. Harris' blues tunes are old-school delta blues. The kind of music that brings images to mind of dusty crossroads and broken beer bottles used as guitar slides, played by an old man sitting on his wooden porch. When Touré plays, it starts off sounding very different. His unique tuning helps his guitar sound like a completely different instrument, and the music sounds a lot more West African than American blues. At first. But then they start to jam together. When you hear Harris' American blues standards mix with Touré’s more African influenced sounds, it all blends together perfectly. That's what I hear on this album. It's a perfect blend of old school blues and African music. Of course, that's how my Western ears hear it, but Touré would hate that description, as much as he hates being called “the African John Lee Hooker”. So, instead let's call it a proper return to the origin of the blues by one of the masters.

Savane is one of those albums that makes the category “world music” feel not just inadequate, but actively stupid. It tells you nothing. It is like filing every meal under “food” and imagining you have described dinner. The opening track is almost an onslaught: wiry strings, voices, percussion, heat, dust, everything arriving at once. It feels less like an album starting than being dropped into a street already in full motion. At first the density is disorientating. Then the ear adjusts, and what seemed tangled begins to reveal routes, patterns, conversations and functions. What follows is not a polite desert-blues record, and certainly not Sunday-morning background listening. It is rousing, communal, physical music. The repetition is not decorative or lazy. It is load-bearing. A pattern is established, then lived in. The detail comes through small variations: a percussion accent, a vocal turn, a bowed scrape, a guitar line catching light at the edge of the groove. The structure holds so that the human life inside it can move. That may be the album’s deepest strength. It uses trance at its best: not as drift, but as social technology. The groove organises energy. The body enters before the intellect has finished counting. Some of the rhythms are almost inscrutable, stopping and starting like a badly made loop somehow made perfect by humans. The result is music with seams, breath and joints. The apparent fault becomes the groove. There are obvious blues connections, but the album does not feel like an African version of American blues. If anything, it reverses the map. The American echoes - Mississippi, porch music, harmonica cries, hill-country repetition - feel like signals travelling back along older wires. At other moments the modal drones, open strings, call-and-response patterns and work-song structures bring unexpected Gaelic and Appalachian echoes. Not because these traditions are the same, but because the same human mechanisms keep recurring: drone, mode, labour, memory, rhythm, story, return. That is what makes the record so powerful. It is completely specific and yet widely recognisable. Mali is not Scotland, Mississippi, Appalachia, Paris or Huddersfield. But people everywhere have had to carry things, mourn people, coordinate work, pass time, cook food, court one another, travel, gather, remember and endure weather. The differences are landscape - physical, emotional, political, historical. The animal inside the landscape is recognisable. The singing is extraordinary throughout. It does not present itself as “great singing” in the Western prestige sense. It carries authority, story and communal force. The voices keep the line alive. Sometimes they function like shanty singing, sometimes like waulking songs, sometimes like testimony, sometimes like a public gathering already underway before the listener arrives. The instrumental detail is just as vivid. The guitar work is astonishing, but never merely virtuosic. Even when the soloing becomes dazzling, it stays tied to the pulse. The bowed njarka sound brings a scratchy, keening edge, almost a human cry through wire. The harmonica, when it appears, becomes less a blues signpost than another breath instrument inside the same emotional grammar. By the end, the album feels like travelling on a road lined with synchronised musicians. Each track changes the function - street bustle, road music, procession, work song, communal testimony, trance, story inside structure - but the journey remains continuous. The final stretch even has a quasi-minimalist human-machinery feel that Penguin Cafe Orchestra might recognise, though under utterly different weather. As an epitaph, it is immense. Not a monument to the individual, not a grand farewell pose, but a living system left running. Heat, road, voices, dust, work, rhythm, memory. The music does not ask to be admired from a respectful distance. It asks you to enter the pattern and hear how much life is already inside it.

This is #day635 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about some afro-blues on a Tuesday morning? I don't quite mind it. Some of the guitar work is genuinely enjoyable, even if I can't quite say the same about the vocals. I did like the sax on "Beto." Give me that sax any day. On the flipside, though, the album's length is where it starts to drag. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day636.

It’s not my cup of tes

I appreciate that 1.001 albums is branching out from their usual "white UK guys playing guitar in the 90s" approach, but of course they had to choose Ali Farka Touré's most mainstream album. It's not a bad album by any means, but it feels like it is overly catering to Western ears, and imho it pales in comparison to the raw and sublime spirituality of The River.

eh

Una mezcla entre sonido de musica india, arabe y africana (para mis odios al menos). No me gustó por 2 motivos, no entendí nada y el ritmo se me hizo muy disonante.

I love desert blues!

Really nice album, love the style of guitar playing throughout. Super talented and happy to be introduced to Ali Farka Toure, I head his son is talented too. Favourites: Savane Soya

Simple but elegant

Ali Farka Touré heard blues as a child, figured it sounded very similar to the music of his people, and decided to make that kind of music. He did it for fun, because in Mali, music is made by the lower castes, and he was from the upper castes, the farmers. So, during the first four songs of the album, I thought Ali simply couldn't play, because the guitar sounded like a Chinese toy — the kind some of you might have had as a child. It got a little better later on; these African motifs really do resemble blues, and it even works as background music, but it's all so repetitive. There are music lovers and music journalists who sometimes say things like, "Yeah, Led Zeppelin are great, of course, but they borrowed all their ideas from Jimmy Ankubo, a black musician who in 1875 attached a string to a stick and thus invented the blues." It's people like these who boosted this album's average rating to 94 out of 100. God be their judge.

Too bad this album ended up being really ssmey, it started off really good.

Listening to this album made me realise that every album so far in this app has been Western music. Engaging with world music is a whole new ball game and I'm going to have to assume that this album is extraordinary in that context because, presumably, there's a huge amount of world music and not too much of it gets onto a western music best album list. I thought it was very good and I suppose that means I should explore non-western music more widely but for now I'll take this recommendation and be happy about that as a great introduction to African music.

While I can appreciate this as a window into the rich and unique blues traditions of West Africa, this style of music doesn’t do much for me. There’s a lot of noodling, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I’m more accustomed to Western musical structures with clear melodies and development. Musical styles outside that framework can be a challenge for me. My rating isn’t a reflection of the music’s quality, but rather of my own inability to fully grasp it.

70

Haven't heard of him but it's cool that I got another album not in English! Sadly I only found maybe just the first 3 songs interesting and then the rest of the album became background music to me 2/5

Appreciate it but likely won’t go back to it unless a hyper specific situation calls for it.

I appreciate this quite a bit. Musically it’s great. Just giving it a 3 cause I don’t see myself bumpin this on the regular.

Pleasantly suprised by this.

Amazing. Five stars. Expert guitar

Excellent African blues album. Would definitely listen to this again.

I can see that this is an important album, it's not really for me though. 2.8

Cerramos la semana con blues, un género hermoso del que desconocía éste artista, éste álbum y, sobre todo, esta mezcla, éste subgénero. De entrada, tiene la rareza de ser cantado en un idioma extraño. Si a eso le sumamos sonidos también ajenos al blues, como son algunos propios de esa zona de África o que al oído suenan medioorientales, se vuelve aun más llamativo. Todo suena tribal, hipnótico. Llama al trance. Me recuerda a Bombino y, en el caso criollo, a Los Espíritus. Muchas gracias por la sorpresa y nos vemos el lunes.

This is very new!!

It’s bluesy and cool. There are things that my American perspective doesn’t know how to appreciate fully. This album has simply made me painfully aware of that bias.

ok it was not so bad, after i procrastinated this for so long. But im not into French so much :( The eponymous track is actually really good

fascinating texture, heavily rhythmic despite little percussion. compelling vocal presentation despite not knowing what any of the lyrics actually are.

Such a cool sound! Actually this is great musically and culturally.

Some interesting sounds here and a lovely and worthy listen.

Enjoyably different

Although I could not understand the lyrics, the rhythm, melody, and overall tone of this music was quite appealing.

With all due respect to this artist, I cant listen to this album. Just out of my preference.

всё ещё не помню когда я подписалась на музыку Африки но познавательно конечно. но не развлекательно)

Better than I thought, good background music. However nothing more than that. high 2.5

Niet voor mij

Very enjoyable but to me doesn’t resonate on a deeper level than that.

Ok but not for me.

This is what this website is for. Certainly this album is not as upbeat as previous Songhoy Blues I've had generated. But then why should it be? It's a man at the end of his life, and yet it still sounds more like a celebration than a mourning. I can only hope my own last offerings are as warm and vibrant.

Decent album. Had some elements I really liked, but it ultimately proved to be reasonably repetitive within many of the songs. That said, it wasn't terribly repetitive to me ear across songs. Ok listen, not amazing, not awful.

Pas ma came les trucs un peu ethniques psychédéliques comme ça

C’était sympa mais c’est pas mon style Il y a des notes de blues j’ai l’impression Ça s’écoute dans un certain contexte je pense

J'ai pas trop aimé

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this album, I can’t comment on the lyrics as I don’t speak French, but the instrumentation is top notch, a solid album

What a way to go out!

An interesting listen. It’s outside my normal music parameters, which makes it hard to judge, but I like it. The closest reference I have is that I once saw Toure play with Ry Cooder at a festival. It was a long time ago, but also fascinating.

Overall Rating - 4.04/5 (8.08/10). I never knew Malian Blues was a genre, but I'm totally here for it. It's the right mix of familiar and exotic (to my white-bread, American ear) to be exactly the kind of music I didn't know I wanted to listen to. This is exactly why I think this is a great challenge. Fusion is awesome to begin with, but this is North African, Sub-Saharan African, and American Blues all fused together, and it's exactly what I didn't know I needed to know about. Great album from start to finish.

I always find albums like this really interesting, not necessarily because I really like listening to them, but just because it's refreshing to occasionally be exposed to something a bit different. This isn't the kind of thing I would ever choose to listen to, nor is it the kind of thing I would even know where to find without this generator, but exposing myself to the odd album like this is generally a positive experience each time, and leaves me feeling more cultured for having heard something so different. And this album is no exception, being a style of music I listen to so infrequent I find it hard to differentiate between various genres of African music, but the styles and ideas on this album did still manage to feel pretty fresh, although it does get quite repetitive after a while. Still a cool experience on the whole that I'm glad I've listened to, but not something I'm excited enough about that I see myself coming back to this any time soon.

Didn't care for this

Very cool. Had me at the cover, tbh

Love Ali Farka Touré's music but had not heard this particular album — was absolutely mesmerizing. His use of loops (not the electronic kind) create completely hypnotic patterns within the music. It's incredible how well blues fits into this style of music. would listen to this over and over again.

Album No. 0208 on my list. Ah nice, another album I would never have listened to hadn’t it been for this website. I had known Ali Farka Touré by name, but I’m pretty sure I had never listened to his music. “Savane” is an interesting acoustic blues/traditional/folk album with a lot of African influences sprinkled into its music. Generally, this makes an interesting listen and I definitely get why this album made its way onto the 1001 album list. It functions greatly as background music, but for my personal taste, there is too little dynamic, too little distinction between and within each of the songs on this. It will mot become a personal favorite of mine, even though this is really just a matter of taste. I do appreciate it generally. Will add “Erdi”, and “Soya” to my playlist. 2/5 stars.

My Dad likes blues and had one CD with African and American artists on, which may have been where I first heard Ali Farka Toure. He definitely also has this one too and really enjoyed hearing this again. It's all cool stuff but the title track Savane is probably the standout.

Great Album, perfect if you're looking for sounds outside of the common

A interesting mix of rock, jazz, and tribal beats. Pleasant to have in the background.

West African blues music... Surprisingly fucking cool.

Decent background guitar picking, but it all sounded like same song

Great album with some cool blues lines. The groove is so relaxed and the interplay of the instruments are amazing.

I think I’m too overstimulated be the target audience. It’s not bad music, but it is a little boring. I’m not sure if the super acoustic African blues is for me. I prefer stuff that’s got a little more production and this falls into the same category as anything too folly or old school for me.

Slick and pleasant to listen to. Warm and clearly made with love. A lot of cool sounds and guitar work as always with his albums. I’m still not versed in this style of music but appreciated the fusion of Malian music and the blues. Rest in peace to Touré; this is as worthy a posthumous album as can be. Strong three.

Fascinating listen, I dig it. Malian desert blues is the kind of style I never heard of that puts into perspective how horizon expanding this project can be

I would have _never_ listened to this normally, but I quite liked it. Not sure I would come back to it much, but it was a perfectly nice background listen, and a few toe-tappers in there.

I don't like the way he plays guitar. This was definitely not the album for me.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh it was interesting to listen to for a while but then it got kinda… boring.

Wunderbar relaxt.

This album is really good. I'm not sure if this is African blues with a heavy American blues influence or if it's a straight blues album with heavy African melodies. That's for someone with more knowledge on the subjects to debate. Either way all those elements are there and the results are pleasing

This is the second album of his I’ve gotten. Similar to the first (tribal sounding blues), but more annoyingly repetitive and most of the songs sounded the same. (2)

After another Ali Farka Toure album just a week ago, I'm all Farka-ed out. I think it would be fair to substitute "Ass Pocket of Whiskey" by R.L. Burnside or something from Mdou Moctar instead.

World, Blues, 2006 -> 2

Not my genre at all.

I was instantly turned off by "Erdi" - it was a cacophony of instruments all going at the same time in what seemed like complete disarray and two stereos playing different songs at the same time. Wow, not my thing! Decent listening counts for an album no one has ever heard of. The title track has 9M listens while all the others hover between 400K and 800K. I can't explain the 9M listens, the song was too long and seemingly went nowhere. I hear US blues influences in "Yer Bounda Fara", what came first the egg or the chicken? "Soya" was likely the easiest song to sit through. Being unable to understand any of the lyrics and the music being sorta sloppy and not all that compelling made this a tough ride! "King of the desert Blues singers", that must be a small group. 2 stars maybe. I definitely could have died without hearing this one!!

Malian blues at its best

I don't have anything too insightful to say about this, but I enjoyed it! Not sure how much I'll come back to it though.

Nice to listen to but gets kinda same-y. Made me sleepy but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.

I suppose it is good for it's genre

Omg I absolutely adored the guitar work in this, especially the first half of the album. That dirst half was absolutely fucking incredible tbh, but it lost momentum halfway through imo.

I’m kinda vibing to this actually. A totally new sound for me and I’m glad to have experienced it.

Grateful to this list for another album that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise heard. A nice representation of what it is and clearly does it well and offers something new and refreshing but maybe doesn’t grab me on the same way others might (3.5)

very cultural , very nice to hear

Why not any gud albums

not for me sorry

A phenomenal talent and smooth as silk. Love the vibe he creates.

Unique bare-bones world album that’s heavily informed by the delta blues style. Not sure of the exact language but it complements the music well and definitely makes it stand out. 3.0/5.0

Listen, am I ever going to be obsessed with Malian blues singing? Probably not. Was this a good, enjoyable album of Malian blue singing? Yes, I’d say so. I have no point of comparison but I found it interesting and stimulating. Now to look up its significance…

Not for me. Dull.

Liked the tone of this album. It felt a bit mysterious - and there was some tension, which I appreciated. After listening to the album two times, I still have trouble distinguishing the songs from each other, which is the album's main issue to me. Overall I found it relaxing and nice to have sitting in the background while working. Since I don't speak Ali's language, that's not a distraction. Weak 3.

Quite a few years back, I got really into Taureg music. I remember listening a lot to the artist Bombino. This reminded me a lot of Bombino, although this felt a lot more bluesy and folksy than Bombino – who leans more into electric guitars. I really enjoyed this chill album, perfect album for working or reading. There is something very catchy about the harmonics and rythms. Giving this a 4, felt fresh.

From the opening note I knew I would like this and I did! Was a tad long but very very good all the way through !!

Exceptional guitar work. Songs are beautifully played. His style of guitar-centric music is becoming more influential these days, which is well deserved. 4/5 Will listen again

Veľmi príjemný album.

So hard to dig this world music

Off to listen to the back catalogue.

Це загалом той тип музики, який мені цікавий. Але саме цей альбом просто норм. Послухав і забув.

Класний альбом афріканської музики. Все стильно, блюзові інфлюенси, народні інструменти ітп

Een paar nummers beluisterd. Bijzonder. Afrikaans. Maar ook blues en jazz. Niet vervelend

Ik heb hier echt weer van genoten. Alle partijen van gitaar, drums en vocals waren elkaar aan het dienen en niemand was te lang aan het woord. Heerlijk kwam het allemaal samen. Het past wel in mijn smakenpalet. Het enige was dat ik het album niet mistte als ik het even af had gezet. Ook waren er geen nummers die ik leuk genoeg vond voor in mijn playlist terwijl het genre er wel tussen past. Ik heb uiteindelijk het album wel meerdere keren aangezet en van genoten.

Prachtig post mortem afscheid album. Afrikaanse blues waar je niet op gaat dansen maar wel veel ritme in zit. Het album zit in hetzelfde tempo en sfeer, dat klinkt saai maar ik kom wel in een fijne trance. Als je haast hebt moet je niet dit album luisteren. Kinkt misschien vaag maar het is een verschil tussen rust voor een inspanning of een ontspanning. Je hebt niet de rust nodig om gefocust te kunnen luisteren maar juist de rust nodig om in een muziek hypnose te komen.

Misschien niet echt een album om aan te zetten terwijl je onderweg bent naar werk. Op die manier wordt het al snel een soort brij van noten en melodieën en glijdt het een beetje langs je heen. Ik merk dat dit zo’n album is dat meer tijd nodig heeft om te landen. Het is repetitief en traag, en als je er niet echt voor gaat zitten mis je wat het probeert te doen. Wat voor mij beter werkte, was om live beelden te kijken. Dan valt alles meer op zijn plek. De vibe wordt duidelijker en je ziet ook hoe Ali Farka Touré speelt. Zijn gitaar voelt echt als een verlengstuk van hem, heel natuurlijk en bijna nonchalant, maar ondertussen zitten er sterke riffs in die blijven hangen. Voor nu pakt het me nog niet volledig als album, maar ik heb wel het gevoel dat dit zo’n plaat is die kan groeien als je er de tijd voor neemt. Voor nu 3 sterren

Great change of pace and energy but fades into the background for me. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Ate

Interesting and unknown previous