Savane

As a whole the album is foreign, but it has elements that sound familiar. The first track has harmonica that sounds straight out of southern blues. Other tracks have hints of reggae or other styles I know. For the most part it makes for good background / coffee shop music.

*Insert my usual comments about language barrier and lack of context for foreign artists here*... then ignore a lot of that because this album just has some added soul and variability to it that makes is a star better than the other similar albums we've had.

Wanted to like this more than I do given how much I enjoyed the collab with Ry Cooder. But despite multiple listens, very little of it stuck.

well ... that wasn't horrible. It had some rough spots for me, almost stopped it, but I didn't - and made it through. It was okay playing in the background, but I'm not going to search for this to play again.

Blues from Mali are very interesting.Ali Farka Toure's last swan song is a very good album. Let's see it song by song: Erdi starts off with a lot of reverb,bit noisy and with Ali Farka Toure talking it feels more like an intro song, Yer Bounda Fara reminded me of a traditional chinese song for some reason,sounded almost like a ritual, Beto has a sax in it and a repetition in lyrics like a mantra but the female vocals compliments it,and sort of completes it, Savane has a great guitar (among other instruments) through the whole song,french vocals and an almost reggae-ish rhythm,bit long though, Soya has african vocals with a nice rhythm, Penda Yoro (Yoro is a small village in Mali) has a more blues feel that the previous ones very rhythmic and very well played, Machengoidi sounds more like a traditional song, Ledi coumbe wasn't interesting at all. Hanana, again reminded me of Chinese traditional music in a weird way, Soko Yhinka song was a joy to my ears mixing traditional rhythms along with bluesy guitar and great vocals,very hypnotic probably my favourite, Gambari Didi has the King of the Desert Blues reffering to himself and talking throughout the whole song,my least favourite, Banga has a more Arabic, sound of the desert feel with hypnotic repetitions like the music of the Sufis, N'Jarou is a bluesy song with some Soul-funk undertones. Overall it's a great album,i really enjoyed this and heard it without forwarding no song (like i did with the previous Paul Weller one) but i wish i had more knowlwdge to rate this more properly so it's a 4/5 to me.

Really enjoyed this album

Need to listen to again.

Pleasant album. Songs don’t really go anywhere but there’s some nice grooves.

Very unique style—loved the multiple languages interweaved with both the West African & southern blues stylings.

Really nice

Really technical and a good listen. Hard to comment more after one listen but didn't have time for more.

I enjoyed this. Sonically it's was the blues with a bluegrass vibe. I'd like to hear more.

Not bad music to work to.

Maybe it wasn't my thing, but I can see the significance and hear the heart in it. 3/5

Not _quite_ my jam, but enjoyable.

I liked how it felt like it took a blend of genres and mixed them up

I usually struggle to connect to music if it’s in a foreign language but this was good work music.

Really not for me. It sounded too monotonous and repetitive. Part of the reason I love blues and roots music so much is because of the lyrics. I connect with the story telling. I think the fact that a don’t understand the language was a real impediment for enjoyment.

Didn’t make it to the end yet but really enjoying so far.

This album made for a fantastic companion on my flight. I’ve listened to a bit of Ali Farka Touré, but I believe this is the first full album and I’m grateful for it.

Not a bad album if you are keen on African folk funk

Some interesting music on this album.

Without knowing this genre it's hard to compare this, but standalone it's inoffensive, nothing jumps out as ground breaking or innovative, so it's also difficult to call.out any stand out tracks

Not for me

African sound, nice exposure, but a bit repetitive. Old man plays guitar, plays well.

It’s good. What happened to African music after American blues. Talks of it being pure or ‘proper’ are wrong. It’s music that influenced and was influenced by a global music environment. Worth a listen.

Savane Ali Farka Touré [THIS is what we came here to discover. I welcome any WORLD music to bring colour and vibrancy and introduce us unfamiliar new sounds. ] Ah joy! New music to broaden tastes by showing us new flavours we didn't know existed. And what a jun album. variety. I even understand the French in track 2, but there are dozens of languages in Mali so it was an unexpected treat. Each track is so different. Its like hearing a whole new instrument when you hear th West African guitar players. The beats are unfamiliar - is it a totally different meter? Desert Blues is new to me, as is this legendary guitarist from Mali. I have listened to a bit of West African music, and enjoy and understand some of the french creole, and I enjoy the 'rounds' sound here, (layers and different uneven beats and voices) which reminds me of the merimba. And of riding a camel - that rocking motions and unexpected lurching. not understanding a word doesn't prevent this laid back atmospheric music doing its work. Its chill, has a call and response, and its gentle lilting settles you into a trance maybe like a camel ride, or other lumpy ships of the desert. I enjoy, and am curious for more, but am not educated in the #West African styles. P.s. I looked this up. Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist. Here are but a few of his claims to fame: - one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians - blends of traditional Malian music and African American blues - he's a pioneer of African desert blues - number 76 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" How do we not know him here? Well done adding it to the (otherwise quite weak and narrow) list!~

I've never heard of him. I don't know the context and I don't want to know the context. I mean, ok there's an interesting mix of influences for whatever it is supposed to be, but it just reeks of a nice snooze on Saturday afternoon at Womadelaide. I'll never listen to this again.

'Talking Timbuktu' by Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder was my first exposure to desert blues. That album really emphasized the connections between West African guitar music and American blues; their similarities and differences, their common ancestries and the ways they "rhyme" and sit well together. Discovering that record led me down the whole rabbit hole of guitar music from Mali and West Africa more generally, and I have some familiarity with some of the bigger names form that scene. I am fascinated by the way it often reflects both the origins of Western genres (blues, funk, rock) and is also influenced by those forms. It's a an ouroboros of music reflecting back on itself. I would happily listen to this all day; I love the interwoven rhythms, the chanting vocals, the spacious playing, the simultaneous simplicity and complexity. I love to just settle into a trancelike groove and let this music carry me away. Ali Farka Toure thought this was his best album (but really, every musician thinks their most recent record is their best), and I am loathe to argue with the man himself. Myself, I probably would have suggested his Red or Green albums (or even better the CD edition Red & Green that contains both!) as more representative of his oeuvre. I went back and listened to Red & Green today and really enjoyed them. But I also really dig Savane, so I'm splitting hairs here. Four stars.

so good!

Not for me

The acoustic guitar on this album is amazing, even with some of the songs being talking blues, which i’m not usually a massive fan of, the guitar work by Touré absolutely made them so much more better and enjoyable. The rest was the same with the quality of guitar but better in my opinion with the more singing based vocals. The whole album basically followed the pattern of a focus on the acoustic guitar with light, distant percussion and Touré either talking or singing with backup singers in the background. It’s quite a simple premise for the whole album but Touré is clearly a master of his craft which makes it stand out to other desert blues or blues as a whole. Also, a good album to go out on, he claimed it was his best but artists saying the album they just released or are about to release isn’t always reliable as they may just be wanting sales. Overall, 7.5/10.

Ended up listening to it three times.

It's a vibe, for sure. Don't think it's an album I NEEDED to hear before I died.

Desert sessions afrička varijanta, znači nema šta da ne valja. Možda ne bih redovno slušala ali je vrlo prijatno i cijenim umjetničke sposobnosti.

I love Ali Farka Touré - didn't know this album but I have Niafunké which may be even better (?) It's just the sound - very bluesy but not in a boring seen-it-all-before 12-bart sense, more in sense of the general "feel". Not too polished, that wouldn't fit. Love the warm thick, African sound. An interesting man too!

While it all sounded pleasant, nothing really caught my ear.

Me habían hablado maravillas de este álbum y de este artista. Supongo que no sé escuchar este tipo de música pero por más importante que sea, fue cierto calvario escuchar su hora de duración en una caminata nocturna. Me pareció tremendamente repetitivo. Sí, seguro los músicos son unos virtuosos e hicieron por la música de su país más que los héroes patrios, pero vaya, a mí me fastidió muy rápido.

You know it is good and all, but for being just shy of an hour I need a little more substance. Like once you've heard the first 30 seconds to a song you've heard the whole thing. Some of the instrumentation on this album is also really sparse which doesn't help the repetitiveness feeling. I'll be honest I kinda zoned out about halfway through this album and it just became background noise. This album isn't bad, but it isn't very memorable. Mid 3.

A surprising album with a very Mali-esque sound, it is worth listening to.

3.5

3.5

Most of the first half of the album I really got into when it was truly a cross between blues and African music. It reminded me of what I really liked about the Songhoy Blues album. But as the album went on I found it sounding more like generic World music fare. Though it was still it was still pretty good, it didn't strike me as outstanding. I did like this album but I think I like the Songhoy Blues album a lot more. 7.33 ★★★½

Not the greatest desert blues, but still really good. 4 stars

This was pretty cool. Not sure how much I'd return to it, but I thought it was pretty enjoyable throughout. 3.5 stars.

2.5

Decentish desert blues. Very samey throughout and a bit Ali Farka Snoré on its own but a good coffee shop 1001 album to have on in the background. 3 cappuccinos out of 5.

had to retrain my brain not to constantly be seeking a new melody and then i really enjoyed this, especially a few tracks at the end

I wanted to like this, but I found the song structures too simple - usually one repeated pattern. I wish there was more bass in this album too. Liked Songs Added: Soya

It was decent

Great African beats

Am Anfang war ich etwas genervt, was sich aber nach einigen Songs gegeben hat. Schön entschleunigt, zwar sehr repetitive, aber auch entspannte und launige Art. Trotzdem weiß ich, dass ich es mir wahrscheinlich nicht wieder anmachen werde. 3 – War okay / Interessant 👌 Solides Album, einige gute Momente oder Ideen. Vielleicht nichts, was ich nochmal hören würde, aber spannend zu kennen.

2006 Interesting for the first 20 minutes or so, then kind of samey. It's basically Blues, but he's probably singing about a stubborn camel or where the next watering hole is. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ nope Monotonous ★★★☆☆ (5/10)

Loved it. 4

I don't really have any strong feelings towards this album. It was pretty mellow which I liked but nothing really stuck out to me.

This will send you down a journey through African blues, and your horizons will expand.

oh this my vibe for sure

The emotional weight of this being this artist's last album and an African artist interpreting an art form created by Americans is novel, but it is not a feeling that endures for the length of the album. At the end of the day this a blues album that is fairly repetitive, even by blues albums standards. I don't think this album really needs to be on this list though I admit it was a discovery I had not heard before.

i liked it with two headphones

2.5 I appreciate the unique guitar playing and tunings, but not really anything I'd listen to again,

This one just isn’t for me. While I can hear the depth and cultural richness behind it, the music doesn’t resonate with me at all. It feels distant and fails to grab my interest. 2/5

Ambient, repetitive, inoffensive, unremarkable. I’d play it at a dinner party or wine night for people who think they’re worldly

a really strong desert blues sound by THE man for this style.

ADORE! From actual Timbuktu! Blues from Africa - how had I never heard of him before. Follow on Spotify ✅

I really loved the combination of blues and African instruments. I'm really glad I got to listen to this album.

._.

some of the songs sound like they were written for breaking bad…

CCOOOOOPLLLLLLL

I like the Western-score sound to Erdi, and the whole album in general. Soya - The air of this sounds very much like a Hozier song; I assume he was inspired by this! Very enjoyable - would have liked a more memorable last song but as we KNOW WITH THE ALBUMS ON THIS LIST that seems rare.

Some nice African desert blues here. Smaller-scale than Tinariwen or Mdou Moctar, this still has some of the same style and reminds me of them, although I'm not kniowledgeable enough about music to say what they're doing the same exactly. I did feel I had heard everything I needed to about 3 tracks in, although the final track was my favourite. Still, good stuff, and very nice not to have another US or UK band.

A little too repetitive. Very entrancing, but not a ton of substance.

Really interesting album, and really "new" music for me. I liked "Savanne", "Soya", and "Soko Yhinka".

I liked this! Cool vibes

Ali us great of course but it’s not the kind of album I’ll want to listen actively. Works really well as background music though

Good stuff

Too long winded and samey, but great vibe overall and pleasant listen.

This is what I want from this project. I haven't heard anything like it. "World music" is to music as "fish" is to biology, an easy category to shove stuff in that's not what is popular (to us), which deserves more narrow definitions. It's very African, and is also heavily influenced by American music, especially blues. It's a great blend or flavors. Outside the occasional French, the lyrics are for a different audience, so I mostly don't know what he songs are about, but this album makes me wish I knew Arabic. After checking this on Wikipedia, I'm curious about this guy's catalogue. Dying automatically makes your next release better in the eyes (or ears, in this case) of critics and publications, so I'm curious if his previous releases were even better.

Not familiar with the genre but it seemed to be somewhat experimental African blues. I enjoyed it.

Lotsa flavor

It should surprise no one that “desert blues” works so well as a genre when you consider the fact that west African musical traditions are essentially at the heart of pretty much all American popular music. And in a country that has no shortage of incredible artists blending ancient tradition with ~modern~ sound, AFT was definitely a master.

First time hearing this. Haunting, a bit slow at times. A good sound with good guitar work. Nice music for sitting in a dark room on a hot humid day.

I'm glad this is on the list! Not sure I'd revisit this particular album, but it was an interesting and energetic listen.

***An interesting album, not my cup of tea, but easy listening.

nicer sound, aber nit etwas was i regelmäßig hören würd

A beautiful blend of Malian and western music. Didn't understand a word, but enjoyed the luscious melodies all the same. African blues is such a lovely genre (Tinariweg, Mdou Moctar, etc.) and it's a crying shame that some artists (*coughElvisCostello*) get FOUR+ albums on this list, when there are so many amazing artists like Ali who didn't even make the cut. More of this, please.

Incredible guitar riffs and bluesy tunes. Obviously, not sung in English, but the mix of fantastic blues music with African singing is pretty amazing to hear. Also the story of Ali Toure is worth researching. Top notch blues musician of all time.

01) Erdi - 6,0 02) Yer Bounda Fara - 6,0 03) Beto - 5,5 04) Savane - 6,0 05) Soya - 5,5 06) Penda Yoro - 5,5 07) Machengoidi - 5,0 08) Ledi Coumbe - 5,0 09) Hanana - 5,0 10) Soko Yhinka - 5,5 11) Gambari Didi - 5,0 12) Banga - 5,0 13) N'Jarou - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,42 (54/100) Current ranking: 557/639

Solid.

Albums like this are exactly what I wanted coming into this project. A bluesy, soulful Malian album I otherwise never would have heard of? What's not to love

If I had a nickel for every album straight out of Africa that I’ve rolled so far, I wouldn’t have very many, but it’s interesting that it’s happened more than once. Perhaps more interesting than the music itself was the stuff the artist was going through while making this album. It’s a pretty cool story. Here’s some things that coincided with this album being made. Ali was; Actively dying of cancer, being the mayor of a city in Mali and helping them out by building necessities with his own money, and helping his son write his own first album. Freaking incredible. The music isn’t bad either. He’s a tremendously talented guitarist, my favorite example of that coming from “Savane”, the titular song of the album. I may not know what he’s saying, but I can definitely feel it in the music. It’s good and vibey, therefore it gets a high 3 from me. And clearly, he must be a fairly prominent artist, as he’s actually got a second album on here. I look forward to hearing that one as well. This website continues to surprise me by playing good music I would never in a million years stumble upon by myself.

In spite of the very blues looking album cover and the proclamation, beneath Ali Farka’s name, that he’s “The King of the desert blues singers,” this album doesn't sound like any kind of blues that I've ever heard. To my ears it's more blues influenced, I can hear a little John Lee Hooker but Chess Records blues this is not. What I hear is traditional West African music, you know the sounds of the Ngoni (a plucked lute), the Njarka (single-string fiddle) and the Gurkel (single-string guitar), and Toure's Western blues inspired majestic six-stringed excursions that often has an audio mirage-like effect on the listener. Did I just hear that? It's all very hypnotic, easy to be lost in trance inducing sounds. Never having heard desert blues before the songs tend to sound pretty similar to each other but it's a beautiful sound and more than a worthwhile listen.

Cool

This is an album and it came out during the year 2006, which means it can be included in later editions of this book. That seems to be the criteria and reasoning for including Savane. I preferred the other album by Toure in this book and honestly don't see a need for this one. It's his last album (because he passed away), so that's sad. This was very tedious for me. On my second listen, I found myself checking to see if we were towards the end and somehow the album was only halfway over every single time I looked. The musicianship is fine but if you want to listen to Toure, then choose his prior album in this book.

An album in French, so I had to turn to listening more on the instrumentals. Considering Ali did most of all of the main instruments, it is very impressive. I also found that this was released posthumously just a couple months after his passing. Was a nice background album during work!

I was ready to give this 1 star after the first song, but this album slowly hypnotized me. This mix of blues and African music works much better than I’d expect. This isn’t something I’m going to regularly come back to, but appreciate the introduction to a unique sound that I wouldn’t have otherwise listened to. I didn’t listen enough times through to establish favorite tracks.

Dificilmente vou voltar nesse, mas achei interessante ver essa sonoridade que tá dentro de formatos ocidentais que eu conheço, mas os tensiona o tempo todo

Solid, chill

uskomaton ali farka

This sounds like a hot day. The guitar work is great, there’s no real urgency on this record, they’re going at their own speed here and that’s just fine. 4 stars

Not for me

Excelente disco!

Never heard of this artist or the genre of African blues but this is a great album. Interestingly some of the tracks sound a bit like Indian chanting music to me. Some very nice Richard Thompson like guitar work aswell.

Just really boring and didn't keep my attention, instruments sounded weird and didn't match each other well

I can tell this guy was insanely talented, but it just felt too long

This was an interesting fusion of sounds. Some eastern, middle eastern and French vibes. Went for too long but I liked most of it

Exceptional blues

Am interesting album, I liked Yer Bounda Fara and Penda Yoro the most.

Definitiv mal was anderes. Arabischer blues war definitiv nicht auf meiner Liste, aber wars wohl bei keinem. Leider holt mich das wirre Gitarrenspiel immerwieder raus von den ansonsten meist echt interessanten Liedern, aber man gewöhnt sich dran. 1 Stunde zieht sich dann irgendwann doch sehr. Hörenswert aber ein 2. Mal würde ich es warscheins nicht anmachen. 3/5

Love the sounds but got a little boring if I'm honest.

It looks like this is one of two Ali Farka Toure albums in this collection, and yet another Malian desert-blues contributor in this project (in addition to Songhoy Blues). I feel no more qualified to assess Ali Farka Toure's place in the Malian blues than I was with the Songhoy Blues album--other than I'm pretty sure Ali Farka Toure is Mali's most famous musician/artist--but that didn't stop me from enjoying the album, despite not understanding any of the lyrics; I particularly enjoyed the title track, and was amused that "Hanana" sounded more than a bit like a Frank Zappa song. And while it appears from the Wikipedia/1001-Albums entries that this album is a blend of traditional Malian styles and some Western influences, I was glad that it seemed rooted in a specific culture and context and didn't really have any of that homogenizing world-music sound.

great blend of east and west; listened several times and found it captivating

Banga indeed

This is pretty great. I've enjoyed West African music in the past, but had never heard of Ali Farka Touré - glad to have the chance to be introduced. I'll admit it's just a shade slow for me - I love the sonic landscape of the songs, but I've associated a similar sound with a slightly faster pace previously, so this can feel a little lagging at times. That said, still something I'd be happy to have on pretty much any time.

Ali fucking toure. Beduine sound vum feinste. Natürlich i mine marroko reise druf gstosse und uf gschicht vu de Tuareg, dem Volk wo i de Sahel zone mal nomadisch glebt hed. So was heds wiedermal brucht. Was ein vibe die eige Kreation mit de afrikanisch antwort ufd guitarre. Anmerkung: er chund vu Timbuktu: Mali, aso im Niger gebore aber s land denn glaub i de 60er unabhägig wurde. Ha grad na e wikipedia deepdive hiegleid 1 Leckerbissen, 2 staatenlösung, 3 Ländereck i de Sahara, 4x4 rettigsaktion i de wüste, 5 sternlis? Jauwski 4 oder 5, wür sege es gid na geileri albe vu ihm. Vor allem na älteri versione, darum mit de hoffnig dass na eis chund, vorerst 4. scusi Ali, chunsch es cinquet über, pinky promise

2 lieder glost, aber denn müesse die wissi fahne schwänke zu ahsträngend gsi… vilicht wäred ja no paar bangers cho aber de ufwand isch's mer nöd wert gsi – daher chli unfair das z'bewerte aber so en bad boy wie ich macht das ebe trotzdem Ali Farka Tworé

West Kentucky bluegrass, African tribal music, delta blues, indian sitar jams: this album has it all. Kinda like Taj Mahal

Desert Blues just really hits the spot for me. Does it help that it’s 100 degrees out right now? That certainly possible. But something in this music calls to mind a night around a campfire, sitting with friends and relaxing. There’s some magic here that scratches an itch in my soul. Really just lovely, relaxing music. I don’t think this is necessarily Toure’s best album, but I still enjoy it very much. Anyone else who liked this one should give Ali’s son and Khruangbin’s collaboration album “Ali”.

Interesting melodies, but no clue what this guy is singing about.

Not really my thing. I guess it's a nice swan song for such a huge name in African music.

2/5

Naaaaah ... sorry, this kind of world music is not for me. 2/5

Pleasant and talented guitar work on the final, posthumous album of a local legend with international reach. The songs were a tad repetitive and there weren't many standout moments but not bad. 3/5

Liked it!

really neat melding of music from all over the world. feels like it's one part mississippi delta blues, one part western african rock. i'm really impressed by the musicianship here. some really fun riffs and grooves here. this is the sort of stuff i love to get in this project - something fun, something unique, something i'm glad i listened to before i died.

Hard to know whether this proves blues were more African (and thus less African-American) than previously thought. One's not sure there is – or can be – a true or final answer to the question of origin anyway, but the music sounds authentically rootsy and no doubt it’s a great listen, too. Deep and serious, soulful and borderline mournful, yet still tuneful and satisfying.

Not for me.

cool vibes!

Another album I am going into completely blind, firstly as a precursor before I attempt to review this album; this is seemingly beyond my capabilities as a minor music snob, I'm concerned it's gone straight over my head, but let's find out together. This album does not make me want to ride a skateboard, but it does make me want to sit in the grass, drinking a huge glass of red wine in the sun somewhere very humid and beautiful. The album has an earthy feel to it, it seems to flow from track to track almost like a river (??), it feels nostalgic but also brand new all at the same time. A true giant of African music, and potentially the greatest ambassador of desert blues, I was so pleasantly surprised by this album and can't wait to listen to it all year round. 3.9/5 - HF xo Another blind album here we go. To say I'm a lover of blues music would be selling it short and this album is no exception. Desert Blues has this earthy, rustic feel to it and you can see the inspirations of the feel and sound from Mississippi Blues and a multitude of different subgenres. The mixture of western blues and more African styles of music works incredibly well together. The track Savane in particular carries an air of mystery to it in a way, with the clean strums of acoustic guitar and the sharp twangs of some kind of high strung stringed instrument. A very welcome surprise and would happily spend another summer giving it a listen. 3.9/5 MTW

African Blues is worse than American Blues, one song is all it takes for me to know that is true. This is truly like if blues and traditional African/Middle Eastern music had a baby. This is the kind of music you'd find on in a West African restaurant where only rich white people who are looking for "authenticity" eat. There's nothing wrong with the music, it's just more like something decent to have on in the background rather than an album I want to listen to all the way through. The mores blues driven songs are much better. That's not a very high bar to cross though. N'jarou is probably the best song on the album.

The music on this record is wonderful and technically brilliant, but I do find myself having it as mainly as background stuff. That's not bad per se, but this way, highlights are missing.

1/2

Ideal soundtrack for driving through the actual Savannah in a jeep, tolerating the dry heat only because of the dusty airstream. Apart from that, not particularly good to enjoy in everyday life.

Really interesting. This is what I like about this list. Hearing completely new stuff.

Pleasant music of a genre I wouldn't typically bump into

I enjoy this kind of thing but there wasn't a lot of dynamic to it, more or less the same all the way through

Favorite Track: N’jarou

I like Ali Farka Toure. Chill blues with an African vibe. This album is great, very cool.

Expanding while familiar.

Probably not something I'd go back to but I can appreciate the talent here.

No es lo que esperaba ni lo que escucharía de normal, aún así no está mal

This will be my second Ali Farka Touré album to review, and also my last album from the year 2006 to review. I thought Ali Farka Touré’s album with Ry Cooder was fine, but I didn’t think there was anything particularly noteworthy about it. I expect to feel the same way about this album from him, but I’m hoping that maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised! Unfortunately, I was unpleasantly surprised by this album. Yes, the guitar playing was really good, and the album was pleasant to listen to. However, it was incredibly boring. The songs were just the same melodies repeated over and over again, and there wasn’t a lot of variation in sound from song to song. Some songs would start off strong with a nice melody that I enjoyed, but then nothing of interest would happen the rest of the song. The songs themselves were too long for what they were, and the album itself was too long for what it was as well. There’s some nice guitar playing on this album, but I just didn’t find it very interesting.

Love this album

The sort of album a certain type of person buys to show how intellectual they are.

desert blues

Really interesting listen 3/5

Good music well-performed, but I think the blues are at their best when you have the complete thinking/feeling picture. The feeling comes through in the music and the emotion in the vocals, but without understanding the words something is missing. My sense is this is probably a 5 star record if you're well-versed in the languages spoken in Mali. For a blues casual like me, who is already pre-disposed to be stingy with stars, hearing this record on a random day it's hard to give it the highest mark.

Not something I would generally listen to in my usual world but it was a beautiful experience. I am so glad I listend to this album!

I thought this would be fun. Kind of repetitive and grading after a while. its ok

True "roots" blues. This expert guitarist blends African American blues back with its Malian origins. And it rocks. I simply love this. 4/5

Hressandi vissulega. En náði ekki alveg hæðunum sem ég bjóst við frá Ali Farka en kannski skiljanlegt sem síðasta platan. Alveg eins og aðrar plötur sem við höfum fengið sem eru gefnar út eftir dauða listamannsins er þetta fínpússað en kannski ekki brautryðjandi.

Þægilegur eyðimerkur blús. Alltaf gaman þegar tónlistarmenn frá Afríku ná athygli umheimsins.

I don’t feel qualified to rate it, but I found it effortlessly cool

Though I like a few of the songs, most seemed lacking.

Okayish

Not cup of tea some good riffs tho.

I like how intriguing this is. Such a unique sound, a mixture of different cultures. Full of soul and fun to listen to. I feel like I’m in Louisiana but also somewhere in Africa.

Overall: 6/10 While it's not really my thing, I really respect the artistry behind this kind of music. I'm thankful the cover goes with the music, as I imagined a man sitting on his porch in a rocking chair the entire time. Fav Song: Soya Least Fav Song: Hanana

Interesting album with some catchy songs, wouldn’t listen again

Technically brilliant. Doesn’t speak to me.

An enjoyable album and a nice discovery, I can’t say I know much African blues. I really liked this vibe. Would listen again.

Pretty cool guitar work.

6/10- cool cultural music but don’t plan on revisiting

I was mostly asleep on a bus listening to this. Maybe it deserves another chance, but I have too many albums to catch up on. I think it was solid

Standout Songs: Erdi Beto Soya Banga

It was soothing blues music just wasn’t in the mood for it

At last a non European record. And very good it is, too!

Desert blues are much different from American blues

Very interesting, far outside the norm. I find it inspirational and tranquil without being boring. Pairs well with drawing and decorating.

A deserving addition to the list. So much good blues and African music in there, sometimes melded together. Really glad I listened, this one goes into the rotation

Not for me. I could only get thru 5 songs.

Really enjoyed this! Great rhythm and blues album with West Africa sounds! The music is just plain good! Will be sharing this album!

Very interesting and had some solid grooves

A good vibe, and a nice change-up from “the usual” in this 1001 albums list. I probably won’t be revisiting, though, unless I really want to impress a friend.

I’m sue this is skillfully crafted music but I didn’t understand or relate to it at all

I really appreciate the art in this record. Mixing blues with traditional African music is pretty genius to be fair. It’s raw and somehow incredibly delightful. This is something that deserves to be heard and deserves its slot on this list.

A great album. It maybe felt a bit long at times, but still an interesting listen.

quite good! a little bit too laid back for my taste, but it’s quite a good time.

Interesting. Decent passive listening, quite annoying active listen.

I found it interesting enough for one run through, but don't see myself taking to it. The whole time it reminded me of something else and I still don't know what it was. Probably a sample or something?

Harmless enough but a lot of the songs didnt seem to go anywhere (obviously this is based on my inability to understand the lyrics). Really enjoyed the title track and definitely heard a lot less through this process.

I liked the opportunity to listen to an artist I have never heard of before and, whilst I didn’t hate it, it just wasn’t for me.

Went into this with no idea what to expect but ended up enjoying it. I had been hoping for some blues to turn up on the generator, but hadn't anticipated my first blues album would be from Africa. Best tracks for me were the title track and N'jarou. 3/5

Nah. Not for me.

Talented but not really for me

This was completely new to me; I've listened to some Mdou Moctar but otherwise never really checked out Desert Blues. It's cool.

Many artists in this challenge I’d never heard of, but hoped I would find a new source of musical pleasure. It finally happened with this album. Lovely new and familiar at the same time.

Words are a big part of music for me, so in general I'm not a fan of instrumentals or lyrics in languages I don't understand. But I actually enjoyed this album. Apple Music classifies it, bizarrely, as Latin Jazz; it's definitely not Latin, and I wouldn't call it jazz. Touré is from Mali, and his music blends African sounds with very definite blues flavor. I probably won't choose this album again, but I'd happily listen to it.

NPR world-beat wankery.

I liked this a lot. You can definitely here the blues and other genres in this African guitar music. Will listen to it again.

Una sorpresa, background Maliense

RIP to a legend

19/1001. The first "world" music album to my list, which goes to show the bias of the book. Would be lovely to do a 1001 African albums you must hear before you die…or Asian, Caribbean or Brazilian. Oh, I'm sure we get some here, but this album alone is worth reminding that there is great music everywhere, and listening outside your typical Pitchfork/Rolling Stones/1001 selection can be an elevating experience. So I'm realising sadly, that the majority of this book and the project won't be about discovery but flogging on more or less dead (race) horses. I'm sure nice and new (to me) music to be discovered over there as well, but… I've listened to Ali Farka Touré before, and the newer "Sahara blues" acts. (And of course Mulatu and basically the whole Ethiopiques collection, to South African Kwaito and more contemporary urban rhythms not to mention Tony Allen, Fela Kuti and many other Afro beat / Funk acts, compilations, online bootlegs. Analog Africa anyone?) This one not, but definitely will again. Such skill to craft hypnotic tunes from a few notes, with authenticity, feeling, passion, evident sense of death coming upon the maker. I hope I keep getting albums like this (anywhere in the world) to be listened to during the next 1070 or so albums (I just came to understand there is more than 1001 on this list!, cheaters :D)

Interesting

Listened Before? N Weird stuff. Interesting fusion but not really my thing. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Savane

I loved the fusion between the American blues and African music. This works well and was an enjoyable listen.

Interesting meld of African rhythms and blues. Nice listen.

very vibey and summery and genre-defying. ultimately it was just Good to me since it was a little repetitive. i bet it would slap to hear at an outdoor cafe in nice weather

not sure how i feel about this one. it's fine? some of the songs are going to cool places with the reggae beats and almost celtic sound at some points, but overall it all sounds about the same to my ears. i liked the "child in time"-esque motif in savane, and the skillful blues guitar keeps things somewhat interesting. favorites: savane, penda yoro

Really interesting blues guitar playing. Hypnotic and easy to listen to. Solid album. Almost each song is interesting. Although lyrics aren’t there.

This was a pleasant album to have on while driving to town and back today. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t understand anything going on lyrically, but it doesn’t reduce the niceness of the sound. The guitar playing was especially fun. That said, I’m not sure it was good enough for me to want to return for another listen. I’m glad I heard it at least once though.

Listen to the first song and you have heard the entire album. It’s not bad but it’s extremely repetitive throughout. 3/10

A good mix of western blues/rock and traditional African sounds. Surprisingly enjoyable.

Repetitive I know this is supposed to be blues, but even if sometime interesting, the album feels boring to me Still sound quite good overall, but too repetitive for my taste Final opinion : It's a good album, far from the greatest or the worst, too repetive for me, I didn't get into the groove of the album

Really nice album, enjoyed the variety and the mix of sounds. I surprisingly liked the instrumentals too

The man could do fascinating things with a guitar. There's no doubt about that. And some my find this an interesting exploration of the variety of sounds possible when our traditional concept of "blues" music interacts with certain varieties of world musical styles. But it doesn't feel like anything I'm going to deliberately come back to revisit.

3,5/5 Nollaodotuksiin tää pääsi vähän yllättämään. Mukavaa jammailua.

Olihan erikoista. Autossa kuuntelun perusteella antaisin 2/5, mutta tuli kokeiltua kotikaiuttimilla ja aika hyvät soundit ja dynamiikkaa löytyy lyömäsoittimista.

Erikoisella tavalla ihan toimiva albumi. En ole aiemmin kuullutkaan tästä, bluesia oudoilla vivahteluilla. Silti hieman liian iso paketti itselle kertakuunteluun.

Semmosta etnovingutusta. Vähä oli erikoista pidemmän päälle

Jumaleissön, olipa hyvän kuuloista old school henkistä bluesia. Eipä ole ennen tullut kuunneltua malilaista bluesia, vielä kun olisi ymmärtänyt sanoista jotain.

To be perfectly candid: This music has never been my jam. I can see why people may like it and at some points it was very relaxing, but in general not for me.

Conflicted. The positives are that there's a great sound to this - almost a mix of old swampy southern-USA-blues but clearly with more modern African influences. Negatives are that there aren't really any great songs here. But it's a great mood album - would make an excellent soundtrack playing constantly in the background of a movie, or even works well as background atmosphere. More of a passive-listen but I have to say it grew on me - in the background. 6/10 3 stars.

do i understand the lyrics? no do i love it anyway? duh beautiful instrumentals throughout - i like that it doesn't feels performative I don't think I've listened to any african blues (through my own vocation) but it reminds me of random cd's my dad would acquire and play in the kitchen. I'll be diving deeper into this genre for SURE Songs added to my playlist: - Yer Bounda Fara - Savane - Soya

This was a ton of fun. Had no idea what to expect and am still not entirely sure what I heard. But I liked it a lot.

Albums like this are what I was hoping from this project. Great music I wouldn't find on my own. Nice blend of world and blues music. Dig it.

chillig 3

Sahara Blues.

bangas

3.25

fun, 4

too into drawing to really register music playing but it's good background music for a show like fallout or last of us

Never heard of this guy in my life but after one listen I'm now dedicating the rest of my life to be really insufferably into the desert blues.

This album is intriguing. Listening to it, I felt like I was in the middle of New Orleans Neo Noir film trying to solve a crime nobody wanted to take the time to solve. And I am working extra hard because I don't know French, Cajun, or any blend enough to be helpful. I am enjoying listening for clues I'll never get. Music and production value are amazing. Bottom line, is this is exactly the kind of unique album that makes this list and process so valuable.

A very rad experience I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t do this project. Lovely strumming going on here.

Music is like language… we’re well-versed in our native language and might have varying levels of awareness of others. This is an interesting mash up of blues music, of which I’m familiar, and West African music, which I know nothing about. I’ve enjoyed this, and sometimes the blues is incredibly front and center, and sometimes it’s barely there and I’m not sure what’s going on. But that makes it a unique experience

It's a vibe. Nothing really stands out, but I enjoyed working to the hypnotic mood.

Music was nice and would likely give a four if could understand the words, so going with a solid 3.

Interesting to say the least which is what I will do

This was cool. First time I've listened to a Mali artist, couldn't understand anything obviously, but he sounded really good. Loved the sound and the overall feel of this album. Very nice.

this was an interesting listen & one of the reasons to go thru this list. I probably won't seek it out to listen to again, but also wouldn't object if it was on for background music.

A little blues, a little Arabic sounds, I like it. Savane is really good.

I mean, it's OK

Was not expecting something like this to show up on this list. Pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the style, and it sounds fantastic. Mesmerizing music beautifully recorded. Couldn't turn this one off.

Mixed bag of nice vibes and some rather forgettable songs. 5/10

😊

Interesting kinda world blues but I'm not actually sure what the hell is going on. I enjoyed elements of each song and I think I would tell people I like it to give them the impression I'm smart and know what I'm talking about....but between friends I'm not really sure I do get it, and I'm an idiot who has no idea what's going on

In a more impulsive era, I cajoled a clerk at an incense shop to sell me the store’s copy of Ali Farka Toure’s The Source because I was so spellbound by it. This is more bluesy than that one but is nonetheless hypnotic.

What makes this posthumous release especially interesting to listen to is how it bridges continents and musical styles. There are fiddles and other traditional West African instruments throughout, but also saxophones ("N'jarou," "Beto") and harmonica ("Ledi Coumbe"), and he sings "Savane" in French. Ali Farka Toure was often compared to John Lee Hooker, and while he has his own distinctive sound, he often veers into a similarly droning Delta blues vein. It all makes for a highly captivating, meditative listen.

This list has really exposed me to some Desert Blues. I think this is my favorite record of the bunch.

This did nothing for me. Maybe if I understood the lyrics it would.

Not my favorite desert blues album but he deserves a spot on the list for sure.

genuinely very good

lovely stuff

Incomparable guitarist. Great stuff.

This was fairly forgettable for me. Language barrier can be a problem except when the music really grabs me.

Quite mellow at times, other times a bit too repetitive. I like this kind of music but I'm not sure if this is the best example of it.

This sounds like the type of thing that would be playing at a restaurant that served some kind of weird exotic food that I never tried before and in the end it would have served as an interesting experience but it wasn't something that I enjoyed very much and wouldn't try again. The same goes for this music.

I like the textures and rhythms of this album, the african blues.

African blues. Not as good as Songhoy Blues but I enjoy the style so I still I liked the album.

I enjoyed this. I liked his vocal style. I did find that there wasn't quite enough variation to keep me totally invested for the entire duration of the album.

3/5 different but I liked it

I have the utmost respect for this kind of music. It's just not my style to listen to.

Not my thing at all, but clearly genius.

This is fine. It's different and a good exposure to some international (West African) music. The guitar playing is cool but I think there are other examples (Mdou Moctar) that I would turn to first if I was in the mood for this genre. A bit of a long album. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)

I didn't understand a word on the record, but I still enjoyed the tunes. Some of the songs did sound the same as others, but overall I liked it. 3/5

The musical whiplash of going from Mariah Carey to Ali Farka Toure is exactly why I love listening to albums off of this list. An astonishing spotlight on a side of blues that I had never heard previously!

Always, just beautiful voice and sounds. It didn’t distinguish itself on first listen as a step above the typically gorgeous sounds of this genre, so it’s a bit of a reluctant 4 rather than 5.

This was really interesting and I really liked it. It is not quite jazz and has some nearly experimental bits. It is certainly refreshing world music and it matters as far as simply hearing it and knowing about it goes. I am all for diversity and a deeper understanding of other cultures and musical taste and variety and thank 1001 album generator for the chance. I think the music is of good quality and never gets boring, I wish in a way I could understand what the lyrics are saying because that would really shine a light on the culture and meaning in the music. Alas, I don't actually know what language they are singing in so ....

Nice!

This album was a lot more interesting and pleasant than I had expected. I really enjoyed the guitar, and how much of the music resembled American folk music. Nonetheless, it is not something I’ll choose to return to. Grateful to have experienced it once *before I die*.

really good album sounds like Gotye "borrowed" the beat for that song from here

i fear this may be too niche for me to appreciate, but i'll rate anyway Erdi - 2/5 Yer Bounda Fara - 4/5 Beto - 4/5 Savane - 3/5 Soya - 4/5 Penda Yoro - 3/5 Machengoidi - 2/5 Ledi Coumbe - 2/5 Hanana - 1/5 Soko Yhinka - 2/5 Gambari Didi - 4/5 Banga - 3/5 N'jarou - 3/5 Average score: 2.8/5 (rounding up) yeah i felt like i could only half appreciate this album sadly, just not the kind of music i gravitate towards. i will say i enjoyed this far more than i thought i would at least

i love this

Not for me

Fun Blues Music. Great for background while at work

Enjoyable enough, but hard to imagine a situation where I'd listen to it again.

Could see this as interesting background music

With all due respect to Ali Farka Touré and his work and legacy, I found this stripped-down blues album to be quite boring and too long.

If all blues came from the desert, I would be a bigger fan.

I can't count how many blues albums I have suffered after 700 recordings on this list but this might be the only one I actually like.

Listened to it a few times over the weekend - hoping it would grow on me - and whilst I enjoyed it did not breakthrough and faded into pleasant background music.

Savane Ali Farke Toure is one of those people I’m aware of and have heard quite a bit of through various compilations, but I haven’t ever listened to one of his albums fully. Anyway I really liked this, the desert blues, the middle eastern inflections, the rhythms, the horns, harmonica, acoustic guitars, and his guitar tone, the words seemingly dipping in and out of Arabic and French, it all feels very evocative of a place I’ve never been with a beautiful stateliness and warmth. On some listens I just let the whole thing warmly wash over me like and on others I paid closer attention. Songhoy Blues was the other Desert Blues album we’ve had and I really liked it, but that felt more youthful and energetic, whereas this felt older and more comfortable. Maybe it’s because Savane sounds a bit like What Good Am I or something from Oh Mercy, but I get the same feeling that albums gives me, kind of ruminative and contemplative, but also with a sense of being at ease (even though I don’t know what he’s singing about). I enjoyed pretty much every track, but the run of Beto-Savane-Soya-Penda Yoro is great, and I really liked the folk-ish desert blues of Soya. Hanana I liked too, the arabic fiddle, tabla percussion and drone is great, very charmingly hypnotic. N’jarou is great too, the rhythmic brass and guitar together are lovely. It’s a lovely, meandering, charming album, like gentle waves of lovely warm water lapping over your feet on a lovely sunny beach - solid 4. 🇲🇱🇲🇱🇲🇱🇲🇱 Playlist submission: Soya

An evocative and soulful album full of superbly played stringed instruments to create a great African tapestry of melody. A masterclass in singing little but saying a lot.

World music great listen

This is the 73rd album I’m rating. I don’t really know what this is but African Blues seems pretty cool. Adding to my Playlist - Erdi, Yer Bounda Fora, Beto, Savane, Soya, Penda Yoro, Machengoidi, Ledi Coumbe, Hanana, Soko Yhinka, Gambari Didi, Banga, and N’Jarou. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 13/13 songs. This feels so familiar and it just sounds so good. I don’t understand it but African Blues and Ali Farka Touré are great.

So good and chill

Desert Blues! Who would’a thunk it?! I really enjoyed this album for many reasons. First, I appreciated that it was not a straight Delta-Style, but blended American blues with local tribal and Spanish Flamenco, best heard on the song Sabu Yerkoy. The song Savane was almost psychedelic in its hypnotic repetition. Meanwhile songs like Bonde retained more of the African feel. It was interesting that ‘70-80s blues man Ry Cooder was so prominent on this album, but doing so in such a way that his contribution didn’t overshadow Ali Farka. I could listen to this one again and again.

Random thoughts: * Before 1001, I never heard of the genre "African desert blues" * I listened to this one awhile ago and I don't remember much from it. It was alright and I would listen again.

From his breakthrough record yesterday to his final album, recorded just before his death in 2006 and released posthumously. This is an album full of strangeness and charm, with traditional instruments like the ngoni and calabash alongside guitars and harmonicas and vocals in a mix of languages. You don’t need to understand the words to feel the powerful emotions running through them. Touré said that he thought this was his best album and who are we to argue? I also read today that in 2004 he became mayor of his home town of Niafunké and spent his own money earned from his music improving the roads, building generators, and installing irrigation and sewage systems. I can’t think of a better legacy to aspire to.

Before this list I never heard of Ali Farka Touré, and after a second album from him, I understand why he is part of this. This is a really good, natural, convergence of blues and West African music.

Wasn’t familiar with this guy before but really liked his sound and the vibe of this record. I read afterwards this was released posthumously and Ali recorded it knowing he was dying, but you’d never tell because the guy sounds chill as hell on this. I can see the influence his guitar tone alone has had on more recent bands like Songhoy Blues, and will probably check out some of his earlier records.

Some interesting sounds on here, but for me it's mostly unrelatable.

It's pretty chill and a nice enough time in general. There's some quite complex arrangements here that are very well done, it's just it doesn't massively stir anything in me. It all weaves together nicely and is an easy enough listen.

Not a fan.

Not bad, gets a little samey in places though

Rich, lively and uniquely deeply bayoufied. Creole dialect and all. A lot to appreciate here but also alot to overlook and write off as noise. As a blues conscious fan, I have to say this album did not deserve tinny guitars and compression. This album needed a few mics in a room with acoustic instruments slightly out of tune. Would add so much more character.

Simultaneously interesting and boring....

I mean, this wasn't terrible but I'm also not sure what's so great about it. Really dragged at the end.

Good work backdrop: chill and tuneful. Probably wouldn't seek this out often, but it might make its way on to the work rotation.

I like this guy’s style on this one. All good vibes. No worries. “Desert Blues” really does fit so well. Great instrumentation and vocals, when they’re present. Good stuff. 4/5

Blues from a Malian artist. Enjoyed this despite the language barrier. "Erdi" grooves, very rhythmic. "Savane"

Have an old relationship with Afro-world music and Toure, but have never heard this. I like it and am reacquainting myself with that attraction. Straightforward without being simplistic. Laid back. Not having any sense of what he's singing or how it fits culturally, I'm simply along for the ride. Wikipedia tells me that's Toumani Diabate there too, who I adore. Elemental.

Gosh - this was a melodic treat! It did go on a tad too long but I loved the entrancing effect it had, like floating on treacle.

I want to like unfamiliar music, or at least be aware that some of my reticence is really just unfamiliarity and factor that into my assessment. But, at the end of the day, I found this very basic and repetitive in an unpleasing way. Add to that the tone of whatever instrument was being plucked with the microphone right up against the fretboard ... was that a guitar? The tone was difficult to endure. So, trying to tread with grace. But really, I didn't dig this at all.

At times, this can be pretty mystical and hypnotic. Other songs didn't work as well for me, but man, when it works, it's something. That first tune is fantastic.

If I were sitting poolside in the sun with Jen and a summer cocktail I would enjoy this more. However, trying to take it in today with work and the news of the world, I can't get it into it. It's me not you, Ali

The instrumentation was really interesting but I don’t think it’s something I’d come back to ultimately

Unfortunately didn’t finish this album, the blues were good but not much else to say, perhaps I should’ve given it a better chance. 5/10.

посмертный блюз голодных детей Африки

Yeah I really like this. So different with strong blues undertones but a great flow