Djam Leelii

This is why I love this project. I never would have found this. And I may never listen to again. But dang did I like it on this car trip.

This is lovely! Relaxing, hopeful, energetic, and worldly. It makes me feel far away (in a nice way).

Ok so random thoughts on this: 1. Finally something I'd never have heard of otherwise, and not just the Beatles or Bowie for the umpteenth time. 2. Cool guitars and tribal drums. I dunno if traditional music, but something close to it? 3. Singing is alright but wears out its welcome. Gets too Arabic-sounding after a while, like those annoying prayer calls that just blast at 100 decibels in the streets in MENA countries. 4. This album shouldn't go for over an hour. A bit too repetitive. But it would've been fine at 30min for sure. 3/5.

I can't for the life of me understand why this album is on 1001. For lack of a better explanation, I'll once again blame the British for this album appearing on 1001 as some attempt to appease their colonial guilt. I'm guessing Baaba is from a West African country. I'm from a North American country. I respect whatever musical traditions they're bringing to the table, and I have a personal responsibility to bring an open mind and hear this music with as few hangups and expectations built up from 36 years of "western" pop traditions, but I sure as hell don't have to like this. Songs are repetitious, droning, no change in dynamics, no development arc. I found small pockets of beauty, but I can find small pockets of beauty in a sewage processing plant. What is the point of this album? Is it just to feel one thing (detached mild ennui) and feel that same thing over and over again until the album ends? Did Baaba Maal want their listeners to accidentally fall asleep at the wheel and plow into a dairy farm? Perhaps perhaps perhaps if I understood the language there could be a deeper emotional impact, but that would have to be some exquisite poetry to overcome the doldrums of the music. D-

Looks like something I might be interested in... Baaba Maal seems to be a big figure in the music of Senegal, and this is his debut with friend Mansour Seck. It has great vocals from both, in traditional African stylings. On the best tracks (like Muudo Hormo) we also get cool, traditional, organic percussion that fits perfectly. Personally, I'm not a huge guitar fan, so the turn-off for me is the predominance of acoustic (and one time electric) guitar across this album. Having said that, these guys tend towards beautiful, simple melodies that repeat and gradually develop. The best tracks are hypnotically repetitious, which is just the shit I love in any genre of music. It seems like this has just been chosen for the list as "world music for guitar fans" - but I can put up with that, because it's a mesmerising album. 4/5.

Gorgeous instrumentation and vocals. I have heard Baaba Maal mentioned by other musicians so it was great to actually be able to listen to him.

Great listen, atmospheric achostic vibes with african influence, no lyrics some chanting. good to listen and loose yourself in

Kind of cool. Never would have found this on my own. Songs are all a bit long and of course I have no idea what the lyrics are, but the instrumentals are interesting and it really handles the role of background music very well.

I've never heard something like that before, it was a cool experience. Nevertheless felt kinda boring, songs were too long and repeatable, both singing and melodies. And still not my type of music.

Not sure, at track one, if this is a me album. Intensely folky and repetitive, but I'm keeping an open mind. It's nice in places, but I'm just not deeply into Senegalese folk jams. Clearly it has value, but it sounds a lot like any other culture jamming - pleasurable for the musician more than the listener. Then it might just be me not understanding the culture well enough. Don't mind some Tinariwen or Manu Chao, but this just isn't grabbing me.

I never would have given this a chance if it weren't for this project, so score a point for the list. Some really nice guitar work that really grew on me as I listened. Best track: Kettodee

Really loved the ethereal feel of this. I didn't pay as much attention to each track as I'd have liked, but having it on in the background is wonderful.

Not for me. Very long. I can appreciate the fact that it's a completely different style than I've really heard before, but I just couldn't get into it.

I didn't understand it at all, but it's very nice to receive this kind of album here on this list. Just listen to it and it's absolutely impossible does not to note the importance and influence of these songs in almost everything I listen to every day. The language, the drums, and everything else is recognizable in some way Unexpected surprise, not understandable, but very cool!

Dreamy

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

In this book to hit a diversity quota. Absolute drivel.

One of the reasons I'm doing the 1001 albums challenge is to discover gems like this album. What a stunningly beautiful record it is. A few guitars, percussions and a touching voice and the end result is simply magic. I don't understand the lyrics - though I made some research and read about what they sing about - but it's a good proof how music can connect different cultures, backgrounds, and people together. This album touches my heart deeply. Just wonderful.

Uauuuu!

This is what I thought this list was

As always with non-English language selections I feel like I can’t fully appreciate this. The instrumentation is fantastic, and although the signing style is way outside my cultural zone, it was interesting, and complemented the music.

There's some really beautiful music on this album. The guitar playing is absolutely amazing and the percussion compelling and infectious. The vocals took some getting used to but never intruded on my enjoyment of the music. A really beautiful listening experience. 4 🌟

Very lovely. Glad to be introduced to a genre and musical style that I would have been unlikely to find otherwise. Album felt a little long at times and I probably need to be in the right mood for it.

Senegalese tunes and familiar western rhythms are combined beautifully. The album starts with high-energy tracks, and the melodies become more thoughtful later.

A little different, tribal sounding for the most part, that's the point of these right, to listen to a lot of different sounds!

a unique and somewhat soporific album. far too lengthy and unfocused/meandering to really stand out, but it makes for an interesting listen nevertheless.

This is what this book is made for. I've never heard of this and would have never sought it out. I have absolutely no idea what any of the songs are about, but the vocals sound great. I really dig it, although it is a little long and feels repetitive which lowers the rating for me. 3.5/5

Neodlučna sam oko ovog. Prije godinu dana bi sigurno imala ne tako dobar dojam o ovom albumu, ali u međuvremenu san gledala neki film di je ovakva glazba savršeno zaokružila cilu scenu pa san tu pismu slušala neko vrime i valjda mi se sad zbog tih pozitivnih sjećanja svidio i ovaj album. Do neke mjere. Malo predug album pa nakon nekog vrimena postane repetitivno. Čak bi mi se više svidilo da je sami instrumental ili možda malo manje pivanja. 2.5/5

Imaginez un album d'environ une heure constitué de pistes elles-mêmes constituées d'interminables boucles mélodiques. Imaginez maintenant qu'un homme y superpose des sénégalaiseries chantées pour nous faire oublier la redondance de l'instrumental. Vous obtiendrez alors l'album Djam Leelii de Baaba Maal et lui accorderez une note de trois sur cinq.

I felt like I was trapped in a neverending Lion King pitch meeting.

I did not need to listen to this. The music itself is unremarkable. I didn't skip any songs, but I tolerated it.

Absolutely not.

AGAIN! I DONT DO JAZZ Its fucking musical masterbation, no one wants to watch someone else doing it.

Did not listen, absolutely zero interest in this type of music.

Loved it. It's understated in a way that makes every replay sound fresh. Great for chill car ride with fam

This made for a pleasant relief after some humdrum 90s guitar bands. Vibrant and energetic. Superb guitar playing and a definite 5 stars from me.

Wow. The production on this is just gorgeous - thick, layered, hypnotic. This is the kind of record I frequent this website for. No favourite tracks, nor am I likely to listen to this on the daily, but man is it great.

Me encantó escucharlo, salir de la rutina de escuchar rocksito gringo o britanico es rejuvenecedor, deberían argregar más música internacional a esta pinga 10/10.

Finalmente algo diferente de álbumes gringos o gringos europeos. 9/10

Nice. I made it a habit to listen to those albums as they were originally released, so 8 songs here. Which were: nice. A lot of West(?) African music has this ~bounce to it - this shit grooves. "Salminanam" made me want to skip, but the rest was mesmerizing - stand out: Maacina Toora - and all in all much better and more interesting than the similar offering "Talking Timbuktu"(#30) (music from neighbouring Mali, but with 50% boring white man's Blues). Not sure if this is 5 star nice but I feel like offsetting the reviews of the troglodytes who can't process anything that isn't english-speaking pop/rock. I for one wanted to hear this.

really like this. No idea what they are singing about but lovely sounds

Talvez eu inclua esse som dentro de rock psicodélico simplesmente por falta de conhecimento de outro gênero ou músicos similares. Frases de guitarra simples e hipnotizantes, batuques com todos os tipos de instrumentos rítmicos, acompanhadas de um vocal entoado (que me pareceram mantras em algumas músicas) trazem algo de novo e refrescante pra essa lista, e que definitivamente tornam meu repertório mais rico

Loved this. Never heard Senegalese music before but will definitely listen again.

I absolutely appreciate the sound and feel of this whole album. A quote for Baaba Maal sums up my listening experience pretty well, although with a very Western experience I bet I’m missing a ton when I listen with my own ears…maybe not in some ways? “The spirit of the kora and the ngoni are different from the talking drum and the balafon, or the sabar and the djembe. The kora and ngoni are closer to human beings, because they are made from things that had life. The talking drum, the balafon, and the sabar are made from wood, and when you listen to them your mind goes out into the forest. When you make music and write songs, you have to know about the messages. From the messages, you know what the instruments are and how to put them together underneath the lyrics."

Fantastic. Great to just throw on and vibe. I only wish I could speak Pulaar so I could appreciate that gawlo storytelling.

Just an absolute pleasure to listen to. The tones the textures. The way he can convey a feeling in a song despite not knowing the meaning behind the lyrics… just gorgeous gorgeous music and this is exactly the kind of thing I want to be shown more of on this list.

I have never heard this before and I truly enjoyed it. The artist has a very interesting story as does the history of music in Senegal.

This is what I came here for. Absolutely beautiful. Sounds totally fresh.

Well shit. This is so, SO good. We had a 1993 Baaba Maal album a few months ago, and this is a clear precursor to that one’s high-tech, larger-than-life jams. This one, I feel like it was just tracked by great musicians in a room together. And it’s SO compelling. I can’t get over how expressive Baaba Maal’s voice is. I wish I could understand the language, but even without it it’s just arresting. Let’s talk groove, though… this grooves like NOTHING else. This is some crazy shit!! “Muudo Hormo,” that is my favorite track of the entire year so far. So sly. It starts in this totally pretty, folk pastoral, style, and gradually speeds until it’s this infectious JAM. I was dancing all over my house listening to this. Couldn’t stop. Even now as I’m listening to it a fourth time. It just has this sweet, beautiful, yet joyful quality. I can’t remember the last time a song compelled me to dance so JOYFULLY. This is a beautiful thing. Do I detect a tiny hint of prog influence? Just in the way some of the guitars are played, recorded. Those super bright DI acoustics, we call that sound “cheap” in America. I’m starting to really, really like it. I don’t mind the long runtime at all! The bonus tracks were some of my favorites. Really, that balafon player should win an award. It’s criminal that this music is so overlooked here in America. I want to go to the places where it’s celebrated, where it’s danced to. 5/5

Man this was fun. Outside the normal scope of albums I get. Just good chill vibes. Love the arrangements of not often heard instruments.

Loved it! Unique sound. Great rhythms. I’m a sucker for albums that aren’t in English

Extraordinarily beautiful. I loved the melodies, harmonies, instrumentation all the way through. Spotify calls Baaba Maal an "epic storyteller" making me regret that I don't understand the lyrics.

Beautiful guitar interplay and vocals. Another album/musician on buy list, thanks to this site. :-)

Those first few bars had me. I love this type of sound - not quite desert blues in the Ali Farka Toure mode, but pretty close in places. That guitar and then when the kora kicks in (yes, that's not all guitar you know...) This might be better in its original eight track package (although Kettodee is one of my favourite tracks). But it's pretty darned good anyway. I must have first heard Baaba Male on the old Andy Kershaw world music show on Radio 3. Not that it was really world music - just whatever Andy felt like playing really. Miss that show; there's not really been anything like it since and it made Sunday nights special. Tossing up between a 4 and a 5. Assume the shorter, eight track version and then add a point for not being in English anyway and it's a 5 from me. More non-English music please.

amazing

Brilliant. Exactly what I am looking for from this list. An album that I should have listened to before.

Dope album

Incredible album!

so beautiful

Amazing!!

Really nice album, would never have thought to listen to it otherwise.

SENEGAL!!! alussa luulee että intiaa..mutta ei... liian hyvä äänenlaatu.. these mfkers speak WOLOF.... wolofphones... top 20 jalkapallomaa... kakkostiimi AINA..AINA mm kupissa... espanja ykkönen...dogshit team...senegal kantaa.. nelosta olin antamassa mutta on vitosta annettu paskemmille albumeille (rodeohead) ja 2.77 average heh. average rating heh.... pistää niin vitun vihaksi.. tai pistäisi jos kiinnostaisi... meikä olen parempi ihiminen, ei tarvitse katella tommosia... parempi ihminen tietää objektiivisuuden. käsittämätön ääniskeippi... sielu uppoaa aavaan kitarahyrskyyn... pistää transsiin.. olisi uskomaton juna musiikki... maacina toro

Great African music. The vibe is perfect here

absolutely beautiful favorite track was probably Maacina Tooro, but the whole album is just so wonderful 10/10

Stupendous.

So this could just be the early stages of a crush talking, but I might just have a new favourite world music album. I was completely hooked from the get-go and the interest never faltered through the 9 tracks. This record really is something else. Baaba Maal has an amazing and unconventional voice, and the acoustic guitar of Mansour Seck is hauntingly beautiful. Adding on top of that the idiophone on for instance 'Muudo Hormo', and the result is an incredible atmosphere transporting the listener to somewhere else entirely. What impresses me is how the record manages to be so so groovy while still leaving plenty of space for contemplation. Definitely worthy of a lot more listens.

I’m in shock. Where did Baaba Maal emerge from? And how am I only hearing of him this moment? With Djam Leelii Maal and Mansour Seck have created one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums I’ve ever heard coming out of Africa. Maal’s vocal is both powerful and full of emotional range while Seck’s guitar playing will haunt my ears for days - not to mention the effect kora and balafon has on this record! Djam Leelii might easily end up in the top 5 of African records for me.. Until I’m sure I’m going to dive deeper into Baaba Maal’s discography and look forward to the March release of his upcoming album, Being.

A decolonial masterpiece!

After shirking my 1001 duties for a week, this is a mighty fine album to return to. Baaba Maal  was another one of the artists who were key to getting me hooked on African music. I didn't have Djam Leelii  but bought his next album Baayo - (which is also excellent). Thankfully my copy is still in good shape since I can't find the full Baayo LP on Spotify or YouTube.  The guitars and his voice are quite amazing. Not much else to talk about but that is definitely enough.

1989 - World Music (hard to describe - Classic guitar; Xylophone; Steel Drum; Chant)

I discovered Baaba in college, so I knew what I was getting into. Love the instrumentation and the hauntingly beautiful singing. I could listen to this all day forever.

Beautiful. Surprised I'd never heard this before, will be a favourite and need to investigate more of Maal's work

Musik um ihretwillen; sie erzählt und wird getragen von der Erzählung der Instrumente im Reich des Halls. Der Gesang überkommt die call response Struktur der weithin so gebauten Stammesgesänge. Erinnert eher an Blues und ist in seiner analog trancigen Art einer der Ursprünge für Schaffens des Animal Collective. Mesmerized 4.5

This album was a VIBE it felt ALIVE Ko Wone Mayo was especially memorable. Fuck it, five stars, this was unlike anything else, a really nice album.

Honestly really pleasant. Had this dense atmosphere but felt enlightening.

This is cool.

Rules.

Found this really relaxing and calming. Wouldn't have heard of it or listened to it if it hadn't been generated! I really loved the guitar melodies and the percussion

Really enjoyed it

Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck - Djam Leelii This was the one I was scared of the most when I went on on this, but I absolutely loved this album. Yes it's way out of the way of music I listen to, but it's was an awesome discovery for me. (8.33) ★★★★

Besides the great music, the liner notes of Ian Anderson about this album are fascinating: "The tale of how this record finally got released here is too involved to repeat in full. One copy of the original cassette found its way to Britain and acquired legendary status among devotees of West African music. Dreams of tracking down the tapes continued unfulfilled for several years until Baaba's English debut in 1988. By then, the original mixes were long lost, but the multi-track tapes of most of the songs were unearthed in Dakar. Hunting for the remainder met a dead end but, to our joy, produced the tapes of another whole session recorded some months earlier. What you have here is a nearly-lost classic of Senegalese music. In November 1988, Baaba and Mansour got together again for a triumphant London concert, proving beyond doubt that this acoustic setting for his music remains equally powerful alongside the complex might of the current electric band"

Super glad I listened to this. I wish I was high while it was playing, super trancey, but super simple as well. Something about listening to a foreign language sing is so beautiful. Loved this. Fav Songs: Maacina Tooro

West-African music is amazing. I love the almost meditative nature of the guitar and the percussion. I love it to bits.

So I’m not sure this album should be on this list, but I am really glad it is as I love discovering new music like this. While it’s some really enjoyable African folk music that became a nice soundtrack to my morning errands, at over an hour long it is a bit too repetitive for me to agree that this should have been included as an album to hear before you die.

Wonderful, and so different from most of the list. I didn't understand a word, but I didn't need to. An artist whose name I had heard, and whose work I look forward to exploring when I'm done with this list

Very enjoyable and out of comfort zone for me 4/5

I’m tryna come up with a variation of the Boss Baby joke, something like Person who’s only heard Fela Kuti listening to other African Music: This is giving me major Fela Kuti vibes, but honestly Djam Leelli sounds nothing like Fela Kuti’s work. It’s much more of a vibe, and I really enjoyed it, it’s the sort of thing I can picture myself relaxing to when I’m in a particularly lethargic summer mood, and I’m listening to it at the beginning of November

I enjoy this a lot. I´d really like to understand more about African music - it is such a huge continent with so much diversity. And I know nothing about its musical scene! Even though I couldn't understand the words, I felt myself bobbing along and vibing with the music. Easy to listen to, and makes an impact even with the language barrier.

I suspect that Baaba Maal was one of the first Worldbeat acts I heard but only in fragments on odd radio programmes. This is very good.

This is a good time. There was just one moment where I felt that the percussion that was just coming in, was out of place.

Exotic and relaxing 3.7

Cool rock! Definitely gets points for being in another language!

Awesome Melodic sound

Surprisingly good

Nice. Relaxing.

"Djam Leelii" is the first collaborative studio album by Senegalese musicians Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck. The album received wide-spread critical acclaim. Maal and Beck both play acoustic guitar and sing the vocals. The other musicians on the album included Aziz Dieng (electric guitar), Mama Kouyate (Kora (harp-lute)), Jumbo Kouyate (Balaton (idiophone)) and Papa Dieye (percussion). "Lam Tooro" opens the album. Acoustic guitars and simultaneous melodies. Strong tenor voices. "Salminanam" adds a percussion including what sounds like congas and some sort of shakers. Electric guitar too. It's a happy song and a good one. A single acoustic guitar going up and down the scales begins "Bibbe Leyday." A balafon comes in. Passionate singing and song. "Kettodee" features Maal and Seck chanting. Not all songs are happy: a more subdued musical tone and emotionally serious vocals highlight "Ko Wone Mayo" and "Daande Lenol." Maal and Seck have tremendous tenor voices. Layered vocals, melodies and rhythms. Various percussion instruments are used. Most of the songs have a happy and soothing feeling. The album does end with some more serious songs. You do not need know the language when the vocals and music change the tone. This is a really good album that most people would enjoy without ever previously hearing Senegalese music.

Actually beautiful

nice stuff

I really enjoyed it. My only caveat is that his voice is a bit too nasally for me which became a tad grating. But it’s a beautiful album. 4

I have no frame of reference for Senegalese music to know how much of a banger this is or not. I recently heard another Baaba Maal album on here, and it had more for my brain to catch on to. I'm sure, had I heard it as a teenager, this album would have been in popular rotation for me to fall asleep to.