Reviews (page 2 of 7)
Non relatable, Arabic music
No joy.
This didn’t thrill me
Que se yo, se me volvió un poco monotematico Pero banco pq no es lo mismo de siempre Nota: 3.1
Soothing and warm
I'm sure there's beauty in this.
Honestly wasn’t terrible just a lot longer than I needed it to be
I'll probably never listen to it in full again, but I'm glad that I did this once.
Quite groovy to listen to! I do relate to some of the critique that it gets a bit long and the quasi-religious chanting gets a bit too much after a while. But I've heard far worse in this challenge.
The sparse instrumentals and little chord changes leave for a stretched out listening experience, not even counting the runtime. I don't think I am quite sold on the voice, which has power but often very nasal. Probably for someone who will find this entrancing or meditative, but not for me.
Excellent. New to me and will get futher plays.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 Huh. This was, like, really good. Though I often make a habit of responding to global reviews in my own reviews, don’t think for a second I’m the type of person to use my review to compensate for anyone else’s—I’m too selfishly attached to my own opinions. Just as much as I’m not gonna lob a 1 at Sticky Fingers just because Mick Jagger’s a turboperv, I’m not gonna give this one a 5 just to stick it to this site’s lobotomized review committee. To be frank, I think there’s some weird vibes on both sides of today’s discussion (even if one side has their heart in the right place), and I think neither is really engaging with Djam Leelii the way it deserves. It’s pretty easy to write off the numbnut chuds saying this is here to fill a diversity quota when a) even removed from any “leftist agenda,” one would just statistically expect music from around the globe in a list compiling the most historically significant selection of albums, b) the point of engaging with such a list is to expand one’s horizons, and c) when the Beatles, Bowie, the Stones, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, Radiohead, and many more have 6+ albums on the list, shouldn’t we all be begging for more diversity? Is this not the same crowd who thinks they’re in hell because they have to sit through like five Tom Waits albums? While well meaning, the white knighting this album is receiving in response is also a bit off-putting to me—there’s a bit of condescension to the glut of “I’ll never listen to this again, but isn’t it just swell?” reviews. I suppose it’s a more welcoming attitude to begin with than the hater brigade, but I’m detecting a certain “I would’ve voted for Obama a third time” scent here that sort of politely stymies real discussion of the music. Like, it seems you’re still a little weirded out by the foreignness if you’re talking with this distance, no? I’m not nonwhite enough to be policing this sort of thing, and I’m certainly not senegalese to interact with this from a decolonial perspective, but my thought was if Brian Eno loves it, I’m probably gonna love it too. Whatever I think, I’m gonna rate it how I want to rate it. I sort of had to ease my way into this one. Admittedly, even as a weird voice enjoyer, I didn’t love Baaba Maal’s at first, but his cracked, high strains kept bleeding emotion and it didn’t take long to win me over. I went through a similar trajectory with the guitar work, which at first felt like diaphanous background tracks (which I am seemingly more receptive too than most of this site’s most popular reviewers, though I have my limits), but the cyclical rhythms jumped beyond hypnotic into identifiable characters of their own. A lot of people describe this album as sort of an atmospherically flattening experience, but I actually found there to be a decent diversity of sounds here. Some I wasn’t as fond of definitely had an island feeling, and Emily was spot on when she said songs like “Ko Wone Mayo” could’ve been Eagles intros, to my immense dismay. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising, but there’s often a Bluesy furrow to these songs that maintains its sharpness despite their focus on subdued cyclicality (which I just know is what hooked Eno). Musically, I was able to pick up on a lot, but who knows what I’m missing lyrically—Emily was actually the MVP for a Djam Leelii listen because she caught when Maal switched from Senegalese to French in “Ko Wone Mayo.” Even if there’s stuff I’ll never understand without a Senegalese prerequisite, Djam Leelii seems easily worth another listen. At first, I was surprised to find myself downloading one song, then another; then, I felt confident this would be one of those 3.5s where there are chunks of good songs—“Muudo Hormo,” “Salminanam,” and “Maacina Toro” was one, and "Sehilam,” “Kettojee,” and “Ko Wone Mayo” was shaping up to be another—but the chunks kept expanding until they were no longer the outliers. I don’t know if I’ll end up keeping every track here, but I will most certainly be listening again, because there was some really good stuff in here. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
I'm very happy to inhabit the incredibly normal territory between "I'm racist and this sucks because it's not western dad rock" and "wow this is the best thing that's ever happened to me because the artist is from Africa and I happen to be very woke." My opinion is very normal and nuanced, and I liked this very much but not in a weird way. I swear. Anyway... Wow! What a gem! I listened to this album twice in one day. The first listen through was a delightful discovery full of surprises and variety, and the second listen through had, surprisingly, exactly the same effect. I'd be happy to listen to this album again any time.
At some point this music blends into time and space to the point where you don't give a fuck anymore and you're just dying for this to be over with but it can't ever end and you have to keep hearing instrumental songs that sound kind of different but not very different
Pleasant enough
After being fed what felt like an endless stream of indie nonsense, I have so much time for this.
could not bring myself to listen through the album, therefore disclaimer: an uninformed 1 star rating
Indian music not my thing and Ive listened to all that are in the list so far. Just not my vibe.
No fav song
very lovely
Was better than I was expecting. Guitar sounded great.
This was an absolute surprise, but Djam Leelii is damn near flawless. This is basically some very sparse (but deceptively intricate), hypnotic music with intense, unique vocals. These are all components I gel with *very* well, and Djam Leelii actually reminds me of some of Songs:Ohia's most ethereal moments. In short, we're off to a good start. These are largely very repetitive songs, but on a moment to moment basis, the instruments are in constant conversation with each other, in a very striking, organic way. The result is that these songs have a lot of movement and depth, despite the repetition. There are some moments where the two guitars here meld in such a way with the percussion here that the result is utterly dizzying. Melodies and rhythms overlay each other, weave in and out, and remain in a state of constant push and pull, but the vocals can always cut through. I don't know a ton about Baaba Maal, but I do know that he sought to serve as a living reminder of how storytelling is for everyone, and not just the Griot class of people which exists within his culture, and I absolutely appreciate this message, especially over music as spellbinding as this. And despite the fact that I am awfully distant from Senegal, the art here has managed to touch me as many of my favorite albums have. This one is really special.
Interesting album. Quite the journey it takes you on, wish I could understand the lyrics, but it was good enough to kinda feel what each song was maybe about.
It was good but I don't think I needed over an hour of it. High 3
It was good, but I did start losing interest towards the end.
I did not enjoy 72 minutes of this
I love the contrast of the static meditative instrumentation with the soulful vocals.
prošli album ovog lika malo me bio smorio, ovaj pak (ranije objavljen i u suradnji s još jednim likom) bio mi je sasvim solidan i nemam mu što zamjeriti, ugodno ali ne pretjerano zanimljivo slušanje. prosječna trojka
This album is definitely a reason this list exists. It’s a good album but it definitely fits in the background. The music gets a bit monotonous and tiresome. The singing is good but repetitive. I enjoyed but I only enjoyed it because I wasn’t paying attention to it. I’m glad it’s on the list.
Not my style.
LOVED IT
very cool
Glad I heard this, but not something I will be revisiting. Not every song here needed to be six minutes long. I’m sure if I spoke the language I might get more out of this, but as it is I think this can be repetitive. I think the song Kettodee was solid and had a nice instrumental.
Kul vibe, hadde passet godt til civ
An excellent record I knew nothing of until this project came along. This is the shit I'm here for
This was kind of a vibe. 3.5/5
Si duré un tema, es mucho
Interessante, ele foge um pouco do indiano tradicional, parece que fica mais próximo de algo popular. É legalzinho, mas não ouviria de novo.
Esse álbum tem destaque nas belas e ricas harmonias vocais. Gostei da experiência. Kawanoaudio Horaiko.
Love to hear more world music on the list
Three star album, plus one star for being the kind of album I wanted to discover when I started this project.
Most enjoyable
This was a great listen. Sometimes the instruments seemed a little over produced considering the natural sounds/tone of the vocals. (God, I sound like such a wanker!) Solid 3 stars.
I really enjoyed the many flavours of this album - it was much better than the last Baaba Maal, probably because it has real instruments for the most part!
Sorry, but the microtonal glides in the vocals were like audio sandpaper, they're probably key in Senegalese musical tradition but they had me itchy for the whole thing to be over.
Pass
The kind of album I do this project for -- would have never known about it. Sounded very medieval-folksy. I don't think I'll revisit, but I enjoyed it.
Lo encontré bastante contemplativo, como tranquilizador, como bastante caribeño, pero no lo volvería a escuchar otra vez. Tal vez para
It's tough sometimes to truly judge world music. This is cool, though.
Makeita kitaroita ja lyömäsoittimia, siinä ehkä eka huomio albumista. Ne eivät kuitenkaan jaksa kantaa 73 minuuttia, relevantimpi levyn kesto olisi puolet pois eli 30-35 min. Aiemmin listalla olleen Baaba Maalin albumin arvostelu pätee aika pitkälti tähänkin albumiin. Kiva, että tuli toinenkin Baaba Maalin albumi, koska ei tämän kaltaista musaa tule muuten kuunneltua. Lista on täynnä US ja UK-artisteja ja pakolliset Beatlesit ja Elvikset tulee kuunneltua ties monennenko sadannen kerran. Albumin edetessä huomaan, että muslimien rukouskutsua muistuttava laulu alkaa vähän ärsyttää ja toistoa tulee paljon. Mukavan erilainen musakokemus. 3/5
It had a warm full sound at the beginning, but dragged a bit at the end. High 2.
Deeply hypnotic and beautiful. High 3
I much preferred this album to Baaba Maal’s Lam Toro. Keeping everything to more traditional instrumentation makes much more emotional sense to me, making the most of these adapted African folk genres. It's a very hypnotic, chilled out performance with commanding, sometimes spine tingling vocals.
Baba Maal and Mansour Seck get a high 3 from me, i gladly listened to the bonus tracks and was rewarded by Daande Lenol’s effects-laden vocals adding something to the records mix of Senegalese rhythms and melody.
Alright, this was certainly a different listen. Honestly, though, I kind of enjoyed it. I really liked all the guitar parts on the album, it gave it this weird, almost African folk vibe, alongside the unique percussion parts. The fact that I couldn’t understand the singing didn’t really get in the way too much since the music was worth focusing on. My only complaint about this album is how it is way too long, though part of that is on me seeming as I didn’t realize that the last four songs weren’t on the original release and I ended up spending more time on it than I needed to. I don’t know if it’s an album I’d listen to in full again, but if you want to get into some world music, I’d say check this one out.
Surprisingly good. Great background music. I would question anyone who hates this album
Beautiful Senegalese Worldbeat (mix of traditional instrumentals, rhythms, and lyrics, with modern pop/rock). It got a little tiring after awhile - not a lot of variety across the songs, and it's a rather long album.
An interesting change from the recent albums. Some nice guitar-pieces on. But not easy to rate because I'm not used to this kind of music. 2,5
bro wtf is this tribal ahh music idk I cant rly connect on a deep level that's what I said at first, however diving deeper into this album there are amazing instruments that you would never hear played in any other way. I really enjoyed Kettodee and the guitar on that one, so mad respect to this guy. however the vocals, personally lack here but thats just me dude.
Felt like music that plays in the back of a restaurant while you're waiting for takeout
One thing I'm getting out of this project is that it made me aware of the country Senegal. That's something I guess. Favorite track: Djam Leeli 2.5/5
I definitely appreciate the musicianship on this album, especially the guitar work. It's tasteful, intricate, and carries much of the album without ever feeling showy. Even when I wasn't fully engaged with the songs, I found myself paying attention to the playing. This is one of those albums where my appreciation outweighs my enjoyment. I'm glad I heard it, and I came away with a lot of respect for the musicians involved, but it's not something I would normally reach for.
Kinda neat as a sound I'm not familiar with but it's not a very exciting listen
This was a pretty great album. I especially liked the dronier guitar songs, but there wasn't really anything I didn't like. Overall, it sounds a lot more modern than a 37-year-old album should.
His voice might be polarizing, but I didn't mind it. It's overstays its welcome, but I liked it minus a few songs I found grating.
Not bad at all. Might rise to a 4 on re-listening, but I felt like moving ahead to the next album.
3/5 - 30 minutes of this would be good. Glad I heard some of it, but, ultimately, not enough for me here to grab on to and retain.
I really enjoyed listening to this while I had some very intense work to do and needed no distractions. It probably makes sense that music with vocals I can't understand is ideal for that. Anyway, it's really melodically lovely, rhythmically interesting and very...nice. I think the style, although Baaba Maal is Senegalese, put me in mind more of some of the South Asian records we've had - certainly vocally, and it was interesting to hear that against a fairly recognisably West African backing.
está bueno ! no sé si lo voy a estar escuchando tan seguido pero para cortar con algo distinto va. 4/5.
Solid music - the guitars sound very "deep" and I can't explain it better than that. 3.5/5 -> 4/5
Hypnotic and clearly in cultural conversation with the desert rock that The List got me into some months ago. A good vibe for lounging on a hot day. Worth having listened to. Probably won't go back. 3/5, I guess? Might just be cultural bias.
Well this was a suprise. Like going on a safari in my ears. The African vocals mixed together with the beautiful guitar and tribal drums. The vocals got a little preachy as the album went on however that was probably due to the fact I didn’t have a clue what was been said! However the music never stopped being lovely to listen too- even when it seemed to go a bit off topic of Africa and head towards Asia for a little while. And the album was probably 20 minutes too long overall too. Certainly an album that proves why this journey was started. Fave track- ‘Ko wone mayo’ I think. Worst track- ‘kettodee’ I think 😂😂 8/10
Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck Hard to judge when.it is so far out of you normal listening zone. But I did enjoy pretty much all of this. So much so I listened a couple of times. The way guitar likes twisted round each other in repeating patterns, while slowly changing together with the mysterious (to me at least) vocals gave this a great and unique feel. Some great tracks in Lam Tooro, Salminanam and Taara but Sehilam with its feels of a Ennio Moricone spaghetti western theme was the one that really gripped me Worst Track - None of them but maybe Bibbe Leydy 8/10
Not really feeling a foreign language album, today. I don't hate it, I don't care for the singing voice. Too nasally & whiney. The title track is quite good.
un peu loin de mes clous 2/5
i actually enjoyed it, would give it 3,5 tho
Naja, das ist mal wieder schwierig zu bewerten. Einerseits schon gut, aber andererseits kann ich dieses Gejodel nicht bis zum Ende hören.
I enjoyed this piece of work. I don’t think I have listened to Senegalese music before. It was beautiful. It did get repetitive and was a bit too long. perhaps it’s the language barrier. but it’s good music full of emotion and community. —POEM— He reaches from a past, say: boy, I will knock you back onto your path. my laugh overflows with liquor. He sidelines me from a future, say: boy, I saw you course the Dijlah and Furat. I jitter and turn my eyes blind. He pierces through my plexus, say: boy, come inwards. I cry.
Not really for me.
Interesting-enjoyable-surprising
Went a little long.
7/10 Only being familiar with bits and pieces of Senegalese music, namely Youssou N’Dour and Orchestra Baobab, I was interested to hear another couple of artists from that country in the form of Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck. The first thing that struck me about this album was how the vocal had a tendency to drift a little towards a microtonal style more frequently associated with Arabic and Indian music. But blended with the staccato, clean guitar work that was as much rhythmic in effect as it was tonal, there was a familiar undercurrent to the makeup of the grooves, and it was a blend that I gelled with more and more as the record progressed. That percussive tonal approach is one that can take a little getting used to when approaching from a western popular music tradition, because it can make the tonal elements feel a little on the repetitive side, but when considered as part of the rhythmic base of the track, set against the more freeform melodic approach of the second guitar, the music really starts to come together. The track selection here has a decent amount of range to it, from the more upbeat, danceable Salminanam, to the more atmospheric, stripped back Djam Leelii, but there’s always an undercurrent of organic groove that begs for a toe tap or an all out body shuffle. While there is that range of pace and emphasis, it does all fall within a relatively narrow stylistic approach and, while that’s not a massive issue, it does lead to a touch of inertia creeping in here and there that slows the pace a little too much. With all that being said, I think this is a really interesting and engaging sound world in which to spend time and is certainly a worthy step outside of more run-of-the-mill western popular genres. The musicianship is excellent, the grooves are infectious and the vocals imbue the sound with an (as a westerner) other-worldly vibe that only enhances the depth and interest of the music. Lamtooro - This is quite an interesting blend, with the two guitars presenting an almost folky sound and the vocal leaning more towards the microtonal approach favoured in Arabic and Indian music. It’s a touch one paced and there’s not a lot of variety in what the guitars deliver, but the atmosphere is very good, and on an initial listen, it feels like one of those tracks that you need to just allow to envelop you. It’s not vastly exciting, but it’s a pleasant listen. Loodo - And now we drift a little more towards the West African style with which I’m more familiar. Subtle, organic drum beats and clean, interwoven guitar lines. There’s still that more classically Arabic vocal style, but the vocal harmonisations add more depth and range to the track. This is such a nice sound bed and the beat gives it a lovely, hypnotic feel. There’s some lovely, meandering guitar work that’s almost dreamlike in places and sharp and rhythmic in others. Lovely stuff. Muudo Hormo - Now we get a balafon thrown into the mix with the guitars, which adds another layer to the sonic palette. This is a slow moving, considered effort that again works well when you sink into it. The rhythms are lovely, despite the lack of drums and it’s got more of that shimmering, hypnotic groove to it. One of the guitar parts is very repetitive, but that acts as the pulse rather than anything else and there’s a lot more range and depth with the rest of the instrumentation that flows around it. More great work. Salminanam - The rhythms here are really nice again, and the blend of the grooves across the instruments is super engaging. The roaming yet centred guitar lines are excellent and the layered instrumentation and vocals weave around each other beautifully. This is the kind of thing I love, feeling incredibly organic and having a fluidity to it while being super tight. An excellent track. Maacina Tooro - The pace drops now, but the slow groove is still good. There’s a bit less layering going on, so things do feel a touch more repetitive. The guitar lines are great hooks though, and there is some slow evolution across the track. The layered vocals are pretty lush and the atmosphere of the production is really nice too. Not necessarily my favourite moment on the album, but it’s still a pleasant and enjoyable listen. Djam Leelii - The vibe to the opening of this is a nice departure, feeling darker and more foreboding. The guitar work is further drawn back to basics, and there’s a delicacy to it that’s engaging. The way the percussion drifts in and out is nice, while the meandering lead guitar over the basic pulse of the main guitar riff adds a lot of range and interest to the track. I think the blend of the two different vocals is really nice too. Bibbe Leydy - This is still pretty, but does start to settle into something that’s a touch less focused than what’s come before, I think. It feels a little bit more rambling and there feels like there’s a bit less connection between the vocal and the instrumental parts. It’s still pleasant enough, but it does start to drag a little and doesn’t feel like it either does enough to develop the ideas or manage to settle into that hypnotic groove that justifies the repetition. Sehilam - The groove picks back up again now and we get more adventurous yet focused guitar work in the lead to give this a bit more excitement and life than the last track. The vocal has a bit more of a hooky delivery too and the blend of rhythms across instrumentation and vocals is really nicely layered and has a great, shuffling bounce to it. It’s probably not the strongest work on the record, but it brings us back into that ballpark nicely and is a suitable way to round off the record.
Different. I could have stopped after the unfamiliar language and the repetitive cords song after song, but I also acknowledge the cultural difference creating distance in what my ear wants to pick up. Will I seek out more of his music, probably not. However, it was great to open a door to an artist, from what I read about Baaba Maal, who was uncompromising in keeping his African culture woven into his music. The last song stood out to me, not because the album was finally coming to a close, but how it reminded me of playful notes dancing and just having fun in the moment. Something like the innocents of an elementary music classroom with students discovering what they can do with a joyful noise.
These acoustic guitars are singing soul.
I enjoyed that.
Quite the meditative album coming from Senegal. This record is very simple to describe, with all the songs following the same aesthetic of very relaxing and hypnotic rhythms and kind of ethereal guitars. Really liked how well and welcoming the instruments sound. The singing is rather peculiar as a result of me not being familiar with the music of these regions, so I cannot say if it is truly one of a kind. I liked how it makes the album more unique, even though I wasn't a big fan of it. The big problem I have with this record is that it its very monotonous and it can get a bit boring, specially considering that almost every track is about six minutes long and how repetitive the music can be. The only two songs that do truly different things are "Salminanam" and "Djam Leelii", the first one having a very upbeat rhythm and the second one sounding very similar to blues. Either way, apart from these differences, these tracks do still sound very similar to the other ones. In the end, I can say I like it. I think the overall project achieves an immersive and relaxing sound, regardless of the songs being a bit stretched in length.
This album is difficult to rate. Its not a musical style that I enjoy or would listen to again, and I'm not sure if I got much from listening. That said it was not bad, and the artist is clearly talented. I'd give a 2.5 if possible but will bump it up to a 3.
All the famous sounds of the Sahel are here - the mesmerizing repetitions and flourishes of the kora, the trancey polyrythms of layered percussion, the call and response vocals, the bouncey balafon. It's a meditative - pairing loops and variations constantly iterating and articulating, building light dissonance and gentle tension that ebbs away rather than peaking. The genre has been saturated and somewhat homogoneized and stagnated in the decades since by the Putomayo/Rough Guide/WOMAD world music institutions, that have turned it into a middle class object of cosmopolitan conspicuous consumption, but this is still a nice capture of the sound.
(2/5) Thanks. I don't get it, but it was fine as a cultural artifact. The album was an interesting listen. It wasn't aurally offensive, but it didn't ignite anything either. It all kinda felt the same from track to track, but that could be my lack of understanding and I'm not afraid to admit that. I wouldn't mind some more (not a *lot* more) of this in the list. World music is a blind spot for me and I actually expected more of it. Instead, it's endless amounts of electronic/Britpop bullshit. This is -- by my count -- the second truly "World" music album and is likely just a 'check box' (i.e. quota) addition. We're only a hundred or so albums in.. that's 2%.
This one took quite a bit of acclimation, as my initial impression triggered a decided eyeroll and sigh. Upon further exploration I discovered that I REALLY enjoy the music and instrumentation here (the strings and marimba work are enchanting), but I found the singer's voice a bit squealy and grating. Not just that I couldn't understand the lyrics, mind you, but somewhat akin to my impression of Rush, as I adore their music but it took repeated listens to acclimate to Geddy Lee's voice, and I can still only handle it in small doses or on certain tracks. Still, the whole of the experience rose to a solid 3.5/5 that I won't round up now, but may come back to should I decide to explore further.
122. Djam Leelii - Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck (1989) 6.24.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 3 = 3.8 rounded up to a 4 INTRO I know absolutely nothing about this album or either of the musicians aside form the small bit of info given from Wikipedia. Looking forward to this though as I'm not generally world music averse. Only when things lean too far into the New Age territory does that generally become a problem. My point of reference as a middle class white dude form middle America can often leave me at a loss in discussing some stuff, though so this might be a short one. Baaba Maal I do see has been all over the map with his collaborations including Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, and even featured on Marvel's Black Panther soundtrack ( so I have heard some his work at least). THE TRACKS "Lam Tooro" - To my knowledge I have not heard much if any Senegalese music, and so I'm not sure how much traditional music tus draws from, how much of that is reinterpretation, or how out of the box and different this might be. I do know that I found it pretty danged charming though. The guitar especially reminded me almost of some of the traditional British folk stuff I've heard, especially reinterpretations of old medieval ballads that acts like Fairport Convention would have done. The vocals were as far asway from that as could get though, and much more in line with some chanting type stuff I've heard on other albums. "Loodo" - To my ears this had a sort of West African rhythm mixed with a Muezzin adhan prayer singing style. This is just the sort of beat that caused guys like Paul Simon's ears to perk up in the early 80s I think. Lovely. I do wish I knew what was being sung though. Finding it difficult o track down any translations or lyrics online. This was very pretty, and had a calming atmosphere. "Muudo Hormo" - This one started out sounding very familiar, with a guitar riff that reminded me of something I was not able to place. There's an instrument on here that sounds a bit like a banjo to me, but is maybe a plucked guitar or the harp-lute I see mentioned in the credits. The percussion one I found particularly enjoyable. "Salminanam" - The instrumentation on this reminds me a LOT of some of the stuff Paul Simon had on Graceland. An early favorite pick for me, we'll see what might overtake it. I'm not sure who is singing on which track, but I do think I prefer the lower register less chanty voice here. The background vocals and the stop-start percussion on this one were aces as well. Beautiful. "Maacina Tooro" - A decent track, with just a tad less of the instrumentation I've enjoyed this far. I'll call this the album's "rest spot". Do love the handclaps though. "Djam Leelii" - This felt like it had a much more Western blues influence to it. Progressive Senegalese blues fusion? The more downbeat mood here is coming across despite any language barriers. Haunting stuff. "Bibbe Leydy" - Much deeper into what sounds like a traditional folk sound to me. This one was fine as well, but there wasn't quote enough to differentiate it from some of the earlier stuff. Still an enjoyable listen though. Finger picking ( I think?) here was cool. Just lacked dome of the dynamic range found on previous tracks. "Sehilam" - I was NOT expecting to hear anything on here that reminded me of surf rock, which the opening here did a bit. But I think the surf rock sound was based VERY heavily on Dick Dale's innovations, and he incorporated a lot of North African and MIddle-Eastern music into his music, which a ton of acts copied. So, maybe should not have been THAT much of a surprise. Awesome stuff. And just edges out "Salminanam" as my pick for favorite. Super strong closer. HIGHLIGHTS - "Lam Tooro" - "Loodo" - "Muudo Hormo" - "Salminanam" - "Djam Leelii" - "Sehilam" MIDLIGHTS - "Maacina Tooro" - "Bibbe Leydy" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS I can see how this one would bump hard up against anyone who is here primarily for the rock and pop stuff, and the language barrier doesn't help. Throw Baaba Maal's ( what I take to be anyway) traditional and very localized singing style and you likely end up with a lot of shrugged shoulders from the ( pure speculation here) likely heavily western male participants in the 1001 project ( a quick pop over into the reviews adds some credence to my guesswork). I definitely think there is simultaneously more work to listen to something like this, and less retention and understanding that can come out of it, so I sympathize. I also think that while it can be enlightening to try and understand something unfamiliar, it's just as fine to sit back and let those vibes wash over you. I don't listen to the lyrics of most music, and I'm already primed to enjoy great rhythms and "mood" music. So while maybe not intended as such, it works for me in that regard. Overall this was a pleasant experience, and I'm curious to seek out more stuff by these guys. It won't be something I throw on very often, but when I do I'll let the whole thing play and just absorb the atmosphere while I'm doing whatever. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Unnecessary FURTHER LISTENING - Talking Timbuktu by by Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder - Moffou by Salif Keita - Bambay Gueej by Cheikh Lô
I wonder how one says "Pickin' and Grinnin'" in Baaba Maal's language. Growing up in Appalachia I heard "Pickin' and Grinning" bluegrass music since the day I was born. Lots of local flavor and an enjoyment in the playing. Listening to Baaba Maal's "Djam Leelii" gave me a similar feeling with Senegalese / or maybe broader African inspired folk music. It was pleasant and there was a joy in the playing that came through the recording. Of course, being a clueless middle-age white guy from the Flyover States of America, I don't know if that was the intent. To say a bit got lost in translation is an understatement. That opening track, "Lam Tooro" gave me medieval acoustic guitar vibes, but is it really an artifact or olden days or is it just unfamiliar to me and thus "exotic." As the album played on it kept giving me small little questions like this. Did I really hear some surfer rock or echo of influences far removed from there time and place? This album fascinated me and on a day when I needed it kept me in a good mood. Yeah, I think this one was one of the 1001 albums I needed to hear before I died. Glad to have done so. 4/5
Not horrible but just too long
Meh
Loodo
not bad. pretty kind of background sunny african guitar music
Enjoyable enough. Would love if it had been mastered a bit better. I'm not too picky but it felt like there was a good bit of talent lost to poor recording here.
Too long, but very good.
not sure why these are the words that are coming to my head, but well phrased. really liked this
Great guitars. Personally, I'm not into that style of singing, and I didn't understand a word they were saying.
Couldn’t understand a word but quite enjoyable.
It's SO good it's not even on Spotify. West African mumble monotonous stuff. This list has worn out it's welcome and I have about a year to go. This doesn't deserve a spot and Spotify would agree.
4/10. Lindo sonido, nuevo y con matices interesantes. Me hace acordar a la música indú, con cantos en un idioma que no entiendo pero que entonan bien con la armonía de los temas. Disco muy largo y sobretodo repetitivo, es para dejar de fondo y no prestarle mucha atención porque llega a aburrir.
Quite a piece!
Some nice sounds but I couldn't really get into it. Felt a bit like background music.
Well, this really sent me down a Western Africa griot rabbit hole. I found the deeply layered instrumentals almost hypnotic. But, his voice is a bit grating, like I'm doing an internship in a minaret.
Very much enjoyed!!!!!
reminded me a bit of The Durutti Column, similarly "good music to chill out to"
Wouldn’t listen to it again, but enjoyed it when I listened to it.
I thought this was nice at first. There are interesting guitar parts actually. But by the end it was pretty grating.
Not for me.
Songs sometimes felt a bit repetitive, but it was overall enjoyable
I appreciate it culturally. And live it would probably be awesome. But just casual listening it’s not really my thing.
Overall good listening experience, some of the songs just felt a bit too long and repetitive
We trekken weer een blik etnische klanken open. Uit Senegal deze keer. Leuk hoor, maar halverwege het album weet je het wel. Al moet gezegd dat het eerst maar 8 tracks waren, en dat er later nog 4 bij zijn gezet. Pas bij terugzappen merk je dat er wel enige variatie in de muziek zit. Van dit soort platen vraag ik me altijd af: okee, wij ervaren dit als Afrikaanse muziek, maar misschien klinkt het voor Senegalezen wel heel westers? Want zo te horen spelen ze gewoon op gitaar en drums. Naja, we hebben er weer kennis van genomen. Een mager viertje.
Het eerste nummer heeft de gitaarmelodie van ouderwetse rock. Het gaat an sich prima samen met de zang in het pulaar. Enige punt is dat het nogal veel van het zelfde is. Nou ja, dat kan één nummer natuurlijk. Maar het hele album? Dat is wel erg eentonig. Nee, na het eerste nummer kom ik al snel tot het oordeel: slaapplaat.
Tja, dit is weer zo'n album in de categorie wereldmuziek. Het klinkt allemaal een beetje hetzelfde en het is uitermate vergeetbaar. De percussie en de gitaar is op zich wel lekker, maar waarom zingen ze allemaal met een irritante jengelstem? Ik vind daar niets muzikaals aan. De gitaar levert nog een puntje op, maar ik vind hier verder geen klap aan
Not too bad. But not exactly my favourite thing. Went on a little too long too.
A pleasant breath of fresh air! The title track in particular was a vibe.
That sweet anticipation when you open up the generator to see what new album you've got today, and the bitter disappointment when you realize it's something from the "world music" bin.
Phew. The "World" genre apparently refers to music that’s very African, Middle Eastern, or Indian. I might listen to one or two tracks from it. A whole album is too much for me. It might be great music, and the influences on "my" music are very important. But I just can’t get into it. 1/5
This is why I love this project; despite the Brit pop. I learn about Senegalese music. This album fuses rock, folk, blues, traditional Senegalese music, and even synths for a chill but varied listening experience. No need to understand the language, it still hits well. Not the absolute best, but we love hearing something new like this and learning.
The kind of album I like to see on the list, something I've never heard. Not likely something I will return to but did enjoy the listen. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No. 82/321 (25%) Will I get: No
Nice African sounds
Brzo sam zaključila da je jedna od najvećih prednosti ove liste što ću otkriti neku dobru rasistički okarakterisanu "world" muziku koju inače ne bih čula, i ovo je fin primjer ali definitivno ne najdraži dosad.
This is great!
Guitar riffs were very repetitive.
gorgeous. obsessed already from the first 30 seconds of guitar. dreamy, transportive, visionary, vulnerable, jovial, strong storytelling. favorite songs: lam tooro, sehilam
Decent traditional African music, not really enough variance here but it's got a nice vibe
ok
It’s nice. Calm and gently happy. I can’t see myself putting it on often, but enjoyed listening to it. Makes good background music in that it developed/changes quite slowly so feels quite meditative.
Enjoyable, really nice discovery
This was nice. I think I quite like Senegalese music
Nice change of pace on this album. I really enjoyed it, but I probably won’t be coming back to it on a regular basis.
I really enjoyed this. Interesting combination of instruments and vocals. Probably not something I’d listen to on repeat but as a one-off it was good
My ears feel like they're being led in circles and they just want to rest, it's fine but there's a list full of various good and special albums to listen to and this one's just got me tired
Ég hef heyrt skemmtilegri tónlist frá Senegal, en ég fer ekki með þessa í tvist.
Good, definitely not what I normally listen to but it's a fun time the music and instruments are full of life and very jubilant just making the whole time filled with fun.
Giving a shockingly high score for an album that I haven't saved any songs from but it's not the kind of release that needs standout songs. The whole decently sized runtime is a vibe, you can feel the emotion come through with such skill, a perfect musical fusion.
Repetitive, slow and doesn't go anywhere. 1/5
Something different, at least. I'm not UNhappy that I've now heard it, but I don't think it's anything I'll ever go looking for because I'm in the mood to hear it again.
Sounds like the morning prayer call.
Hmm. I would be guessing that this is a world music album right about now, though I had a look through the releases tagged under the genre a couple of albums ago and don't recall seeing this one in there. Regardless, I'm still locking in my prediction for a world music album with those distinctive, warm African guitars. What else could it be? A little more of a pensive and reserved sound than what I was expecting, though I'd say I was pretty much on the money. This album was dull, though I was content to let it blow over me. Like the other African albums of the list, the distinctive, warm guitars have a nice feel and are underscored nicely by the pattering percussion. There's some level of variety to this album in the xylophone-sounding instrument, the bluesy guitar and the maraccas, though for the most part this album sticks to its niche of only having two instruments. Occasionally this approach produces some good chord progressions, though these moments are few and far between due to the music not really building on itself in a meaningful way. Predictably, the wailing African vocals also didn't move me. Overall, I'm halfway on this album. While I might be critical of the minimal sound, the guitars go a long way in keeping this music from sounding empty, which was enough to keep me somewhat engaged. Book time. Maal came from a family of fishermen and started his music career as a young lad by finding part-time work as a singer. Political, apparently. Mansour Seck gave Baaba Maal a start when he took him under his wing. In West Africa, music is apparently only practiced by a group of storytellers called "griots", of which Seck was one. I don't object to having a little bit of Africa lore in my album entries. Anyways, Mansour was blind, which presumably refined his sense of sound and helped their working relationship. In the 80s, Maal was accepted into a French conservatorium to study music. From there, himself and a few other West Africans banded together to record this album, which the book describes as "...lightning in a bottle." The book entry closes out by saying "...Maal would go on to redefine African music's progressive nature, but it was with this album that he started opening doors." Wikipedia says this album got glowing reviews from the handful of people that reviewed it, though that's about it. I'm beginning to grow hostile to the world music picks. Half of the fucking things are African, which I think is kind of a gross over-representation of this music when it's so samey. That being said, I think there's a case to be made in this album's favour, assuming Baaba Maal really did influence the aesthetic of African music. I don't expect to be so charitable to Maal's other album given that it doesn't even have a Wikipedia article, though I think I can let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
Better than I thought wierd Afro rock
Wasn’t in the mood unfortunately so it didn’t hit right
the African groove, multi-instruments, a cultural ride to the ear
Me gusta mucho
Cool sound from an artist I didn't know.
Somewhat interesting, but probably not something I would revisit
Yeah, I dig the African sound and all that but it really does get repetitive when you don’t understand the lyrics and it just keeps going and going.
Really enjoyed nice inclusion on the list (3.5 rounded down)
Significantly worse than Lam Toro in my opinion. Far too meandering and sleepy. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
this is a fantastic listen. it starts dragging a bit if you listen to the re-release with four additional tracks but if you stop after the original eight you wont be disappointed. that said i do recommend checking out those additional tracks at some point because they are really good.
2.1 1x not my thing
In this scorching 34 degree heat, this went down like an absolute treat Hypnotising Mesmerising Beautiful instrumentation from a beautiful nation
вайбулетик
überraschend anregend. vier sterne
Beautiful, and so good to hear something properly different after last week's run of uninteresting country music.
++: Loodo, Muudo Hormo, Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii +: Salminanam, Sehilam, Kettodee +-: Lam Tooro, Bibbe Leydy 7,6/10
3.5/5
Much more interesting than any Eric Clapton record.
Surpringsly good
Sure!
Did I need to listen to this before I died? No, but it was net positive experience. The sounds that this style produces is absolutely wonderful for starters, but it falls short for the fact that it tends to get very repetitive for every track being 6+ minutes. The tone of the guitar is luscious, and how it combines with the melodic percussion ends up outstanding. Mansour Seck is a phenomenal guitarist, and his style was a joy to hear. The vocals are also exquisite, and were very fun throughout the whole record. I just think songs could explore more complex structures instead of staying on these 1-2 chord jams. However, the title track strays from a this and the closing song is a banger too.
This was super interesting to me because upon further research Baaba Maal was a component in the formation of Afro Celt Sound System; well I worked for LUSH for many years so that group I’m very familiar with. Simon Emerson a founding member was LUSH’ musical director and ACSS were on several of their recordings and I believe sound track a few of their spa treatments. More interesting to me because Emerson was also in a band with Alison Statton of Young Marble Giants which do one of my favourite songs of all time ‘Brand New Life’. Anyway, the earth is so small and we’re all connected and this made me feel all sorts of positivity today, plus it’s excellent. A lovely little record with very interesting (at least to me) lore.
Very, very nice. I added the title track to my playlist.
Stunning music, so well captured in the recording that it seems to transcend time and place. 1989 - what the hell? It somehow sounds like the future. Even the cover looks strikingly modern. Big thumbs up from me. Nice one, Mr Dimery.
Did not finish. Not for me.
I really liked the guitar on this, it kind of reminded me of surf music.
This is an album that makes me appreciate this list. Which is important when you are grinding though your 4th Neil Young album in a month or are having to hear mopey Thom Yorke do electronica karaoke. I dont know if this is a great album lyrically because I dont know what the singer is saying. But whatever he is singing sounds great. Combine that with excellent musci and you have an album that deserves to be on the list and makes the list worthwhile.
Nice sound, but overly long and repetitive.
Nice album. Good rhythms and a gentle sound.
Lam Tooro - 4/5 Loodo - 3.5/5 Muudo Hormo - 4/5 Salminanam - 3.5/5 Maacina Tooro - 3.5/5 Djam Leelii - 3/5 Bibbe Leydy - 3/5 Sehilam - 3.5/5 Kettodee - 3/5 The list sometimes surprises me in that I always forget about world music until it shows up as the album of the day. It's good music as a background but at least to me not really engaging. Would be great as background music for a 4X game though Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Lam Tooro, Muudo Hormo
No se ni que idioma es esto, es una musica muy rara. No me gusto 2/10
I didn't mind this. Its co.pletely unfamiliar to me but almost meditative. I don't think I'd choose to listen to it independently, but I'll definitely tune in when I want some focus music.
I think I preferred the other album of Baaba Maals, but it's nice and fresh music, which I won't listen to again, but it is nice x
Finally another glimpse into non western music! But... There has to be something better than this monotonous, repetitive, thin sounding borefest?! Makes me fall asleep, nothing else. Such a shame...
This isn't something I would've ever considered listening to if not for this project but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Great guitar playing all across this thing and some interesting vocals that almost acted as another another piece in these sparse, relaxing instrumentals. This is maybe a bit too repetitive to be as long as it is but for the most part this was very good overall.
Wow, the first song is really dreamy and hypnotic. Then that atmosphere continues. I actually really like the way the repetition of the instrumentals builds and builds. I was uncertain going into this because it’s so long, which is a huge turnoff for me. But I keep getting charmed by the music. It’s still too long, but what a lovely vibe. I’ve just read the Wikipedia page and apparently the last four tracks weren’t on the original release. As such, my score will be based on the eight original tracks. I try and do this as often as I can; many albums on this list exist on streaming as deluxe versions. I’m a SHORT ALBUM guy. If I can judge an album based on a 38-minute original vision instead of an 83-minute monstrosity, that’s what I’m going to do. I highly recommend this technique to others on this site. Must listen 344
I think that's enough World Music for me today.
Not my music, sorry!
I don’t have a frame of reference to assess quality but I enjoyed listening to this. I wish I heard more music from outside the UK/US.
This was fine, but nothing overwhelming.
Hypnotic music that is soothing and foreign. I did slightly prefer the other album we had of his - Lam Toro.
Interesting stuff...but would never listen to it.
Very interesting but good, it’s nothing I would’ve listened to myself tho
I had never heard of Baaba Maal and also had no clue what to expect from this album. I try not to look at reviews on here so I go in with an open mind, but I wanted to at least get an idea of what it would be like. The few that I read were pretty positive so I was looking forward to jumping in. I totally loved this album. Each song had a different sound and feel, but all of it was very soothing and peaceful. It was a rainy drive to work today, which meant people were driving slower and more annoyingly than usual, and I didn't care at all. I was bopping to every song and getting lost in the music (but still paying attention to the road of course). I don't have a list of highlights as I found each song had very strong parts and none stood out as my absolute favorite. Which made for a perfect listening experience.
2.5 - Meh
Hypnotic. Nice working music. Goes a bit long but could grow on me.
enjoyed it! track 3 has the same melody as a song off 'the moon and antarctica' and so it led me to re-listen to that album. 3.5
not the worst album to come back to!
I really enjoyed the guitar on this and the unusual nature of the music compared to the occasionally interminable 60s-70s us/uk rock on this list.
Very clean and calm. Commuting through suburbia at six in the morning with the sun licking the edge of the sky is a great time and place for this, but I am not sure when else is. Whilst the music is soft and soothing the voice is like a sharp knife cutting through the serenity. That may be the point, but not knowing what is being said may be to its detriment. This is a very good album but sadly not for me.
Loved this. Totally helped me destress throughout my stressful day. Beautiful music. 5
groovy
I like this album, a lot of diversity between tracks but not in the tracks themselves. Very repetitive. Love the vocals. I like this album, getting recommended albums like these is why I use 1001 generators
Blues and Indian music mix. I enjoyed
Sonidos relajantes, una excelente invitación a disfrutar una vibra distinta. Lo disfruté.
Love it
Senegalese music. Interesting and enjoyable - like other world music that I like. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a
I don't care that I can't tell what he's saying. The music just seems boring. The same sort of beat and vibe the entire time. That's fine for a track, but not an hour. Kettodee stood out. 1.5/5
Det här fattar jag inte storheten i. En etta
very chill, bissl same-y
Very interesting musically, most pieces start with some nice intro music, the rest of the song is mostly repetitive vocals. Specific songs reminded me of ηπειρώτικα.
I put this record on the minute I saw it was today's assignment, since I love the music from west Africa with guitar that I've heard before like Ali Farka Touré and Tinariwen. I know who Baaba Maal is, of course, but when I opened this I didn't remember exactly what his music sounded like. This is a mesmerizing album. The songs build up slowly with interweaving vocals and a long stream of repeating notes with guitar and percussion, some of which reminds me of minimalist classical music. Marvelous album. 5 stars
4.5/10
Pretty good album. Guitar is great and the music is played really well. It might not have the umph that some other famous musicians from Africa are known for, but it was still very enjoyable. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
This was very good I enjoyed it whilst driving on a nice Sunday. It's a little too long though and starts to sounds like the album is playing again towards the end but overall very good
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Nicht meine Tasse Tee.
I like it, but the pacing is so slow that I wouldn't find myself drawn to this album if I was looking to add some West African flair to the ambiance.
I enjoyed the instrumentals a lot! I liked the folk / traditional drumming blend going on with the vocals. The layering is nice. It's pretty unique for the time it came out too, I don't think I've heard anything like it from the 80s. I do think that some of it was a tad repetitive and you can get lost in the music. I think that's the point though, it is a very beautiful sound. Not sure if I'd want to listen to this all of the time though. (only because it's over an hour lol) would be nice as a background album for a summer afternoon, falling into the night.
idk im confused by this
While I'm definitely glad that I've heard this, the songs are just way too repetitive for me and they aren't interesting enough to justify it. When the album is almost an hour long, these song structures start to wear you down fairly quickly. It's kind of rough trying to critique this when I know absolutely nothing about the cultural context in which this album was made, though, but we can consider this a first step.
Surprised in a good way. Really enjoyed.
Some amazing playing on this.
Not my cuppa. Goes on too long for sure. Top track: "Salminanam"
Boring. Not my jam. Dylan stinks.
--Lam Tooro…vocals aren’t my thing. needs more bass --Loodo…we get some bass! It’s enjoyable but why is it six minutes long? --Muudo Hormo…again, where’s the bass? --Salminanam…see above --Maacina Tooro…don’t love the guitar tone. some cool guitar picking going, at least --Djam Leelii…do people from Senegal enjoy six minute songs as a rule? --Bibbe Leydy…interesting things continue to happen but it needs an editor and it never quite comes together --Sehilam…not a fan of the guitar tone. when it’s not balanced by enough bass it sounds like a harpsichord --Kettojee…pleasant but still has the “tinny” production. what do we need? more bass --Ko Wone Mayo…again, why is this so long? Maybe I like the 3 minute pop song too much but at least pop artists know when to cut it off --Daane Lenol…enjoy the steelpan but other than that it's not my thing --Taara...I really wanted to like this LP but I did not
Maybe I'm just unworldly and uncultured... But this bored me.
This is exactly the kind of album I was hoping to discover by doing this project. The vocals are beautiful and have an almost ancient, familiar feeling, even though I don’t understand the language. The instrumentation and acoustic guitar melodies are enchanting, and the percussion adds a hypnotic, trance-like vibe. I don’t know how to explain it, but this album soothed my nervous system.
Decidí comenzar con Maacina Tooro. La instrumentación me pareció fascinante, la voz no terminaba de encantarme. Decidí escuchar el disco completo y me pareció una completa belleza. Es cierto que no estoy acostumbrado a las voces africanas.
3.5?? At times joyful and at times mournful, but always hypnotizing. Really enjoyed it
Uh. What?! I guess this is what most of the rest of the world goes through when they listen to American music. Somewhere I’m sure this artist is packing out stadiums, but not for me.
Aight
I like being introduced to music I haven't heard before, and although not bad I didn't care for this.
Not sure what to think, interesting but boring
It’s hard to judge an album like this. It was alight. I’ve heard better world music and African music before. This is like comparing apples to spaghetti.
This was pleasant enough background music with some occasional standout moments. I liked Daande Lenol the best — the tones of the Balafon are quite relaxing. I don’t have much to say other than it wasn’t that engaging and wouldn’t be my go-to for background atmosphere either.
Generator users constantly complain about how there's too much britpop / post-punk / whatever on the list, and yet when they finally get an album that's refreshingly different, they murder it in the reviews... Make up your mind, people. This is a beautiful record, I loved every minute of it. Laid-back yet joyful, almost spiritual at times, it's a masterclass in subtlety and restraint. Each note feels right, with a wide range of modern and traditional instruments that flawlessly carry the soulful voice of Baaba Maal. The discreet inclusion of natural sounds adds to the dreamy mood of the album, inviting the listener to a contemplative trip through an endless landscape. However, I'm clearly less impressed by the more dance-oriented, groovier tracks like Salminanam and Kettojee ; it feels too much like party music, and kind of ruins the minimalist meditative mood. It's still a great discovery though. I'm a sucker for Malian / desert blues and traditional instruments like the balafon, but I don't know much about the Senegambian musical traditions, and this made me crave for more. 8/10
Sweet, smooth, easy listening, perfect as a nice background. But as soon as you try to listen to it with more attention, it looses most of its charm.
I don’t really know what I’m listening to here but that’s the nature of this project- and i liked lots of it. The baroque acoustic playing put me in mind of Bert Jansch and John Renbourne and the vocals sound passions and plaintive. Has it touched my soul no because lyrics are important to me but musically fascinating
Not my fav but I wouldn't say it's bad
Fab, heerlijk om rustig mee te werken of iets van mediteren denk ik ook wel
Really nice album, but a bit repetitive for my taste and not much happens harmonically in songs.
no
Album full of tradition and heart.
This isn’t bad, but it’s also not for me
Didn't understand a single word, but the music is beautiful. Cool listen!
African music with some pretty good guitar. Grew on me after a while.
It houses several of the red flags I've defined throughout this list: songs barely different from one another, runtimes of more than an hour, and a music genre that has given me less-than-average albums on previous occasions. However, the quality of this record and my particular mood really struck me as great background music.
Afrikkalaista musiikkia vaikka tässä onkin välillä pieni intialaisfiilis. Sillein ihan ok mutta aika toistavaa kun ei ymmärrä tästä mitään. Yksittäisetkin kappaleet tuntuu aikalailla toistavan samaa. Parhaat: Djam Leeli
4/13/26. Cool, unique sound. First time being exposed to music from Senegal, love the approach to the acoustic guitar. I did think it’s a little repetitive, but never annoying.
Nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said… it was novel to experience something I never would have heard otherwise but I started to go a bit crazy with how long and repetitive the album is.
I really wish I knew what he was saying as he is known as a great storytelling artist. I’m sure it would pair well with the great instrumentals on the songs from this album.
Ich los nume die originale 8 Tracks sorry. so lang. ich ha s gfühl vo ihne au scho ghört zhaa ich goh mol wikipedia. he die erste zwei songs sind super cute und meeega warm. super schöni melodie und die klare gitarre gfalled mer afoch. verbind de sound au sehr mit westafrikanischer musig. es isch würkli cute, sehr sehr ruhig und au irgendwie 80er mit de bäss und so. glaaaub da isch e knapps vieri. moll.
de baaba maal hemmer schomal gha und hanen glaubs easy gfunde? recht cooli atmosphäre woaaah das holzxylophon (kei ahnig was es isch aber so tönts für mich) bi muudo hormo findi megaa schön finds bis jz schön aber fast chli schad hets fast kei perkussion djam leeli het chli e ominösi atmosphäre, I like ich finds megaa schöni musig, de gsang findi supeer, aber wie scho s letschte vo ihm ischs halt doch au eifach chli im hindergrund gloffe. guets 3
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 😐🎨🖌️ Production: 👂🩺🧈 Music: 😌💭🕊️ Rating: 🌄🌄(🌄)/5
I don't know why but I wasn't anticipating that I'd enjoy this album, but it's really cool. It's very hypnotic, I feel like I'm going into some sort of trance listening to this. It's very soulful and passionate but also calming. This reduced my cortisol levels and reset my vagus nerve. It's like an hour of musical medicine. Your enjoyment of it will be very situational but I'm chilling out to it and having a nice time. As an experience it's cool, but I don't know when I'd choose to listen to it again.
World Music Something I'd never heard of. An interesting enough journey. Some nice musicianship with a pretty chilled out vibe. No idea what the songs are about but with this kind of thing I often like to make that part up in my head as I go along.
Just not for me in anyway
I enjoyed the instrumental aspects of this album. The electric guitar compliments the acoustic guitar. The Kora, balafon and (I assume) Sabar all come together to form a rich and enjoyable sound that sets a really relaxed tone. The thing that I find most disagreeable about this album is some of the qualities of Mansour Seck's voice. I fully appreciate that this is probably mostly as a result of me not growing up with that particular type of Afro/Islamic singing voice. But I find the wailing quality of that style of singing a little grating after a while. This is, of course, my personal preference and I am sure that this is an excellent example of this category of singing. (2.125)
This was cool for a bit, but got stale. Guitar work was interesting.
It's surprisingly chill for the most part. Some of it can be a bit grating on the ears, but the chill melodies were overall pleasant. I'm glad to have heard it before I die. I probably won't seek it out in the future though.
The very start of this record got me excited - that guitar intro is super cool and captivating, but they lost me with the singing. That vocal style just doesn't land for me. The rest of the record was not as interesting musically either -very simple and repetitive and, at times, wholly unpleasant.
This was a surprise, it was a quite pleasant listen to have on in the background, overall I enjoyed this and may come back to this artist
I had Maal's other, solo album a couple hundred albums back. I didn't know what to make of it then, and I don't quite know if that's changed. The sound of the album is very expensive, almost as a perfect soundtrack to the deserts from whence its creators came. The use of familiar instruments like the guitar makes this music more easily digestible to the average American while still allowing it to retain its distinct West African flavor. The vocals work extremely well within the album's context, though lyrics are not in a language I can speak and therefore inscrutable to me. These albums tend to be the hardest to rate due to their myriad differences from Western music, but I found myself enjoying this. I recommend this for a unique experience that is unlike the vast majority of this list's albums and will help expand your cultural awareness at least somewhat.
Very nice to have on
I spent this album thinking about the future, with all the anxiety of a potential move and an unclear living situation. I had no expectations going into this, but it was a very pleasant experience! Djam Leelii sounds like sunlight filtering through leaves, or like walking through a jungle. The instrumentals here create natural, gentle, and relaxing vibe with a lot of meditative guitar and nature sounds. These blend with the more traditional African drums and the chant-like vocals to create some gorgeous moments when the album clicks the most. While Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck do their best work in these quieter, more introspective moments, the project begins to lose its charm when it gets busier. Highlights: Loodo, Muudo Hormo, Salminanam, Maacina Toro, Djam Leelii
This is one of my biggest surprises. So much of this was soothing and moody and almost sad(?) but in a good way. I did not expect to like this as much as I did. “Lam Tooro,” “Maacina Tooro,” and “Sehilam” were my favorite tracks, but this was a great journey of an album. I don’t think I’ll revisit this much, but I’m so glad I heard it.
Paar Lieder ganz nett
Appreciate the attempt to broaden beyond American and British music but this is not deserving of the list. Every song picks a somewhat catchy guitar riff and repeats it at nauseum and then adds some awful vocals. Multiple members of my household asked me what the hell are you listening too?
Certainly a refreashing change from the albums presented recently A couple of stand-out tracks that are such a beautiful contrast to my normal listening, that they'll have to be added to my collection But, as several reviewers have mentioned, at over 75 minutes, it gets a bit much, and ultimately just want it to be over
Djam Leelii is so good. That was the clear highlight of this album for me, which was better than I expected; more accessible than the Mali album from a couple weeks ago.
Fantastic stuff. I need to find more like this.
Relaxing, nostalgic, cheerful
That was very nice. Exactly what I needed right then. Having a relaxing lunch after a nice sunny walk/hike. I especially like the 4th track Salminanam
Love this!
Normally I try to give world music the benefit of the doubt since I'm not immersed in all cultures, but this album wasn't very good. Simple plinking on a guitar-type instrument with an almost complete lack of percussion instruments and shrill yell-chanting in Senegalese. Not an enjoyable listen. Low end 2/5
The sound is good, it's a high-quality mix and the vibe is chill but positive? Without lyrics and Google translate I'm a bit limited in how I can appreciate it.
Album No. 200 on my list. Not surprisingly, I had never heard of Baaba Maal or Mansour Seck, not to speak of their album "Djam Leelii". I had no idea what I was getting into, I had never before listened to music from Mali. I find it pretty cool that the 1001 album list occasionally also features non-Western music. Certainly nice to broaden the horizon, which in this case I'd never have done without this website. I have to say though: I didn't like the album, unfortunately. I feel like an absolute snob for not doing so, but I just don't. There are some guitar parts that I found pretty cool, but the singing, the song structure, the lack of dynamic: I just didn't like it. I really tried to, but I just didn't. Not a matter of origin of this album, not a matter of me not being open-minded, it's just not my thing. I get why this may have been an influential album, or why some people think it deserves its spot on this list. And I can certainly appreciate its qualities. I just didn't like it, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I will add "Salminamam" to my playlist (one of the lesser played tracks on Spotify, interestingly). 1/5 stars (I'm sorry about that!)
Amazing music, the vocals are way too grating for my ears. I'm sure they are beautiful
4.5 Guitar is entrancing at times. Not understanding the vocals allowed me to focus on the music more in a way I feel
Regrettably one star as I did not enjoy it and did not finish the album. It is too long and too much of the same.
From the description I was expecting this to be a bit more guitar-focused. I was thinking it was going to be more like the Bundu Boys but it was far more focused on the vocals. It passed by pleasantly enough but it I felt it lacked a bit of drive and went on a bit.
Nice enough and I’m sure he’s virtuosic within his genre but found it for a little stale after a while as very much the same instrumentation used across the entire album. Enjoyed listening to it even if not something I’m likely to revisit.
Hypnotic old world blues album in this. It's been a while since I've listened to Baaba Maal and glad for this reminder. Awesome stuff. 5/5
Fuck this!
4/5. More like Sam Cooked with this live performance. Because he gives a fantastic studio-quality live performance here, extremely expressive with an infectious energy which is helped by the backing band. you get a mix of blues and soul here and in theory it’s quite a basic album but Sam just absolutely sells it and elevates it to something great.
Lovely, atmospheric album
норм, без негатива.
This was a very relaxing album. Finally some world music (sounds like northern Africa). My favorite moments on the album were when that mallet instrument made an appearance, once near the beginning and once near the end. There were a couple moments where the instruments sounded slightly off tune, but that also added to the rustic and natural sound.
This is really good stuff, either a 4 or a 5. The later 80s and the 90s were an exciting time for me, musically, as so-called "world music" (dumb name, obviously) became more popular, and I discovered more and more interesting music (musicians) from other countries, including many from Africa. I probably didn't hear of Baaba Maal until maybe the early 90s, and Mansour Seck is a name that is not familiar to me. But, anyway, this music is rich and deep and (after 2 listens) the music is high quality throughout, so I think I have to give this one 5 stars. Probably would have given it 4.5, but, choosing between 4 and 5, I choose 5 for this one. The music makes me wonder how much it is new and innovative, and how much is traditional; my guess is that a lot of it is traditional. Also, it has some of the same (seeming) resonance with American blues music that some of the traditional music from Mali also seems to have.
sounds effortless like the wind rustling leaves or a gurgling creek. Soulful, playful, peaceful I have a lot of respect for griots and the West African cultures in general. Thanks to my dad for introducing me to their music and my mom for taking me to Senegal I thought the production effects on the vocals were tasteful, and it's well produced in general. Will definitely want to listen again
Very chill. Maybe too chill? Great guitar work.
Not for me
Bonne surprise. Aux premiers abords, avoir un style aussi particulier qui fait intervenir seulement deux guitares sèches et une voix aux accents afro-islamiques peut paraitre assez inaccessible et lourd surtout pour un album d'une heure douze. Néanmoins, j'ai pour ma part vraiment accroché à l'album dans sa globalité avec une variété surprenante de changement dans le style et dans la mise en scène des musiques qui fait apprécier le style en s'approchant pas à pas. J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé la technique au niveau des arpèges sur la guitare, et même si la voix semble assez inaccessible, j'ai bien aimé les passages en français.
Nice chill music, feels a bit repetitive but enjoyable
I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Definitely worth a listen.
La música es el lenguaje del mundo
Beautiful. Haunting. This is one I'll listen to again and probably regret giving it only a three but here we are.
Not for everyone but I find this album incredibly moving. No idea what the lyrics mean the singers voice is passionate and other worldly. I found myself transported to another place and time listening. Wholly unique/beautiful listening experience if you give it the chance to take over
3 stars
Enjoyed the atmospheric guitars / percussion - but struggled with the singing - which for me fell on the wrong side of wailing and were a little annoying. Really wanted to enjoy it - but cannot see me returning.
A couple of tunes were quite catchy. The rest was a pleasant listen. Last tune was a bit rubbish, but overall something I would never have chosen to listen to, but glad that I did.
Not for me
Some wonderful playing and diverting melodies. Not everything piece hits the spot however and it is very much music for fans of the genre. It is definitely worth investing your time in
Eh
Previously rated: #230 - Lam Toro (3/5) ************************* Album #1,078 Another artist I forgot I had heard before. I thought his previous album was decent. What about this one? No, this is not for me. His voice sounds like a constantly buzzing mosquito in my ear. The songs sound the same. It's too long. They should have stopped at one album for this guy.
Never had I ever cared about Senegalese music, and probably still I do not care about it, but it wasn't bad listen. Nice music
It was pretty good. 3.5 goin down