Djam Leelii

Cool blend. Kind of medieval-tavern feeling instrumentation with traditional African vocals

Never heard of this album or artist before, and the music style itself is something I dont hear often (even in New York!). I like it. 4/5

There is something so hypnotic about this album, a steadiness to the rhythm and voices. Wholly different than the other Baaba Maal album we got a few days ago, but equally interesting and appreciated.

Very droning and mesmerizing. Missing a key feature, but overall good.

Really good start, got a bit weaker towards the end

Je sens le sable chaud sous mes pieds, et les rayons du soleil caresser mon visage

I greatly enjoyed this. I suspect you have to be in the right mood for it, but I found myself to be in the right mood twice 12 hours apart. Repetitive and hypnotic, but I consider that to be a positive. A very strong 4/5.

This one suited me well today. The rhythms held steady and the instrumentation was kind of soothing.

Soothing, repetitive rhythms and lyrics I couldn't understand made for a nicely meditative listening experience today.

Hypnotic. I lay in bed with this on the headphones and was somewhere else. This is the kind of thing I’d never have encountered but for this project.

This just kept getting better every song. I had no idea what to expect with this, but what a chill, soulful album. Long but passed quick. Solid 4

Ugh accidentally posted this review under Pere Ubu. Baaba Maal is a 4 Pere Ubu is a 2 Here’s the Pere Ubu review: This was pretty challenging. I actually think instrumentally it was a lot better than some of the other experimental stuff we listened too like sonic youth. I couldn’t stand the vocals though it ruined it for me. 2

Unsure how to rate this, but I liked it better than the last few 3’s so giving it a 4 Obviously I have no idea what they’re saying, but the recording sounds really great. The drone-y repetitive grooves make it kind of meditative. Ko wone mayo is really cool and sounds a little different from the rest. The vocals (and instruments) sound a little more Carnatic than some other west African music I’ve heard.

I have a very limited knowledge of any African music beyond Burna Boy, Tems and Fela so I had never heard of Baaba Maal until his album Lam Toro was generated for me a few weeks ago and I never got around to Lam Toro but I am now glad I didn't because I can now listen to Baaba's albums in order. With all that being said this album was really good. Despite not understanding the lyrics the other aspects of the songs were really good. The production and instrumentation were really enjoyable and I felt like this album had really good atmosphere. Similar to a lot of African music that I have listened to there is a lot of repeated lines as well as call and response and this at times can go a little to far and become somewhat annoying but I really only felt that on one or two tracks. Also as a side note the backup singers throughout the album sounded so good especially on "Djam Leelii". Either way this is a very solid 9/10 for me and I definitely can see myself coming back to this album.

Hypnotic and brilliant in its execution. I feel silly that this music exists but I never exposed myself to it. Joyous

I had Baaba Maal's album Lam Toro recently and liked it, but I can't remember now what it sounded like. I liked this, too. I think the guitar gave it a more familiar and accessible feel for western audiences. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again but it was pleasant.

Loved this! Unique, authentic, catchy.

Really innovative guitar and a cool different sound

Redelijk traditioneel klinkende Afrikaanse muziek, met een westers klinkend gitaartje er onder. Ik kon het wel smaken

This album was entrancing and wonderful. What studio production and electronic additions there are, such as on Daane Lenol, are sparing and don’t get in the way of the songs themselves. Really cool syncopation between the guitars, throughout.

it was exciting, i liked that, but i probably won't play it again

Excellent album and some very welcome World variety. Expertly performed guitar compositions, a beyond enjoyable listening experience.

I think I can safely say that this album was my first exposure to Senegalese music. And it was a good listen, particularly for a busy day at work. The intermingling guitars were semi-repetitive, in a way that allowed me to zone out and focus on my work. But the melodies were very pleasant. And the xylophones on "Taara" were joyful and cute and lovely. The instrumentation in general was quite nice, even if the vocals were sort of grating -- my fault, as I don't speak the language, so it was just noise to me. My only other complaint is that the album is a little on the longer side, but I'd by lying if I said I noticed on this listen. Probably a 3.5 if I'm being honest, but I'll round up. A good atmospheric listen.

Motifs en simplicité pour développement de belles mélodies. La voix ajoute une couleur émotive poignante

Atmospherically sunny, and in a way enchanting probably due to the non familiar language to me - but while it’s rooted firmly to its west African roots - at least from what I can tell - the whole album comfortably references jazz and other western influences - another interesting discovery through this project.

Actually better than expected

A nice slice of Senegalese music. Enjoyable even if I didn't understand anything words.

It’s a beautiful thing being able to easily listen to music from around the world. I love the unique styles and sounds that each culture comes up with.

I really enjoyed this, though I did lose some interest after a while

Love the dualing guitars and percussion.

This was a very different sound from what I am used to, and really enjoyed it.

The guitar feels like chilled Spanish style, the drums softly grooving in the background with lovely call and response vocals. Nice relaxed vibe. I have no idea what the songs are about but it doesn’t matter

Very pleasant - could happily listen to this all day. Fave track - "Djam Leelii" maybe? It's less about stand out tracks and more about dissolving into the flow, though...

Pleasant, lilting, hypnotic guitar and percussion rubs up against impassioned and characterful singing. The tunes here don't particularly grab this listener - rather, they lope along lazily and work their charms in subtle ways. On the sparser arrangements it's cool to hear what sounds a lot like the blues. It's especially apparent on 'Djam Leelii', its rhythm guitar slinking around like a cat at night.

Vraiment bon, j'aurais préféré uniquement instrumental, mais c'est très relaxant comme musique. À revisiter

I didn't really care for the other Baaba Maal album; maybe Mansour Seck was key to this one. Tracks 10-12 didn't seem to fit or be as good but I may have only thought that b/c I knew they weren't on the original album.

Tää on aika raikas! Kiva kuunnella tällasta soundii mitä on lähinnä kuullut kokoelmalevyiltä. Tää taas on niin selkeesti oma albuminsa. Oon kuunnellut paljon afrofunkkii, josta tykkään hiivatisti. Tää taas on astetta folkimpaa ja ehk osittain sellast tribaalimpaa ilmasuu. Tykkään hirmu paljon mutta tiedän sen verran vähän tästä genrestä eetten uskalla arvostella kun vahvan kolmosen eli nelosen. 4/5

Olipas hyvä! Upea tunnelma.

No niin, nyt on semmosta mitä odotin tältä listalta miljoonan britti-indie-rocklevyn sijasta. Kunnollista. 4/5.

Ethereally beautiful

Hypnotic and beautiful 3.5/4

Lovely to chill to

A good album to zone out to.

Love it

I really don't know how to listen to world music in a non-exoticising way: to hear this as just, normal. But it is good, sometimes mellow, sometimes soulful.

Really good, and good for background. Will listen again

This is a new one for me. Very powerful and interesting blend of Senegalese and western music. Almost hypnotic. I will come back to this one.

I like how warm this album sounds The guitars weave together & complement each other nicely, The percussion is sparse but It’s always welcome when it kicks in July 22, 2022

3.75

Senegalese goodness

Really hard to describe this album. It is beautiful stuff. It is easy to call it World Music but that does it a disservice as that can just be used for anything not euro/American. I really enjoyed it and want to hear more

detta svängde!

A Travel to Senegal sounds.I’ve really liked these album. Sometimes we have to experience knew cultures.

Is this what used to be in the reductive "world music" sections in gift shops and book stores? A really enjoyable listen. Baaba has an enchanting voice.

Very unexpected and melodious album

Very interesting. The guitar was excellent

What a mesmerising experience it is to hear this album again. Extraordinary!

Nije nešto šta inače slušam (shocker) ni šta ću vjerojatno opet ić slušat ali prezanimljiv zvuk, jako muzikalno i smirujuće (možda bi i trebala ponovit s vremena na vrijeme?)

Love it!

Good world music album. I like the instrumentals, it's a bit slower than I prefer with some of that type of music I listen to. Still good!

Jeden z tych pickow ktorych sie czlowiek nie spodziewa, bo jest to folkowy album prosto z senegalu, Baaba Maal, to glowa tego projektu, ale wspierany jest przez Mansoura Secka, zarowno na wokalu jak i gitarce, wiec jest to praktycznie plyta duetu Maal-Seck, dodatkowymi instrumentami ktore mozna uslyszec podczas odsluchu to tradycyjne afrykanskie sprzety, tym razem z afryki zachodniej, bo pojawia sie balafon, ktory jest afrykanskim odpowiednikiem ksylofonu, kora ktora mozna okresic jako 21 strunowa harfe, do tego perkusyjne bebnienia i elemety elektrycznych rifow, spotifajowa wersja tej plyty to 12 kawalkow i godzina 12 minut czasu grania, bo jest to wydanie z 98, natomiast orginalne wydanie pochodzi z 89, choc material nagrywany na nia pochodzi juz nawet z 84, nawet pomimo tego, ze kontentu lirycznego nie rozumiem ani troche, to jednak slucha sie tego przyjemnie, bo jest to cos nowego, takiego polaczenia dzwiekow nie slyszalem wczesniej, bo jednak afryka jest dluga i szeroka, a wiekszosc afrykanskich materialow jakie osluchalem, to poludnie i ewentualna polnoc, a zachod ma swoj orginalny urok, ciezko tu wrzucic cos na plejke, bo jednak brzmi to tak odmiennie ze ciezko zgrupowac to na dana plejke, wiec cala plyta leci na poleczke orginalnych pickow plejkowych, nieposzerzajacych horyzonty muzyczne

A very interesting sound. I wish I understood the lyrics. I liked most of what I heard as far as instrumentation.

Una nova descoberta de la llista. Evidentment, el que més destaca és l'increïble treball de guitarres, que juntament amb una percusió minimalista i unes veus encisadores creen un disc hipnòtic, magnètic. Una mena de 'Marquee Moon' meets 'Graceland' filtrat per l'herència senegalesa. Molt bó, realment

good zulul

I loved the style and the instrumentation. Will listen again.

4

good easy listening, like Savane

Really enjoyed this. So unique. The instrumentals were a highlight throughout the album

4

Pretty cool, good vibe

Solid as hell. Good vibes, reminds me of that one Ethiopian song I love from Feets' Ice Caps playlist

pretty interesting

Sonically interesting, perfect blend of electronic sounds and traditional African sounds and beats.

oooh traditional, i like it

I like this kinda stuff… very relaxing!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

i actually enjoyed it, would give it 3,5 tho

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.

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.

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.

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.

Some nice sounds but I couldn't really get into it. Felt a bit like background music.

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.

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

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.

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.

Decent traditional African music, not really enough variance here but it's got a nice vibe

Enjoyable, really nice discovery

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.

Ég hef heyrt skemmtilegri tónlist frá Senegal, en ég fer ekki með þessa í tvist.

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.

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

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)

вайбулетик

++: 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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

not the worst album to come back to!

groovy

Blues and Indian music mix. I enjoyed

Sonidos relajantes, una excelente invitación a disfrutar una vibra distinta. Lo disfruté.

Senegalese music. Interesting and enjoyable - like other world music that I like. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a

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.

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

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.

Some amazing playing on this.

3.5?? At times joyful and at times mournful, but always hypnotizing. Really enjoyed it

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.

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

Really nice album, but a bit repetitive for my taste and not much happens harmonically in songs.

Album full of tradition and heart.

This isn’t bad, but it’s also not for me

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Paar Lieder ganz nett

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.

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.

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.

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.

Very chill. Maybe too chill? Great guitar work.

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.

Beautiful. Haunting. This is one I'll listen to again and probably regret giving it only a three but here we are.

3 stars

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

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

Me vino bien para la concentración mientras estudiaba. Lo volvería a escuchar? No creo.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but also it's not really something I'd pick to listen to frequently nor something I'd go around recommending. I'm not much of a new wave kind of person, but I can imagine this being useful for relaxation or even some sort of meditation.

Not bad

I liked it

Crack

This was fun! Good background and work jams.

A very simple and folksy sound that I can very much enjoy. Unfortunately, an hour or so of it definitely seemed like a pretty huge drag.

Pleasantly played while i worked, but i won't be returning

I misjudged this before actually listening to it.

Senegalesisk folkemusikk? Interessant. Behagelige og egentlig ganske briljante instrumentaler. Tviler på at jeg kommer til å gjenbesøke dette albumet noe særlig, men det er helt klart et solid og respektabelt prosjekt. Top 3: Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii, Bibbe Leydy

This is a pleasant and mellow album, with lots of nice acoustic guitar.  I found it to be very ok.

Strangely enough I liked it. Probably won't listen to it again but was not bad at all!

completamente fora do meu escopo musical, mas é legal

nao eh mto minha pira, mas nao eh ruim nao. é bem tranquilim e tem uma boa dose de energia em algumas músicas. é interessante e tem um vocal bem bacana

Probably the most accessible album of its kind that I've heard so far on this project. Its unlikely I would listen to this again but its not from a perspective of disdain.

3.0 Whoever is playing guitar can rip

I quite liked the calming vocals and soothing guitar work. Probably won't return to this, but I'm glad that it's here on this project, as it's slightly expanded my horizons with music of which I never would have otherwise heard.

Cool world album that made my normal commute to work feel quite a bit more special and more like a journey to somewhere interesting

Interesting!

Music: 4 Vocals: 2 So far, I've enjoyed pretty much all the world music albums we've had. This one I really wanted to like, but the vocals just didn't do it for me.

Nice listen. Some nice guitar at times that almost reminded me of RCHP or the Stone Roses despite being a completely different genre. Too long though.

It started off strong and I thought I'd have at least a 4 star review here, but I was less of a fan of the second half of the album. Every goddamn guitar strum was a 10/10 though.

This album is trying to be too many things at once. It wants to honor tradition while also appealing to western ears with rock instrumentation. The guitars are fun and catchy but wear out their welcome quickly due to repetition. Not as good as the other Baaba Maal entry on the list, especially with this album's length. It's ok for background listening or mixing in here and there but not something I'll go back to. A noble attempt at fusion but it feels uneven. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Lam Tooro - Muudo Hormo - Maacina Tooro

This is very interesting and I really appreciate getting something so different. But it does feel a bit like the stupid idiots who made this list added so many 2000s british indie rock albums, that they started feeling guilty and googled "best non-english albums of all time" or something like that. This is decent but does feel a bit repetetive and too long after a while, definitely at least 3 stars.

I liked the music, but obviously didn’t understand any of the words. Some of the vocals were a little overpowering, but overall this is definitely an easy listening album that was good to have on in the background. This is something I would have never heard of or listened to if it wasn’t for this project, so that is pretty cool.

I guess I've gotten this guy's music before, the sound sounds familiar. The melodies from the guitars are entrancing with their seemingly constant presence throughout. Everything sort of flows together, rather than being insular. I don't recall any specific track immediately after listening, but I certainly remember the sound if that makes any sense.

"This album is long and samey but it is also different and melodic so who am I to deny it a fourth star?", is what I wrote four songs in. About an hour in I came to the realization that as the listener I am the sole arbiter of who receives stars here. Twelve six minute songs that all sound quite similar is too much for me. How about twelve four minute songs? Or eight six minute songs? I deny this album a fourth star.

Not that bad. Just not really good either. I'm glad I listened but won't be listening again.

I liked this quite a bit; something about Baaba Maal's voice and vocal style remind me a bit of Nusrat Feta Ali Khan, even though musically this is quite distinct. 3/5

Pretty cool. Really easy and lovely to listen to. It's pretty darn repetitive, but then, I think that's kind of the point of music like this -- circular, improvisational, somewhat meditative. Not one I'll come back to often, but I'm very glad I listened to this before I died.

Not my vibe

I think that if I understood this lyrics, I might’ve been able to appreciate the song a bit more!

Ben wel fan van west Afrikaanse muziek, dus dit was ook leuk! Niet zo’n hele grote fan van z’n stem, cest la vie. Heb er ook niet heel veel verder over te zeggen. Andere leuke artiesten zijn Bonga en Cesaria Evora!!

Easy to listen to and lose yourself in the musical whirlpool.

This was pretty cool. I certainly wasn't tuned into to every nuance and detail, but it played on in the background as I did a little research and it was a pleasant accompaniment.

Pleasant enough. I wanted to be swept away more, but some of these riffs are pretty great.

Proto-blues. Really pleasant listen and great for background listening. So many droning psych bands try to pull this off

i like this kind of music but i’ve heard stronger things. I’m not sure if this is one of the almost i should listen to before i die. More of an ali farka toure fan tbh

7/10 - now this is what we need more of, a bit long but amazing to have a coffee Sunday morning to

Dig the music and for some reason the lyrics made no sense.

I don't know what to say about this album. I have a blind spot in my musical taste for stuff that is in a different language that I can't understand. The music is fine, although can get a bit repetitive at times, and it doesn't really light any fires inside me. Maybe if I understood the words, I'd have a better chance of connecting with it. It's perfectly fine, I'm glad the generator threw this album up for me to listen to, but I'm happy not to go back to it.

Different...a pleasant listen

Indian - Bollywood

Afro-jazz vibe

Not sure this project is going to stick with me for a long time, but it did my daily commute quite nice. Very relaxing and fun project overall and my first foray into Senegalese music. Favorite: Maacina Tooro Least Favorite: Taara Mid 3.

Listened while cleaning at home. Love getting these records that I never would have come across with this project. That said, I didn't love this one. It's beautifully made, but not exactly something I would reach for again. Glad I listened to it though!

Did not understand any of it, but did not hate the melodies and sound.

Likeable dullness. It was easy listening and pleasant as a background. I didnt overly engage with it however and while I experianced fleeting depth with it mostly their play for me was a chilled mood. Uplifting quiet Metronomic plod in conclusion. Bit like watching a lake or listening to whale noises. I guess I will give it some earthly connection uplift on that score. Not conventional vibe thats for sure and the language I dont think made any difference to me. Perhaps prefered it to wash over me as that seemed to be its vibe.

181/1001 Baaba Maal - Djam Leelii: The Adventurers Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Whilst I enjoyed my time with this, it wasn't quite as immediate as the previous album I had from Baaba Maal. This certainly feels more like a traditional sounding style, with the simple guitar work coming to the fore here.

The acoustic work is nice, each song initially sounds like something that I would hear at a hotel pool on vacation but then the melody is just repetitive, repetitive, not really something I’ll be listening to again.

This isn’t exactly the type of music I seek out but I can’t deny it’s a nice relaxing listen.

When this started, it seemed like the perfect soundtrack for a chilled Sunday morning (and a nice change after a run of albums by artists I already knew). But I must admit that towards the end, I started to get a bit bored with it.

Pretty good and a very stripped-back type of listen. The music isn't so much concerned with building up layers and density, but rather it builds these shimmering, drifting lines that just trail along in the background. You still get some incredibly solid riffs and motifs, my absolute favorite being on 'Maacina Tooro', but I found I got locked to the subtle movements of the instruments as opposed to any actual repeating groove. Maybe the densest thing here is 'Sehilam', which actually establishes this very hypnotic groove with the percussion and introduces something of a vocal hook, even. Musically, I can see how a lot of psychadelic music in the west might've drawn from this; it reminds me a lot of eastern music in general, but also has a lot of parallels to Songhoy blues, which only makes sense. I guess the best way to describe this is pleasant, just a really good and mellow time.

Spiritual strings. You can hear the tradition being passed down in that slow evolving perfection of a process. I see myself walking through a market in Senegal, listening to this somewhere, and contemplating the beautiful culture. This listen, especially initially, would've benefitted from my having some form of cultural attachment to it. The latter third of the rerelease pulled at my emotions. I don't know if that's because of the process of the entire listen, or if the marketing team figured which tracks were sticking so they could increase sales. I appreciate the listen, don't know if I'll look for it again. 2.9/5

Perfectly pleasant to listen to.

Hace unas fechas hablaba de Stereolab y sus loops electrónicos. Pues bien, Baaba Maal y Mansour Seck se pueden considerar los ejecutores senegaleses de la técnica del loop, pero esta vez con instrumentos tradicionales. A pesar de ser una música fuertemente anclada en la el folclore africano, no deja de sorprender por lo moderno que suena en su composición repetitiva, cosa que crea una conexión como si se tratara de un mantra. Un álbum para darle más de una oportunidad.

It was an alright experience. Didn't hate it, but didn't care for it.

I'm not going to question what should and should not be on the list. I find people who do to be selfish and unfairly critical. Its not our list and I'm grateful to have different choices each day to listen to. Usually stuff I've never heard before or that I would choose to listen to. And this is one. Probably one of the best in it's particular genre. I don't know. And whilst a reasonable listen it's not really recorded for me. Similarly I wouldn't choose to read a book written in Albanian. The music was pleasant if a bit repetitive and long. Nothing I hated. Nothing I particularly loved. So a fair and average 3

Djam Leelii ist ein gemeinsames Album der senegalesischen Musiker Baaba Maal und Mansour Seck. Die Aufnahmen entstanden Mitte der 1980er-Jahre; konkrete Angaben zu einzelnen Aufnahmestudios sind nicht eindeutig dokumentiert, die Produktion ist jedoch klar auf eine intime, akustische Klangästhetik ausgerichtet. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album im Bereich westafrikanischer Traditionen mit deutlichen Bezügen zu Folk- und Bluesstrukturen. Akustische Gitarren, sparsame Percussion und der enge Dialog der Stimmen stehen im Mittelpunkt. Die Reduktion auf wenige Mittel verleiht den Stücken Ruhe und Konzentration. Zu den besonders bekannten und stilprägenden Songs zählen „Djam Leelii“, „Lam Tooro“ und „Muudo Hormo“. Diese Titel zeigen exemplarisch das Zusammenspiel von rhythmischer Gitarrenarbeit und melodischem Gesang, das für die Zusammenarbeit von Maal und Seck prägend ist. Insgesamt wirkt das Album geschlossen und konsequent: Djam Leelii überzeugt weniger durch Abwechslung als durch Atmosphäre und musikalische Klarheit.

Hypnotic. I have pretty much no context for this: I don't know what he's singing about (and could only find lyrics in English to one song online). I would love to have a sense of how this seemingly very traditional sounding music fits into modern Senegalese culture.

The ultimate hook record

Chill

Enjoyed the repeating rhythm. Hypnotic as I hung drywall.

Auf die Länge etwas zu repetitiv aber das gibt mir als ganzes sehr schöne Vibes

Very cohesive and steady album. The song blends one into another. This album would be great as an ambiance sound in the background while hosting or chilling. It could always very well be a driving album, on a beautiful road during sunset. The guitar gives a feeling of being in the open air. As a Malagasy, the language is really close to my own as well as the vibes so it makes sense that I can feel good listening to it. Extensive research to understand the meaning of the album is to be done later but all and all a good album.

Nice guitar

honestly good music. i’m impressed by the range of instruments in this album

Not bad, very easy to just casually listen to in the background. Favorite track was Djam Leelii

An interesting listen

7.5 / 10

Tja varför inte

This was a pretty cool album from the generator, but not really something I’d seek out on my own. It’s mostly traditional and acoustic African folk music, that has a meditative and ethereal soundscape. Overall, it’s an album I doubt I’ll ever come back to, but I don’t regret listening to it either.

not a lot to say about it

Actually quite nice... if a bit repetitive. Wouldn't have thought I'll play it again though.

I've never heard anything like this. Many of these guitar lines wouldn't sound out of place in a Western indie-rock song, and in the context of these songs, they sound both familiar and foreign. I appreciate the minimalism as well—there's a lot going on, even with a few instruments. It starts to blend together for me after a while, though the vocals in "Daande Lenol" and "Taara" are quite striking. While this isn't necessarily something I'd put on by choice, it was illuminating.

This started to click around track three. The melody and instrumentation here is pretty hypnotic. At points though it did start to drag, especially when you don’t get hooked into the overall rhythm. Sat listening to this on a rainy day, which seemed to fit the vibe.

Overall: 5/10 I found this to be completely fine. The vocals were the most interesting part for me, the instrumentations felt incredibly repetitive and I found myself getting pretty bored throughout. I'll have to admit though that I'm still not too familiar with this type of music so my opinions on this may change one day. Fav Song: Salminanam

Nota antes que nada: me acabo de enterar que la pagina esta permite tener sponsors y que cada uno de ellos puede agregar un album...... lo cual explicaria tanto album totalmente random q nos sale Fuera de eso, no tengo absolutamente nada que decir sobre este album porque jamas escuche musica senegalesa del estilo y obviqmente no entendia nada de lo que decian. Me gusto escucharlo tho DEVUELVANME MI TIEMPO PERDIDO ESCUCHANDO LOS ZUTONS

Vaaaale este es el tipo de cosas que yo quería escuchar, esenciales de OTRAS partes del mundo. Me queda pendiente entrar en la radio de alguna canción de este album para ver si descubro cosas nuevas, porque veo que los anglos no están muy por la labor. Muy buenos ritmos y musicalidad, aunque se me hace repetitivo llegado cierto momento del album, será por escucharlo todo seguido. También siento que está bastante adaptado por momentos para el oído y las lógicas musicales nuestras, desoccidentalicen la música. Molan: Loodo, Maacina Tooro, Sehilam

Pleasant and atmospheric background music, but not enough variation within or between songs to be more than that.

Cool album, just not something I think I'd revisit.

Interesting. Different. Worth another listen

I enjoy the guitar playing a lot. The album made time fly by but at the same time it didn't really grab me much in any way. Some decent background music for me

Not bad, but kinda slow paced.

Þetta var áhugavert.

Fínasta vinnutónlist frá Senegal.

Lovely singing, somewhat tribal while still calm. Not a regular listen for me but still nice.

Just too long. I liked some of it

Ethereal, minimal, exotic. That’s my first impression of ¨Djam Leelii,¨ a mysterious offering from two men I assume are from some part of Muslim Africa. It has a bit of Sufi vibes, hypnotic, trance-inducing. If I was a cobra I’d be charmed by album opener ¨Lam Tooro.¨ The album doesn’t really take off from there, and the songs blend together but it’s a pleasant sort of homogeny that is relaxing in a desert tent, a bedroom with a warm light or a yurt somewhere horrible. Best songs: ¨Lam Tooro,¨ ¨Ko Wone Mayo¨

It was something a bit different, but I didn't love it

Two Baaba Maal (and three African) albums in three days! I prefer the more traditional (less poppy) sounds on this to the Lam Toro album. There are still times when the constant repetition becomes a bit wearying, but I thought the vibes in tracks 6-8 were spot on.

Good vibes

I wanted to like this more. The instrumentals were interesting and quite enjoyable, but the vocals annoyed me. The different language didn't bother me, how voice just grated at me. Give me this album as an instrumental one, and I'd be happy to listen to this again. 3/5

I won't shit on this because I've been asking for variety and this is certainly something new. And in isolation each track was pretty cool. I just think that it all got a bit repetitive and it was a very long record. 40mins of this was about all I needed.

This album was very much outside of my comfort zone. At the risk of sounding like a total bigot, this album sounded somewhat like I would have expected coming out of West Africa, with the drum pattern as the signature. There are some western sounding elements, primarily the guitar throughout the album. What makes it sound western, I don't know. I thought I heard some blues elements. I was interested in some parts of this album, here and there, but in general this is not really my jam. It did seem to be well orchestrated, decently mixed, and as I said had some interesting musical components. From my perspective, this would be somewhere around a 6.5. AH

Pleasant but not really my thing. Light 3.

Finely textured rhythms with MENA and blues influences. There’s a solemnity here that some might equate with boredom, but this music is more about the journey than the destination. In this case, the journey is mostly rewarding if not particularly enduring.

Couldn't find it to hear it.

I kind of enjoyed listening to this but mostly because it made me feel like I was at Disney's Animal Kingdom, which has music like this around the park. I don't think it's something I'll put on just for fun, though, and I definitely don't "get" it. I do like world music, but overall this was a bit too 'yayayaya' for me, and it was definitely too long.

I like this. As I don't know the language and am not well versed in this style of music, some of it tends to run together. But that's a me problem. 6/10

When analyzed on an individual album-by-album basis, ABBA sounds… okay with a few really good songs. When summarizing the whole with examples like Greatest Hits or Mama Mia you can really dial in on the band. The Visitors offers a peak but not the whole vision. 3.5/5

3,5

Cool album! Even was het terug zomer! 3.4

Interesting, but not something I'd listen to again

Interesting! Sometimes soothing, sometime not. A little repetitive.

Neat, idk why I had to listen to this before I die though. Soft 3/5

Something I never would have listened to without this list, but a good listen! Might grow on me more if I listen again, but I'm not sure how likely that is

Nice motivating background music to work on first of the month reports to. Nothing really stood out to me though.

Really chill Senegali music. I'd be happy to have this on in the background anywhere. But it's unlikely that I'll think to put it on very frequently.

good instrumentation and guitar work overall, i enjoyed this in the background as i was doing some work, pretty cool because i wouldn’t have heard this otherwise without this project

This was interesting. Not familiar at all with Senegalese music, so this was a nice introduction. Didn't care for the production, but good music for concentrating. 5/10

Cool album, interesting sound. I wouldn't say any tracks particularly stood out to me, and I'm not sure I would come back to it though. Broke open the seal for me on Senegalese music though, been listening to some other albums as a result.

Not my style but I can tell why it's highly regarded

Not really my style, chill but a bit too... Druggy, 2.5/5

A dollop of lolloping Afro jangle please. Ooh, that’s a big dollop.

paas maal

interesting enough but probably wont listen again. songs tended to blend together.

Though the music was sometimes soothing and the instrumentation was beautiful and authentic sounding, it does feel a bit too repetitious and boring at times. The vocals were fine, but eventually wore me out and needed a break. A good listen, but in small doses, please.

3 // Senegalese artist, pretty relaxing. Yes, repetitive, but I didn't mind

Meh. Too long