Djam Leelii

Interesting, but not really my speed. Something that would play on my new age Aunt's car atero nonstop. And yet it's also good?

I can get lost in these afro/latin rhythms.

An interesting album that, like other African ones we've had, show how much Caribbean music owes to its African roots. That isn't to say that this album is Caribbean music, it's just a reference point for me as something I'm more familiar with. The track "Salminanam" in particular sounds so much like the lyrics should be in Spanish. I like the tone of the guitars in this album a lot, they are clean and only slightly distorted with a rich middle range. The drums are complicated and use a lot of percussion that isn't really present in the more anglo-centric pop music we get for most of these albums. My biggest regret about this is that I have no idea what he's singing about, which I imagine takes a lot out of these songs given the song structure is pretty repetitive. The instrumentation is good though. It's hard to quantify this against the other stuff in this list. It's definitely listenable and I didn't angle to turn it off every song like I do for some of the more familiar stuff, but I didn't find it extraordinary or anything. It's a nice change of pace, but nothing I'll be clamoring to return to.

A little repetitive but there’s a lot of gold in here. I’d like to explore more but it’s a little exhausting to listen to.

Interesting vibes, but too repetitive

-i think this may be the third Senegalese album i’ve gotten on here. always glad to hear some non-Anglosphere albums -this was decent, i had REALLY high expectations after the first song which i loved. i couldn’t get into every song here but it still made for a nice listen -Favorites are Lam Tooro and Muudo Hormo

A nice difference; some interesting melodies and great rhythms

Interesting listen and not something I would've found by myself. Enjoyed it but doubt I'd come back.

Great instrumentation and vocals. Not sure if it needs to be as long as it is. I was really floating in the river of the final track.

Full guitar(?) sound

It's beautiful, and I am all for global albums being included on this list. Having said that, this music tends to wash over me in an undifferentiated manner.

Extra star for not being British

Alright

I liked the vibe. Really

kinda neat but not my style

Beautiful, meditative album of Senegalese folk and desert blues. I found it calming. But there’s a nice, steady rhythm to the music too.

This seems to be early desert rock, but is a bit slow for my liking. Good guitar running through it.

The production and guitar tones sound great and the vocals are strong. This is a listening experience I wouldn’t have had outside of the list and while I appreciated it I don’t think I’ll revisit. It was pleasing to the ear but not very dynamic. Didn’t engross me.

3.5/5

I'll be upfront that for a good chunk of the album I . . . kinda didn't listen to it? Don't get me wrong: it was on and I **did** hear it playing! But at the same time I was readin' this book of 'Calvin And Hobbes' comics, and, well . . . yeeeaaaah. You get it. And don't me wrong, as a piece of background music I think it's totally fine. It sure made my listening experience less boring than if I wasn't listening to anything at all. Plus, after the last album I had to deal with from my backlog ('The Holy Bible' by Main Street Preachers) it was nice to have an album I could just kind of . . . chill to, y'know? And goodness knows I needed one after 'The Holy Bible', goodness. But don't fret! Near the end of the album I went and took a bit of a closer listen to this thing, and . . . y'know, I don't normally mean this as a negative, but I think this worked better as wallpaper. Like, my issue with this thing, simply put, is that it can be pretty repetitive. And of course, I don't have a problem with repetition as long as something's done with it. That's why I don't give, say, Daft Punk any shit for it. And I guess what's going on here isn't entirely unsimilar to what Daft Punk does — the songs build up over time. It's not like some albums where they're perfect content to have their songs spin their wheels for minutes on end. Although, it's not like this album doesn't indulge in that sometimes... And I gotta be real, even with the evolution, it kind of doesn't feel like these songs are going anywhere? Maybe it's just the style: I remember describing the last one with a "party feel," but this one is way more stripped back and acoustic. It don't click with me, exactly; there were quite a few moments where I couldn't tell the songs apart from each other. And it wasn't because I was reading, no; early on, when the first song ended and the second began, I legit hadn't noticed. All the same . . . eh, I can't bring myself to dislike it too much. Maybe if I wasn't listening to this at end of a long night, after listening to and reviewing two other albums in some attempt to cut my backlog down, I wouldn't be as "meh" on this thing as I am. And of course, I'm always happy to get some world music. But, pff, I'unno. It made for some fine wallpaper for reading, but I've got better options if I want that sort of thing.

Very nice album and discovery.

Better than the other one we got, but still not up to my taste.

Well, I listened to this as I ran through Central Park, which was a huge treat for me. So I was pleasantly distracted from this music. Life was good for those five miles. I listened to the rest in my hotel room, and it was not so pleasant. Perspective and environment changes everything. But I’m going to be real and not let an external factor sway my vote.

This is chill.

Nice laid-back vibes here, but nothing really exciting about any of it.

That's cool or whatever man. You do you.

Cool, lays down some hypnotic grooves, doesn't really sound like much else I've heard, that said it does sound like itself a lot.

Looks like something I'd usuallybe into, but the length sort of worries me. Shouldn't be a problem as long as it's good however. As I don't understand the language he's speaking I fear a lot of meaning will be lost to me. Will be limiting the tracks to those present at the original release. Lam Tooro Pleasant guitars. A slow track with a lazy, bluesy atmosphere. Kinda repetitive, but also quite soothing. Decent. 3.5/5 Loodo Great atmosphere. I like how his vocals sort of clash against the very reptive rhythm. Fine. 3/5 Muudo Hormo I like how the wooden sounding precussive instrument adds a slight bit of variation to the sound. Feels a lot lighter than previous tracks. Fine. 3/5 Salminanam A bit unremarkable, but has some cute guitar moments. I like the intensity of the shaking instrument. Fine. 3/5 Maacina Tooro Has some very melodic vocals. Fine. 3/5 Djam Leelii Great instrumenta intro. Extremely bluesy with a lot of emotion behind it. The deeper tones work well against the background chimes and the subtle drums. I really like the addition of the background vocals. Feels very spiritual. Good. 4/5 Bibbe Leydy Unremarkable, doesn't exactly do anything different from previous tracks. I guess the percussion is slightly more involved, which is nice. Average. 2.5/5 Sehilam Has a decent tempo to it. Really like the guitar on here, feels almost celibratory in the way it's being played. Positive atmosphere. He has a lot of movement and dynamism to his voice. Decent. 3.5/5 As for African blues this is an alright if not a bit repetitive experience. It's vocally pretty consistent with a performance that feels emotional and passionate against the background track. Has solid guitar performances that are arranged to compliment the emotions shown in the vocals. You'll always feel the warm atmosphere that comes with the instrumentals here. Love the supportive percussive elements that occasionally show up giving some complexity to an otherwise sparse sound. There is however a lot of similarities between many of these tracks, which at times make them sound too much alike. Perhaps it's a quirk of the genre, but it does make you drift off as it becomes kinda stale after a bit. And while some tracks break the structural monotony with added instrumentation or a different tempo, it isn't quite enough to keep it from dragging a bit. Overall this album excels in it's atmosphere and feeling. While perhaps not the greatest thing for a focused listen it sure has a soothing aura around it which makes it easy to drift off to. 3/5

I knew we'd eventually get another Baaba Maal album, so it's good to get that done with. And much like the other album ("Lam Toro"), I don't really feel well informed enough to really judge either this album or Baaba Mal's music (or Mansour Seck for that matter). I *did* appreciate it that this album has a more grounded feeling than "Lam Toro" and doesn't sound as much like it's trying to be a world-music album--I'm guessing that could be in part because this album was earlier than his later collaboration with Simon Booth (who went on to form Afro Celt Sound System), and so there's fewer generic (and largely electronic) world music samples interspersed. (The "1001 Albums" entry was also helpful in noting that Mansour Seck was a blind griot that mentored Baaba Mal, and the two of them produced this album during Mal's period in France studying music, focusing on simple and traditional music and lyrics.) Much like "Lam Toro", I didn't understand any of the lyrics, so my appreciation is limited to the sounds; my favorites on the album were the opening track "Lam Tooro", "Muudo Hormo" and the apparently very poignant tale of forced migration in "Maacina Tooro".

got off to a good start but didn't seem to build much--felt a little like background music--enjoyable though

Bit too long maybe but it was enjoyable. Great instrumentation, the vocals were nice but sounded weirdly Middle Eastern for a Senegalese album, there was definitely still some more traditional west African inspired vocals in parts though. The xylophone like percussion was a nice feature, sometimes the Melodie’s were a little repetitive but the way they developed across the songs was a nice way to freshen it up a bit, the actual mood of these Melodie’s themselves though are rather laid back, obviously I have no idea if this relates to the themes in the lyrics but I’m mostly judging it based of sound. Favourites: salminanam and Kobe wine mayo(9 minutes long but had such a cool acoustic guitar motif carried along the song which developed really nicely. Overall, 6.5/10, was gonna give it a 7 but the last song brought it down a little for me, the vocals pierced my ears.

Unique and cool, groovy vibes.

Very interesting , enjoyed it, especially the music itself

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ça se laisse ecouter

Bonnes vibes 🤙

This is really interesting. Not necessarily really good, but really interesting. None of the songs really particularly stand out. I think that if you like one of them, you like them all, maybe to slightly varying degrees, but they're all pretty same-ish with having enough differences that it doesn't feel like listening to the same song through the whole album. I start losing interest on the last few songs of the album. Which is tough, because this was an album that never really that took a hold and didn't let go of your attention. That, and the fact that nothing in particular really makes it stand out just kind of puts the album in a good but not great area. The guitar (or what I'm assuming is a guitar?) playing is really excellent. They're clearly very talented. Favorite Song(s): Maacina Tooro

Repetition Repetition Repetition. 'We have Repetition in our music and we will never gonna lose it' MES. This has some intricate guitar playing repeated over and over and over in each song. This is combined with Lion king style vocals, but it works so well.im waffling.

Super pleasant and chill.

Total spannend, auch mal in Weltmusik reinzuhören :)

Me parece muy tribal, y no se le entiende na

Aww, I liked this. Good background music for work or a walk but probably will choose something else. 3/5

I really wanted to like this and the first track was promising but then it became quite samey and boring, sorry to say. And over an hour was way too long 2.5

I actually listened to this twice, and we’ve covered similar albums on this list before that I enjoyed. I just wish the guitars were more prominent or that it was entirely instrumental. Maybe that’s just me being an ignorant, English speaking American!

Definitely an interesting listen and exposure to a genre/style I'm not familiar with.

Different from what I normally listen to. Not sure if anything stands out enough to remember names but it was enjoyable change of pace

Kunne meget bedre lide den her end den anden Baaba Maal vi havde. Meget dreamy.

At least he second one from this dude. I’ll listen but likely won’t pay much attention. There is no connection to this at all really. All talented people and all that. Just can’t relate at all.

Didn't think I'd enjoy it, but did. Good music to have on in the background

Inget konkret som sticker ut men levererar en allmänt härlig västafrikansk vibe

Chill

Nice to listen to

Didn't understand a word, but was pretty cool.

a beautiful album, well matched with reading the Desert Oracle. and the next step would be to find a translation for the lyrics, as I’m sure it would tie it all together all the more

Surprised I enjoy this. It kinda reminds me of Panda bear

3/5 strange but catchy

3.5/5

This album is kinda hypnotic considering I don't know what the man is singing. The entire listen is relaxed and low key. It's not bad in any sense, it reminds me of the time when world music was all over for some reason. That was before the weird time when gregorian chants were a thing. I enjoyed my time with this album but I doubt it will get much replay from me.

It was okay.

Chill, enjoyable

It’s different

Has a really nice tone to the guitar and percussion. Find the vocals a bit grating after a while and struggle to get through the full album. 2.5

Music is a solid 4. But the vocals just kill any vibe. Curse my western ears for that I guess but it just doesn't sound good.

I enjoyed this album. I’ve become more receptive to all types of music as I’ve become older as long as it’s not (c)rap Hippetty hoppity sh*t. So this passes this test. Would buy this album without hesitation if found cheap in charity shop but not certain if full price. But I’m from Yorkshire. 3/5 26/4/25

One of those albums you really want to root for, but does nothing for you in reality. He has a great voice, but nothing really made it stand out or drew me to return to it. I’m glad a Senegalese artist was able to gain popularity though

Listening to this on an overcast Autumn Monday morning, and it just kind of feels like the right album to soundtrack the day. It’s a pensive, slow burn and the joy is in the repetition. The vocals give this an otherworldly feel. Letting it wash over you and envelop you is the best way to enjoy this.

Wandering around the English countryside in springtime with this playing,I realised how few ference points to it I had. Language, tone and structure all coming from places I just couldn't relate to. Did that make the music less appealing less enchanting or wonderful? No. On this album journey of great rock and roll and soul and hip hop and what not (still no Jazz mind you) this was a something of a zesty palate cleanser.

I had a very hard time with this the first two times I listened to it, and I still find the style of singing, or the tone the singer uses, grating, but by the third time through I started to get the hypnotic aspects of the album that other reviewers have mentioned. The vocals make it something I don’t plan for return to but all in all it was not an unpleasant listening experience.

I didn’t mind this one, some nice vibes to it. Went on a bit long and therefore got a bit repetitive but not a bad album.

Ik heb Baaba Maal al een keer gehad en ik zat klaar om dit te gaan haten, maar die eerste track is (op de koptelefoon) nog best wel lekker eigenlijk. Dik en gelaagd. Een beetje bezwerend. Daarna ben ik er dan wel een beetje klaar mee hoor. Het is zo'n album waarbij je gerust 20 minuutjes kunt weglopen zonder echt iets te missen. Al moet ik zeggen dat het wel jammer zou zijn als je track 3 (ik typte hier 'die met die marimba', maar het is een 'balofon' aldus wikipedia) zou missen. Ik hou het bij de 8 originele tracks. Ik wil niet de VPRO-vrije-geluiden-tatta uithangen, maar ik vind tracks 1, 3, 6 en 7 best wel relaxed en daarom ga ik een 2,5 afgerond naar 3 geven. Als we zo doorgaan krijg ik straks nog gepersonaliseerde advertenties voor Oerol o.i.d.

Great vibes, mix of India, China, Jamaica. Percussion off-beat here and there, which I found a bit annoying. 6/10

point1.

Hypnotic and beautiful.

There was some really cool sounding guitar and percussion work, it's a shame there was too much focus on the inferior vocals

Outside my wheelhouse and good to hear! Don't know if i'll be going back but fun listen, he did a collab with mumford and sons lol

Funky! This felt a little too NPR-coded for my taste.

Schön gespielte Gitarrenmusik mit afrikanischer Prägung, die mich im Stil an Ali Farka Touré erinnert hat, oft repetitiv gespielt. Hat mir sehr gefallen, bis der Sänger mit seiner wirklich unangenehmen Stimme losgelegt hat. Passt zwar irgendwie auch dazu, aber die Stimme ist echt nicht schön. Alles in allem war mir das Album auch zu lang, die Songs auch oft, aber das hat nicht mal so gestört, wenn man sich drauf einlassen kann, da das ganze eine fast hypnotische Wirkung hat. Einen Favoriten habe ich nicht bzw. fällt mir kein Song ein, der da besonders herausstach.

I'm struggling to decide where to settle on this album. On the one hand, I think it's unlikely I will ever revisit it. But on the other hand it really is a good listen. The vibes are chill and the instrumentation is one of a kind. The high pitched singing style does get annoying at times. I wish I knew what the lyrics were saying and maybe I could get a better grip on this project. Although sometimes I even have that issue with songs that are sung in English. Listening to this album is akin to going to a foreign restaurant and ordering a dish that you've never had before. Even if it's not your favorite thing in the world, it broadens your pallet. And for that alone, it's worth trying.

This is pretty cool musically, even if I can't tell what's happening lyrically.

Decent. We enjoyed it especially at the start, and it's cool to hear more work from someone so instrumental to the fantastic soundscape of Wakanda.

There is little world music on this list, but most of it is good and this is no exception. However, it does get repetitive and the whole package is a little too long.

Chilled

Talented but not my style

Tykkäsin toki

Pretty fun, dreamy, arabic, but for how same-y and long it is, it ends up overstaying its welcome.

Some good island music

some really great ideas and melodies, but too long me thinks

Prob a 3. Which for me is a good rating. I have been trying to listen to more world music and this album generator is a means to that. It’s my second Baaba Maal lp and I’d say it’s fairly consistent but this one sounds a little more traditional as it’s not overloaded with 80’s sounding keyboards

Another not good, not bad. Most of the songs sound the same. Another 2.5

Yeah it’s alright just not my thing

This has to be the best of his 475 albums, right? Right? I have no idea. I couldn't even find the album on a music streaming service anywhere. I had to "watch" it on YouTube. It's a tough one to judge.

Kuulostaa hyvältä, kauniilta. Kritisoin vain albumin pituutta: tässä muodossa biisien samankaltaisuus kääntyy itseään vastaan ja meditatiivisesta tulee pitkää. Pidän yhteislaulusta ja eri soittimista.

Popping guitars, and some excellent tunes early on, but is overlong and begins to grate. A lot of the tracks seem to lack progression and the whole thing begins to blend together. Not a fan of the Adhan-ic vocals which begin appearing in the middle stretch. The music has a distinctive sound and I'm glad for having listened to it. Having fairly enjoyed the album, I checked out Baaba Maal's discography. An EP with Mumford & Sons was not the expected find. Wonder if that'll be on the next update to the 1001...

Was great to listen to music from a different culture.

Is there a better cultural ambassador for Senegal (and possibly the African continent) than Baaba Maal? He's long been sought after by Western collaborators from Brian Eno to Mumford and Sons, and was a integral voice and partner for the Black Panther soundtrack and its sequel. Throughout it all, he has remained true to his roots. The music travels the world but never leaves the traditions of the banks of the Senegal River. "Djam Leelii" is his unofficial debut, as the first release to be widely distributed. Along with blind guitarist Mansour Seck, Maal crafts images of traditional life and musical traditions. The music is fit for dancing, travelling or just marveling at nature. I've always found the concept of "World Music" to be troubling, as it attempts to reduce thousands of unique styles into a single genre. Regardless, Maal is a deserving star within that category.

Album was better than expected but it did drag. Instrumental stuff was good but the singing gets a bit repetitive. Overall a fun new experience but probably not one I’ll listen to again.

Lovely little guitar/sitar background music, can't say it was unpleasant at all but also not particularly standout to me. Solid 3.

The guitar work on this was awesome. No idea the language, but it was a pleasant listen.

This album is quite relaxing to listen to. Not a huge fan of the singing style but it's well played and enjoyable none the less. 3-3.5

It's hard to rank something like this considering that it's rather a new sound to me. I guess my criticisms would be that the album was a touch long and that some of the tracks were also a bit long. That said, I enjoyed it. It was a cool vibe.

More enjoyable to listen to for me than other African albums that have popped up here so far

This is inscrutable to me. Is it good? Bad? I am neither qualified nor culturally versed to answer this.

Quality instrumental arrangements with vocals that was exotic on the first half of the album, but began to grate by the second half of the album. Despite this, I am glad to have discovered this album through this project. These were the type of albums I had hoped would be recommended.

Definitely a new artist/project to me. A little long winded, but I began to appreciate the sounds and things I’m hearing here the more I listened. When I’m typically inundated by US and UK artists, it’s refreshing to try new things out even if it isn’t my favorite

This was enjoyable but not my thing

I'm around 820 records in at this point and I'd say less than 10 have been non western albums. I welcome these and am really glad I heard this. It's pretty good, but too long for it's sound. But I dig it.

Hh

Pretty good, kinda repetitive but I also had no idea what he was saying. Good stuff

Mal was anderes, aber wirklich nicht schlecht.

I wasn't sure at first but it grew on me. Maybe slightly too long and rather repetitive, but I still enjoyed it The vocals were good and fit the music well, especially on Ko Wone Mayo

The guitar playing here is amazing! I wish I could understand what the vocalist was singing about. It's not necessarily my style but it was a good listen.

такое се

3.5 really enjoy the guitar playing/tone on this album

You (unknowingly) wait 600 albums for Baaba Maal and then two come along (nearly) at once! This was one felt a bit more bluesy but otherwise I feel like I did about the previous one, interesting and enjoyable but mostly background music. Very long too.

As always with the non English albums, it's difficult to know the context of the songs. Interesting, but not something I'll be rushing back to. Was long too. Think I'm going 2.5

It works reasonably well as background music. The guitar and vocals are pleasant. After a full listen it became a little monotonous so I didn't do a second listen.

Good, but in a "background music" sort of way, owing to the language barrier and general lack of familiarity with the genre

Largely enjoyed this, even with the language barrier. Agreed that his vocals can be reminiscent of a muezzin, and there's some sameness as the album wears on, but mostly a pleasant listen.

Pleasant to listen to, but it all blurs together. I don't understand the lyrics, so I'm sure I'm missing part of the puzzle. I can't help but think I'd really like this album if the songs were much shorter.

Not an album I would normally listen to, but enjoyed it. Standout song: Maacina Tooro

A relaxing guitar-heavy instrumental album that’s nice enough to listen to but lacks the interesting and exciting grooves of Maal’s other album on this list, Lam Toro

It's great background working, but perhaps exposes the difficulties of putting music from completely different cultures into one dominated, both in terms of who does the list and who follows the list, by white western rock and roll. See also the odd classical or jazz album that makes it.

Va beh si può ascoltare.

I really like music from the Sahara region of Africa, but this sounds less interesting to me than a lot of other albums from this part of the world. Still nice, but only a light 3.5 stars

It's really outside of my wheelhouse, so that keeps me from going too high on it, but I thought the stretch from tracks 3-5 was nice and I also liked the closing track. 3 stars.

I'd rather hear a greater diversity of musics like this than yet another US or British album whose relevance I'm left to question. I listened to this record two or three times and enjoyed it more each go around. I can only hope that my level of enjoyment would increase if I understood the subject matter and approach to the themes of the songs (although I have enough experience with listening to music to know that is not guaranteed). Maybe it is that ambiguity or gap that leaves the creators of this 1001 catalogue —Robert Dimery and crew — reticent to remove English language entries but I hope as the book and project evolves over time they become more brave and adventurous in their editing of the canon they've created.

Nice, chill, great sounding music. 3/5

This is a really fine album by Baaba Maal and I found it way more approachable and enjoyable than his more political (also important) albums. This was a great one characterized importantly by his amazing voice. What a treasure.

This is a nice collab. Baaba and Mansour blend well together. I could use a bit more liveliness, energy or variation, in the music. But at least I know who my favorite Senegalese musicians are now.

This is fine, I don't have much to say.

This was fine, but felt a little generic.

Interesting 3

The main reason that I decided to do this project is to move outside my algorithm and get things like this that I would never hear. It's pleasant and I enjoyed listening, is it the best example of It's field - I have no idea, will I actively seek it out, no probably not, though I have liked the title track, but it's been better than some of the western music I have heard on this so far.

3 out of 5. I love the sounds of the stringed instruments and the finger work playing them but this album started to sound too similar after a while.

Not a sterling example of the genre. A little too subdued.

Heard just part of it. Not my thing.

Nice mellow album but not something Im in a hurry to listen to again.

Very chill, very well-made, very good vibes, very nonchalant listen. But I don’t know if there will ever be a time where I’d revisit this record. Like, I can’t imagine a situation where I’d say, “Oh, this would be a perfect time to play Djam Leelii.” Clearly Baaba and Seck are good musicians, and this is very easy to listen to, but there’s nothing here that grabs my ear. Maybe I’m missing some cultural context – and I think that’s a huge problem I’m finding with the non-English language albums on this list – but I also don’t find this soft, ethereal style of folk music entertaining, even when I’m talking about Western musicians, so maybe that’s the issue. Still, I’m totally okay with Djam Leelii, just not left obsessed.

This album was awesome vibes. Loved the grooves

Nice!

Put me to sleep with the beats!

Something completely new for me having never heard this before. Although it's not my normal Kind Of music I enjoyed it though it did get slightly repetitive at times. Will I listen to it again yes i think I probably would but not on a regular basis.

This generator is so bizarre. I get two albums by this guy in a week. That being said, Lam Toro was much more inventive with the blending of beats. This is a much more straight forward world album.

As far as world music goes, this feels the most genuine that I have heard here. There's been some western style music performed by Afridan artists, but this is very unique. A lot of repetative drumming or chanting, it's not necessarily the most inspiring music for me personally, but I do appreciate getting to hear some music that was truely new to me.

Finally something I would've never heard otherwise instead of fucking U2 and Aerosmith. I don't think I'd ever heard music from Senegal until now. This was kind of psychedelic, kind of blues-y, kind of... new age-y? I won't come back to it probably, but I'm glad I got to experience it. It is kind of long and droning and I just can't stand when any record is over an hour long, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless. I really liked the track "Djam Leelii" especially.

Really nice melodies and rhythms, still find Baaba’s voice a little grating at times but when it all works it’s lovely.

28/09/24 Not my kind of thing.

I love this list for introducing me to albums like this, that there is no way I would have come across on my own. The music creates an ethereal atmosphere which I really like. However every song is a bit too long and repetitive. I feel this album would have benefited greatly by being trimmed down a little, it really doesn't need to be over a hour long. I might get more out of it if I understood the lyrics, I'm not sure.

That was nice. Was it the most necessary album listen I've ever done? No, but it certainly wasn't the least necessary. I mean, at least this album has a Wikipedia article! Anyways, this album's pretty solid. I enjoyed it. The sound is nice. It's a bit different than what I was expecting from an album originating in Senegal. I guess I've just never really been exposed to Senegalese music before. I've gotta say, this album makes a strong first impression. The singing is good too. I don't know what they're saying, but that's not a problem with this album, it's just a language barrier. Remember, it's not okay to give an album a low score just because the singing is in a language different to the one you speak. It's a pretty respectable length if you only listen to the 8 songs that were originally included. Later versions of this album have 12 songs on them and I didn't really feel like listening to that much. Maybe I should have, or maybe not. This album's pretty good. It's not my favorite, but I can absolutely see the value in something like this. High 3/5.

I much prefer the best of world music than more US college rock or british indie, bit this one didnt really take off for me. Interesting yes, something that engaged me, no

Nice for a change! However, in my ignorance, and not understanding the language sung in, it did get a bit too repetitive for me, and it was very long.

This has got one and done written all over it.

I appreciate the fresh genre. This album was as 3-star (2.5 if we could do halves) as you can get, for me personally. Pretty basic production and all the songs sound similar, but I didn't dislike what I was hearing. I'd definitely have to have this playing as background music. I couldn't just sit down and listen to this without doing anything else.

i normally love this kind of stuff but maybe i need to listen to this more, it didn’t immediately grab me

Uniek, vaak best wel goed, maar ook veel van hetzelfde en te lang.

I mean. I can tell that it's good music. And I'm genuinely glad to say that I tried it out. But it's just not for me. Too long, also.

I appreciate when albums outside the US/UK pop and rock scenes come up here. Djam Leelii sets a nice atmosphere for the most part. It does run longer than I'd like, with many individual tracks running 6+ minutes and noticeably overstaying. Plus the 4 tracks added in the 1998 reissue add more than 20 minutes to the overall album length.

I don't speak Pulaar so I didn't fully appreciate the storytelling of migration, love, cultural heritage... but I do appreciate the style.

Nice background tunes. Wish the vocals were a little different.

I leelii enjoyed djaming out to this.

Albumi #42, 08.09.2024 Pariisissa jo vuonna 1984 nauhoitettu kahden senegalilaismuusikon albumi on mielenkiintoinen yhdistelmä senegalilaista perinnemusiikkia ja länsimaista folkia. Vuonna 1989 kansainvälisesti julkaistulle lähes täysin akustiselle levylle vahvimman sävyn antaa teräskielisen akustisen kitaran hieno soundi yhdistettynä afrikkalaistyylisiin perkussioihin. Sähkökitara kuuluu levyllä vain täydentävänä elementtinä. Pulaarin kielellä lauletut kappaleet käsittelevät tiettävästi pääosin pakolaisuutta. Maailman musiikin parhaimmistoa. Kannattaa painaa mieleen.

I'm glad the project introduces me to albums like this. I wish it was shortened by a few tracks though.

Soothing music, but I don't love the vocals

Beautiful, atmospheric music with a soul. Not sure how much I would make it part of my regular listening, but I'm glad I was exposed to it. 3.5 stars

I never know how to rate these things that are beautiful but are also things I will never really go back to after this. I think 3 is the only thing that seems fair?

Sweet soothing Senegalese sounds.

fun for one listen

One of the better world music album, not idea what he’s singing about but the music and vocals just flow so well together I can enjoy the music with out knowing what it means,

A musical tale made in one year but reconfigured and extended in many more, Djam Leelii (known as The Adventures) underwent an adventure in and of itself. Despite of what it came out as in its formats, the music doesn't suffer for it, as Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck weave through and within each other over the course of this given hour. Of course, if attention isn't paid to the song titles, the music may sound indistinguishable from one another but it doesn't take away from how good it is. A nice primer from two of Africa's finest. Favorites: Lam Tooro, Loodo, Muudo Hormo, Djam Leelii, Bibbe Leydy, Ko Wone Mayo, Daande Lenol, Taara.

this album is like a brand new computer

This is a vibe. It took me a while to get used to the harmonics but once I’d gotten my ear around it, I found it an enjoyable listen. It’s albums like this that make me glad I did this challenge.

I dig it

It was okay, but not something I’d return to.

Good change of pace here. Feels tokenistic to slip in a few random 'world' music artists but I enjoyed this.

It was interesting to listen to, and really foreign to me too. But I can't really say I liked it or that I'd listen to it again

I liked it better than his other entry but not by a lot.

This was interesting album, I can't tell if I like it or appreciate it. Structurally it reminded me of what I consider to be traditional Irish folk songs, by this I mean rhythm and structure. The intonations are very different.

I'm with Christgau: it's exotic background music.

If the aim of 1001 albums to listen to before you die is to enrich you with essential, varied, and fulfilling experiences you may not be guaranteed to come across in your life then mission accomplished. Never would have found this myself, and I've come away having gained something in an appreciation of Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck's fantastic music.

It's actually kind of hypnotic, in a good way, The simplicity of the guitars with their vocals floating over the top is enjoyable to listen to, but it does really start to drag on a bit. I think in a solid 40 minutes chunk this would be great.

Not super into this. Some tracks were okay for background music, but wouldn't listen to it again. Not to my taste, but not awful.

A very hard one to rate. Overall the music was very good. Sometimes the singing fit it. Other times, the music was interrupted by the sounds of a whale in heat. Split the difference I guess.

This has some really great moments. Lush compositions that are too often pushed back in favour of some busy guitar. I enjoyed it. 7/10 nice to see something that isn't on every list ever made

Never heard of this artist. I'll check it out. I truly respect these kinds of artist and their style of music they've created and delivered to us. Just not my style and need to be in the mood to be listening to this. sitting at work doesn't help.

good senegal music

Relaxing stuff

The melodies and chord structures of sound surprisingly western but with the vocals layered on top, it’s another sound entirely. I don’t know what the stringed instrument is with the tone of a guitar mixed with a sitar, but it’s nice. The drone gives some songs a trance-like feel at times. The upbeat songs appeal more to me than the trancy ones. And the bluesy ones are my favorite. 3.5

It's pretty good -- sort of chill, relaxed, nearly trance inducing at times. Love that African guitar tone. Still, not something I need to hear before I die. 3.4

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. That desert psych rock guitar really gets me but a lot of the discordant vocal were a bit off putting. In general, enjoyed more than not.

I think the most valuable thing this journey through this list has provided me is experiences. I’ve heard 300 albums at this point. Loved many. And really disliked many as well. But aside from a few, I can’t deny the experiences this has given me. That to me is far more valuable than much of the music itself. And it’s why I urge people to try this themselves. Because the way it has opened my eyes to so much unique art is wonderful. Before this, it was difficult for me to even name albums I didn’t like, because I wasn’t going out of my way to hear them. That is definitely not the case anymore. And such can be applied to this record as well. Because without this, I would never be able to say that I’ve had an experience with traditional Senegalese music. That’s something not many people can claim to be familiar with. And whether this is your thing or not, hearing something that is probably very foreign to the average person’s ears is special in its own right. And this album does do things well that I like. It’s composed of very lush and beautiful arrangements, with plucky electric guitars and choir-esque vocals. I was actually surprised by the amount of electric guitars in this, but this is also considerably more modern compared to the rest of the world music I’ve heard. Unfortunately, for me world music is never something I’m compelled to hear by itself. It sounds better when backing up or being accompanied by something else. So while I see the purpose this has on the list, I didn’t totally love it. Rating: 5/10

Not exactly what I would have chosen to listen to on my own. But not bad.

I liked it. I know nothing about this kind of music, and I can’t say I’ll be seeking it out to listen to, but it was fun and pleasing.

Question: why do so many people not bother to check the album's actual running time? Just doing the full Ron Burgundy and assuming if Spotify has it then it's part of the actual record. Anyway, to this. Really didn't enjoy Lam Toro, a 90s record supposedly aimed at a white audience, a few months back. This is a different kettle of fish, far simpler production and less pissing about. Just play your shit man, it's good. Noodles along nicely in the background. Not outstanding, I do find myself drawn to Ali Farka Toure and the desert jazz crew who have followed in his wake to this. Absolutely decent though. Muudo Hormo is good. Maacina Tooro. Djam Leelii

Really enjoyed it. Way outside my normal listening and will listen again.

Ok, hard to rate an album like this. On one hand, it's really long and really repetitive. But on the other hand, it's pleasant enough and I'm clearly not accustomed to listening to things like this. So, how do I rate it? Here's a 3 and we can move on.

Finally something different, after 2 weeks of stuff I pretty much already owned, we get into something that I wouldn't normally stumbleupon. This was so relaxing, just a peaceful vibe. Stuff like this is why I signed up for this

NIN Ghosts I-IV, call to prayer edition

Despite the language barrier, this is definitely a vibe.

Unusual and actually pretty enjoyable. Wouldn’t play it on rotation but interesting enough to warrant a full listen

I didn't know I'd be a fan of West African music until I discovered it on my journey through this list. Like the others I've listened too, I didn't understood a word but enjoyed every minute.

I don’t mind this one, definitely interesting, although it does tent to feel a bit repetitive as far as rhythms and style. I probably would get more out of ut if it weren’t for the language barrier.

я уснул. Это может быть и хорошо и плохо алкоальбом: ну вот точно последний виски кола

Как и большинство народной-фолк-ворлд музыки - репетативная, мантровая, долгая. Это изливание души, для нас, белых людей, от них, чёрных людей. Мы их не понимаем до конца. Настолько, что альбом и не хотели выпускать изначально. А потом выпустили - и оказалось, что это круто, исторично, с памятью. Потом уже у Баабы Мала была "международная" карьера, сотрудничества с Брайаном Ино и Mumford & Sons. Но сейчас это опять что-то на уровне этнографии, может быть, этнофутуристики.

Something new - Senegalese folk music. There’s a beauty and calmness here…the musicians move at their own pace and play things as long as they’d like. There are some wonderful guitar lines that again have a soothing calmness to it. Interesting listen, but also somewhat repetitive and a little overlong - making it an enjoyable album but not a top rated one for me.

Enjoyable songs, I think I would actually revisit this if I was feeling the vibe. Low 3.

Bouncy and exuberant was a nice background listen to clean to, no idea what it said just vibes lol

I dug the meditative mood on a lot of these tracks. I always appreciate some bird noises as well. The guitar work is awesome throughout the album, but the singer's voice gets pretty exhausting pretty quick, especially for such a long album.

Albums like these remind me of the main purpose of this app/book. It's music people should experience to expand their world view since music is a huge part of most cultures. It's not necessarily about sharing popular music. I enjoyed this album with that in mind, it's a window into another part of the world. I found myself trying to kind of figure out the language, it seems like double vowels are used for long sounds vs single vowels for short. In English we kind of just guess with some rules. It also seems like he just adds syllables in between words to make them flow better. Thinking about these things separate from the actual music is not integral to ratings but I think it's what this book is trying to do. 7/10

This album sounded like a warm spring day :). I wish have stars were a thing bc this would’ve gotten a 3.5

As our second album from West Africa featuring guitar centric music, I prefer the other one to this, but can still appreciate it on some level. Fav Songs: Djam Leelii Ko Wone Mayo

Took a few tracks to get into it. But once i was in I found a real appreciation for this album! 3.3

A very long project. The instrumentals were mostly interesting, but at times they were repetitive. The vocals were good, but unfortunately I couldn't understand a word of it.

Nice, chill album. Maybe runs a bit too long, but the twinkly guitar and kora were hypnotic

cool

A pleasant sounding, but repetitive album. The guitar players aren't the most precise players by any means, but they had plenty of good riffs throughout the album. This has to be my favorite Senegalese album of all time.

I've had this on in the background while working and it's pleasant enough. Not sure if I needed over an hour of the yelling but the instrumentals were great. I especially liked the percussion on some of the songs towards the end. Middling 3.

Excellent guitar work, but the chanting definitely became a bit much after a while. The first 8 songs that were on the original album were the best. Enjoyed the African vibes throughout.

2.5

Exceedingly pleasant and begging for me to spend more time with it.

It was certainly a journey - an incredibly unique one. All in all I think the good balances out with the fact that I’ve never really heard much like it

So unique, very good fun

I finally feel like this is what 1001 is for as it's pretty unlikely I would have heard this album otherwise. I really liked it, like a lot. Great listen all the way through. Worldly, tribal, traditional, chanting, energetic, relaxing, it has it all. The songs are beautiful and the whole project is mesmerizing. Check out Tinariwen if you're into this.

Only 1001 will bring this to me and I thank the list. Been starving for some worldly music that I never would have come across otherwise. I was hypnotized by the music on my drive home. Baabal fits in nicely with the rhythmic lull of Mansour's strumming. I do think that Mansour carries this album but I can't really say without giving other Maal works a listen yet. I enjoyed side A more than B but good one overall.

What a unique pleasant treat. Easily the most surprising listen thus far. Didn't expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. Can't say I've ever been exposed to Senegalese music to my knowledge before. I wish have could have understood the lyrics. Even despite the barrier the songs are all relatively enjoyable. 2.8 stars

Ok background music but nothing that excites me.

Pretty good

1989, Senegalese music As world music goes, it isn't bad. Not something I'd listen much to in the future but I am glad I got the chance to hear it. The music is much better than the voice.... 3/5

Enjoyable but I didn’t notice when it ended.

Another Baab Maal album within one week, low chances! I liked this way more than the Lam Toro one. This was much more interesting, and each song differed more from each other. I found some songs that I thought was decent. Solid 3 from me!

Second Baaba Maal album in a week, figures! I thought this was an ok listen as background music. It's a bit long but it was nice to listen to while working. It was cool but nothing special for me personally. A weak 3.

This is a really cool, expansive, worldly album that could be a great introduction to non-western music for new listeners. It's just not my cup of tea. The repetition wares me down after a while. And that's just personal preference. I like changes in music, and this tends to stay pretty stagnant throughout. That said, I really dug the guitar work throughout, and would absolutely vibe to this on a chill night around a fire with some friends.

It was ok, but not great. I actually like the meditative repetitive aspect to the music. But I've heard other albums and artists from west Africa that seemed more engaging to me

Beautiful production, singing, and musicianship. Hard to suggest repeat listening.wuth repetitive nature if songs.

Didn’t understand a word of it but surprisingly liked this album. Lots of catchy songs

I liked the music quite a bit, but the album was way too long

Not my jam but what a jam

For me it was ok for background music.

Lam Tooro 3.2 Loodo 3 Muudo Hormo 3 Salminanam 3 Maacina Tooro 3 Djam Leelii 3.1 Bibbe Leydy 3 Sehilam 3.1 Kettojee 3 Ko Wone Mayo 2.9 Daane Lenol 3 Taara 3 3.025

The description says he is a storytelling musician and i can feel a bit of blues influence which is a story driven music style... Unfortually i don't understand a word that's being sung so i can only review the music which is really nice to have in the background. It really transports you to another place.

A pleasant surprise. Nice and relaxing listen 3/5

01) Lam Tooro - 6,5 02) Loodo - 6,5 03) Muudo Hormo - 6,5 04) Salminanam - 7,0 05) Maacina Tooro - 6,5 06) Djam Leelii - 7,0 07) Bibbe Leydy - 6,0 08) Sehilam - 6,0 09) Kettodee - 6,5 10) Ko Wone Mayo - 6,5 11) Daande Lenol - 6,0 12) Taara - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,38 (64/100) I like it when non-English language artist appears because there IS good music and there are good albums outside of the English speaking world. This one is a very pleasant ambient music with some nice guitar playing. It makes a great background music while working or driving. After a few songs it tends to get a bit repetitive, but it's still a nice listen.

No esperaba escuchar en mi vida música de Senegal

Estaba bien, quizá nunca más lo vuelva a escuchar gracias 1001albumsgenerator

It's easy to listen too and get into a trance.

Loved the guitar in this

A very unique fusion piece that blends traditional Senegalese music with some western flavors, pulling instruments from both. The album features clean and snappy guitar riffing, traditional percussion elements, and piercing vocals, mixed into long, droning, sometimes pulsating tracks. It can be tough for the western mind to step outside of our musical normality and appreciate other approaches to melody, rhythm, phrasing, and instrumentation, so I challenged myself to enjoy the album as intended by the musicians, not as I wanted to hear as a typical American music listener. I appreciated the artists’ exploration of genres and the novelty of folk influences I had not heard before, but by the end of the album I was also ready to be done. I think listening to the original 8-track release (instead of the 12-track remaster on Spotify) would have been a gentler introduction to Maal and Seck. Stand out tracks include “Muudo Hormo” and “Djam Leelii”.

Some fresh sounds and quite the diverse catalog from baaba Maal. fun listen.

Eigenlijk best wel geinig om naar luisteren. Zeker niet onprettig. Eigenaardige melodieën hier en daar. Kende het nog niet maar wel de moeite waard om te luisteren

I can appreciate it but I will probably never listen to it again. Glad I did though

Another choice really off the mainstream. Probably not something I'd seek out but not a bad listen.

I'm certainly no expert on Senegalese music, so it's hard for me to judge this. To my ears, it sounds fine, but it doesn't really seem like anything that special or unique. Sort of goes in one ear and out the other. 3 stars.

I had never heard of these artists or this album but I do like venturing into international music. It could be a bit repetitive at times but I did enjoy it. Nice cultural experience.

I had heard of Baaba Maal but can't say that I had heard anything he had done outside of the Black Panther movies. I feel like he's the first one on this list for me that I actually knew about but had never listened to. So I sort of knew what to expect with this album. It's very interesting to me to hear an artist from West Africa who was influenced by American blues, jazz, soul, and R&B which were all really based on African music in the first place. I enjoyed this album and would definitely listen to it again if I was in the right mood.

Mildly entertaining and quite repetitive. I think I liked it, but not totally sure. I’ve heard of Baaba Maal before so I assume he’s a pillar of African music. Three stars.

I'm surprised to see Baaba Maal on the list again after having listened to Lam Toro. Is his work truly prevalent enough to warrant multiple entries? If we're to compare the two, i prefer Djam Leelii to Lam Toro, but dear lord do both drag on.

Well, this is one that I didn't expect to be able to get through but I did and I'm glad I did.

Baaba Maal er bara drullugóður. Rosalega notaleg tónlist.

fun facts! Senegal is home to: - a tiny car-free island made from seashells; - seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites; - Africa’s tallest statue; - rivers with killer hippopotamuses; - a pink lake. There has been work done to build a "Great Green Wall" from Senegal's capital, Dakar, to Djibouti, Djibouti. The wall is made of trees and meant to hold back expansion of the Sahara.

It ain't awful but neither is it anything special. I just felt very underwhelmed by this album as it had nothing really punching it to be that good. Felt like the same song for the whole album and not in a good way.

Another one that I didn't realize was over until much later. It's good. Not my cup, but still worth a listen.

Pretty good but not my thing. Was cool to read what he broke through to get where he is and what he’s done outside of that

Now here is an album that I would never think to seek out myself, and I really enjoyed it. I wish the songs weren’t quite as long and repetitive, though I understand that’s (probably?) part of the Senegalese tradition. If it were half as long it would most likely get more than 3 stars. Definitely worth a listen though, unlike some of the other albums I’ve given this rating.

This was a nice listen, but a little long and boring.

I like this. It's very enjoyable. But it doesn't stand out as an album I need to hear before I die. 3.25 stars.

Another vibe.

Kinda like African Led Zeppelin in moments. Maacino Tooro is cool 😎. Wish there were more shredders/rockers Zamrock style. EEEEeeeeee-yahhhhAhahAhah Good music for working

It was alright but I wouldn’t revisit again.

Pleasant to listen to, but also easy to forget

I love blends of west african music with western pop music and for that I can appreciate this. However, this being (to my ears) purely African music kept it a bit boring for me. Was nice background music for reading a book but won't listen to this again.

3 1/2 *** interesting music!

Enjoyable to listen to, and definitely not something I'm used to. However it all felt too long, both the songs and the album itself.

repetitive but not redundant… hypnotic but in a good way. not sure what any of the lyrics are (they are all in a foreign language), but the singing sounds almost like another instrument. an interesting listen, for sure.

This was rather pleasant.

Was a little hard to get in to this one at work. Gonna have to give it another shot at a later time. I dug it, but it requires some serious listening that I couldn't give.

Obligatory comment about how difficult it is to truly relate to music like this due to the language barrier. With that being said, the instrumentation here is really cool. The African derivation of the instruments is blindingly obvious, but there are also several Western influences, specifically rock, that elevate the feel to be very interesting. I enjoyed the listen despite the high likelihood of not spending much more time with it.

what a cool album! djam leelii is an album that's unique in this project, and i so appreciate the senegalese inclusion. i'm glad i had the opportunity to listen to this album. a mark of a good album is when it's beautiful even when the lyrics are in a foreign language. sure, the vocals add something to the album, but because i'm not focusing on the lyrics (because there's no way i could understand them!), i'm able to focus more on the music. using instruments like the kora or balafon set this album apart, too.

A fantastic inclusion, and a type of African music that I was not at all aware of. It feels very ethereal, atmospheric, and spiritual, and sounds heavily inspired by Eastern music, which was quite the awesome mix to hear! The guitar work here is really relaxing, while the percussion stirs something almost tribal and ritualistic into the music, lending itself to the spiritual sound. Definitely a great addition of something I would otherwise probably never stumbled across!

Nope

I liked it, haven't heard anything in that length before, just bits and pieces.

My musical vocabulary isn’t sophisticated enough to rate this properly. I do know musicians were excellent and the rhythms outstanding but it was an album I respected more then I loved.

i listened to this while cleaning the house and doing various chores and it feels like a spa. very nice vibes, calm but interesting enough to just listen to... i did feel like it got a bit tiring after a while though. would be cool if i knew what they were singing about!!

A pleasant moment but not my thing to jam out

2.5 If there was an instrumental version of the album, I'd give it a 4/5...

A nice, calming listen late at night. Nice guitar, good occasionally electric fuzz. Newage African chillout.

Felt like an Adventurer when I listened to this. It was alright, but have to be in the right Muudo for this.

Nice guitar, but repetitive

Sengalese folk music

Solid album of world music in the broadest sense, can't say I'm to psyched by it, but it is by no means bad.

Reminds of me of WOMAD. I don't have the cultural knowledge to appreciate this properly, maybe. Or maybe I just need to listen in the right environment.

Some nice tunes

It was pretty long but honestly not too bad over its length. Felt a lot better than some of the other droning world albums we’ve had recently. 6/10

not bad

I'm glad this is on here for the exposure alone. The music is transportive and brings forth world music that is often too underrepresented. The way they play and the emotion that comes out of this album is not to be underappreciated. That being said, it is a bit long winded The long song time, similarity of many songs, and simplicity of the instrumentation can cause too much of this to blend together after listening.

Enjoyable soulful vibes of which I have no idea

Decent world.music album

Very melodic and hypnotic songs based around repeated guitar patterns. Quite enjoyable to listen to, although this is a lengthy album and hard to sustain interest across all 12 tracks

Crafts an atmosphere. One it can’t maintain for the somewhat bloated runtime. Having said that the instrumentation, in particular the drums, are stunning. A nice mix of some western influences from the Senegalese legend.

Senegalesischer mäßig interessant klingender Singer-Song-Writer.

Pretty chill music by itself, but I feel no connection to this type of music as I have no African roots. I think it’s cool they got a proper chance to record their songs and bring it to the masses! 6,5 out of 10

Nice sound