Djam Leelii

somm diferente e tals, senegales, mas meio repetitivo

Perfect music for a Friday morning The repetition did start to get to me a bit by the end though Favourite tracks: Lam Tooro, Muudo Hormo, Salminanam

Much liked this album in the early 90s when it was a big hit. Now it is a bit too boring to listen to in one go but the couple of fast songs are still great.

In general, I quite like the sound of music from West African countries like Senegal and Mali, and this album is no exception. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped, because the music was a little too repetitive and the vocals got a bit annoying at times.

The voice is annoying, beneath it a gentle, repetitive sound.

Such a diverse sounding album. Some songs sound as I would expect an African music album, some sounded Brazilian or Latin of some sort, and some sounded like modern rock and pop beats. Some songs were very meditative, and the recording quality is good enough to soak up all the diverse interesting sounds, only wish I knew what he was singing.

This starts off nice enough with some repeating guitar patterns and world-music vibes, but gets old fast. Still worthy addition to this list. 2.5/5

I like the instrumentation, the xylophones as a counterbalance to the guitars. I think that works really well. But the vocals. I never liked that kind of style, it took me a while to get used to a few artists I like who use it in a song or two. A whole album gets tedious for me. I am glad I listened to it, it was a nice change of pace. But the vocals get tiresome to me.

The dueling guitars are awesome, particularly on the first song Lam Tooro. I absolutely loved that song from the first few plucks; the vocals fit so well, they just hum alongside the instruments. But honestly I was a bit disappointed the rest of the album didn't consistently live up to that standard. It's all melodic, even hypnotic, but the other songs didn't feel as fresh or unique by the time I got to the end of the album. I did listen to the album many times though and other standouts that really pricked up my ears were Salminanam, Sehilam, Kettojee, and Ko Wone Mayo. All in all, this was a cool album and one of those I never would've listened to otherwise but am glad I did. Almost went with a 4.

Sounds nice, no idea what they're saying. I like the guitars and the singing's fine, I just doubt I will ever go out of my way to listen again. Tracks that caught my attention: Djam Leeli, Sehalam, Daana Lenol.

Really interesting, I dig it

not bad as background music but i bet i will never listen to think about this album ever again

Very relaxing listen. Not my thing to listen to again, but it's melodies were soothing to listen to.

some good backround music

encore un cadeau pour la daronne

I will preface this review by saying I am still relatively early into my journey into "World Music". Also, I really hate the term "world music". It seems really dismissive of other genres/subgenres that exist in other parts of the world. There could be two albums that fall under the "world music" category yet sound completely different and come from completely different geographic places. Anyway, I digress. I think one of the major drawing points of this record is the time period it was released in. Obviously now with the internet, it is much easier to find music from other parts of the world. However, in the early 80s, I'd assume it was much harder. This would be many listeners' (including my own) first contact with music from Senegal. This record mainly consists of acoustic finger-picking style guitar accompanied by assorted percussive instruments including different styles of hand drums and shakers. Many of the songs tend to stay within the same chord progression, which may be a bit boring to some listeners. I find it has a meditative, almost psychedelic quality. The guitar playing seems to be heavily influenced by the blues with repeating rhythms and jams. The vocals are a bit "nasaly" and the key might be a bit off-putting to many western listeners. It didn't really bother me at all. One thing I will say is that this album is very long. It clocks in at about 1 hour 12 mins. The average song length is about 6 mins. It can be a bit exhausting to listen to at times, but I suggest for you to sit back, relax, and let the hypnotic guitar rhythms take you away....

it's not bad but i don't really find any value in it. like, i'm never going to listen to this again, not because i don't like it but just because like. i honestly don't even feel anything listening to this. actually yes i do it's quite boring...

Not quite in the "desert-rock" genre where the rhythms are absoulutely relentless. This is more "desert-folk" I guess, it's softer, kinder, certainly more relaxed. More at home next to a river than a sandstone mountain in the blistering heat

V interesting, not my usual thing but I did enjoy it

I certainly respect this music, but I didn't really enjoy it very much. The repeating guitar phrases and nasal voices just kind of went on for a long, long time. That said, I was glad to have something like this to experience in the collection.

Atmospheric

Yeah it’s nice.makes good background music.it’s nice to hear music from other cultures.Not much more to say really.songs are a bit too long and not very memorable but there’s cool instrumentation in there.

Like the last album of his I got, it’s not bad at all but it’s very repetitive. Fine as mood or background music, but it really didn’t hold my attention.

I love that this is an album I wouldn’t have listened to otherwise. I imagine this would be cool live. I don’t think I would listen to this again. By the end of the album, I was a bit bored

Eventuell ein ganz klein wenig einschläfernd, aber doch nie langweilig und immer hoch musikalisch.

Senegalese music, enjoyable. I do think the album is probably 20 mins too long, but everything seems to be of a similar standard. No tracks specifically stood out, but the general vibe was good. Alot of great chanting backing vocals. Safe THREE

It's nice to have music from different countries. This is very ambient and chill to me as someone who can't understand a word of what is being sung. Although the instrumentation is not super complex it is still done in a way that is appealing to the listener. Not something I would willingly listen to again, but not something I would be upset about if it was on somewhere. This is a low 3/5

Cool! en repetitief

I really like this album. Hadn't heard of the artists nor heard any of their work, and it's very well done. I like the blend of influences and cultures on it, and the performances are excellent.

It’s like Spanish Jamaican African music.

Interesting and uplifting in some way. Have no idea what they are singing but I feel it is a spiritual and positive message. Loved this exposure to something so off the beaten path.

Not bad but was all a bit same same

not bad at all

Was interesting..

Its an afro-islamic styling on some mid tempo stripped down world music. its cool i don't think it stirs enough in me to give it more than a three though. I really like the track Taara, glad i dug for it.

I think just calling this "worldbeat" (as Wikipedia does) is kind of a disservice. I feel like the prevailing sounds kind of point me towards blues, and maybe even some neoclassical stuff. That being said, once he finds a chord progression, it never seems to change too much, and these songs are waaaay too long just to have one chord progression. Makes the whole experience a bit meditative. Favorite track: "Djam Leelii"

Decent musically, but pretty repetitive. Some decent rhythms though.

3.5

The band was so good, this was so beautiful at times. Very chill, would definitely work as a bbq background album. Vocals were good, it did drone on at times but this was a good vibe. 3.5 stars

Was a traditional indian music album- not bad but not what i would listen to.

3.6 - Another West African record in which the songs are built around a groove. I like the bluesy improvisations on electric guitar and other instruments as well as chanting up and down the scale. It's soothing, pleasant listening though I'd struggle to pick this out of a line-up with Ali Farka Touré and others.

Pleasant but unremarkable.

Not something I would have found on my own. Worth hearing at least once even if I end up never listening to it again.

Not for me

I like it, it's a chilled out Sunday kind of vibe.

Again these are hard to rate when not in a language i am familiar with and when it is so different in style. Was interesting to listen to.

Very nice sound, calm and relaxing. Just what I needed this morning. I probably wouldn’t seek it out, but would def leave it on. 3/5

It was quite ethereal which at times meant it moved slowly, but truly unlike anything I've heard before. Senegalese guitar... was spiritual and felt quite Islamic influenced. Fav song: Salminanam

It's ok... I'm not hearing the bottled lightning that this supposedly is. Kind of dragged on.

I like the instrumentation that almost becomes like a drone, but the vocal style just isn't my thing.

Sure, this was fine. I neither terribly loved nor hated it.

Like a weirdly better yoko ono

A nice listen

World Music. Nice guitar

Reminds me a lot of Salif Keita who my dad was really into during my late teens. Very enjoyable bop, a few standout tracks but Salminanam is the only one I remembered the name of.

Not my thing

relaxing, meditative, twangy guitar work and chanted vocals. A bit one note

Interesting but not really my thing

Not to my taste but I can understand why it is rated

i lik better than lam toro 3

Mostly enjoyable listening, some nice guitar playing. A little bland in places, but still good

Interesting

Estuvo ok, pero no es mi estilo.

Pretty good

OK. Prob won't listen again

He has an interesting voice, though not for everyone and I like the story of how he was encouraged by his blind friend and collaborator Mansour Seck to take up music. That said I would say he is less versatile than that other Senegalese singer.

Neat, but not my thing.

The kind of music I could pretty easily spend all day with, but on the scale of things, I kind of wish it had more texture to it

Someone else made the comment but accurate for me as well... Would not have heard this other than being on this site, was an interesting background drivetime track, will likely not listen to again

A pretty interesting Senegalese album, which sounded like a nice mix between local folk music and some interesting electric guitar solos, taken straight out of 70s jam session. All the songs feel very spiritual and personal, even though they are singing in their local dialect of tribe transcendental over all the current borders. Although the idea of this album seems very interesting and inspiring, listening to this record is not the easiest task. It's more like a fascinating artifact you see in a museum from an ancient civilization. Nice to look at for a bit, gives you an idea of the culture of that period, and then you quickly move on. It's not an album you would listen more than once.

Vrij eentonige Afrikaans achtige muziek. Niet slecht, maar ook niet geweldig.

So there was good music during the 80’s!

This was a hard one to review. Every track had me tapping my toes... at first. The music here is good but it's all so mind-numbingly repetitive. I have a feeling that a lot of what makes this album so good is the vocals but, as I don't understand any of them, I'm left missing half of the equation. I have loved every album from Mali that's been on this list and, while this isn't Malian, it has shades of the things that I love from those albums. But only shades. The rhythms and energy are there but they're not fully explored. They're just laid out and then repeated a hundred times. I wanted to love this and I didn't. I fully accept that this is likely on me because I don't understand the language but, unfortunately, "Djam Leelii" just falls short of being truly enjoyable.

This was interesting Ok to have on in the background but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen again.

Beautiful desert blues - love the voice, the backing and the feel of this. Took me somewhere else for a while.

Different culture, how interesting

Enjoyed, just slightly too long and repetitive

Odd but ok

I can understand the appeal though it's not in my language - and it's certainly better than alot of the nonsense in English I've listened to through this site. 6/10.

Étnica africana. Un poco aburrido.

Music was pretty groovy, but I'm such a sucker for lyrics but I've got no idea what the dude's singing about.

minne litt om musikken på lucys, så da hjelpe

Rating: 6/10

Music for wandering

i'll admit, a bit repetitive so i only got half way through

It was a cool listen with modern and folksy elements.

Some really beautiful songs here. The album was a bit too long, but a really enjoyable listen. Fave Songs: Loodo, Ko Wone Mayo, Salminanam, Muudo Hormo, Lam Tooro, Kettodee

A very relaxing listen, however nothing really stood out to me in particular. I did like the warm vocals and the guitar work was great. It also felt a little long, probably because I listened to the version available on Apple Music which is an hour and 13 minutes with four extra songs.

21st April 2022 Listened mainly on the drive out of LA to the desert which was a good setting for this. I appreciate it’s something I wouldn’t normally listen to and does have a great vibe to it but it’s a bit samey for me.

I have heard Baaba Maal sing with Peter Gabriel, Afro Celt Sound System and on the 1 Giant Leap album. In general I like what Maal does, but listening to a whole album is just okay. "Loodo" was my favorite track, and a track that I could come back to an enjoy. "Lam Tooro" was my second most favorite. Some of the longer tracks towards the end of the album felt like more of a distraction than music that I would listen to.

Not overly adventurous but engaging if maybe a tad too long. It is easy to get hooked on the rhythms.

Laid back African vibes

Started great, pleased I got something I would never have come across. However, the album did get very repetitive as it went on. If it was around 40 minutes and had the best half of the songs or even more with some edits, it would be a strong 4, maybe a 5. The guitar playing was probably the best thing on here, shows a hint of the music of Senegal and surrounding reigons. I also like the vocals and percussion in this too, gives it a unique feel compared to Anglo-American music which dominates my Spotify.

Very chill vibe but it did get repetitive. Nice guitar sound. 2.5/5 stars

Have to say I found this a bit of a slog. I started listening this to this like 3-4 times, and didn't find it particularly good music to just listen to. I've had it on in the background to work to and it was fine and quite pleasant! Certain bits I appreciated and enjoyed, but some of them the repetition did just get to me. Glad I've heard it but wouldn't seek it out again

Not bad but a bit long, good background music.

J’aime le genre mais l’album est 1h15. J’aurais prefere pkus court etantndonne la repition du son. Quand me un bel album 3.25

A nice alternative

Drums are cool, but this is an album that I don't super know how to break down. So, I'm not upset that I listened to it. It's just weird and out there. Found it weirdly relaxing and added it to my relaxing playlist with vocals.

Pas écouté...

Not a go to album but a fun listen

this is not bad

Fun and full of energy. Obviously had no idea what was actually being said.

Good work music but nothing outstanding

Nice vibe, liked a couple of stand-out tracks

I enjoyed having it on in the background, but feel unqualified to judge it further.

Takes me straight to Womad

Track one - did not enjoy. Few tracks after that quite enjoyed, but not my usual music.

some tracks were soothing, others tickled me a bit

Chill, xylophone

Great instrumentals, nice to work to.

Interesting

Now That's What I Call Africa 72!

Pleasant enough. Not something I'd go back to but it had enough variety to stay interesting.

I was expecting more polyrhythms, but overall it’s quite nice.

OK? it was not what i was feeling

Great tunes, even if I don't understand the words.

good background music, nothing exciting

Byłaby lepsza bez wokalu

ihan ok musiikkia, mutta laulusta en tykkää. 2.5 tähteä..

Yo ya conocía a Baaba Maal, gracias a Mumford & Sons. Me da gusto que aparezca en la lista cosas no angloparlantes y este ejemplo es muy bueno, porque aunque conserva todo sus raíces tradicionales, tiene sus momentos modernos que lo hacen un poco digerible para nosotros. No es lo que escucharía de diario, pero si un día quiero un mood exótico, es algo que pondría con gusto. Lam Tooro se parece a Nothing Else Matters.

Ok. Not exciting

Very interesting, relaxing

I enjoyed it, especially while making breakfast, but the language barrier creates a sameness throughout

Love listening to different Music from different cultures

Good range of tunes here. Very reminiscent of the Sahel stuff I've been listening to over the past months, but on acoustic instruments and (obviously) recorded cleaner. The last three tracks were unnecessary for me. The title track was the standout.

3.5/5. Nice listen, would make great background music in a hookah lounge. Standout Tracks: Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii, Sehilam

An interesting change from the recent albums. Some nice guitar-pieces on. But not easy to rate because I'm not used to this kind of music. 2,5

bro wtf is this tribal ahh music idk I cant rly connect on a deep level that's what I said at first, however diving deeper into this album there are amazing instruments that you would never hear played in any other way. I really enjoyed Kettodee and the guitar on that one, so mad respect to this guy. however the vocals, personally lack here but thats just me dude.

Felt like music that plays in the back of a restaurant while you're waiting for takeout

One thing I'm getting out of this project is that it made me aware of the country Senegal. That's something I guess. Favorite track: Djam Leeli 2.5/5

Kinda neat as a sound I'm not familiar with but it's not a very exciting listen

Not really feeling a foreign language album, today. I don't hate it, I don't care for the singing voice. Too nasally & whiney. The title track is quite good.

un peu loin de mes clous 2/5

Naja, das ist mal wieder schwierig zu bewerten. Einerseits schon gut, aber andererseits kann ich dieses Gejodel nicht bis zum Ende hören.

Not really for me.

Went a little long.

Not horrible but just too long

Meh

Great guitars. Personally, I'm not into that style of singing, and I didn't understand a word they were saying.

It's SO good it's not even on Spotify. West African mumble monotonous stuff. This list has worn out it's welcome and I have about a year to go. This doesn't deserve a spot and Spotify would agree.

4/10. Lindo sonido, nuevo y con matices interesantes. Me hace acordar a la música indú, con cantos en un idioma que no entiendo pero que entonan bien con la armonía de los temas. Disco muy largo y sobretodo repetitivo, es para dejar de fondo y no prestarle mucha atención porque llega a aburrir.

Not for me.

Het eerste nummer heeft de gitaarmelodie van ouderwetse rock. Het gaat an sich prima samen met de zang in het pulaar. Enige punt is dat het nogal veel van het zelfde is. Nou ja, dat kan één nummer natuurlijk. Maar het hele album? Dat is wel erg eentonig. Nee, na het eerste nummer kom ik al snel tot het oordeel: slaapplaat.

Tja, dit is weer zo'n album in de categorie wereldmuziek. Het klinkt allemaal een beetje hetzelfde en het is uitermate vergeetbaar. De percussie en de gitaar is op zich wel lekker, maar waarom zingen ze allemaal met een irritante jengelstem? Ik vind daar niets muzikaals aan. De gitaar levert nog een puntje op, maar ik vind hier verder geen klap aan

That sweet anticipation when you open up the generator to see what new album you've got today, and the bitter disappointment when you realize it's something from the "world music" bin.

Guitar riffs were very repetitive.

It’s nice. Calm and gently happy. I can’t see myself putting it on often, but enjoyed listening to it. Makes good background music in that it developed/changes quite slowly so feels quite meditative.

Sounds like the morning prayer call.

Wasn’t in the mood unfortunately so it didn’t hit right

Significantly worse than Lam Toro in my opinion. Far too meandering and sleepy. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing

Nice sound, but overly long and repetitive.

Finally another glimpse into non western music! But... There has to be something better than this monotonous, repetitive, thin sounding borefest?! Makes me fall asleep, nothing else. Such a shame...

Very clean and calm. Commuting through suburbia at six in the morning with the sun licking the edge of the sky is a great time and place for this, but I am not sure when else is. Whilst the music is soft and soothing the voice is like a sharp knife cutting through the serenity. That may be the point, but not knowing what is being said may be to its detriment. This is a very good album but sadly not for me.

4.5/10

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Nicht meine Tasse Tee.

idk im confused by this

While I'm definitely glad that I've heard this, the songs are just way too repetitive for me and they aren't interesting enough to justify it. When the album is almost an hour long, these song structures start to wear you down fairly quickly. It's kind of rough trying to critique this when I know absolutely nothing about the cultural context in which this album was made, though, but we can consider this a first step.

Not my cuppa. Goes on too long for sure. Top track: "Salminanam"

Boring. Not my jam. Dylan stinks.

--Lam Tooro…vocals aren’t my thing. needs more bass --Loodo…we get some bass! It’s enjoyable but why is it six minutes long? --Muudo Hormo…again, where’s the bass? --Salminanam…see above --Maacina Tooro…don’t love the guitar tone. some cool guitar picking going, at least --Djam Leelii…do people from Senegal enjoy six minute songs as a rule? --Bibbe Leydy…interesting things continue to happen but it needs an editor and it never quite comes together --Sehilam…not a fan of the guitar tone. when it’s not balanced by enough bass it sounds like a harpsichord --Kettojee…pleasant but still has the “tinny” production. what do we need? more bass --Ko Wone Mayo…again, why is this so long? Maybe I like the 3 minute pop song too much but at least pop artists know when to cut it off --Daane Lenol…enjoy the steelpan but other than that it's not my thing --Taara...I really wanted to like this LP but I did not

Maybe I'm just unworldly and uncultured... But this bored me.

This was pleasant enough background music with some occasional standout moments. I liked Daande Lenol the best — the tones of the Balafon are quite relaxing. I don’t have much to say other than it wasn’t that engaging and wouldn’t be my go-to for background atmosphere either.

Afrikkalaista musiikkia vaikka tässä onkin välillä pieni intialaisfiilis. Sillein ihan ok mutta aika toistavaa kun ei ymmärrä tästä mitään. Yksittäisetkin kappaleet tuntuu aikalailla toistavan samaa. Parhaat: Djam Leeli

Nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said… it was novel to experience something I never would have heard otherwise but I started to go a bit crazy with how long and repetitive the album is. Favorite Song: Ko Wone Mayo

I really wish I knew what he was saying as he is known as a great storytelling artist. I’m sure it would pair well with the great instrumentals on the songs from this album.

I enjoyed the instrumental aspects of this album. The electric guitar compliments the acoustic guitar. The Kora, balafon and (I assume) Sabar all come together to form a rich and enjoyable sound that sets a really relaxed tone. The thing that I find most disagreeable about this album is some of the qualities of Mansour Seck's voice. I fully appreciate that this is probably mostly as a result of me not growing up with that particular type of Afro/Islamic singing voice. But I find the wailing quality of that style of singing a little grating after a while. This is, of course, my personal preference and I am sure that this is an excellent example of this category of singing. (2.125)

Appreciate the attempt to broaden beyond American and British music but this is not deserving of the list. Every song picks a somewhat catchy guitar riff and repeats it at nauseum and then adds some awful vocals. Multiple members of my household asked me what the hell are you listening too?

Certainly a refreashing change from the albums presented recently A couple of stand-out tracks that are such a beautiful contrast to my normal listening, that they'll have to be added to my collection But, as several reviewers have mentioned, at over 75 minutes, it gets a bit much, and ultimately just want it to be over

Normally I try to give world music the benefit of the doubt since I'm not immersed in all cultures, but this album wasn't very good. Simple plinking on a guitar-type instrument with an almost complete lack of percussion instruments and shrill yell-chanting in Senegalese. Not an enjoyable listen. Low end 2/5

Amazing music, the vocals are way too grating for my ears. I'm sure they are beautiful

4/5. More like Sam Cooked with this live performance. Because he gives a fantastic studio-quality live performance here, extremely expressive with an infectious energy which is helped by the backing band. you get a mix of blues and soul here and in theory it’s quite a basic album but Sam just absolutely sells it and elevates it to something great.

Enjoyed the atmospheric guitars / percussion - but struggled with the singing - which for me fell on the wrong side of wailing and were a little annoying. Really wanted to enjoy it - but cannot see me returning.

Previously rated: #230 - Lam Toro (3/5) ************************* Album #1,078 Another artist I forgot I had heard before. I thought his previous album was decent. What about this one? No, this is not for me. His voice sounds like a constantly buzzing mosquito in my ear. The songs sound the same. It's too long. They should have stopped at one album for this guy.

Prima album opzich, maar veels te lang voor wat het is, -1 daarvoor

Djam Leelii by Baaba Maal is one of those albums that probably needs to be reviewed a little differently. It’s clearly not something I would normally listen to, but that’s really the whole point of this challenge — discovering music that sits outside my usual taste. So I’ll start with the positives. The guitar work and drumming on the album are really cool, and there are some great musical moments throughout. I particularly enjoyed the music on Maacina Tooro, which has a really strong groove. On the negative side, I struggled with the vocals. His voice just felt quite grating to me. The album is also fairly long, and after a while it began to sound repetitive, almost like the same musical ideas being repeated again and again. Favourite tracks: Djam Leelii was quite a nice song musically. Least favourite tracks: Most of the tracks aren’t something I would normally listen to or return to. Album artwork: A bit of a messy cover , I’m not entirely sure what’s going on there.

2,5

I recognized his unique vocal stylings from his collaborations on movie scores with Hans Zimmer and Peter Gabriel. Let me be clear that I absolutely love world music and consume it weekly, so it is absolutely sad for me to say that this album did not work for me. I don't really find his performances elevate the material and the repetition gets a bit sparse midway through the track list. I prefer West African music with a bit more liveliness or danceability. I personally recommend checking out Youssou N'Dour, Diogal, or Doudou N'Diaye Rose if you are seeking out great Senegalese music!

Interesting

The original release had 8 tracks. The re-release had an extra 4 tracks. I was served up the re-release, and just about made it to the end of the 8 tracks before turning it off. For that reason I will give it 2 stars - on a technicality! I think that not understanding the language really limits my enjoyment. I kept trying to imagine the album without any vocals, or even vocals in English, but I found it very difficult. It's not without any merit, but it's not really something I enjoyed.

first few songs were nice but after that it got old

ото занесло я як комаров ну норм

Not my thing

Usually I love this genre, not so much this time. The music is nice but it’s a little whiny and the vocal pitch isn’t soothing or comforting in any way.

It's nice to get exposed to music from other countries. This is the 2nd album of African music. Enjoyable. Nothing to telegram home about.

Not my thing. But I'm sure it's somebody's thing.

2 sterne

Lam tooro - 3 Loodo - 2 Muudo hormo - 2 Salminanam - 3 Maacina tooro - 3 Djam leelii - 3 Bibbe leydy - 2 Sehilam - 3 Kettodee - 3 Ko wone mayo - 2 Daande lenol - 2 Taara - 2

instrumentals are decent, vocals are not

2.0

I'll start with the positives of this album. I really love the inclusion of more traditional African (Senegalese) music that wouldn't get the light of day without lists like this. However, the album's real repetitive nature, with its lack of instrumentation, makes it feel like a drag. Compared to his other album on this list, which really does push the needle and has actual variation, this feels a lot more lacklustre. I'm glad that I get to hear traditional Senegalese music, but it's not for me.

Meh

Ko Wone Mayo is almost 10 minutes of the same little riff over and over and over and over. I am going to ask to hold the Mayo!

Geen idee, sliep wel lekker, maar deed me weinig

While Baaba Maal is evidently talented, I didn't really vibe with this one. The album was also 72 minutes over 12 tracks which is quite long for something I didn't get into. Maybe not understanding the language it was performed in is making me biased. 2/5 stars.

This was a monolith for me. Many of the songs sounded relatively the same and it was difficult to tell where one ended and the next began. It was mildly pleasant at times, but very repetitive. Getting through it was a slog. I did enjoy "Kettodee."

Listened in the morning

Not much to say about this. It was what it was.

not my forte

Yeah, not my thing.

It’s not the music I’d normally listen to, but it sounds good. The instruments sound cool and so does the language

leuker dan gedacht, ma na een tijd saai

Yeahhh chill but not my style

Not a bad album but the songs all started to sound the same to me.

I appreciate the meditative quality of the interweaving instruments but I found myself wanting some more movement in each song. And I WANT to not be closed-minded to the vocal style, I really do, but my western ears just can’t come to terms with it. This was an interesting listen but not quite my cup of tea.

All I can say is that is was chill and well composed

Some really interesting acoustic guitar and percussion that weaves together in an entrancing way. The songs tend to meander a little bit though, averaging >6 minutes across the album. The singing is in a very different style to western music and I found it a bit less enjoyable than the instruments. Definitely glad to have heard this, but not something I'm going to return to.

It was super cool just not rly my vibe. A very cool listen though from a genre i don’t normally explore!

Wanted to like but it was a bit of a slog

I got fooled again. I’d already started writing this piece and confidently typed 3/10 in the title when a small Wikipedia footnote caught my eye: the last four tracks were added for the 1998 CD reissue. That detail changes everything—and not in a good way. Because in its CD form, this album runs for 72 minutes. That’s not indulgent, that’s punitive. At least thirty minutes too long. Those four bonus tracks alone add over twenty-three minutes, including the near-endless “Ko wone mayo,” which stretches past nine minutes while almost nothing happens (except, bizarrely, a sudden burst of unintelligible French—apparently the only time on the entire album). The closing track, “Taara,” is outright dreadful. The bonus tracks don’t just weaken the album; they actively sabotage it. In fact, there is one clear highlight: “Sehilam.” Every single time I listened—and I forced myself through six full spins—I thought the same thing when that track came on: this is where the album should have ended. Not only because what follows is weak, but because it’s genuinely the perfect closer. By the time “Sehilam” starts, you’ve drifted into a kind of half-sleep, and suddenly there it is: the most uptempo, most swinging, most musically engaging piece on the record. A proper finale. Which, originally, it actually was. Stepping back a bit: we’re in Senegal. I happened to start listening on the day Senegal won a heavily discussed Africa Cup final against host nation Morocco. The album was recorded in 1984 but not released until 1989, which I only realized afterward. Sonically, it holds up surprisingly well for both dates. But sonics aside, there simply isn’t much there. Two acoustic guitars (often treated with chorus), two voices, and occasionally a kora, a balafon, or some light percussion. Mostly, though, it’s just voices and guitars—and the voices dominate. Oof. Minimalism can work. Nick Drake made an entire classic with little more than voice, acoustic guitar, and about three piano notes—but that album lasts 28 minutes and already flirts with monotony by the end. This one clocks in at 72 minutes on CD, or roughly 50 in its original form. Double oof. The album does start well. Opener “Lam Tooro” sets a mood: a lovely, atmospheric guitar line with expressive singing on top. It’s hypnotic, almost ritualistic. You think: okay, this might go somewhere. But then it doesn’t. From there until “Sehilam,” it dissolves into a grey blur of vocal textures where almost nothing happens. And yet, this album was—and still is—lavishly praised by critics. I honestly don’t understand why. Spoiler alert: artists like Ali Farka Touré will show up later in this series. Not to lump all West African music together, but compared to this, that work is far richer, more varied, and far more engaging. Non, merci. I’ll grudgingly add one extra point for the shorter original runtime, but if I were to bump it up any further—to a three-star rating—I’d be placing it alongside something like Johnny Cash. And frankly, that’s just far more pleasant to listen to.

Nice African groove - not really my thang tho

Good just not as upbeat as I would’ve liked to hear him sing.

Different and can appreciate the sounds but not something I'd consider my type of music or something I'd listen to regularly

killer vibe, bad singing

This is nice but not really my thing

I never would have listened to anything like this if it weren't for the 1001 album generator. Not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed hearing something wholly different than anything I had ever heard before.

2.5 The music is great and hypnotic; would’ve preferred this to be an instrumental album.

I wasn’t a fan of this one

I’m glad I got to experience this as part of this journey. It’s not objectively bad, but it’s also not for me and I’ll never listen to it again.

Would be more than happy if this was on in the background at an African restaurant but it’s not the type of music I’m interested in listening to for enjoyment

4/10… desert blues / african pop / *1989

Not my thing

En dos semanas dos discos de este autor. No es una música que me disguste, pero si que un disco entero es mucha inmersión en la música étnica. Así que este me ha sorprendido menos y se ha hecho más pesado, la reiteración le ha perjudicado.

Afro-beats. Good music.

Interessante Angelegenheit, ein senegalischer Sänger landet eher selten in meiner Playlist. Musikalisch dann aber doch eher dürftig und uninteressant. Trotzdem 2 Sterne, weil es mal was ganz anderes war und mich zumindest auf dem Level unterhalten hat.

Spannend, weil mal eine komplett andere Richtung. In den Ansätzen auch durchaus interessant, allerdings auf Dauer recht eintönig und gegen Ende fällt es nochmal stark ab.

It’s nice to heard something different. That said, many will find the songs to be very repetitive, almost like loops playing. Over and over for 5 or six minutes. It can get to be a bit boring.

Not for me

Definitely not the kind of music I’ve been exposed to before. Baaba Maal’s Senegalese music is impressive and the instrumentation is enjoyable. Unfortunately, for my taste, the vocals didn’t do it for me. Technically impressive, but just too nasally for my taste in music.

Ibland glimtar det till med lite high life och ibland med lite ökenblues, men oftast är det för enahanda för min smak. Det är möjligt att texterna är fantastiska, men sången är det inte. En svag tvåa.

I liked the beat on a song or two, but I was not a fan of the singers voice / the way he sings.

Ok, but I'm probably not going to listen to it again.

Repetitive and long. It’s not bad but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

2.5

p618. 1989. 2 stars. Laid back African folk-rock. Interesting to listen to for a couple of tracks then every song blends into the next. Glad I heard it but will but not listen to it again.

Ok, but like just typical "world" music.

Three songs in, it's such a special listen. Hypnotic. Relations between the guitars are fantastic, laying a bed for the vocal to do it's own magic. It's not a normal listen in any way. But I think it's worth your time. Just don't hurry, don't rush. And Let it do what it does to you. Today I'm staying at Luang Prabang, watching the Mekong river flow, and listening to it for the first. It has an effect, I can tell you that. But is it something I see myself going back to often? No... It's a bit too long aswell. Still special. 2.8

Not for me. Not knocking it but not for me

I feel lame that I think that the song he did with Mumford and Sons is one of the best songs of the last decade, while also thinking this was very repetitive and not that interesting to me. I assume it's a language barrier thing. Sorry for being so basic.

Likely won’t listen to again but don’t hate it. 2.5 stars

Perfectly fine in the background, but not something I’d ever pick to listen to intentionally again

Interesting. This is what I thought I’d get a lot more of when I signed up for this project. Way better than another Leonard Cohen album. Not likely to ever listen to again. But glad I got to hear it once. 2.75

I have no idea what Djam is saying on this album. The music is fine and the songs are a bit monotonous, especially since they go on and on. It's hard for me to recommend this album, as the length of the songs and the fact I can't connect with the lyrics I don't understand.

Some interesting stuff, almost meditative, repeating riffs. A lot of the tracks sound like jam sessions, I can’t imagine they ever played the same version twice. The more structured tracks remind me of Cuban jazz. For my personal taste the songs are too long for what is happening in them, not enough variation to warrant the time spent on an idea. At over an hour the album feels like it could have benefitted from a heavy edit. That said there is some nice interplay of the two guitars, and there is a lot of variation between tracks. It’s all just drawn out a little too long.

Not my thing

This is not necessarily a bad album and it's alright for leaving it in the background, but it's definitely not my thing as my proper music to-go.

It’s fine. Not really something I would Ever choose to listen to though

Not for me thanks

Not my usual kind of music but ok.

It's always hard to rate these world albums. It is not bad stuff necessarily, but it isn't really my cup of tea.

Look beyond the novelty and what do you got? Someone (me) with uneclectic taste, that’s what

Blind album and artist. This album was decent and then just kept going down cause it was so repetitive. Im sure if I knew the words I would feel differently and maybe have more of a connection but just couldn't enjoy it like I thought.

есть приколы в целом, но это для медитации больше, а не для постоянки

Very different from anything my Western-trained ear is accustomed to. Unfortunately I didn't connect with the album as much as I wanted to as a result, but there are some really cool melodic structures and instrumentation that at least keep the album from being boring

Day643 - interesting to listen to but not one i particularly liked

I don't like the vocals.. some songs sound scary

Again things like this have a nitch market, Hipster coffee shop trust fund winers. The other 99 percent of us listing to stuff like this and say nay. Its not bad just not good and should never be on any album listen to list.

Really cool guitar on this. That’s about all I’ll prob remember. Glad I listened.

The guitars, sitars, drums and everything else sounded great. I couldn't take the vocals.

Albums like this confuse me. The creator of the original list clearly has an awareness of this kind of music, this album among a handful of others are pretty obscure picks, plus they are from non western artists. So why are these albums so rare on the list? They feel so random, and especially considering how much garbage made it into the book, I feel like it really could have benefited from more diversity of music from continents other than Europe and North America. But anyway, let's talk about the album itself. I guess it was ok, hard for me to judge since I have practically nothing to compare it to of the same genre that I am familiar with. Nothing particularly grabbed me or felt hugely memorable, but it was perfectly listenable.

I liked most of the music, but not so much the vocals. And it dragged on.

usually i like albums like this, but nothing really resonated with me on this one. not sure why?

Bijzonder

Fun vibe, but what sets it apart?

this entered my ears through the headphones I was wearing.

I like how this list contains music from other countries and culutres so it just won't be US/UK music only. However, unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this album. I guess this genre wasn't for me because I was already getting tired of it by the middle of the album. Maybe I would have related to it more if I understood the lyrics. I am grateful that this album is giving me artists and other music for me to listen though.

Eh not my thing

Not my thing.

I’m not saying this is a net negative musically I just did not have a good time with this one. Absolutely the longest it’s taken me to get through an album on this list, Extremely too long run time and I could only do it in like 20 minute bites. This is a cool cultural experience but I felt like I was being force fed the experience rather than finding this and being interested in it. I’m going to have to hit this with a 2 but if I ever do get an interest in learning more about Senegal’s musical cultural identity I will definitely return with more excited ears.

This chap may be Dylan in his language and culture for all I know. However since I can't speak his language it's lost on me. And subjectively didn't really enjoy it. It's not actively bad or anything though. 2/5

Pretty music which would've been much better as an instrumental album.

Very fun to be exposed to this music. Id never found it on my own. Hypnotic at times but ultimately not for me.

I understand the significance, but not for me. Too repetitive to the point of being grating and way too long.

I’m confused why this is on here…

Def gets credit for being culturally significant, but each song is a droning 6 mins. It would probably like it more if the songs were half the length, but I also understand that is the cultural aesthetic.

4/10 - It was alright. It does not sound like it was from America or Britain so it was interesting but not my favorite

Solid instrumentation, but this album got so monotonous and repetitive quickly. If this album was half the time it currently is, it would’ve been a lot more enjoyable. As ambient music, this album would be great, but as something to be listened to, it was a struggle to find any sort of variation in the music. Tough listen.

Great musicianship, but this was a miss for me. Some of the guitar on this album is absolutely fantastic which is why I'm giving it a 2 star rating. Lots of cool layers and sounds in some areas, too. I don't always dislike repetitive music, but this didn't do it for me The songs are also too long for music that doesn't really go anywhere and that's my biggest gripe here. If another reviewer can say that this is the music you can listen to in the desert (with a Land Rover), I can say it's the music that belongs in the background of a National Geographic documentary, on the credits for some iteration of the Lion King or some other African cliche. Never would have listened to it if it weren't for the project which is cool but I'm happy to not hear this again.

Relaxing background music.

Just kind of boring. I didn't find anything compelling.

Soninho

Enjoyed aspects of this - especially the singing - but I don’t see myself putting this on regularly. 2/5

I’ll be honest this is the first album that I’ve struggled to listen to all the way through. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, just I didn’t enjoy it enough. Would I like to see it performed live, sure. Did it just become background noise and take me a few days to get through. Unfortunately also yes. I think musically it’s excellent, vocally I wasn’t really feeling it though. I’ve since gone and explored a bit of Mansour Seck and Baaba Maal’s other works and honestly I think their solo efforts are better but unfortunately I’m not sure that this was 100% it for me. I would’ve given it a 3 for the music itself but at times the vocals drowned out their mastery and maybe that’s a production thing, maybe I just didn’t like the singing on this one.

this is the kind of stuff my friend’s scary mom would have playing on NPR while she made buckwheat pancakes. very talented musician, not up my alley

Never heard of this artist, but I didn't hate it. Solid album.

Interesting listen at least. I've really enjoyed world, especially the more African influenced albums, but this one just didn't connect for me.

lungo

Repetitive in a way that I could only handle as background music

Each song feels 20bpm too slow and 2 minutes too long. The album is 20 minutes too long, also. While it doesn't sound bad, there's no pleasure to have here.

Jeg er glad for, at jeg hørte albummet, da det 100% ikke er noget, jeg ellers havde hørt. Det er det gode ved dette projekt, men jeg har svært ved at tage musikken seriøs, når jeg ikke kender til den slags. Jeg kan sagtens anerkende det musikalske talent, der ligger bag, men det er for monotont og samtidig overhovedet ikke. Sangene er det samme, så man glemmer lidt hvad man hører 4/10

It was inoffensive, I enjoyed the guitar tones but nothing particular stood out to me.

Pleasant enough but it all felt a bit background music for me. I suspect my engagement may have been increased if i understood the lyrics, which alas i dont.

About 2 minutes into track one I was thinking the rhythm was really pretty and atmospheric. By minute 4 I was losing patience. By minute 6 it had completely lost me. And that's basically how the rest of the album went. I assume that the repetitive melody patterns are a traditional Senegalese music thing, but it's just not for me. Or rather I'd have been able to appreciate it more had each song been half the length. It's also no fault of the artist obviously, but I'm finding I generally appreciate albums more if I understand the lyrics (my attempts to find English translations on the internet failed). I certainly didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either. 2/5

Glad to have experienced something I wouldn't have found otherwise. Nice instrumentation but the vocals are draining to me after a while

Oh boy, what to say about this one. It’s certainly nice to see some exposure to works from other cultures on the list. There’s a real emphasis on rhythm over conventional structure here that gets the head bopping, however, this music left little impact on me besides the occasional trance I would slip into. Perhaps my western ear isn’t accustomed enough to these sounds to fully appreciate what’s on offer. But I’ve heard enough to know I shan’t be revisiting this one.

Sounds pretty but I wont replay it tbh

Enjoyed the atmospheric guitars / percussion - but struggled with the singing - which for me fell on the wrong side of wailing and were a little annoying. Really wanted to enjoy it - but cannot see me returning.

Quite meditative

Not bad at all but no really my jam. High 2s.