Djam Leelii

Really love Baaba Maal’s voice. This is record is good, but I found it a bit repetitive. This is the second Baaba Maal record I’ve listened to on the list. The last one was so uplifting and original. This one doesn’t have that feel. The guitar is still pleasing and again, his voice slays, but the record plodded a bit. Still good, but not great like the other one.

I can normally admire World albums and stuff from Senegal, but this didn't really do the trick for me. It's quite a long sit at an almost full CD length. Besides that it's also quite a monotonous one with a lot of the songs just sounding very similar. Songs don't really go anywhere either. There were a few I liked in the middle but I don't think I'd revisit this over an Ali Farka Toure or something.

Liked this a lot but it does get rather repetitive.

Not my jam.

Really enjoyed the percussion in this one

Liked the sound, a bit repetitive but could have been a 4 if I understood the words.

Fun to have something totally different, but I found each song to be repetitive.

Did I enjoy this? Not particularly. Did this almost put me to sleep? Yes it did. Is there value in that? Yes there is.

It's good that the list has some (limited) engagement with African music, but this wasn't especially interesting. It all sounded very samey to me, and seemed to go on even longer than its lengthy run time.

I'm always glad to have had a reason to listen to music from different countries and traditions, so I can't be too down on this one. But it was kind of boring, and Baaba Maal has been less impressive and interesting than other African artists on this list. So I'm left unsure if I don't really like Senegalese music, or just don't like him. I'm left remindjng myseld that while I hate Leonard Cohen, I like lots of Canadian music.

Sanoja en ymmärtänyt ja musisointi ok

Not my cup if tea. Ihan siistin kuulosta mutta en saanu tästä irti niin paljon kuin olisi ehkä pitänyt. ⭐⭐⭐

Very nice. The singing is beautiful. The simple guitar parts are wonderful and the layered and complex percussion is great.

Really boring and pretty basic guitars too.

1/10 Escuche tres temas y lo saque, no me gusta nada este género

This album surely inspired so many artists in the 90’s. You can hear the seeds that were planted by North Americans wanting more than just traditional and easy rock that they were hearing every day. A solid foray into a different musical culture

Really great guitar and haunting vocals. I would have preferred not to have two Baaba Maal albums back to back on consecutive days, but this is a pretty decent start to my morning.

I actually quite enjoyed this one. The guitars were really cool and all of the songs really conveyed a certain vibe that was easy to get into. I can't say this will be something I will listen to often but I could see myself revisiting it in the future and I'm glad this was on the list.

The first 30 to 45 seconds of many of these songs offered some cool instrumentals and guitar work, but it was all downhill from there for me. I skipped through virtually every song after about 10 to 15 seconds once the vocals began. Just not my thing, to the point where I found it grating to listen to. I would have given this a 1 if not for the instrumentals and guitar work I mentioned earlier. Aside from that, No thanks!

Just not really something I find interesting.

Would have been better if it was shorter and has more of the faster songs that were in the latter half

The hypnotic vibe was cool, but could have been shoeter/more varied. Not really my thing.

Don’t like this music 😕 One star…

This was okay but I found it a little boring.

No standouts

This is why the 1001 existed. I wasn’t trusted by this album from the first song all the way through the end. I don’t know what it is about some of this African jazz, but it really is psychedelic and very meditative. In future days I’m gonna have to remember this album because I just wanted to chill and focus, which in my recent mindset is pretty friggin cool. I think my key song was Maacina Tooro because it was very upbeat and just made me happy listening to it. I just wish I knew what they were saying…

Random thoughts: * This was not my jam. I really had to grind to get through this album. The word "slog" comes to mind. * Obviously this was like a return to roots sort of African folk -ish record. But I never really felt it. * I might have to give this one another try someday. But I'm gonna give this some space before I return.

Oh, one of the roughly ten world music albums on this list. I'll take this opportunity to question why they didn't just call it 1001 Best Albums of the Western World in the first place. As it stands, it's pretty ridiculous. Surely there are tons of influential musicians outside the Western world who aren't represented here and whom Western music journalists have probably never even heard of. Their music may not have had a global impact, but that doesn't make it any less good. Anyway, this album is a nice change of pace.

Very culturally diferent and i find it interesting but i wont hear this on a daily basis.

World beats, hot seats and we eat

It would be disappointing to find out these songs are about truck driving and the romanticized virtues of small-town living. But I suspect they have a bit more depth and emotional authenticity than that.

These Senegalese artists really rip it up on this album: the guitar work, along with the African instruments, are fascinating to hear more than once.

2/5

Not sure Senegalese music is for me, but I'm sure this is a fine example of it.

The voice is an instrument, and this record is a great illustration of that principle. The non-vocal instrumentation here is quite good too. A lot of emotion in this music. All that said, I do think it got to be a bit much by the end. Probably would have clocked in at five stars for me if it were half an hour shorter, but less is more when you're talking about this level of intensity.

lol this was fine, just very long. didnt mind it though, was a nice soundtrack for the day

I wasn't familiar with desert slack key guitar other than Ali Farka Toure. These guys are all of that and maybe more. Very fun any time of day.

Decent.

Dang that guy got some pipes on him! And I liked the flanger in that one song

This was interesting and cool. I enjoyed it.

Wow this totally sucked me in. I was at first a little disappointed it didn't feature the same rhythmic vibes I love in a lot of African music, but this totally had its own thing going. Super cool.

Interesting album; I’m always happy when the generator gives me some world music I’ve never heard before. That said, I wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but the tracks were rather repetitive and similar sounding, so it was dragging a bit by the end.

No thanks

I don’t think it needed to be that long but it was quite nice :)

I think this just wasn't for me.

Not really my jam but it was calming to listen too on an early morning dog walk.

4/10 The coming of the loop pedal must have cut back the Senegalese musician's hours significantly. Now, they play their four bars and then saunter off to the bar for the next 6mins hours or so. Sad times.

I tried, but I really didn’t like this

I like this artist but maybe not 67 minutes’ worth

Pleasant album. Don't get a lot of these in the list and it was good easy listening for an afternoon of working with background music.

This was fine to listen to but didn’t really catch my interest. A tough one for me to characterize.

Not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it. It reminded me at parts of a chilled out Graceland.

Album de musique sénégalaise sympa, ça change de d'habitude. Mais un poil répétitif

Interesting African music. Haven’t heard a lot of this in my life. I enjoyed it.

I judged the book by its cover and my judgement was right... Første 5 minutter var nice, men jeg kededer mig bagefter

Jamen altså, jeg kan jo godt høre det, men den store historiefortæller på et sprog man ikke forstår bliver altid liiiidt skørt. Derudover er det nok bare ikke å meget noget for mig. Ikke dårligt, men ikke min smag. 2 stjerner

Jeg har ikke ret meget at sige om det her. Dejlige melodier og rytmer, omend lidt for langtrukne i nogle tilfælde til min smag, men vokalen (og at jeg ikke forstår det) trækker det ned 2.1

"Dude this album is groovy" I say in my rainbow tie dye and bead necklace

I appreciate the exposure to this type of album I wouldn’t get otherwise.

This is a Sunday morning well spent. This is a drive, ride, walk in the country. This is a mind at rest and a soul ready to feel good.

Not for me

I deeply respect this album's vital place in music history, but I’d enjoy the vocals a lot more if the track was completely muted

Ei kukaan

It's always interesting when a non-English album pops up on the list. I feel bad cause there is so much lost in terms of not understanding the culture, nor genre. This was nice to have on in the background, but they overall length really bothered me. I feel like I would rate this 3.5, but I will round down due to the length.

Fu, vegyes erezesek de ezt most nem elveztem, viszont nagyon erdekes, visszahallgatnam, mint vibe, de egy zene se maradt meg, az album tul egyseges es osszeolvadtak a szamok, ezert elegem lett belole a vegere, pedig pozitivan indult. Lehet ha rovidebb lenne az album jobb lenne Eloszor 3at akartam adni de a masik harmasomhoz kepest nem tetszett annyira, es osszessegeben nem volt elvezetes most nekem

pleasant, but the texture is monotonous and the elements unexciting

I’m enjoying this a lot, but I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Mdou Moctar when it comes to the guitar so this doesn’t feel quite as dynamic as I’m used to.

🇸🇳🇸🇳

Albums like this are why this list and this site are important. I never would've thought to listen to Senegalese music beforehand, and even if it wasn't totally for me, my view has been expanded that much more.

all right but too long and too static. there’s better west african guitar music

2/5 Not as good as previous day world music

Fun listen, but I don’t know about essential. I’ve heard other music I’ve liked better in this style

Most of these sounded like 20 second songs on a 5-6 minute loop

721/1001 2026.10.12 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑

Not exactly what I wanted, needed or expected in my deck of cards for today. Pleasing yet distracting. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. There’s no English if that’s what you’re looking for. Not too tribal sounding yet still unfamiliar. I won’t be recommending this to anyone, like, at all but I respect the art.

RATING: 6.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Loodo LOWLIGHT: Salminanam

i had Senegalese food once at work. i didn't what i was eating but it tasted really good. idk what to say about but i like it. interesting little change of pace i like it

Ganz ok

There's been a big blind spot for world music thus far in the 1001 so I was pleased to have a Senegalese album pop up today. This would be the first of many collaborations between Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck, two lifelong friends who had a goal to share the stories of life along the Senegal River and about the ancient kingdom of Futa Tooro. Djam Leeli (translated as The Adventurers) does exactly that, conveying a true sense of adventure and richness of life through the sharing of music. Even though I didn't understand a single word being said, the duo manage to connect with their listener all the same. It's a beautiful album, though I'd say that the eight tracks of the original release perform better than the additional four added to later versions. I think my favorite takeaway is that even though the instruments, vocals, and languages may be different, traditional folk music stories from Senegal aren't so different than those told in other parts of the world, from Ireland to the Appalachian foothills. It shows we are all more connected than we understand. Highly recommended!

Super rich guitar tones throughout the whole record. There’s a warmth and ease to those guitars. It’s really pleasant. That was the most immediate and consist any quality about this project. I was a bit surprised at how many of the melodic qualities could be fit into boxes of western tropes. The descending looping melody on “Muudo Hormo” sounds like a post-rock lick as much as it sounds like a Senegalese track. Either way, the song is excellent. It’s firm but a little melancholic, sprinkled with some mallets coming onto the second half of the song. “Ko Wone Mayo” Al’s has a guitar that sounds like it’s lifted right out of “Helplessly Hoping” by CSN. Excellent fusion of styles. There’s a deliberate contentment in how many of these songs are played. They’re not at all worried about the space they take up or what they fill it with. Sometimes it drones on a bit long, but it’s otherwise easy and meditative. Some rich singing on “Bibbe Leydy”. Strong 3/5, it feels longer than it is at times but there’s some pretty songs peppered about

No idea what they were singing about. Very piezo sounding acoustic guitars. A groove so strong I was locked in tight after about 3 seconds. Loved it.

Interesting dessert blues.

Interesting

Never really heard anything like this. I thought it was nice, I liked the guitar sound

this ain't for me

Wellll…. Not for me. I think it all sounded very similar and honestly nothing stood out to me, I was also listening it whilst doing one of the most mind numbing tasks possible so i think that added to my dislike of the album

Nice, but so repetitive. I’m sure there’s a good reason for this, but my ignorant ears didn’t get it

It's ok to listen to if your alternative is country music, but I would not seek this out - just too repetitive.

pretty, but kinda boring. there had to have been more exciting senegalese projects for the list

Of all the albums so far this is definitely the firthest from anything I've heard before. Some parts sound only nostalgic though, especially Lam Tooro and Muudo Hormo.

An album I've never would've listened if it wasn't for this list. It's unique, rhythmic and even though I can't understand the singing the melodies move me.

Bien.

Enjoying the cultural exposure through music.

Interesting music that isn't really my vibe. It was fun hearing a kind of music that I haven't listened to before and it wasn't a hard album to get through but nothing made me bop along or fell anything at all really.

Very good. But it was a bit too long

It ain't for me!

I found this very samey, overlong and, while I liked the music well enough, the vocals started to grate after a few songs.

I didn't understand what he was saying but I could feel it. There was joy, sadness, excitement and love in this album. I liked that the songs all sounded different. It was a mix of new and traditional african and indian sounds.

This was incredibly pleasant and soothing, and I enjoyed the instrumental arrangements. A nice world music discovery!

Succulent Senegalese music, the vibe was all pretty similar but was good background music