Djam Leelii

This is why I love this project. I never would have found this. And I may never listen to again. But dang did I like it on this car trip.

This is lovely! Relaxing, hopeful, energetic, and worldly. It makes me feel far away (in a nice way).

I can't for the life of me understand why this album is on 1001. For lack of a better explanation, I'll once again blame the British for this album appearing on 1001 as some attempt to appease their colonial guilt. I'm guessing Baaba is from a West African country. I'm from a North American country. I respect whatever musical traditions they're bringing to the table, and I have a personal responsibility to bring an open mind and hear this music with as few hangups and expectations built up from 36 years of "western" pop traditions, but I sure as hell don't have to like this. Songs are repetitious, droning, no change in dynamics, no development arc. I found small pockets of beauty, but I can find small pockets of beauty in a sewage processing plant. What is the point of this album? Is it just to feel one thing (detached mild ennui) and feel that same thing over and over again until the album ends? Did Baaba Maal want their listeners to accidentally fall asleep at the wheel and plow into a dairy farm? Perhaps perhaps perhaps if I understood the language there could be a deeper emotional impact, but that would have to be some exquisite poetry to overcome the doldrums of the music. D-

Gorgeous instrumentation and vocals. I have heard Baaba Maal mentioned by other musicians so it was great to actually be able to listen to him.

Ok so random thoughts on this: 1. Finally something I'd never have heard of otherwise, and not just the Beatles or Bowie for the umpteenth time. 2. Cool guitars and tribal drums. I dunno if traditional music, but something close to it? 3. Singing is alright but wears out its welcome. Gets too Arabic-sounding after a while, like those annoying prayer calls that just blast at 100 decibels in the streets in MENA countries. 4. This album shouldn't go for over an hour. A bit too repetitive. But it would've been fine at 30min for sure. 3/5.

Looks like something I might be interested in... Baaba Maal seems to be a big figure in the music of Senegal, and this is his debut with friend Mansour Seck. It has great vocals from both, in traditional African stylings. On the best tracks (like Muudo Hormo) we also get cool, traditional, organic percussion that fits perfectly. Personally, I'm not a huge guitar fan, so the turn-off for me is the predominance of acoustic (and one time electric) guitar across this album. Having said that, these guys tend towards beautiful, simple melodies that repeat and gradually develop. The best tracks are hypnotically repetitious, which is just the shit I love in any genre of music. It seems like this has just been chosen for the list as "world music for guitar fans" - but I can put up with that, because it's a mesmerising album. 4/5.

One of the reasons I'm doing the 1001 albums challenge is to discover gems like this album. What a stunningly beautiful record it is. A few guitars, percussions and a touching voice and the end result is simply magic. I don't understand the lyrics - though I made some research and read about what they sing about - but it's a good proof how music can connect different cultures, backgrounds, and people together. This album touches my heart deeply. Just wonderful.

Great listen, atmospheric achostic vibes with african influence, no lyrics some chanting. good to listen and loose yourself in

I've never heard something like that before, it was a cool experience. Nevertheless felt kinda boring, songs were too long and repeatable, both singing and melodies. And still not my type of music.

Not sure, at track one, if this is a me album. Intensely folky and repetitive, but I'm keeping an open mind. It's nice in places, but I'm just not deeply into Senegalese folk jams. Clearly it has value, but it sounds a lot like any other culture jamming - pleasurable for the musician more than the listener. Then it might just be me not understanding the culture well enough. Don't mind some Tinariwen or Manu Chao, but this just isn't grabbing me.

Heck yeah. This is exactly the type of music I needed today. I really enjoy the hypnotic groove of the guitar. It reminds me of Mississippi Hill Country blues. I can't understand anything that's being sung but the vocals fit perfectly. I've listened to this several times today and it's in my top 25 new to me albums from the generator.

Kind of cool. Never would have found this on my own. Songs are all a bit long and of course I have no idea what the lyrics are, but the instrumentals are interesting and it really handles the role of background music very well.

Not for me. Very long. I can appreciate the fact that it's a completely different style than I've really heard before, but I just couldn't get into it.

I never would have given this a chance if it weren't for this project, so score a point for the list. Some really nice guitar work that really grew on me as I listened. Best track: Kettodee

Really loved the ethereal feel of this. I didn't pay as much attention to each track as I'd have liked, but having it on in the background is wonderful.

Wow. The production on this is just gorgeous - thick, layered, hypnotic. This is the kind of record I frequent this website for. No favourite tracks, nor am I likely to listen to this on the daily, but man is it great.

Nice. I made it a habit to listen to those albums as they were originally released, so 8 songs here. Which were: nice. A lot of West(?) African music has this ~bounce to it - this shit grooves. "Salminanam" made me want to skip, but the rest was mesmerizing - stand out: Maacina Toora - and all in all much better and more interesting than the similar offering "Talking Timbuktu"(#30) (music from neighbouring Mali, but with 50% boring white man's Blues). Not sure if this is 5 star nice but I feel like offsetting the reviews of the troglodytes who can't process anything that isn't english-speaking pop/rock. I for one wanted to hear this.

Brilliant. Exactly what I am looking for from this list. An album that I should have listened to before.

Really nice album, would never have thought to listen to it otherwise.

I was kind of vibing with the music but it got a bit repetitive and I couldn't get past the vocals which were kind of annoying. It was OK. 2.5/5

In this book to hit a diversity quota. Absolute drivel.

Ethereal yet annealed by the accessible, spiritual yet wholly tempered by the objective and earthbound, Djam Leelii is almost frightfully gorgeous. It takes a special kind of artist to have a grip on 'peace,' especially when it's the primary affect the music offers, but for Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck, peace isn't sand that filters thru your fingers but something far sturdier, a hoisted dream bestowed on horizontal rather than vertical airwaves: this isn't music that comes from on high, but paradisal it still is. One is struck more by the vocals and guitar playing than anything percussive, but each track is as rhythmic as it is melodic. At seventy-two minutes, it's long, but only for those who undervalue bliss is it too long. An astonishing record.

Genuinely brilliant and hypnotic. The record shuns conventional musical storytelling in favor of a kind of unintrusive, enchantingly repetitive lolling almost strays into ambience, but the characterful vocals defy even that label. It is almost like the more sophisticated original video game music in how it's constructed - something like a West African take on Neir Automata's background music. I'm hesitant to give this a 5 considering I have no idea what this gentleman is singing about - but I think even if it turned out to be a call to genocide I'd be able to vibe out. I'll trust my gut that this about love and peace though, 5*.

I absolutely appreciate the sound and feel of this whole album. A quote for Baaba Maal sums up my listening experience pretty well, although with a very Western experience I bet I’m missing a ton when I listen with my own ears…maybe not in some ways? “The spirit of the kora and the ngoni are different from the talking drum and the balafon, or the sabar and the djembe. The kora and ngoni are closer to human beings, because they are made from things that had life. The talking drum, the balafon, and the sabar are made from wood, and when you listen to them your mind goes out into the forest. When you make music and write songs, you have to know about the messages. From the messages, you know what the instruments are and how to put them together underneath the lyrics."

There's some really beautiful music on this album. The guitar playing is absolutely amazing and the percussion compelling and infectious. The vocals took some getting used to but never intruded on my enjoyment of the music. A really beautiful listening experience. 4 🌟

I didn't understand it at all, but it's very nice to receive this kind of album here on this list. Just listen to it and it's absolutely impossible does not to note the importance and influence of these songs in almost everything I listen to every day. The language, the drums, and everything else is recognizable in some way Unexpected surprise, not understandable, but very cool!

Dreamy

(2/5) Thanks. I don't get it, but it was fine as a cultural artifact. The album was an interesting listen. It wasn't aurally offensive, but it didn't ignite anything either. It all kinda felt the same from track to track, but that could be my lack of understanding and I'm not afraid to admit that. I wouldn't mind some more (not a *lot* more) of this in the list. World music is a blind spot for me and I actually expected more of it. Instead, it's endless amounts of electronic/Britpop bullshit. This is -- by my count -- the second truly "World" music album and is likely just a 'check box' (i.e. quota) addition. We're only a hundred or so albums in.. that's 2%.

Real cool psychedelic world music

A fantastic record to puff a j-bird to. Just sit back and melt into it. Bliss.

Beautiful guitar interplay and vocals. Another album/musician on buy list, thanks to this site. :-)

I wonder how one says "Pickin' and Grinnin'" in Baaba Maal's language. Growing up in Appalachia I heard "Pickin' and Grinning" bluegrass music since the day I was born. Lots of local flavor and an enjoyment in the playing. Listening to Baaba Maal's "Djam Leelii" gave me a similar feeling with Senegalese / or maybe broader African inspired folk music. It was pleasant and there was a joy in the playing that came through the recording. Of course, being a clueless middle-age white guy from the Flyover States of America, I don't know if that was the intent. To say a bit got lost in translation is an understatement. That opening track, "Lam Tooro" gave me medieval acoustic guitar vibes, but is it really an artifact or olden days or is it just unfamiliar to me and thus "exotic." As the album played on it kept giving me small little questions like this. Did I really hear some surfer rock or echo of influences far removed from there time and place? This album fascinated me and on a day when I needed it kept me in a good mood. Yeah, I think this one was one of the 1001 albums I needed to hear before I died. Glad to have done so. 4/5

A little different, tribal sounding for the most part, that's the point of these right, to listen to a lot of different sounds!

This one took quite a bit of acclimation, as my initial impression triggered a decided eyeroll and sigh. Upon further exploration I discovered that I REALLY enjoy the music and instrumentation here (the strings and marimba work are enchanting), but I found the singer's voice a bit squealy and grating. Not just that I couldn't understand the lyrics, mind you, but somewhat akin to my impression of Rush, as I adore their music but it took repeated listens to acclimate to Geddy Lee's voice, and I can still only handle it in small doses or on certain tracks. Still, the whole of the experience rose to a solid 3.5/5 that I won't round up now, but may come back to should I decide to explore further.

I’m really not sure what to say about this one - just like my last foray into what I suppose is termed “world music”, this was effectively an hour’s worth of background music.

I felt like I was trapped in a neverending Lion King pitch meeting.

I did not need to listen to this. The music itself is unremarkable. I didn't skip any songs, but I tolerated it.

Absolutely not.

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

sounds effortless like the wind rustling leaves or a gurgling creek. Soulful, playful, peaceful I have a lot of respect for griots and the West African cultures in general. Thanks to my dad for introducing me to their music and my mom for taking me to Senegal I thought the production effects on the vocals were tasteful, and it's well produced in general. Will definitely want to listen again

alternates between infectious and serene, super engaging listen, baaba maal rocks, stone cold classic

This is pretty chill, meditative, almost desert blues but more laid back.

Hey man you wanna get out of your funk of listening to the same stuff give this one a listen. I fucking loved it

Absolutely loved this! I think I was born on the wrong continent.

This was soooo good. The guitar was so beautiful and I love the melismas in their vocal melodies. Fav tracks: Lam Tooro, Maacina Tooro

This was a refreshing change. Never heard of this album, nor would I have considered it, but will listen again and explore similar work.

Back in the 1980s their was a craze for "world" music which I never really got into. I believe much of it was not very good, but a lot of trendy westerners listened to it because it was "niche" I listened to this album fully expecting not to like it, but was very pleasantly surprised. The intricate and mesmerising guitar work seems to interweave amazingly with the vocals. This is an album I would definitely listen to again. An easy 5 stars.

That was freaking amazing! My girlfriend also thinks it's freaking amazing we've listened to it three times and decided that we're going to go to Senegal to check out the music scene

This is what I came here for. Absolutely beautiful. Sounds totally fresh.

Loved it. It's understated in a way that makes every replay sound fresh. Great for chill car ride with fam

This made for a pleasant relief after some humdrum 90s guitar bands. Vibrant and energetic. Superb guitar playing and a definite 5 stars from me.

Well paced, although occasionally strays into repetitiveness. I appreciate the inclusion of some Senegalese music into the list, but it does raise the question of why there's only a dozen or so albums from an entire continent, especially a continent that's produced some of the best music in a hundred years and influenced Western music so massively.

Talvez eu inclua esse som dentro de rock psicodélico simplesmente por falta de conhecimento de outro gênero ou músicos similares. Frases de guitarra simples e hipnotizantes, batuques com todos os tipos de instrumentos rítmicos, acompanhadas de um vocal entoado (que me pareceram mantras em algumas músicas) trazem algo de novo e refrescante pra essa lista, e que definitivamente tornam meu repertório mais rico

Loved this. Never heard Senegalese music before but will definitely listen again.

Fantastic. Great to just throw on and vibe. I only wish I could speak Pulaar so I could appreciate that gawlo storytelling.

Just an absolute pleasure to listen to. The tones the textures. The way he can convey a feeling in a song despite not knowing the meaning behind the lyrics… just gorgeous gorgeous music and this is exactly the kind of thing I want to be shown more of on this list.

I have never heard this before and I truly enjoyed it. The artist has a very interesting story as does the history of music in Senegal.

Well shit. This is so, SO good. We had a 1993 Baaba Maal album a few months ago, and this is a clear precursor to that one’s high-tech, larger-than-life jams. This one, I feel like it was just tracked by great musicians in a room together. And it’s SO compelling. I can’t get over how expressive Baaba Maal’s voice is. I wish I could understand the language, but even without it it’s just arresting. Let’s talk groove, though… this grooves like NOTHING else. This is some crazy shit!! “Muudo Hormo,” that is my favorite track of the entire year so far. So sly. It starts in this totally pretty, folk pastoral, style, and gradually speeds until it’s this infectious JAM. I was dancing all over my house listening to this. Couldn’t stop. Even now as I’m listening to it a fourth time. It just has this sweet, beautiful, yet joyful quality. I can’t remember the last time a song compelled me to dance so JOYFULLY. This is a beautiful thing. Do I detect a tiny hint of prog influence? Just in the way some of the guitars are played, recorded. Those super bright DI acoustics, we call that sound “cheap” in America. I’m starting to really, really like it. I don’t mind the long runtime at all! The bonus tracks were some of my favorites. Really, that balafon player should win an award. It’s criminal that this music is so overlooked here in America. I want to go to the places where it’s celebrated, where it’s danced to. 5/5

Man this was fun. Outside the normal scope of albums I get. Just good chill vibes. Love the arrangements of not often heard instruments.

Loved it! Unique sound. Great rhythms. I’m a sucker for albums that aren’t in English

Uauuuu!

Beautiful. Surprised I'd never heard this before, will be a favourite and need to investigate more of Maal's work

Musik um ihretwillen; sie erzählt und wird getragen von der Erzählung der Instrumente im Reich des Halls. Der Gesang überkommt die call response Struktur der weithin so gebauten Stammesgesänge. Erinnert eher an Blues und ist in seiner analog trancigen Art einer der Ursprünge für Schaffens des Animal Collective. Mesmerized 4.5

This album was a VIBE it felt ALIVE Ko Wone Mayo was especially memorable. Fuck it, five stars, this was unlike anything else, a really nice album.

122. Djam Leelii - Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck (1989) 6.24.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 3 = 3.8 rounded up to a 4 INTRO I know absolutely nothing about this album or either of the musicians aside form the small bit of info given from Wikipedia. Looking forward to this though as I'm not generally world music averse. Only when things lean too far into the New Age territory does that generally become a problem. My point of reference as a middle class white dude form middle America can often leave me at a loss in discussing some stuff, though so this might be a short one. Baaba Maal I do see has been all over the map with his collaborations including Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, and even featured on Marvel's Black Panther soundtrack ( so I have heard some his work at least). THE TRACKS "Lam Tooro" - To my knowledge I have not heard much if any Senegalese music, and so I'm not sure how much traditional music tus draws from, how much of that is reinterpretation, or how out of the box and different this might be. I do know that I found it pretty danged charming though. The guitar especially reminded me almost of some of the traditional British folk stuff I've heard, especially reinterpretations of old medieval ballads that acts like Fairport Convention would have done. The vocals were as far asway from that as could get though, and much more in line with some chanting type stuff I've heard on other albums. "Loodo" - To my ears this had a sort of West African rhythm mixed with a Muezzin adhan prayer singing style. This is just the sort of beat that caused guys like Paul Simon's ears to perk up in the early 80s I think. Lovely. I do wish I knew what was being sung though. Finding it difficult o track down any translations or lyrics online. This was very pretty, and had a calming atmosphere. "Muudo Hormo" - This one started out sounding very familiar, with a guitar riff that reminded me of something I was not able to place. There's an instrument on here that sounds a bit like a banjo to me, but is maybe a plucked guitar or the harp-lute I see mentioned in the credits. The percussion one I found particularly enjoyable. "Salminanam" - The instrumentation on this reminds me a LOT of some of the stuff Paul Simon had on Graceland. An early favorite pick for me, we'll see what might overtake it. I'm not sure who is singing on which track, but I do think I prefer the lower register less chanty voice here. The background vocals and the stop-start percussion on this one were aces as well. Beautiful. "Maacina Tooro" - A decent track, with just a tad less of the instrumentation I've enjoyed this far. I'll call this the album's "rest spot". Do love the handclaps though. "Djam Leelii" - This felt like it had a much more Western blues influence to it. Progressive Senegalese blues fusion? The more downbeat mood here is coming across despite any language barriers. Haunting stuff. "Bibbe Leydy" - Much deeper into what sounds like a traditional folk sound to me. This one was fine as well, but there wasn't quote enough to differentiate it from some of the earlier stuff. Still an enjoyable listen though. Finger picking ( I think?) here was cool. Just lacked dome of the dynamic range found on previous tracks. "Sehilam" - I was NOT expecting to hear anything on here that reminded me of surf rock, which the opening here did a bit. But I think the surf rock sound was based VERY heavily on Dick Dale's innovations, and he incorporated a lot of North African and MIddle-Eastern music into his music, which a ton of acts copied. So, maybe should not have been THAT much of a surprise. Awesome stuff. And just edges out "Salminanam" as my pick for favorite. Super strong closer. HIGHLIGHTS - "Lam Tooro" - "Loodo" - "Muudo Hormo" - "Salminanam" - "Djam Leelii" - "Sehilam" MIDLIGHTS - "Maacina Tooro" - "Bibbe Leydy" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS I can see how this one would bump hard up against anyone who is here primarily for the rock and pop stuff, and the language barrier doesn't help. Throw Baaba Maal's ( what I take to be anyway) traditional and very localized singing style and you likely end up with a lot of shrugged shoulders from the ( pure speculation here) likely heavily western male participants in the 1001 project ( a quick pop over into the reviews adds some credence to my guesswork). I definitely think there is simultaneously more work to listen to something like this, and less retention and understanding that can come out of it, so I sympathize. I also think that while it can be enlightening to try and understand something unfamiliar, it's just as fine to sit back and let those vibes wash over you. I don't listen to the lyrics of most music, and I'm already primed to enjoy great rhythms and "mood" music. So while maybe not intended as such, it works for me in that regard. Overall this was a pleasant experience, and I'm curious to seek out more stuff by these guys. It won't be something I throw on very often, but when I do I'll let the whole thing play and just absorb the atmosphere while I'm doing whatever. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Unnecessary FURTHER LISTENING - Talking Timbuktu by by Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder - Moffou by Salif Keita - Bambay Gueej by Cheikh Lô

Tranquil is the word that comes to mine. Pleasantly relaxed. A little monotonous at times but I dig the vibe. I feel like the only thing separating these guys from The Spacemen Three is where they're from. And maybe where they're coming from, too, in that I suspect these guys don't necessarily think of themselves as psychedelic explorers. but that's how I am hearing it. This also sounds like what you might hear at daytime rehearsal during the (occasionally considerable) interval between when we've tuned up and when our drummer arrives. But our weed was never good enough to sing in this language. Excelsior!

Djam Leelii I’ve heard of Baaba Maal, but have never heard any of his music, and I’d not heard of Mansour Seck at all. It’s hard to describe this other than just a lovely series of hypnotic, beautifully woven acoustic and electric guitar lines and vocals, seemingly simple percussion and the occasional embellishment of kora and balafon (I’ve just learned they’re called that) Those excellent, circular, fantastic-sounding guitars wash over brilliantly, evoking sunsets and sunrises, and lonely nights in the desert (with a Land Rover). Obviously I have no idea what Baaba Maal is singing/chanting/crooning, but his vocal and melodic style add to the enchanting feel of it. It’s less muscular and overtly bluesy than the similarly West African Songhoy Blues we had, and without some of the more middle eastern/North African influences we had with Ali Farka Toure, but it is no lesser an album for it’s apparently more simplistic approach and arrangements The songs broadly follow the same template and do sound quite similar, but I didn’t find that a bad thing at all, the sound is so expressive and the feeling they elicit so lovely I could (and did) listen on repeat all day, especially the final 4 songs in Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii, Bibbe Leyde and Sehilam. Similar to Songhoy Blues and Ali Farka Toure, it's a 4, another great album I’m looking forward to coming back to, and another artist to find out some more about. 🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳🇸🇳 Playlist submission: Bibbe Leydy

This is what I thought this list was

As always with non-English language selections I feel like I can’t fully appreciate this. The instrumentation is fantastic, and although the signing style is way outside my cultural zone, it was interesting, and complemented the music.

Very lovely. Glad to be introduced to a genre and musical style that I would have been unlikely to find otherwise. Album felt a little long at times and I probably need to be in the right mood for it.

Senegalese tunes and familiar western rhythms are combined beautifully. The album starts with high-energy tracks, and the melodies become more thoughtful later.

A lot of atmospheric feeling music with ethereal Senegalese vocals over fairly repetitive guitar, bass and percussion. The guitar is good and interesting when it does vary or usually at the intro to most of the songs. Often has an upbeat positive energy to chill and introspective. Good as a background for traveling or vibing in a new setting. Glad I was able to discover it even if it wont be on a regular rotation for me.

When I started this project I figured there would be way more stuff like this: world music, obscure but influential western music, cult classics, etc. Instead it feels like endless Eagles, Bowie, Beatles, top 40 stuff, with rare surprises sprinkled in every 30 records or so. Sigh...oh well. This was a cool breath of fresh air! Not something I need to hear again, but it beats the hell out of Boston or The Smiths.

I lack the context to really critically evaluate this album. I had never heard it or heard of the artist. I got a little bit of information and it sounds like the fact this guy was able to make and record music defied a traditional caste system and that makes this an important piece of music. My purely intrinsic evaluation was that it suffers from 80's things like maybe there's some digital chorus or something being applied sometimes. It didn't need that and would be better if it was recorded more raw. I don't speak the language so I couldn't tell if the songs would be more enjoyable or not if I knew the lyrics. I enjoyed the songs that featured the thumb piano or whatever instrument it was that created those tones. At first I thought that the more repetitive structures was going to grate on me but it didn't and I was able to get into each track.

Personally, I struggled to remain engaged throughout this album. The acoustic guitar work i found repetitive and, although I am sure this was intentional to create a sort of meditative effect, I found it monotonous rather than hypnotic. Each track is over 6 minutes and I noticed very little variation from one to the next. Vocally, I enjoyed the occasional interesting or unusual melodic flourish but I dont think they were exceptional. Im sure much of the albums depth probably lies in the lyrics which I couldn't understand unfortunately. No one favourite track. 5.5/10

Fine, but this circular, insistent guitar weave reminds me of fiercer records by Doueh, Bombino and Inerane. This feels muted into the background.

Hypnotic. Parts are a bit "Space Prophet Dogon" which is a big plus, obvs.

I don't remember

a unique and somewhat soporific album. far too lengthy and unfocused/meandering to really stand out, but it makes for an interesting listen nevertheless.

This is what this book is made for. I've never heard of this and would have never sought it out. I have absolutely no idea what any of the songs are about, but the vocals sound great. I really dig it, although it is a little long and feels repetitive which lowers the rating for me. 3.5/5

Neodlučna sam oko ovog. Prije godinu dana bi sigurno imala ne tako dobar dojam o ovom albumu, ali u međuvremenu san gledala neki film di je ovakva glazba savršeno zaokružila cilu scenu pa san tu pismu slušala neko vrime i valjda mi se sad zbog tih pozitivnih sjećanja svidio i ovaj album. Do neke mjere. Malo predug album pa nakon nekog vrimena postane repetitivno. Čak bi mi se više svidilo da je sami instrumental ili možda malo manje pivanja. 2.5/5

Imaginez un album d'environ une heure constitué de pistes elles-mêmes constituées d'interminables boucles mélodiques. Imaginez maintenant qu'un homme y superpose des sénégalaiseries chantées pour nous faire oublier la redondance de l'instrumental. Vous obtiendrez alors l'album Djam Leelii de Baaba Maal et lui accorderez une note de trois sur cinq.

I feel like a bad citizen of the world in saying this, but this was just too repetitive and boring to elevate itself beyond the dreaded 2-star badge of shame. I really do love his song with Mumford and Sons though. I know that doesn't reflect great on me, but I'm just as God made me.

There's so many great "world music" albums out there missed off this list while another, mid tempo boring album gets added. Perfect for eating in a restaurant background music. Don't listen to this - go and listen to the Japanese band Number Girl and their album 'Suppekei' instead - key figures of the Japanese alt-rock movement. Best Tracks: Lam Tooro; Muudo Hormo; Maacina Tooro

Not for me.

I’m gonna just file this under, “not my thing”

AGAIN! I DONT DO JAZZ Its fucking musical masterbation, no one wants to watch someone else doing it.

Did not listen, absolutely zero interest in this type of music.

gorgeous. obsessed already from the first 30 seconds of guitar. dreamy, transportive, visionary, vulnerable, jovial, strong storytelling. favorite songs: lam tooro, sehilam

this is a fantastic listen. it starts dragging a bit if you listen to the re-release with four additional tracks but if you stop after the original eight you wont be disappointed. that said i do recommend checking out those additional tracks at some point because they are really good.

I had never heard of Baaba Maal and also had no clue what to expect from this album. I try not to look at reviews on here so I go in with an open mind, but I wanted to at least get an idea of what it would be like. The few that I read were pretty positive so I was looking forward to jumping in. I totally loved this album. Each song had a different sound and feel, but all of it was very soothing and peaceful. It was a rainy drive to work today, which meant people were driving slower and more annoyingly than usual, and I didn't care at all. I was bopping to every song and getting lost in the music (but still paying attention to the road of course). I don't have a list of highlights as I found each song had very strong parts and none stood out as my absolute favorite. Which made for a perfect listening experience.

Loved this. Totally helped me destress throughout my stressful day. Beautiful music. 5

I put this record on the minute I saw it was today's assignment, since I love the music from west Africa with guitar that I've heard before like Ali Farka Touré and Tinariwen. I know who Baaba Maal is, of course, but when I opened this I didn't remember exactly what his music sounded like. This is a mesmerizing album. The songs build up slowly with interweaving vocals and a long stream of repeating notes with guitar and percussion, some of which reminds me of minimalist classical music. Marvelous album. 5 stars

Love this!

Hypnotic old world blues album in this. It's been a while since I've listened to Baaba Maal and glad for this reminder. Awesome stuff. 5/5

Lovely, atmospheric album

This is really good stuff, either a 4 or a 5. The later 80s and the 90s were an exciting time for me, musically, as so-called "world music" (dumb name, obviously) became more popular, and I discovered more and more interesting music (musicians) from other countries, including many from Africa. I probably didn't hear of Baaba Maal until maybe the early 90s, and Mansour Seck is a name that is not familiar to me. But, anyway, this music is rich and deep and (after 2 listens) the music is high quality throughout, so I think I have to give this one 5 stars. Probably would have given it 4.5, but, choosing between 4 and 5, I choose 5 for this one. The music makes me wonder how much it is new and innovative, and how much is traditional; my guess is that a lot of it is traditional. Also, it has some of the same (seeming) resonance with American blues music that some of the traditional music from Mali also seems to have.

Dies ist ein großartiger Meilenstein, durch den die Musik Afrikas die Welt erreicht hat. Fantastisch ist, wie die Musiker das Lebensgefühl Afrikas durch Rhythmen und Melodien erlebbar machen. Man muss sich darauf einlassen, muss der Musik und den Gesängen Zeit lassen. Man darf nicht erwarten, dass diese Musik an die Hetze und die Aggression der "westlichen" Musik anschließt, man muss sie vielmehr als ein Korrektiv des Mainstreams der Popmusik verstehen. - Leute, lasst euch ein auf diesen wunderbaren Flow! Schaltet für einen Moment ab und gebt eurer Seele Raum!

Fantastic music to get lost in. Truly inspirational without understanding one word

This album is one of the reasons why I started using the generator. I probably wouldn't have ever listened to this, and I've enjoyed it a lot. There are several layers in the songs, all so beautiful... it's such a delightful listening. It truly is. I've loved this album. The songs are so well constructed and everything flows so softly and with such taste. I'm delighted by this album.