Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This shit rips. I’m very thankful for this introduction to N’Dour. I feel like my life is better now. Music rules.
cincazo
I was aware of Youssou N'Dour because of "7 Seconds," his collaboration with Neneh Cherry, which was a pretty big hit in the UK. I remember bleating along to his line "A meeeeliion voices" on the school bus but as much as I mocked it, even at the time I knew it was like nothing else on the airwaves. Back to this album: it sounds great, it's so layered and wonderfully produced. Neneh made the right choice.
You really can't help but move along, it's involuntary and forceful participation! It is so incredibly groovy while also being very, uh, cultural? I don't know how describe it without sounding like a white lady experiencing her first luau. It's very refreshing, but more the sort of thing i'd expect to hear in the background while drinking cocktails on holiday or at a restaurant, somewhere it's still hot at 8PM and the sound of the music has to cut through a busy venue of happy and energetic people. I can't imagine myself ever playing this in my house, but I just know i'd say "oh I love this music" while grooving with my shoulders at my table and taking another heavy sip if I were on that holiday. But it's too good for just that, the production is incredibly layered and intricate. There's a really good mix of modern/traditional instruments and a heavy bassline through the whole album, which I love. Electronic elements mixed with exotic (I hate that word) percussion - it's fantastically fun and intoxicating, really. Can't resist grooving along. The gap between most and least favourite, for me, is very small, the whole package is very good. Most: Taaw Least: Pitche Mi Rating: 5
A pretty impressive record! I liked it a lot.
det här var otroligt gött. 4 låtar, 35 minuter senegalesisk eufori. ge mig det i mitt blod.
I love when world music pops up on this list, and I love Afro-pop. What a treat to hear something from the early stages of the genre. Must-listen #124
Fantastic world beat jam session
I loved this. It made me so happy.
I loved it. The percussion was on point, and the rhythm had a captivating flow. The keyboard elements gave it so much color and texture. A very beautiful and lush album that was worth every minute. I'm so glad I came across this album, and I'm definitely keeping track of this one for future enjoyment.
After this banger, I was disappointed when I skimmed the rest of his catalog. But this was a treat to listen to!
The album is both short (4 songs) with long individual songs. I need to listen to more.
This is so sick. The production is fantastic but not distracting, it really lets the musicians shine.
Feels like I've just entered the toilets at a fun African restaurant, and life is good
hullunkurinen hulvaton vibes (funny language) on muuten hyvää musiikkia tämä. sanoisin jopa ehkä että ei ole olemassa sarjaa afrikkalaista talletusta koskaan julkaistu joka on yhtä jatkuvasti mahtavaa tai historiallisesti tärkeää kuin maatoiminnot.. emt onko ehkä järjetöntä sanoa mutta... piru sentään se on minun välitön mielipide tästä!!! hmm vai onko... noh... ei, ei! en nyt ala vääntelemään sanoja vaikka kuinka PSYKOLTA ne kuulostaakin, pysytään nyt vankasti omamme päällä.. ja joo viis kautta vittu viisi eiköhän se ole selvää, albumi alkaa jo vahvasti mutta lähes kokoajan paranee. neljä biisiä ja 34 minuuttia, eikä yksikään tulenpalava sekunti ole pitkästyttävä, suatana sentään pitche mi
Really enjoying the vibe and groove of this
The music you find on Youssou N'Dour album Immigrés makes the person who is listening get up and move.
Love, love, love. I forst discovered Youssou N'Dour in the 80's. I always considered him the "Bob Marley" of African music. His voice, the music is all just an amazing marriage of beautiful sound.
I love the interplay between strings, percussion and voice here, with twists and turns around every corner!
what an album!
Beautiful and vibrant!!
there is absolutely no significance to whatever the random generator throws at me, so me getting a rly great record for my day 100 milestone isnt crazy, but it being my first easy First Listen 5/5 of the entire project does feel a lil extraordinary. ive been listening a lot lately to the black saint and the sinner lady, an absolutely unhinged musical accomplishment that combines a wide variety of disciplines into something that feels so effortlessly singular yet also in conversation with so many strands of history. i am far less familiar with the styles and cultures being mixed here, but even after just one listen it feels comparably vibrant and unstoppable, channeling the most color and complexity possible into pure gut-level dance and emotion. the feelings sliders are thrown way towards joyousness, togetherness, and healing. i have no idea how u even start to make music like this. i should explore a lot more west african pop whenever i feel the mental capacity for such a task
Loved this album. Have no idea what he’s singing about. But that really helps to emphasize how great the music and melodies are.
4.5/5
Can't get fresher than this
This album took me by surprise. I knew the voice thanks to Peter Gabriel. Blown away by this album and instantly became a favorite
This is the stuff. Never heard of Youssou and probably never would have without the album generator. This is why I'm here. Pitche Mi is standout for me. Nice separation of instruments, lots of good grooves. Just exactly perfect for an early Sunday morning.
As good as World Music gets.
Can tell from the first 10 seconds that I’m going to enjoy this. The sound mixing is wonderful. Really balanced. Loving this.
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer and bandleader. His strong, soaring voice is the central feature of these upbeat, rhythmic tracks. He was featured in a Peter Gabriel song, "In Your Eyes," which catapulted N'Dour to international fame. Touring with Gabriel gave N'Dour a chance to perform world-wide. Immigres is an album N'Dour released just before becoming a star, and is a good sample of the music N'Dour made relatively early in his career. These are infectious, danceable songs with universal appeal.
Muhkeaa soittoa
Didn’t know what was being sung but it really doesn’t matter. This album has great energy and has a little of everything instrumental wise and at a high level.
Outrageous! What a record! Absolute education in how to blend 4000 musical genres and make them all harmonise perfectly! Completely took me by surprise! 4.7
N'Dour takes the jazzy relaxed open feel of 70s West African Golden-era of Afro-Cuban rumba (from his Star Band de Dakar days) and opens it up. This album lowers the role of the guitar and makes space to incorporate more Senegalese musical traditions (the interwoven griot-style vocals, the wide range of hand drums and the talking drum) and for some smooth jazz sounding horns/keyboards. The horns are great, but the keys, combined with the very 80s production and the bass tone in particular, do give this a very corny dated feel. Along with Salif Keita's, N'Dour is one of the cornerstones of the whole Putomayo world music 'genre' and forged a sound that would become the somewhat stultifying generic default for West African musicians seeking an international audience, combining glossy global sheen with the authenticating use of local instruments. But here in its nascent stage, there's plenty of energy and excitement to the music, and even the corny keyboard sounds have an endearing nostalgic wistfulness to them.
Jeg lå og vippede mellem en 4'er og en 5'er, for jeg ved ikke, hvor ofte den vil komme på i fremtiden, men jeg blev simpelthen i for godt humør til at rate den andet. Fantastisk instrumentation, interessant stemme, rigtigt sommeralbum
Just amazing. Put this on right as I headed out to walk the dog, and what a great listen on a nice breezy 63 degree (F) morning!
Really fun sound. I had never heard this before, but I love this kind of thing. Great party music.
This was super sweet. I loved it. Awesome vocals and I loved the rhythms and guitar work. Cool stuff
I know nothing about this at all but saw on Spotify that this dude was on "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel and that's how the larger world population found out about him. I can get quite into African music because it's so different to so much else, and I am enjoying this from the first chords. This rules. It's catchy while still being strange and meandering.
Joyous! Superb voice, superb rhythm. Been watching the AFCON 2024 and the crazy scenes, so this feels timely. sadly for Youssou, Senegal got knocked out. My awareness of him extends basically to 7 Seconds, so this was lovely to hear his earlier, more traditional work. Although I understand it was criticised for using synths. Well they aren't intrusive to my ear. I guess when they come in halfway through Taaw they arguably take away more than add to the rhythm, but otherwise. This is just a delight, uplifting and fantastic from start to finish. Obviously I haven't a scooby what he's singing about, which is a shame, as from what I can work out he's a sound geezer. I didn't want Badou to end, 5 minutes wasn't enough!
Enjoyed all of this album very much, had never heard it in full before. No wonder western musicians were queuing up to collaborate! Will certainly be listening again. I can't think of anything I'd change so in the absence of 9 out of 10 I've rounded up. 5 stars from husband, too.
Beautiful music
This was great! I loved every moment.
Beautiful album from the former minister of tourism for Senegal
Joyful, catchy and easily a relisten
Familiar funkiness with some greatly influential African twist. You can see N'Dour's fingerprints across so much, and that's a good thing.
This was a great listen. This was perfect to have on while I'm doing what needs to be done. Lots of very subtle percussion in the background gave the tracks some extra depth.
Loved it. I really want to go to Senegal in the meantime I'll listen to big Youssou.
Wow, this viscerally takes me back to my childhood. Sub 10 - maybe 6 or 7? My very first media device of any description, that was mine rather than the family's, was a crystal radio kit. You pushed the components into a perforated cardboard circuit board, wired them up, connected a wire to a radiator to act as an antenna, and listened through a little ear piece that looked like an old fashioned hearing aid. It had no power source of its own, and seemed like magic to me! It was not capable of picking up too many radio stations, but one thing it reliably picked up quite strongly was a show playing world music that sounded a lot like this. Probably the first music that _I_ sought out for myself, rather than was just passively exposed to. Fave track - "Immigrés/Bitim Rew" I guess, but the whole album is lovely....
Че за кайфарик
What an incredible tenor
I thought I didn't know who Youssou N'Dour is, until I looked him up. In fact, not only do I know who he is and have heard him sing many times, he sang on the song my husband and I did our first dance to when we got married. N'Dour collaborated quite frequently with Peter Gabriel and performed on his "So" tour. We used the version of "In Your Eyes" for our first dance that N'Dour sang on. I had no idea about his background or knew anything about his own solo work, but I really liked this album. The music is so beautiful and joyful. Even though I couldn't understand any of the lyrics, they just had a joyfulness to them. The album is very well produced and sounds like it could have been made today rather than in 1984. This album is exactly why I'm doing this whole project. I never would have listened to it or realized who N'Dour was without this album popping up today.
Evidently very complex and groovy! The first song was actually my least favorite so I wasn’t sure about the record but Pitche Me and Taaw were both so in-the-pocket I could listen to them forever. I like those 10min jam songs more than the faster-paced tracks with a more pop structure. Obviously serves an important role on this list — the only thing I could compare it to that I’ve heard in the past two months is Papa Was a Rolling Stone by the temptations. I have a hard time connecting with the vocals but the group seemingly functions as a jam band so it was overall a really rad listening experience.
Important stuff. Good stuff.
An amazing album building on African music. An absolute joy to listening to, using amazing african rythms, it is calming and chill, but never truly in the background either. Definitely an album I'll listen to again.
We've gotten a good few albums under the banner of world music, and while they can be hit or miss, this one is certainly in the former category. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. Great grooves across the board here, & some rather high highs among the 4 tracks present. Without any translated lyrics in front of me, I was forced to go off of a vibe for most of these, and thankfully, these all have great vibes for being recorded in 1984. Seriously, some of the layering in the production feels ahead of schedule by a few years. Since most of these tracks are a bit longer, there is a staleness that inevitably comes with them, especially since the percussion doesn’t move much. It’s not really an issue until “Badou”, which is just sort of a flat closing track to my ears, at least compared to the first 3. Other than that, the rest of this is really nice, and I found myself especially grooving to the music around the midway points of both “Pitche Mi” & “Taaw”. There’s not too much else to say; I’m bumping it down to 4 just because of the slight staleness & “Badou” falling just a bit flat, but if anything hits just a bit more on a future relisten, this could easily go up to a 5. I think it’s a great representation of Senegalese music, a great pick for the list, and a really breezy 34 minutes that can’t hurt to listen to. I enjoyed it.
Ricura y no es blanca. Nota: 3.7
this was fun
(Listened to this alum on 7/1) I just finished this incredibly fun album from a talented Senegalese artist; truly enjoyed it from beginning to end. I am currently working through a book about King Leopold II and the terrors he authorized and carried out on the people of Africa. Later this afternoon, Senegal takes on Belgium in the World Cup's Round of 32. Take a guess on who I'm rooting for.#LionsDeLaTeranga
today we are all Senegalese...
De base j’aime pas trop les musiques à rallonge mais en vrai c’était good vibes et Youssou N’Dour !!
Generally, dig it. The horns and keyboards sometimes give this an American/New Orleans polish that kinda puts me off, but not always (I like the sax on 'Taaw'). That said, the vocals and percussion is really fantastic, and I absolutely LOVE the guitar work, totally new sound and style, a different thing from the Ali Farka Toure & desert blues stuff that I'm familiar with. On the basis of the guitar style alone, I'd list this as something to hear more of in a recording that was maybe a little less dressed up with production. Overall, it grew on me a lot. First listen I though this was a 3.5/5, but now I'd say 4.5/5.
A solid world beat album. I've heard some Youssou N'Dour before - mostly thanks to his guesting on a couple of Peter Gabriel songs - but hadn't heard this album before. 3 1/2 stars
Something unique! I wish there were more songs that were shorter, instead of 4 long songs. Got a little repetitive. 7/10
Good
Fucking hell, that's one fat bass drum you got there mate. Jokes aside, I liked this a lot more than I was expecting. Lots of great grooves, wild percussions that I always like and some cool polyrhythmic stuff happening as well. Very interesting, indeed.
A very very fun time. No songs stood out, but great background music to have on while having fun with friends.
I definitely didn't expect to hear music from Senegal on a Saturday night. What a cool discovery! 4 stars.
Fun album but probably not listen again
Unsurprisingly I really liked this.
If this is your first dip into international music, quit sleeping on Western African artists. It's some of the best music period.
Really enjoyed this one. A hidden gem!
Favorite Track: Taaw Least Favorite Track: Immigrés / Bitim Rew
I've listened to this record a couple times and its pretty good. The apparently controversial synthesizers aren't particularly intrusive and work well. N'Dour's vocals are very good and the songs are absorbing. The arrangements are fairly strong as well. There are a few moments where some of the more complicated rhythm patterns feel like they could have used a couple passes before recording, but that is largely not the case. Overall, a good album.
Really great and upbeat music.
What a fun album, amazing instrumental jazz funk vibes and good vocals too. Only 4 tracks but quite long and no filler. Solid 4 from 4 Fave track: pitche mi
I didn’t realize until after I listened that this was only 4 tracks. I love this kind of album.
Good shit. I enjoyed this.
Ohhhhh shit yes that was very nice thank you random album generator for giving such a nice album to pair with such a sunny day!!
Not quite as good as Osibisa, but some great vibes here.
Great to have this in the list of the best albums of all time !!! I like it !!
I really enjoyed this! Funky but a bit melancholy too, my kind of jam. Best Song: Pitche Mi Worst Song: Badou (but it's still pretty good)
Solidly really enjoyable. I don’t have a ton to say about this one, it’s just a nice vibe, some really solid production and a fun fusion of traditional Senegalese music with those sweet ‘80s synths. Always fun to find an album I’d never have heard of outside of this project.
i've been waiting a while to get this one and i'm very happy i rolled it earlyish in the project. it's really genuine and raw in a way that most non-Western music to make it big is denied from being. wonderful grooves. mbalax and soukous and highlife and afrobeat etc etc etc all benefit from 10 minute long tracks. deserves to be one of the 1001? unlike most of the "world music" (disgusting, racist term) on this list, this one was originally released for a non-Western audience, and it shows. it's definitely here because of the reissue, but whatever, it's not easy for West African tapes to filter into the UK/US. i feel blessed to live in a world where obscure blogs from 15 years ago did all the hard work in ripping tapes like this. but yeah, it does deserve to be on here. i'm very happy this was the Youssou N'Dour pick rather than something more polished like Set.
Can't really put my finger on what it is, but I really enjoyed this record. It's just very groovy! For some reason it made me think of the Grim Fandango game, which is really cool and I really like it. Maybe that gave the experience some extra positive vibes, who knows. The songs were distinct enough, and the runtime didn't ask much of you. Not much to dislike with this! Weak 4.
Something different! Really enjoyed it, felt a bit like Bombino or some other Turego music. Plenty of hooks and the 34 minute runtime was just enough to not overstay its welcome. Not much to say, just fun music. 4 stars.
This is a great record. The African items on this list have all been pretty on point, and I love it. The synth's gave this an unexpected 80's element which I dig. This is very well mixed album and it was nice to hear such clear articulation from each instrument.I would spin this again.
To echo what others said -- albums like this are why I started this project. Short, but nice and refreshing on a monday morning.
I loved this. The rhythm is so incredibly engaging and layered throughout. The horns are a really enjoyable addition as well. I'm definitely going to do a deeper dive through Youssou N'Dour's discography, this was a really fun listen. Favourite track: Taaw
Interesting album. I didn't even notice how long the songs were because I was enjoying the music.
Genuinely a joy to listen to.
Some fine music playing and singing on this album. I enjoyed listening to this on a relaxing afternoon.
Fint avbrekk fra Gubberock.
Fun exciting and quick listen with great groves
Overall Rating - 3.75/5 (7.50/10). Lots of fun. I'm really liking African and Latin music. It's definitely a jam I didn't know I had.
Stellar! Enjoyed this thoroughly!
Good to see an African album. I'm more of a fan of people like Ali and Vieux Farka Touré, Sir Victor Uwaifo, and Amadou & Mariam, who I think are all more interesting than this. Nothing wrong with it, but not the most exciting option
I really genuinely loved this album. I had a hard time deciding on this review for a long time. The main issue for me was just the disconnect from the lyrics and language. I obviously speak English so the entirety of the messaging and lyricism was lost on me. Which does hold the music back slightly, it feels like I can’t accurately review the music cause I don’t fully understand it. But what I DID understand is that the instrumentals are awesome. They are so creative and fun, they even have a real joyous nature to them. Which again, if I knew what the songs were about I could make a comment on whether or not the message and the music are contrasting or complimentary. But at the end of the day I loved this album and I saved every song on the album. So close to a perfect score. (For the record, the album is a love letter to his home from his new home in Paris, as well as being about the immigration experience. The more you know).
In a nutshell: wherever you may roam, you are always part of home. If you are tempted to look up the lyrics, I recommend waiting until after your first listen. Embrace the bass, the percussion, the brass, the beat. The backing band - Le Super Etoile de Dakar - are incredible!! Overall: 8/10
Er dette bare en bedre versjon av Under the Sea? Jeg støtter det!
Youssou N'Dour er et navn man ikke kommer utenom, men jeg har ikke kommet så langt at jeg har hørt noe. På tide, for dette var kult!
4 - It was a vibe. I loved it.
According to Rolling Stone this is the most famous singer alive in Senegal. Interesting factoid. Much more interesting and enjoyable album. My favorite part of listening to music in a language that I don't understand is the emotion that is delivered to me through the music. Great quick collection of feel-good tunes. (The lyrics could be about the exact opposite for all I know)
Not really something I'm interested in listening to very often, but I do enjoy it and this is a good example of it.
This was way more interesting and dynamic than I expected, nice!
8/10 Best songs: Pitche Mi Finally, interesting music! Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese drummer and, while his drumming serves as the centerpiece of the album, it is by no means the only thing of note. The guitar and bass are excellent, with lovely horns and strings occasionally punctuating yet never overwhelming the songs. The vocals (sung in Wolof) are a great accompaniment - acting more like a minor instrument than the most significant thing. I'm glad this album is on the list.
I love the smooth feel and the passionate vocals. The complex timing and the driving rhythms.
Thoughts before listening: I don't know a ton about Youssou N'Dour, but I do recognize his name. From the cover of this album it seems this will be traditional African music, likely with lots of drums and polyrhythms. Should be interesting. Review: Definitely based in traditional African styles, but the influences of more varied 80s world and pop music styles are also prevalent here. Synthesizers and guitar solos can be found throughout this release. This is ultimately pop music that is made more interesting and enjoyable thanks to the African sounds. There are only 4-songs here, but they are long and varied which makes for a pleasant listening experience. I'll give this 4-stars for being something new and different on this list.
I still want to do a bit more research pertaining to this album’s release history, the original track listing, etc. But going off what seems to be the commonly accepted album, I dig this well enough. With music I’m not inherently versed in, I always struggle to gauge my enjoyment of songs in the album format. I want to say that I was much bigger on the title track and “Pitche Mi” than I was on “Taaw” and “Badou”, but I don’t know if that’s just a case of the genre “wearing off” on me as the album continues. Whatever the case, I’ll definitely return to this and try to refine my opinions a bit more on it. Cool stuff. 3.5/5
Lekker als achtergrondmuziek. Afrikaans met spaanse tinten
This is really cool. The African percussion is just infectious! One thing I really like is the blurred lines between what music is previously composed vs. what is improvised on the spot. There was one moment in the second track that sounds very improvisatory, yet the guitar and bass are playing the same line. Are the players just that in sync with each other to improvise the same thing? Probably not, but its cool to think about.
This project was especially welcome after a couple of fantastic international releases and my first real exposure to music beyond our borders this past year. Joyful and expressive, the listening experience here is just simply a good time. So much musicality to go with passionate performances. Some of the string and drum lines are incredibly infectious, especially that melody in Pitche Mi, which was pure bliss to my ears. 1 listen Favorite Track: Pitche Mi
Adding a star based on atmospheric groovyness!
4 tracks and 34 minutes. Not quite variations on a theme, but there's a cohesion to the sounds here. I really like the melody on the title track, I can't tell what the instrument is but it sounds like maybe a steel guitar, lots of bend and everything is really tropical sounding and lively with the horns supporting. Lots going on with the percussion and bass, interesting song structure. The vocal suit it. Pitche Mi starts much slower, the guitar riffs delicate and pretty now. There's complexity in the backing instruments, the transitions, the drumming. I really like this one. I think some western prog rock bands would have been happy with this. Taaw is the longest piece, and even more proggy (or jazzy) to my ears, built more around rhythmic riffing instead of melodies. The bass starts to shine in the middle section and it's a bit trance inducing. The last track, Badou, is the shortest, more in the vein of the opener but with the horns carrying the melody now. Very chill, palms swaying in the breeze. Definitely enjoyed this and would listen to more of his work.
Interesting! Enjoyable! Great listening music. Really liked all the layers and how everything flowed together. So so easy to groove to.
Mën naa ko gas.
great vocalist of all time
Pleasant
Had this album on repeat for a few hours--really enjoyed it--relaxed afrobeat music with smooth sounds throughout.
I've never listened to Youssou N'Dour before. I quite enjoyed this and I might add it to my list of albums to listen to again.
I liked this one.
This was quite good. The beats and instrumentals were all wonderful and sometimes funky in a good way. I would own the album.
Not what I would usually listen to but wow this surprised me. The beats, the soul and emotion you feel, the production???? This was a surprise and I do intend to come back to this in the future but I don’t think it quite cracks into the 5s (of which I intend to give out very few of anyways
Nice change of pace to get some African music, not familiar with anything from Senegal, this was a reel blend of African beats and maybe a more North African Arabic feel. Really fun listen.
Good
This is a delightful surprise. I only knew of Youssou N'Dour from the Peter Gabriel song "Shaking the Tree." The music and the rhythms are excellent.
Very good.
Interesante, me gustó mucho. 7/10
I had no clue who this guy was, but apparently, he shows up on both Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon's records. Four tracks of generally favorable wolof mbalax from Senegal; a good spin and some though some tracks overstay their welcome (8/10, 4/5 on this scale)
I've previously mentioned Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour appearing as a guest backing vocalist for Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". In fact, he's one of the most notable artists from Senegal and Africa at large to crossover internationally, to the point of being his home country's Minister of Tourism for a brief time. Not only that, but Youssou is also credited with developing the musical style of mbalax, which is urban dance accompanied by polyrhythmic drumming on the traditional sabar instrument. It's a cultural bridge between the identity of the indigenous folks of the Greater Senegambia region and the urban panethnic identity that arose during colonialism, and that much is apparent on the album Immigrés. The heartfelt singing in the native tongue about immigrant pride and embracing cultural heritage, the languid guitar playing amidst the complex percussive rhythms, and the occasional horn embellishments made for such a comforting listen that could also be danced to. I can hear the earnest dedication to the songcraft in Youssou's delivery, and the harmonious chants and instrumentation surrounding him. It makes me wish that I could find the lyrics to "Taaw" and "Badou", as I feel like I'm missing context from the record. Not helping matters is that the grainy production could have been cleaned up a bit, and the keyboards sound buried in the mix. I understand that the percussion is the primary element of this music, and it is well done, but perhaps there could have been a better balance of all involved sounds. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Immigrés as another enriching cultural experience for my album journey. Youssor N'Dour deserved the notoriety he got from sharing his country's cultural roots.
Great Songs: Good Songs: Immigrés / Bitim Rew, Pitche Mi, Taaw, Badou Mid Songs: Bad Songs:
yo se que esto es francés, pero quiero escuchar esto en un verano en italia
A beautiful blend of African and western musical styles and influences. Percussion firing on all cylinders. Super fun stuff
Incredible African adventure
вайбово. сохранил. подойдет для дачи летом 100%
Brilliant. Need to expand my knowledge of west African pop. I love Fela and Songhuy Blues but there must be so much more out there. Interesting vocals, almost like the call to prayer or something, sets it apart from Nigerian music
Much better than I thought it would be. This is a truly global album with influences from all over the world. Well worth the listen.
This record has a great groove to it from top to bottom, in no small part thanks to the musical influences that are indicative of the Mbalax style that Youssou spearheaded. I had never heard of Youssou N'Dour nor Mbalax prior to listening to this album, which is what I love about this project, being shown corners of the musical world I would never have otherwise reached into. The polyrhythmic grooves of traditional Western African drumming combined with the Funk/Latin Pop fills out a really enjoyable space, and worked really well in the background for me while I was out and about. Fav Track 3 - Taaw Best Three Track Run 1, 2, 3
Fun, sweet, interesting
This is what I come to this list for. An album I would never have discovered otherwise. I knew 7 Seconds (with Neneh Cherry) so I had some idea what to expect. He has such a soulful voice. I don't think it matters that I have no idea what the songs are about. Great listen.
Album 17/1001. Listened 2/11/2026. I liked this much more than I expected. Loved the world beats, which isn't usually my thing. I'd play this to get through a workday or on a road trip or just hanging out.
Dope
Fav track: pitche mi No skips. This album is energetic and a wonderful listen!
I enjoyed this quite a bit. The 1001 does a pretty good job with the world music selections, they generally are quite strong musically and interesting listens. This is a great example of that.
I feel like I’m sitting in a comfy chair in a coffee shop in the ‘90s. Anyone signing up for the open mic tonight?
Once again an album that does not outstay it's welcome. Even if you did not like it it's short, it's the kind of music that I would imagine hearing at a block party someone put this on and the Aunties get up and dance.
8.0/10
Good stuff here.
Really nice but I am surprised it ended as abruptly as it did. Did not feel like a natural conclusion
4 song album, Senegalese reggae / conga vibes, saxophone background. Interesting beats and production! Good discovery.
this was pretty damn awesome world music, got little elements of like everything and it's only problem is that it ended too soon
I really enjoyed this. I don’t listen to much African music, but this album is so joyous!
Didn't enjoy it, Didn't understand it, appreciated it.
Afro pop music with complex percussion and rhythms.
While not a genre I’d necessarily go to this was really nice. Great musicianship and although the songs were rather long each song brought in a cool new element.
I've not listened to a whole album of his before. Know him from his work with Peter Gabriel so I expected his beautiful voice. Also really enjoyed the talking drum. The band was great, cool drums and understated guitar. A great listen but not sure I'll return to it
Oh, this is really cool - discovering this sort of thing is the reason I'm here. First track is so joyous, love the shifts in rhythm. I want to send this to all of my drummer friends - amazing!
Nice upbeat music. Perfect for getting you jazzed up for the day as you wearily brush your teeth.
It makes me wonder, how many musical gems are hidden in plain sight.
Started listening at 11:50 This is the shortest album I have listened to in terms of content with only 4 songs but coming in at 34mins I can say not a single song overstays its welcome. The use of instruments to create such welcoming and energetic music is just amazing. While I might not understand the lyrics I can hear the passion throughout the songs. Language is not a barrier to music but shows just how the voice can be used to create and add to what is already giving through instruments. This is definitely an album I will keep coming back to and Youssou will be an artist I will continue to listen too
Most of these records I’ve at least previously heard of. At the very least the artist is familiar to me. Not this one and holy moly this was great!
Excellent Afro beats
vibrant, sunny music - an uplifting listen on this cold, gloomy December day
fresco
Good African stuff
Great African album. I enjoyed this a lot. Not much else to say. My African music literacy is pretty weak, so I can't describe it better than "I liked the rhythms"
I remember him singing with Peter Gabriel back in the day. Grateful that this list gives me a chance to hear a number of full albums of African artists that show up as supporting casts for various western artists like that - this one was very listenable.
Really enjoyable
You just can't help but like this album. 4 stars or B+.
I like the African music I hear. Is all African music great, or have I just happened to only be exposed to the good stuff? And is the stuff I like actually the good stuff, or was it somehow diluted for Americans?
👏MORE 👏WORLD 👏LESS 👏U2
Good stuff...
A great little album. Super smooth and fun.
fun, energetic, and makes you feel a little bit lighter
This shit cool as hell. Very surprised I've never never heard of him considering his status, also pleasantly surprised to see such a distinctly non English/Spanish speaking album on here. Not sure if I'd call the genre here Tishoumaren but, at the behest of sounding like I'm generalising West Africa's music scenes, if you liked this check out Mdou Moctar as well, active band from Niger pushing this sound in a psychedelic rock direction. Highlights: Pitche Mi & Taaw
The French word for immigrant tied with the African artist intrigued me so I tried to do some reading on this. This album was made while Youssou was passing through Paris. With references to missing home, not trusting local authorities and stress of responsibility. He later used his success from music to open Internet Cafe's in his home country. Awesome guy. It's a really interesting taste of another culture of music. Youssou's voice is great and the instrumentation makes me feel warm and comfy. It's refreshing with how clear the drums are, I tend to find drums get mixed into the background in Western music. You can hear hear the fuzz of the tape between songs which really brings home how handmade the album is. I'll give this a 4 but I probably will never listen to it again. It's really cool tho
Track One - Immigres/Bitim Rew: I really liked this track. The instrumentation and use of percussion was great. The overall vibe was very joyful, and I liked it a lot. Track Two - Pitche Mi: Already feeling a much cooler, more mellow vibe in this track and I really like it. This more mellow vibe continued throughout the song and I really enjoyed it. Track Three - Taaw: This track is already bringing back that more upbeat vibe and I like the contrast from the last track. I like that I can hear the different rhythms the different instruments are following. I also like the incorporation of the other instruments. I liked that although it was more upbeat like the first track it was still very distinct stylistically Track Four - Badou: I really liked this track. Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this album. I liked how even in just four songs there was so much diversity in the different styles, tones, and tempos of the pieces. I really liked being able to hear all the different rhythms made by the different instruments. I honestly kinda wished the album was longer, but it was a good, solid roughly half an hour listen
You could absolutely fuck to this.
Jazzy and repetitive. Long jam sessions, for the most part, almost too long for my taste. N'Dour was made more known following his participation in Paul Simon's Graceland album. Best part of this album was actually reading the artist wiki then the wiki of The Gambia. Damn colonialism in all of its forms. Listened before? N Saved some tracks(s)? N Favorite tracks? Taaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Liked it well enough
No idea what's happening, but I'm enjoying the percussion and saxes! Deezer was missing the first track, but I was able to find a full playlist on YouTube. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Taaw ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Really liked it.
Interesting music but as with any foreign language album it is hard for me to get anything from the vocals. If I understood the lyrics perhaps it would be 5 stars.
Different but enjoyed every minute of it. Put me in a happy mood. Would have listed for longer.
Very fun listen with a lot of unique percussion driving the album. Woupd love to dive more into Sengalese music since it is so different from my western-accustomed ears. Entertaining and interesting
This is the kind of music I'm looking for in a list like this -- music that most in the audience likely wouldn't experience otherwise. This was rather entertaining and I was sad when it finished in just under 35 minutes.
Great listen, really enjoyed it! Loved the drums!
I've listened to a bunch of the Star Band's stuff and i'm generally a really big fan, and of senegalese music in general!
fröhlich!
A musician from Africa being able to record his own album was a real luxury in this time. I've listened to quite a bit of music from this region from this era and this album does not disappoint. The atmosphere here is great, very joyful and danceable. The songs are long but don't overstay their welcome whatsoever, I'd say it's too short of an album if anything. Just a fun album from an underrepresented area of the world.
4.5 This was very close to get a 5 ! Very nice vibe and melodies.
Never listened to something like this before, love the instruments used, each song has its own skeleton and you can tell they’re different which I find hard in songs in other languages personally. I wouldn’t listen to this as a daily but something cool to come back to at certain events.
I'm not entirely sure what's going on. But you know what I'm so glad it's not another obscure 70s rock band I'm giving it four stars.
Felt the Arabic-african sound.
A very fun album. I love all of the percussion and horns. One of my favorite African albums so far! High 4.
An excellent live show consisting of a dedicated audience who's on board with 7+ minute jam tracks, happy to let the band show off and bring a mutual connection to everyone present.
Cool rhythms
saindo do atraso. tirei o dia pra escutar tudo que n deu tempo achei esse aqui mto bom, pegadinha muito boa
eh bem interessante memo. guitarrinha fortíssima. senegal manda muito, hein divertidíssimo, passou rapidão, gostosim demais!!
Fun, punchy, short, fantastic.
Groovy!
Intensely pleasant.
Although only 4 songs, the album takes me on a journey with many stops along the way to taste and experience a range of human emotions. I love the eclecticism of instruments, beats, and voices throughout the album. I certainly detect his influence in some of Peter Gabriel's music of this era as well.
This was a lot of fun. World Music. I didn;t understand any of the lyrics, but even with that, the melodies and rhythm were great and it was a fun listen.
Pretty good stuff. I know a bit about him, mostly thanks to Peter Gabriel, and he's a pretty good artist. Not my absolute favorite album but still a solid 4. That also means its 1 star per song which is probably gonna be the highest on this list. Neat!
Randomly bough this album a couple of years ago, and it did not disappoint. Grooves are well done and the album is really good. A good starting point to get into music from Africa. 4/5 Will listen again
This is a fine album, though language is an issue in understanding the songs!
Rich, luscious beats with beautiful melodies. Yeah, there's some synths in here, but there's a lot of ethnic instruments. This is one of the weird ones we came to this list for.
My awareness of Youssou N'Dour is the Peter Gabriel connection, from In Your Eyes and his inclusion in the Amnesty International tour in the late 80's. As a fan of most of the performers, I saw a fair amount of video footage and I found N'Dour intriguing, but not enough to do a deeper dive at the time. I was interested when this came up on the generator, and it did not disappoint at all. I often complain of some albums being way too long, but I would've enjoyed another song or two from this record. I saw that a reviewer stated that each song sounded the same, and I couldn't disagree more. Each one had a very different sound and feeling for me, with the standout being Pitche Mi. There was a great mix of drums, guitars, bass, horn sounds, and vocals, and enough changes in each song to keep them interesting for the length of most of them. I'm at a 4.5 right now, and I'll decide tomorrow morning which way it leans.
Cool. Rad. Sick
Good vibes. Fun, relaxing. I will definitely check this out again, especially during the summer. Nothing that blew my mind, but it is solid music.
4 out of 5 Great music, upbeat, and makes you want to get up and move. Has elements of Cuban or Samba. Will definitely listen to more of Youssou
The thing I didn't care for with this album is it reminded me I wasn't on vacation or enjoying a backyard bbq with food more exciting than burgers and hotdogs. For the pain it caused me, I'm going to have to knock off a star from what my score would have been
Remember the duet with Ninah Cherry .nice and easy listening
Not to bad. This would be great background music for a dinner with friends or a game night
some good African World Music, love the percussion and the horns. Its a nice change of pace from everything else, also a trim runtime of 34 minutes, so you dont get overwhelmed either.
Really groovy African tunes. Doesn’t hit as hard as Fela Kuti but still an enjoyable listen
Really fun stuff.
interesting
Ik versta er niets van, maar ik vibe het wel echt. Lekker man, beetje meer jazzy album, werd ook wel weer eens tijd! En eerlijk? dit is een heeeeeerlijk zomer album. Jammer dat het einde zomer is en het weer echt compleet shit, maar met mn ogen dicht zit ik nu op een strand met een cocktail(Eigenlijk met een kop koffie in een kantoortuin) Echt lekker man, Pitche Mi is mn absolute favoriet, wat een prachtig nummer is dat! Taaw duurt me net ff te lang, maar er zitten een paar pachtige solo's in waardoor het grotendeels wel mn aandacht pakt maar ik zou het minder snel weer aan zetten. Laatste nummer is wel weer gewoon heel fijn, maar Pitche Mi alleen al is voor mij voldoende om dit gewoon 4 sterren te geven. Heerlijk! FAVO: Immigrés/Bitim Brew, Pitche mi,
This is the type of thing I was hoping for when I started this list. Not something I would ever have gotten to if left to my own devices. The music itself is great. Rhythmically interesting with a lot of texture, and some lovely sunny instruments and melodies. I have no idea what he is singing about on tracks like 'Pitche Mi' - but he sure is singing about it, and feeling it deep down. It's a great tune. It's a shame it's only four tracks long, about 30 minutes run time. After having to listen to so many bloated 'masterpieces' to reach this point it is kind of refreshing to be left wanting more of something. Over the years I have heard a lot of awesome music originating in Africa and it's frankly weird that it struggles to find much of an audience in other continents.
I’m really liking the world music selections in this project. I’ve never really given much attention to non English-speaking music before, but this was another one that I really enjoyed. Maybe not on constant rotation, but definitely a good one to visit from time to time.
Immigrés/Bitim Rew // Pitche Mi //
Det va gøy og fint, men ikke sånt æ hang mæ spesielt mye opp i, må man vel kunne si, for nu huske æ knapt kordan det hørtes ut enn omtrent sånn som forventa.
Quite enjoyable. Solid rhythms - especially from the bass.
Excelente álbum. Disfruto mucho cuando el generador me recomienda música no anglosajona. Esta obra es una clara representación de la diáspora africana. fue producida en Senegal con música en base a las raíces de la zona este de África, pero al mismo tiempo, tanto por la diáspora caribeña como por los procesos de globalización, la música hace uso de elementos del rock, del funk y del jazz (así como sucede con el afrobeat por ejemplo). Nos encontramos con bajo y guitarra eléctrica, metales de viento, batería, e incluso sintetizadores. Muchas de las melodías de la guitarra tienen una clara inspiración de Jimi Hendrix y Santana. Los temas son largos, pero el álbum no lo es, por lo que la experiencia de escucha es agradable. Además la música es repetitiva, pero no es monótona. El timbre de la voz no es particularmente de mi agrado, pero se amalgama con la estética del estilo.
What a great mood, quite a lot of this style of African music just feels like they’re having such a good time, and that’s definitely the case here. The instrument playing is great, feels decently similar to some Fela Kuti stuff, but this is also a bit more funky and maybe also a touch of western pop. Said this already on another album, but in traditional and I suppose more contemporary African music they just use scales and Melodies which you can really get by using western scales, which just makes it feel really fresh, even though this was a while ago. A specific feature I also really like is the wide-panned percussion and bongos and stuff, feels a lot fuller. Favourite songs: all Overall around 7/10
Enjoyed this, only 4 tracks but a nice change of pace between them
Immigrés/Bitim Rew 3.8 Pitche Mi (Kabou Gueye) 4 Taaw 3.6 Badou 3.5 Score: 3.725
Loved this
Enjoyed this, these are some really nicely textured songs with lots going on but nothing sounds out of place. The percussion is great, and along with the vocals, they really give it an African sound. I like the brass and guitar playing too.. actually I like everything. This album has a real vibe. 4* as i didn't think the second side was quite as fun as the first, particularly track 1 is the highlight. But it's good
That was fun, should return to this one
Super fun and always interesting. This was a really engaging listen and I loved it.
These are the kind of albums I hoped to be discovering on this list
Dig it! 4
This sounds like something I've heard before but not sure where I heard it. But I do like how this sounds. I feel though that the songs on this album are a bit long with the longest one being over 11 minutes but it is a good album nonetheless. Also, really has that world sound that I like, groovy and cultured. But overall, it is a good album but can get a bit boring at times because of long track runtimes rather than album runtime itself. Favorite Tracks: Immigrés/Bitim Rew, Pitche Mi, Badou Rating: 4/5
God, music from Africa is so good.
crazy nice vibe
Fun album. I wasn't a big fan of the vocal style, but the instrumentals and melody choices were great. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
this album is short but vibrant. fantastic percussion. the structure gets a bit repetitive but the energy never dips. fun listen
A vibe!
There is a bit of European/American elitism in music. I'm guessing that 90% of people living in Europe and North America will never hear this or music like it, unless they travel to places that aren't extremely touristy. Which is why I'm really glad when albums like this make lists like this one. This album is a ton of fun and vibey. It's repetitive, but I'm pretty sure that's a quality that most music around the world has, and the repetitions never really get boring, which is always my worry when music is built that way. The soloing instruments are really good; I specifically love the tone of the stringed instrument. I almost wish the album was longer or had a couple more songs on it. I want more of it. Favorite Song(s): Taaw
First time hearing an album like this. Very entertaining perfect soundtrack for my workout this morning. Songs are well engaging and never get boring. Perfect for outdoor dinner party or pool day. I will definitely come back to this one when the situation is right. 4/5
Love the Afrobeat like vibes, just serene chilled music for a lazy lunchtime in the sun.
It was exciting to see another artist from Mali so soon. This leans more into easy listening traditional music, I liked it a lot but not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, more just appreciate. A bit shorter & didn't adore any of the 4 songs.
Youssou sussy when you dour
I had no concept of Senegal’s music prior to listening to this. Now I do and I am grateful for it. Immigres felt like reggae with his upbeat tempo and major cords. I surprised and the social scientist in me immediately started making connections. The song that really got me was Taaw. As I was listening to it I was reading, and eventually found myself in a trance to the music. Youssou NDour is an impassioned singer and masterful band leader to be held with the greats like Duke or Charles Dingus. I am coming back to this one. This is one of the reasons 1001 exists: I would never have had the pleasure to listen to this otherwise. Thanks 🙏
Great bass, great atmosphere
Fun party vibes. Intriguing instrumentals, cool production. Kept me hooked. I love discovering different languages and cultures through music.
Yes, this is good. I like the flavor and just great to have on.
I just enjoy afro beat. This isn't on the same level as Fela, but still good listening.
These albums are what I did this for.
As usual with anything west african, it's just a fun time. I guess partly because the music is so warm and happy but partly because it feels so familiar despite being made thousands of miles away from where I grew up. I'm just still fascinated by how West African music sounds so much like the stuff I heard as a kid.
cool fun & upbeat album. after multiple 2 hour long albums recently, it was also blessedly short :' )
cool album! i recognized his name from 7 seconds with neneh cherry, and this album delivered. fun and lively songs, short album overall, great vibes all around. definitely in for more like this in the future! favorites: immigrés/bitim rew, pitche mi
heck yeah i have no idea what hes saying but yes please
Buen Disco de Mundo. Recomendado.
4/5
Really enjoyed this!
Good album.
4.5
I love an awful lot of West African music, but have always struggled a bit with Youssou N’Dour. I’m not entirely sure why. This was OK. Solid enough for me to invoke the non-anglophone rule and add a point to the score.
Great fun; the middle two (and longest) tracks are amazing.
Revolt. Review. Teview. Review. Review six. Review sux. Review suicide. Review six of the Easter blitz, Youssou N’Dour. While we are progressing at pace through the reviews, it’s worth reflecting on the fact that there is still so much to do. What I don’t need is an enemy, and yet I find myself up against an unlikely advisor. I mean advisory. Advisory. Fuck I give up. It has become obvious that my greatest enemy is not time. No, time I have. I’ll be on annual leave all week with plenty of jobs to do around the house – never more than six feet from a speaker. Time is fine; our challenge is autocorrect. It mangles my flow, demands constant rewrites and inexplicably subsidiaries (I’m leaving it, and it feels like growth) a correctly typed “six” for “six”. (It has just now autocorrected “sux” – galling.) Just as well that the album in mind presents no such challenges. Gossip N’Dour (lol) presides over a group of musicians – the Super Étoile de Dakar – who I wouldn’t be surprised to learn were, when not up and dancing on the spot during the livelier sections, engaged in a leisurely recline. It’s a relatively short album in terms of total duration, but goes long on the grooves throughout – and dear me are those grooves rewarding. “Pitche mi” is a particularly gorgeous example of the mbalax (“ballad” was autocorrects’ attempt here – and fair is fair, it’s not wrong) genre. A beautiful album that beds in and takes its time. Which, thankfully, I have just about enough of to combat whatever iOS autocorrect thinks it’s doing.
Loved it
I hate to use the same one-word-description two times in a row (the previous being Fugees' The Score), but this is simply: Wonderful.
Interesting! The song structures are meandering and surprising, the sound quality is excellent and the entire record has a sound and a vibe that is new to me. I have to admit that the voice somewhat dampens my enthusiasm, but that's because of me.
Excellent
Fun listen! The production was really good and I liked how the energy stayed high throughout.
Great instrumentation. Funky and groovy with very cool lead guitar parts. Obviously I don’t understand the lyrics but that’s ok.
Actually really loved this. Every song was great, really groovy, nothing to criticize.
Day496 - another fun afro-pop artist. this is one i would recommend because i know nobody has heard it
This is what I came here for. Very cool album. I don't know if I'll listen to it again, but I'm glad I did at least once.
God I fucking love the drums. Even if everything else didn’t slap, I would still give this a four based on the drums alone. Didn’t wow me to the point of a five, but it wasn’t too far off. Good work Youssou! 4/5
Seriously so beautiful, little over my head need to research and learn more about this artist
4 - yeah, nice
Very good very nice 3.7/5
Exporter of mbalax, a popular Senegalese music, Youssou N'Dour put together a short, accessible, and luminous record w/ Immigrés. I don't know what he sings about, but his voice is bright and elastic, the music is flavorfully upbeat, tho gets a bit too pensive on 'Pitche Mi,' and the whole thing offers moment and authority. Tho not really comparable, N'Dour's voice reminds me of the vocals on many Raï records, showcasing high and wobbling strength. The best track here is the nearly twelve minute 'Taaw,' which has the most powerful drum work and horn play. The weakest song is 'Pitche Mi,' which is an overall lull on an otherwise buoyant, compelling record: the guitar work is too smooth, lacking intensity and optimistic grit.
Might not understand the lyrics but the instruments were speaking to me in a language I fully understand. Timeless summer day music!
Better than reggae
Now we're getting a bit farther off the beaten path! This was a great listen, and very much welcome to mix up things a bit around here from mostly predictable (but understandable!) selections so far. The artist name didn't ring a bell for me, but after listening, I couldn't shake the fact that his voice sounded incredibly familiar to me. As I moved on to listen to another of his albums, The Lion, I discovered it was co-produced by Peter Gabriel, which lead me to realize I've heard and seen performances of Youssou guesting with Peter Gabriel live. So there you go, I did have some light, peripheral familiarity of Youssou N'Dour after all. Anyways, this was a really fun listen, and while I am very unfamiliar with African music, I do have quite an appreciation for it. In college I took an African drumming class (twice!) which was so much fun and so different from any music classes I had ever taken. I've never really picked up on listening to African music casually, but the influence of that class was significant on my sense of rhythm. Listening here certainly brings back memories of that class, and also provides a subtle reminder for me to do a little more work to branch out into African music! This is a great start and I'm sure I'll explore his discography further before branching out. His voice is incredible and so very unique, and I can almost feel the joy of the players coming through the speakers as I listen. It was a bit more pop-centric than I was expecting, with traditional rock instruments like guitars and a drum set utilized in addition to the percussion, but no mistaking this with any western music, despite the influence. I know the synopsis of this 1001 albums list states it contains mostly music from the anglosphere (see: white as fuck), I sure hope there are more curveballs like this one coming my way! I don't think I'd call this any lower than a 3 star album for me at worst, but I'm fine bumping this up to 4 stars, in part for being unique here so far. Really though, I did seriously enjoy listening to this the first time around!
Great music, bringing back memories from an annual local African music festival we had in our town in the 2000s. Really fresh with a live music vibe. First african album on the list so far, i hope there will be more. 4+
This is an album that you have to listen to when the circumstances are right. It is breezy and light. A bright Summer day either driving around or grilling out in the backyard. Feeling warmth on your face. Today was not that day for me but I couldn't deny the mood I wished I was in. World music gets little love but this album is uplifting. I got me off the couch and temporarily relived my malaise. It made me want to grill some burgers, sip some cold drinks, and vibe with friends. I don't know what the fuck they are saying but the heart behind it is felt.
One of the best world music albums we've had on here so far, and coming on the heals of the last couple of days, I'm feeling in a good place Project wise. I ended up doing a fair bit of reading around this one, which is always a sign that a record has got under your skin.
Interesting. I enjoyed it, could see listening again. I feel that repeated listens are required to really get into and appreciate it more than I already did. This is the type of album I was hoping for.
Lovely sunny vibes to compliment a sunny walk to work. I was a particular fan of the super smooth, feather-light guitar licks and the punchy kick drum sound.
Loved the collection of instruments used
Super chill with a groovy vibe. Youssou bangs for sure.
Scintillating rhythms, haunting vocals and infectious bass. This record is a melting pot of traditional and 20th century Senegalese music, merging armies of fierce, driving percussion, with the bass heavy pop/rock sound sound spreading around the continent at the time. Best Tracks: - Pitche Mi - Badou Worst Tracks: N/A Rating: 8.5/10
Only previously familiar with Youssou N'Dour from his track '7 seconds' with Neneh Cherry. Having previously had Gracelands and Songhoy Blues, this felt delightfully different - African music which didnt sound so much like it was watered down for western audiences. Hugely long songs, but they kept my attention. Beautiful melodies, a charming and unique voice. Probably needs a few more listens to really dig in, but after one day it's a strong 4.
Yeah I’m in!
Lovely vibe
Seems to be a lot going on in that rhythm section, all of it good.
Enjoyed a lot more than I expected. Fun guitar work throughout
Didnt understand it but liked it much
All the african music in this list so far has been stellar. Stand-out: Badou
It’s nice to get an album that solidly grooves, and with an overall bright tone. The more you lock in with this album the better it gets. Rating: 4.0
Immigres is a really fun, somehow beachy, album. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Best Songs: Pitche Mi Worst Songs: Badou
Very cool sound
Immigrés was full of joy and was varied. Sometimes, it was more serene, and sometimes it was overflowing with fun energy. Every song was different and engaging. I was never bored! Perhaps most interesting was the slight reggae sounds that could be found throughout. Though reggae was originally crafted in Jamaica, of course its roots go back to Africa at large. That to me adds more power to the album title, French for "immigrants" (ok I did use Google Translate to help me with my assumed translation). A joyful listen, and one that I'm glad I heard as part of this project. And I learned what a big deal Youssou N'Dour is in Senegal and the whole continent of Africa!
This was so much fun!!! Loved the second track especially :)