Immigrés

I often feel bad reviewing foreign language/foreign culture albums because I so rarely have a frame of reference for what “good” would sound like in these contexts. However, the horns and instruments are excellent here. I don’t love the vocals but I think they at least complement the instrumentals.

This is cool! I’m glad this exists! But I probably won’t have any recollection on the norm, or occasion outside of it, to play this again.

Was a fun listen but not in a rush for a second go.

I've enjoyed a lot of the "world music" genre we've been offered up on this list, and I was hoping Immigres would be one of those newfound gems for me - and it's good! African music seems to follow the pattern of having two measures that form the basis of the song, and these measures repeat themselves for 6-10 minutes. The trick is to introduce new melodies, instruments, shift the dynamics, etc. to give the song some life beyond a repetitive drone. Youssou N'Dour (or whoever his band leader is!) does an excellent job at this - these songs follow the format but they keep things fresh. Even track to track things vary quite a bit in the mood and tempo of the songs. Overall this was a nice album for a Friday afternoon. THREE STARS

Solid unshowy good if not great

Not my thing at all but it was a fun listen. Something different.

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/youssou-ndour-et-le-super-etoile-de-dakar/immigres-2/ As probably a lot of others, I know Youssou N'Dour primarily (only?) because of Seven Seconds, so I had no idea what to expect of this. While it's not something I'd play too often, I did appreciate it for what it does. The guitar playing in Pitche Mi is really great and the jazzy stuff doesn't even bother me too much. Not the biggest fan of the vocal style, however. Also it gets same-y quickly.

I know the name from his work with Peter Gabriel and others in the late 80's and early 90's. 4 songs, 34 minutes. Short album. I am assuming this is included as it brought African music, rhythms and singing to a much wider audience. Influence, that makes sense. The horn jam in "Taaw" was a groove! The 12 minute vocal wore me out though, I was ready for it end. It's enjoyable, I didn't hate it, much better than most stuff I've been served up the last painful 10 days of 1001 listening. 3 stars for being cool, but I likely won't be back to hear it a second time.

Lovely but didn’t capture me that much

I have not heard this one. I know i have heard Youssou N’Dour in some mixes but I don’t think he’s on any of the afrobeat comps i have. One thing that jumps out to me is the production isn’t that overly polished and shiny style that is on so many African records from the mid-80s through now. I really like 3 of the 4 songs here, but song #2 just doesn’t do it for me. That shouldn’t normally be reason to drop the rating a whole point but with only four songs, it is a quarter of the album.

mbalax is a folk dance genre originating from mainly the northwestern corners of africa. this album is said to bring the genre to a more worldwide audience. the album is composed of four long tracks, slightly varying in tone. it's mainly peppy and jaunty, and the percussion is very nonstandard and creative, which i think is a common staple of african dance. i didn't like the slower tracks as much, and while jazzy... feels scattered in a lot of places. it's an interesting listen if you wanna know more about the genre, but it's ultimately unremarkable.

definitely different… i thought it had some cool sounds but idk if id go out of my way to listen

it was nice and different fav song: Pitche Mi

I like the world music and African instrumental but I didn’t love it, couldn’t think of a song

Pleasant but not especially memorable.

Like so many of the (primarily West) African bands and albums in this collection, I don't have enough of a frame of reference to say much about the quality of the music or the lyrics (although I thought "Taaw" was the best track on the album), but I *will* say that I like it that the project editors chose a pre-superstar-status (and pre-Peter Gabriel/Tracy Chapman/Branford Marsalis/Paul Simon/etc) Youssou N'Dour album. If the "1001 Albums" entry is to be believed (and I don't see why not), this album was for Senegalese audiences and not at all aimed at a world music crowd. But also a seemingly random choice given that he's had over four decades of albums to choose from. Somewhat tangentially, I thought it was interesting too that he was Senegal's Minister of Tourism in 2012-2013 after a failed run for president.

I liked this, but I especially loved Pitche Mi. The instrumentation of that song was just beautiful. It was almost hypnotic and was the highlight of the album for me.

This is a genre I wish I liked more. It's upbeat, energetic, soulful. Something still eludes me about it, tho.

3 This is one of those albums that’s a bit hard for me to rate given that it’s not really the kind of thing I would describe as in my musical wheelhouse nor as something I’m likely to revisit again in the future if I’m being entirely honest, but I would still say I was able to develop an appreciation in my brief time with it here. While I certainly don’t know much about Senegalese culture, this is a powerful reminder that music is the universal language that connects us all, regardless of cultural, political, or geographic barriers. I have no idea what my man Youssou is saying on any given track, but the fun, celebratory atmosphere of this album shines clear nonetheless, and despite the long runtime of the tracks, I thought the four bundled here provided for a neat little compact experience. If this were closer to an hour, it likely would have worn thin, but 34 minutes felt like the perfect portion size for this newbie mbalax listener trying to dip his toes in the water. Youssou is a talented and passionate singer, the instrumentation is solid, the songwriting strong… I really have nothing to complain about here, it’s just that, at the same time, saying any of it spoke to me in a strong way would be a lie. Call me what you will, I’m just not someone super into “festive” music, though I’m also going to throw some blame at the 9 to 5 corporate culture in America - it’s a bit hard to put yourself in Youssou’s shoes when you’re listening to this in between Wednesday meetings. Still, the next time I have a party, maybe I will throw one of these songs on just to test the vibe. Or, better yet, maybe I need to give Senegal a visit - it sounds a lot better than America right now. Considering Youssou had a brief political stint as the country’s Minister of Tourism in the 2010s, sounds like homeboy would be a good contact for that.

04/02/2026 I have no issues with it, I just can't really get behind it. Spotify listeners: 1.4 million

Chiming guitars shimmer over the polyrhythms in a pleasingly different paradigm from western rock. The kind of thing you just let wash over you during a morning's work or a summer afternoon.

"There's no series of African recordings ever released that's as consistently excellent or historically important as Earthworks!" Doesn’t make me want to listen to more African music. Fun but not amazing

The fact that this is one of the best things I've heard on this site lately should tell you what kind of luck I'm having with the bot recently. World Music is always interesting to me for a few reasons. The first reason, and I'm sure I've written this verbatim in another review, is that I have no idea what World Music is. Yes, I understand. It's a term for "Anything not made in the USA or UK", essentially, which is honestly kind of hilarious. I've never understood that though, because some of the World Music I've heard so far has just blatantly been Rock, Rap, etc. This is not one of those examples, but surely there's something better we can call it than just "World Music". If this was close enough to anything, I would maybe say Singer Songwriter. Don't know. This was a long tangent. I don't have a lot to say about this album. My favorite song was "Pitche Mi". I found this album surprisingly easy to listen to, and the fact that it's as good as it is in retrospect should make all the albums I've given low 3's, 2's and even a 1 recently feel incredibly bad about being as shit as they are. This was an incredibly African sounding album, and even though I don't speak whatever language this was, I was vibing with it. Loved all the drums and super smooth guitar playing. My least favorite aspect was the singer himself sadly. Wasn't obsessed with that, but I'm going to give it a bit of a pass, because, again, I don't speak the language and it really didn't bother me all that much. I was too busy focusing on the sick ass drum beats, which were honestly the highlight of the album. Despite "Pitche Mi" being my favorite, I thought that all 4 songs on this album were pretty good and easy to distinguish from each other. I really liked this one actually. A 3.4 out of 5.

Actually really liked this! The long songs were intimidating at first, but great music to work to.

not my thing but better than some of the things on this list

An album that sounds good and has a groove and that makes you want to bob your head and tap your feet. This is all we want. “Pitche mi” was particularly enjoyable. A good record.

Good background music. I wonder if I understood the lyrics if it would have made a bigger impact on me.

nice

It was fine.

Non ho sentito ma ho miscliccato

It's ok. I don't love it or hate it.

This sounded more current than it was.

This album was so new and different to me, that it motivated me to find out more about Youssou N'Dour and the music that he makes. The style of music on this album is called Mbalax. And if you are like me and you had never heard of Mbalax before. Imagine the combining of smooth rock guitar like Robert Plant, with horns and the Senegalese drum called the Sabar (which you will have heard before in most African cultural music). This coupled with Youssou's melodic and almost chanting vocals has a relaxing and captivating feel. I enjoyed listening to and my cursory education into, this totally new to me style of music. (2.500)

Solid.

this was a nice change up, i like it musically especially the second track but i almost thought it would have been better as an instrumental album

Worth listening to for sure, for uniqueness alone. Don't hear a lot of music out of Senegal, but this checks a lot of boxes.

Upbeat. Great for listening to when getting ready in the am

chill

A pleasure to listen to but it didn’t quite grab me. I added “Pitche Mi” to my Generator playlist.

A pleasant, mostly unremarkable listen.

interesting!

Was cool to hear this but I don’t think it will be one I come back to

A N´Dour con 7 seconds junto a Neneh Cherry, todo un éxito merecido para ambos. Realmente ya les conocíamos de antes. A Cherry desde su Buffalo Stand y a Youssou desde la gira Amnistía Internacional Human Rights Now! Tour o So de Peter Gabriel aunque su mayor reconocimiento fue con Nothing's In Vain y The Guide (Wommat), pero su carrera viene de hace décadas. Este es su 6º álbum y refleja el sonido y colorido senegalés. Una delicia para los oídos de cualquiera. Es World Music, Earthworks que editó Virgin. Música Mbalax, junto con su banda Le Super Etoile de Dakar, que es una combinación de la música griot tradicional senegalesa y las influencias de los ritmos afrocubanos traídos desde el caribe al África Occidental durante los años 50 y 60. En los 70 esta mezcla se empapó de los ritmos de los bailes senegaleses, se incluyeron guitarras eléctricas y saxofones, solos de tama, aportaciones de la música religiosa sufí, y la influencia del rock y el jazz. Siendo niño, deslumbró a todos cantando en un funeral, a partir de ahí se dedicó a la música, Manu Dibango le abrió las puertas, Peter Gabriel quedó prendido de su voz... Paul Simon descubrió África. Pitche Mi es un temazo. Taaw una fiesta, Badou otra. Un placer como los discos de Baaba Maal, Orchestra Baobab...

Good rhythm, and a nice way to get through morning emails and follow-ups.

Interesting drumming and singing - reminds me a bit of the Ethiopian music back then.

Very interesting album Song I like: Pitche Mi

I like the music. Very different variety from the rest of the albums so far. Like the quick, upbeat feel

Not something I think I would actively seek out, but the percussion was really interesting. Especially on the song Taaw. Glad I listened.

Not bad, but not my cup of tea. Well played though.

Great album if you like world music. It has a powerful message.

Yes, this was pretty good

What could I possibly say here. It is a very ethnic album. I guess it’s good? The best the continent has to offer? Still got some Caribbean vibes from it.

Good beats, vibes and instrumentation. The songs are a Little to long for my likening, tho.

didnt understand anything but the instrumental and production is sooooo nice

Its good. Interesting to have something african here. I listen to so much britanic and generic rock in a roll tha something like this is a releive.

I could get with this genre more if the songs were shorter.

Pretty nice.

This album is better than when I saw Youssou N’Dour open for Peter Gabriel.

Didn’t bowl me over but not at all bad. Just fine.

Not too bad.

I'm a little more familiar with music from Mali and the Ivory Coast, so it was interesting to hear something geographically so close still have something in it that's not quite the same. I liked it, but I might pick something from the other countries if I was feeling for a flavor of West Africa. Here's what I got when I looked up the difference between Senegalese and Malian music: Senegalese and Malian music, while sharing West African roots, differ in their prominent instruments, rhythmic focus, and vocal styles, with Senegal featuring strong Mbalax rhythms, sabar drums, and soulful singers like Youssou N'Dour, while Mali emphasizes the kora (harp-lute), ngoni (lute), balafon (xylophone), and Mande traditions, often with more vocal-centric or intricate kora playing compared to Senegal's complex rhythms, though both have thriving modern hip-hop scenes influenced by global sounds.

Enjoyed it overall

not terrible but not my style

And back to Africa we go! More specifically, we're revisiting the country of Senegal, which also gave us the two Baaba Maal albums of the list that I've listened to already. Fortunately, I can't really say that having Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour on the list is redundant in any major way as the two artists have pretty different styles to their music. Youssou N'Dour is often cited as the most prolific artist in the mbalax scene, so that's neat. Immigrés does kind of lean into some "80s-isms" with its production, but I wouldn't really say that it's bad. With that said, the album was actually fairly enjoyable for me. I think Mr. N'Dour has a solid singing voice. The longer songs make for an interesting change of pace compared to other albums of the time. Based on the vague translations I could find, the writing seems respectable. Immigrés is just kind of a fun album. It's not, like, world-changing or anything, but it's a good time for sure. I don't have much more to say. I enjoyed it. High 3/5.

all his albums are good if somewhat predictable

cool

One of the first albums in this list that I don’t recall hearing before. Really enjoyable Afrobeat stylings from Mr N’Dour

= the Beatles

Play 7 Seconds!

This was certainly a great listening experience; the elements of Senegalese music culture seemed to deliver music that was clearly derived straight from their hearts. His voice is great too.

Relaxed and chill. I like the instruments but not necessarily the voice

good

It's got a cool sound to it (absolutely love that guitar) and some good grooves, but it's just missing something for me, unfortunately?

This made a nice change, because it was just so different from anything else that has come up on this list so far, I've also never given any "world music" like this any serious attention, so it was a new experience for me. Vocals good, drums cool, some fun guitar and bass riffs and general musical playfulness with a nice variety of instruments popping up throughout. Parts feel a little self-indulgent - I don't think "Pitche Mi" needed to be over 9 minutes long, it got a bit boring and repetitive in the middle. Had the same feeling in "Badou" despite it being much shorter. I feel like there's a certain overlap here with jazz, in that it sounds like a jam session with a bunch of talented musicians, just with an African twist in terms of instruments. Slight downside is without being able to understand the lyrics I'm probably missing an important facet of this music. Did I enjoy the listen? Yes. Will I seek out more from N'Dour? Probably not. Straight 3.

Great Afro-fusion album with great solos

Haven't heard of him before but I've just found out he does backing vocals on some of my beloved Peter Gabriel songs. Now this is what this list needs instead of 10 different Elvis Costello albums. Refreshing to hear a style of music I'm not that familiar with 3/5

A fun listening from arguable the king of World Music.

Not sure I needed to listen to this and would’ve enjoyed more in not sub zero temperature on a miserable morning. But snuck a 3

*Glad to have heard this *Had some interesting jazz components

Favourites: 1. Pitched Mi Least Favourite Taaw

Some enjoy music like an art gallery. They want to appreciate discrete works for their expression, power, composition, etc. Others enjoy it like watching clouds in the sky; a flow, constantly shifting and morphing and wonderous. I’m drawn to the former. This, like all of the African music on this list, caters to the latter. It’s good; but it just doesn’t deliver the experience I seek.

Cool - backyard BBQ vibes

Better when he doesn’t sing, but not unenjoyable. And it would feel wrong giving OutKast a higher score than this.

Didn't mind it at all

Ciekawe, jak to muzyka “światowa” inne, ale zbyt krótkie, aby się w to wgryźć. 6.5/10 równane w dół.

Hey Mr. Music Reviewer! Why is this album so influential? Well, young one, the kick drum sounds really good.

I really wasn’t sure about this one. Once it started I really got into it. Definitely see why he’s so big in west Africa. It’s so short too, definitely something I’d listen to again.

Nice to see some appreciation for the African music scene. Pretty catchy

Well, this certainly isn't my standard fare but the whole point of this project is to expand one's horizons, right? This is fun. Parts of it reminded me of the soundtrack to the Sims vacation expansion pack. Good vibes, great percussion, very cool vocals. A fun listen.

First side is lovely, ‘Pitche Mi’ is the highlight for me, but it tails off on the flip side

A really enjoyable listen. N'Dour has an effortlessly bright, sunny voice that soars over all the complex rhythms and melodies. There are many instances where this almost sounds more Middle Eastern than African, though I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand the music theory and history distinguishing the two. I assume they are intertwined due to the Muslim community in Western Africa. I'd listen to this again, as perhaps it is more suited for the summer than winter.

6/10

That is what I'm talking about, 3.5

I liked it. Short. Great "world" sound.

Cool funky but african

This has got percussion up the wazoo!

Mouais+

Immigres certainly did get my butt shaking, even if yet again, I had no idea what he was saying. I also don't know how this differs from the other World music I have listened to. I'm shockingly ignorant. Like most music I am ignorant to, I have no idea when I would listen to this one again. Fun listen. Can't argue against it and it was fun to work while listening to the album. The problem is I don't like doing work and won't listen to this at any other time.

a very charming album, good for the brain

Solid african beat. Did it seem really short? 3/5

I liked this less than I expected

It is quite funny that this album got recommend right after Paul Simon's 'Graceland', an album which borrows a lot of elements from African music. Thankfully, this one is a purely African album, coming from Senegal instead of South Africa. Now, about the album: I've never heard anything like this, so being a totally new sound, I found it to be quite interesting. First track is super good. It is very very charming and high-spirited, so it was super fun to listen to with all the rhythm changes and unusual way of singing. For the rest of the album, I don't think the songs match the same energy as the first one, with the second and third ones feeling a bit too long. Still a very good album with a very unique sound.

I don’t usually mind world music but this didn’t really resonate with me. Still enjoyable in part but not on par with Fela Kuti

Enjoyable listen, but not a standout.

This was fine, but didn't feel like anything special.

tribal. energy. rhythm. chants.

I like it. Repetitive but not boring. I'm not very familiar with the genre. With these exotic artists I always wonder if they really are the best or just the ones with the most friends in US/European music biz.

It's ok. I can appreciate the musicianship, and it's got some energy to it. I don't like his voice though, I find it quite jarring. I'm also just not a fan of this type of music. 2.5 rounded up.

Nice enough on in the background, made me feel a bit warmer! Nothing particularly standout for me

I didn’t feel any particular way about this album.

Eh

Very pleasant on the commute. Simpsons: No

Immigrés feels like a street festival captured on record. The drums are the star of the show, and the bass and kick drum act like the anchor, pulling together all these disparate elements into a single, propulsive groove. Youssou N’Dour’s high-pitched vocals function as an instrument of their own, joining the rhythm rather than simply floating above it. The repetition is hypnotic, especially on the closing track, “Badou,” which felt less like a song and more like a chanting ritual building to a bigger finish. I couldn’t understand a word (except maybe catching “Senegal” in the opening track), but the rhythm was its own language.

3.5. The second and third tracks were my favourites here.

It kinda goes

Enjoyable enough but I'm not finding it that engaging. Could probably chop some cool horn samples from it

Quite good.

Youssou N‘Dour war sicher eine Entdeckung. Aber dieses Album ist von arg viel Fusion mit Mainstream-Musikgeschmack und entsprechenden elektronischen Schwafel-Sounds geprägt. Is no good !

Leider etwas wenig Infos um die Signifikanz des Albums zu verstehen und warum es bei den 1001 dabei ist. Finde es aber nicht unangenehm zu hören. 3 Sterne mit Sternchen

7/10 - some good African music, lovely to have on in the house

Very nice, greatings to Dakar

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 94 World beats are my new jam 🌎🎶 Admittedly I am nowhere near cultured enough to truly appreciate this art form of music, however thanks to David Byrne & Talking Heads I have an accessible reference point! The arrangement style is firmly rooted in the Senegalese genre mbalax, which blends traditional rhythms (notably the sabar drum) with modern instrumentation. The album’s title and many of its themes address migration, diaspora, identity, and belonging—especially aimed at Senegalese living abroad. 🎧 Classic Track: The album flows as one continuous mix of energetic beats 🎧 Personal Favorite: Taaw The percussive elements (sabar, tama, etc.) are lively and central, giving the album a compelling groove. Youssou’s voice is expressive, full of character, and delivers both emotional content and musical power. The album respects its Senegalese roots yet integrates synths, guitars, and horns in ways that make it accessible internationally. For example, the synthesisers (Yamaha DX7) are used but not to dominate the traditional elements. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Happy Youssou ☺️ With only four tracks (~34 minutes) the album doesn’t overstay its welcome, but still makes a strong impact. It’s more than dance music—there are socially reflective songs (e.g., on migration, diaspora, responsibility). I’m not sure how often I would revisit it, however you’re interested in world music, African pop, or want to explore the roots of one of Senegal’s greatest musical voices, it’s both enjoyable on a surface level (the grooves, rhythms, voice) and rewarding on a deeper level (themes of migration, identity, diaspora).

Lovely stuff, great to hear his solo stuff as only previously knew from collaboration with Neneh Cherry.

It's good world music

Immigres/Bitim Rew was fun, Pitche Mi is very chill, with a nice jazzy vibe, and after I was ready to give this album 4 stars. Taaw started to grate a little, and by the time I got to Badou I was kind of over it, so I think smaller doses of this album at a time would have been easier. 3.3/5

Full wall of sound, cool droning, with lilting almost yearning sound queues. Though I didn’t understand the lyrics, I got the meaning through the sound.

Smooth sounds, well produced, pretty easy listen but could’ve done with a bit more edge for me which the artist is perfectly capable of.

This wasn’t bad!

86/1089 this was a really nice, laid back listen and is a good example of why i wanted to do this challenge, i wouldn’t have discovered this on my own. i could definitely see myself incorporating this into a relaxing playlist or for while i’m reading, just good vibes, nice instrumentation and vocals. faves: Pitche Mi, Taaw 62/100

It helped me finish the high halls gauntlet in silksong so it must be quite good

Such a joyous sounding album

Started great but the length of the songs eventually wears down the momentum

I’m enjoying the exposure to “world music” and sounds outside my American tastes. I’ve heard of Youssou N’Dour because of his collab with Peter Gabriel. This is fine, good, not life changing.

Viber til det her, funky bass og rytmer. 3/5

fine

A French album I think that was an alright listen but it felt a bit alien to me with the lyrics. The tunes were nice though

A solid showcase of Youssou N'Dour’s soaring vocals and the rich rhythms of Senegalese mbalax. The percussion is vibrant, and the blend of traditional African sounds with modern instrumentation offers moments of brilliance. However, the album feels uneven at times—some tracks soar, others meander. It's a culturally important work with undeniable energy, even if it doesn’t always hit its mark. A good, if not great, introduction to N'Dour’s immense talent.

Nice and jammy with some abrupt tonal shifts that keep things from meandering too long. Good music to get lost in for half an hour; but not memorable enough to revisit often.

Decent ‘world music’

Good feelings

I enjoyed it, but it seemed like it was over before it truly began.

3/5

Not bad. I prefer the Fela Kuti style of African Music, but this isn't bad at all either.

Enjoyed the music, quite uplifting.

Top quality sound, and - to its detriment or not - didn't notice listening to it three times on the trot. One of these things that is impossible to truly love not knowing more of the context in which it was produced. It just....'was' - a good spirngboard for finding some more things.

Wonderful guitar work and drums on this album While the vocals are also striking, they are sung in his local African language, which is sadly lost on me Another quirk of the collection is there are only four songs - I was certainly hoping for a larger selection to get better aquainted with the artist and the Mbalax style of music

I understand Youssou is known for his voice and his drumming. His voice certainly stands out. The backing music is fun/upbeat, but it's not an album I see myself going back to.

Another album that suffers from the language barrier and lack of any real context from the Wikipedia page. Still, technically impressive and largely pleasant in a background wat.

I really liked 'Pitche Mi' but 'Taaw' was real repetitive. The rest was fine - so ultimately middle of the road for me.

I just can’t get into this world music. Understanding lyrics are important to me, but this was well recorded and beautiful.

Not sure how you could criticize this album. World music with interesting rhythms.

It's world music

The idea of folk music doesn't appeal to me whatsoever. By definition, it's music created by members of a certain culture for the members of the same culture any by people who had limited to no access to outside culture. Most of the time, because the creators had nowhere to draw inspiration from, it turns out to be way too structurally simple and limited in range for my liking. But after listening to some folk and folk-influenced albums from around the world, I guess what I'm gathering is that British people (and white Americans by extension) just have some trash folk music. I mean, this album is not some sort of tribal music. It’s modern music recorded with modern instruments and with modern influences. But something like folk rock isn’t that either, and the problems I have with it are largely the same as with its acoustic counterparts. This album is chill but, at the same time, so energetic and catchy. This is not my kind of music as I prefer something more grandiose, but I still had fun. It’s layered and structurally pretty complex, which I massively prefer over the simple, down-to-earth approach of something like American folk. 7/10

Decent enough. Like I'm not a huge world music guy, and this album wasn't strong enough to turn me into one. But I can totally see how people dig it. Good vibes music, just kinda carries throughout in the background. If someone was playing this as a soundtrack to a chill, evening backyard summer party, I wouldn't complain. I just wouldn't put it on myself.

Interesting music. Sounds like nothing I have ever heard before. Some sunny vibes from a small village where all the people are meeting and playing their instruments.There is a sense of community and culture in the music. It's cool but not something I would revisit

I love African music, this is some of the best. Youssou has such a cool voice. Very accessible. Killer rhythms, sweet guitar, this checks all the boxes. Soulful.

Interesante fusión entre música étnica y...y...y...

This was a pretty nice listen. I found it peaceful and full sounding. It's interesting and I see why to have it on the list. Can't imagine I'll remember it and put it on, but if someone did I think I'd smile.

The instrumentation and production are solid. Fun music but I don't see myself revisiting.

Bardzo charakterystyczny ale nie w moim stylu

Great percussion music

3/5

I loved the first song! This was great. I love when something totally foreign to me pops up. (ntm.)

Ehhh a ver nunca había escuchado este tipo d música creo así q no se muy bien q opinar. Tuvo su gracia, pero tampoco se con q compararlo así q le pongo una valoración neutral ig. Me gusta q aparezcan albums como este pq es algo q nunca se me habría ocurrido escuchar.

n'doubt

Long, repeating and interesting songs. A good intro for me to the artists music but it didn't draw me in immensely.

Such a great singer. Great musicians. Not really my thing but hard to argue it’s quality

World music

African funk-pop

More of a vibe than expected

This was something new. Glad to listen to it, not for me.

Repetitive musical thought with world groove rhythmic variations throughout. Felt like the songs could never end in a good way! Language: French and Wolof Origin of Comp: Senegal

3/5

Enjoyable.

Good jams!

Fun album, nothing too remarkable.

Definitely worth the listen. Favorite track: Pitche Mi

This was okay, probably won’t listen to it again but it was interesting

Warm beats, cool brass. Good listen. My 2nd or 3rd album from an African artist I never would have heard otherwise. Well orchestrated and produced.

Random thoughts: * I listened to this album twice. * I dug it! * I also couldn’t tell you a single name or difference in any track. * it’s kind of its own vibe.

Some very strong songs but others overstayed their welcome a bit

Great beats and horns! His voice started to get on my nerves a bit but overall this was a fun listen in the car.

Very different than what I’ve listened to lately. Found it super enjoyable though! Got me thinking of textures and various percussion that I want to hear moving forward. Would listen again.

Very groovy

It was nice to listen to but felt like it blended into the background for me at least

Quite enjoyable! I like the difference in vibes between the songs.

Quite an interesting album, but not one for me.

this was nice, easy listening. not sure I'd listen to again. 3/5

3,5/5

Good but really not for me

Interesting just wasn’t in the mood for it

I'm very glad that I listened to this, but I will never choose to put this on. I caught a lot of stuff that had a lot of potential for samples. It was great to hear a different perspective blending all sorts of musical culture. It's difficult to articulate.

It's a vibe, seems to get a bit repetitive but that's bound to happen with songs that are so long.

Fun

Really liked the second song, but overall just ok

Nice grooves nice melodies. Pleasant listen.

Feels familiar but not sure if I’ve heard before.

It is interesting and I'm glad I listened, but I don't see myself regularly returning to this.

a good part of what put [N'Dour] on the international map

Had no idea what to expect here but pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Neat not totally my thing

Part of the reason for doing this was to open up new musical horizons, and hear stuff I never usually would - this album perfectly fits into that bracket. Really great songwriting and performances. Long songs, but they rarely feel that they’re overstaying their welcome and they nicely suit both active and passive listening. Some beautiful guitar work throughout, and the vocal performance is mostly great as well, if a little wild and off kilter at times. Really enjoyable and glad I was able to listen to this, as it’s by no means the kind of work I’d stumble across organically. Immigrés/Bitim Rew (7/10) Pitche Mi (8/10) Taaw (6/10) Badou (7/10) 7/10

I think I would enjoy hearing this out and about but dont think id ever put it on myself.

Fine

374/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

7/10

Interesting, different, decent. Won't listen to it too much in the future but would be fine at an outdoor cookout or barbecue as some background mood music.

Fine

Good

nice sound, vibey

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice stuff

It was alright, no tracks stood out to me that I would want to put in a playlist

Reminds me of being at folk fest Fun listen but got repetitive

Good world music but not something I would think to sit down to listen to. Feels like it should be playing in the background.

"Immigrés" is a delightful album that brightens up your day! I’m not the biggest fan of the vocals, but they’re acceptable and fit the vibrant music. This is exactly the kind of surprise I was hoping for when diving into this list of albums.

Very groovy album. Lifted my mood, transported my somewhere brighter. Great guitar parts. Not totally accessible because of my own ignorance but a very cool listen.

Music is good. Not a fan of the vocals.

Beautiful guitars and percussion.

decent background music

3/5

Good but songs are long and lack excitement But the music was interesting to be fair

5/10…Weltmusik / Afrika

This guy was kind of fun. For like two minutes. It got real boring after that.

Always a little tough to rate albums where I don't know the language. But I enjoyed this one, and it was interesting to hear after years of hearing Springsteen mention Youssou N'Dour on the Chimes of Freedom album and having no idea who he was talking about. 3.5 stars

Lyssnat en del och pendlat.mellan, "fan vad najs" och "jaja". Det är najs musik, men jag tappar lätt fokus. Det blir mer en bakgrundsmusik så därför blir det en trea istället.

Även om jag förmodligen inte kommer lyssna på detta så många fler gånger så var det kul, svängig och intressant lyssning som jag verkligen uppskattade. Svårt att inte dras med i exempelvis Taaw. Stark trea

Well this was a jaunty little ride! I hadn’t heard of Youssou N’Dour before today, so I can’t help now name a grand total of one Senegalese musician (music from Africa is a bit of a blind spot for me). I did enjoy this, as it was a nice, feel good ride. I can’t say that I have any idea what the songs were about, but the overall vibe of it all was pleasant enough.

surprisingly good wasnt expecting that

Not the usual type of music I would listen to, but a good album. Not sure I would go back to it though

Some of the time signatures were interesting, but the album didn’t really land with me. Rounding up since evidently it is considered best in class from a world perspective. 2.5/5

It was cool to see this pop up as I knew some of his work through his collaborations with Peter Gabriel on “In Your Eyes” and “Shaking The Tree” from the late 80s. I appreciated the style and overall spirit, but after the first track it kinda leveled off for me. Still an enjoyable listen.

Nice grooves and all very unique and interesting. I’m prob not cool enough to fully appreciate this and can’t think of many situations in which I’d turn this on unless I was trying to impress people with how cultured I am. 2.5

This was cool and I am rating in line with the Baaba Maal album we had last week. I had very high hopes after track one but kinda fell off from there. 2.75/5

My first afro-pop album! This album radiates with joy and positivity. The perfect music for a hot sunny day. I enjoyed this, though because I'm new to the genre I feel as thought I can't appreciate it the way a more experienced asfro-pop listener might? The songs all kind of melted into each other, there weren't any stand out tracks. I liked that it was short and sweet though. Made it's point and then left. I think I'd need to listen to more afro-pop to form a more solid opinion on this. My main takeaway is that it's OK to listen to, clearly the artist is very talented as a musician and singer, but I feel as though I'm not getting as much out of it as I should be.

pretty cool

absolutely love the music, but i find his voice so hard to enjoy. best track - Taaw 3 ( 4.5 for the instrumentals)

An album by the reknown Senegalese singer and percussionist Youssou N'Dour - for fans of world music.

5/10

A new experience. I liked it.

Jájá, hresst og nokkuð skemmtilegt barasta.

Let the sunshine in! Good vibes! Much better than expected!

“Pitche Mi” has some fantastic guitar work, but “Badou” is a bit too jazzy for me.

Tough one. It’s not for me, but apparently it’s a classic of the genre. I’ll give it 3 stars because I can definitely appreciate the skill and musicality. It’s not bad as background music, but I wouldn’t exactly seek it out.

I’m starting to notice a pattern with these world albums. They usually come packaged with about a few songs that are stretched to long enough lengths that inflate the runtime to normal album size. Then I would listen to it and attempt my best to be objective; just because you can’t understand a word doesn’t mean it’s bad. But then, my attention would drift and when it comes back, the same song would be playing. The process would repeat until the album ends, I would say something like “That was neat” and move to the next album. That might sound maybe a bit cynical, but it’s happens mostly every time and it happened here too. Now, this isn’t a bad album by any means. For 1984 and being from Senegal, the production’s pretty good. Musically, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s got good rhythm all around. It’s just not stuff that I would retain. As mentioned, I would listen to a track, kind of phase out, and the same song would be playing when I put my attention back in. Also, I find Youssou’s voice a little annoying. It gets a little high pitch in parts and for songs lasting more than 5 minutes, it’s a bit of an endurance test. Overall, this was fine. Nothing life changing. Just a nice curiousity. Favorite track: Pitche Mi Normally, I’d list the other songs I liked, but they are kind of the same quality, so it would be redundant.

Many happy songs

This is an interesting album, it was fairly short and only had four long songs, but it was a nice jam having in the background. Overall, nothing too exciting, but just some soul kind of, jazzy sometimes even, music.

Remember that scene in the US version of the show The Office where Michel Scott comes back from an all inclusive Jamaica trip with a braid and beads in his hair? He feels worldly and changed by his travel experience to Sandals. I feel like if I were to play this album at a party It would be a similar cringefest. This feels like it's not for me, which is a total shame because this is really good.

Immigrés/Bitim Rew

I liked this! It was nice and upbeat in the background while I was working.

Cool vibes and not something I’d ever listen to normally

Mid

Interesting sounds, reminded me of something I had on cd as a kid, but more background music since I can't understand

Neat sound.

Catchy

-yaaay always nice listening to something from Africa… West Africa especially tbh -I had never heard of mbalax music until now… I should listen to more because I do fw traditional genre fusion and stuff. I really loved the elegant vocals and instrumentals on here even if they were a bit inoffensive. definite 3.5 -Favorites are Pitche Mi and Taaw

Not my thing

Better than expected

This was interesting. Unlikely to ever listen again. Pitche me was the best of the 4 tracks for me

This was good! Immediately clocked him as the dude from In Your Eyes. Spotify radio-played a song called Doley by Xalam after this album was over that was better than all of the songs on this one.

This was fine, the instrumentals were beautiful but I can't imagine I'd ever listen to it again.

This didn't really do it for me today but it might have been an off day or something... just not in the mood? It seemed well recorded and a lot of cool sounds/instrumentation happening. Giving it an optimistic 3.

I had never heard of Mbalax music before, but I really enjoyed this. It’s a nice mix of world, afropop/beat, and even some funk. Not to mention N’dour has an amazing voice.

Vibey 80s afro-pop. What's not to like.

No idea what was said, but decent overall. A lot of it sounded the same though. 3/5

Some records make you want to move and vibe. This one does, but in a way that sneaks up on you. It starts gentle, then before you know it, your shoulders are in on it too. It’s clean, but not sterile. Polished, but not plastic. Lush, vibrant, and impossible to sit still to. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Immigrés/Bitim Rew - Pitche Mi

This is one of those albums where I don't feel like I am qualified to review or critique it because I have next to zero knowledge of African music. Furthermore, this may be the first time (as far as I know) that I've heard specifically Senegalese music before! It was a lovely work, and I was really quite pleased to get to hear something that was so new to my ears.

Incredible voice

Interesting, different!

3.5

3.5

loved the first track, the rest was only ok

This album makes me feel like I'm in a Pier 1 Imports in 1988. That's not a bad thing, but it is a thing. It reminds me of the world music craze of the late 80s early 90s, which I always appreciated, but never felt eager to delve further then what you could easily find on the surface. I do like it, and I can actually kind of kick back and chill with it, but it is not something I would deliberately seek out to listen. It's fine and it's enjoyable. (7.3) ★★★½

I like North African music, but this is a bit repetitive. 3.5 stars

I like it, but it gets a bit jammy after a while, especially "Taaw". Some really nice melodies and playing on it though. 3.5

3.5

There was the occasional okay infectious groove on this but it is all a bit Sounds Of The Universe or Oxfam Street Fest and I wanted to go back to Mylo fairly quickly. Not enough Destroying Rock And Roll or Dropping The Pressure here. Plus each of the four tracks go on for too long and I don’t really like the guy’s wailing or his silly hat.

its just not the type of music i listen to, great percussion work tho!

Nice vibes and grooves, but nothing I'd ever revisit

Fairly good

How many songs does this album have? YouTube only has four songs available? Spotify will play them out of order. He does have a great voice I would listen to more of this. Unfortunately, I was unable to listen to the entire album.

Fun and upbeat, great to have on in the background while doing chores cuz it makes you feel like you have energy to move and bop.

Much better than expected.

not bad but not for me

На удивление интересная музыка, хотя вокал не нравится

I don't know enough about African music to rate it properly, but it was interesting to listen to. Varied and complicated instrumentation.

Musically strong, vocally variable.

No clue what these songs could be about but they were pleasant enough!

Like it

Youssou N'Dour - Immigres. I was excited to listen to this. I like it's melancholy groove but it's just a 3 to me. I liked it but didn't save anything for another playlist. I starred the album though to listen again when I'm more in the mood.

I don't speak Wolof and I know next to nothing about Senegalese culture or music, so I'm evaluating this with pretty much zero context. But taking it at face value, I can say I enjoyed listening to it, precisely because it is different from the usual music I'm exposed to. There's a whole world of music out there, all with their own traditions and innovations, and it's fun to travel the globe through my headphones. On this album, the rhythms are captivating and energetic, and the vocals remind me a little bit of that melismatic vocal style of Middle Eastern/North African music, expressive even though I don't understand the language.

Interesting all around. Some really odd time signature/cross rhythm type stuff going on that makes the album sound primitive and tribal. I like the vocals.also. I was intrigued with what sounds like a drum set bass drum sound on Badou. The bass drum sounds like it is off for the entire song, but I'm pretty sure that is the way the drummer meant it to sound, because it is so consistent.

A big step away from the the rock based music which I generally listen to. I enjoy that this process pushes me into territory I would never end up in on my own. Sitting down to this and properly listening was a great experience.

Musica senegales. Legal

I like a little international sound on occasion and this guy has a good voice. Afro Jazz, but, you know, still jazz. Tolerable, but not something I'd cue up.

This is not music I would normally go for but when I do I am always drawn into it. Like a lot of people of my musical background I become aware of Youssou as a result of Peter Gabriel. If PG says a musician and the music they play are worthwhile than that is enough for me to take note. This was a joyful listen from beginning to end. Whilst one listen was enough it left a feeling that I should really develop my knowledge of African based music. Even if I don’t, this album reinforced a yearning to periodically return to it and other similar ones. 3/5 28/12/24

I think that +1 because I was definitely untrusted and this is something I would never pick for myself. I could totally see myself listening to this while working or something to pass time but not distract.

Fun, upbeat, different to what I would usually listen to. Honestly enjoyed listening to this album. 3⭐️

Interesting enough but not a standout.

A giant in his field