Immigrés

Don't understand it. But like the vibes

Enjoyable

Not bad, could be setbreak music

Sure

Not my preference

I appreciate the variety that this album brings to the list. I don't see this going into my playlist rotation, but a fine entry none the less

That was entirely forgetful and pretty disappointing. The songs were ok. 2/5.

The album was a pleasure to listen to. Did not understand a word, but the vocals blended so well with the music. The percussion and horns were great.

Pleasant and nice sound

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.

Pretty solid.

Sounded good.

The ultimate 3/5

This was pretty enjoyable overall. I like world music and African music. Some sections felt a little too repetitive but overall an easy listen with some found sounds. I enjoyed the drums a lot and the vocals. I probably wouldn't revisit this album but I liked hearing it.

Good time! Admittedly, I'm not super familiar with African music. And I also don't speak French, but I had a great time with this one. I'm glad I listened to it!

Cool stuff. I can see why it's popular in places.

Not that terrible indeed

Pleasant enough. Was in the background while working, so maybe needed more focus but didn't really hook me in.

I loved this album from the first early rhythms. The horn stabs punctuate the beats. If this don't get you dancing then you have no soul. Short and sweet as well.

Very Senegalese. Nice rhythms.

Mmm…nice background music

Very enjoyable indeed

I can see the appeal and it is well-crafted. It just isn't my genre.

Not for me

A pretty nice album! Good mix of African sounds with some jazz influence, or the other way around. By the look of the cover I thought it's more tribal music, but this was actually very nice listening session. Not something I'll remember forever, but still a nice one hour.

I actually liked this more than I thought I would.

Unique sound. Nice mixture of drum beats, horns, and singing. A bit like easy-listening jazz.

Really great stuff and brand new to me! Only the limited # of tracks due to length and inherent repetitiveness keep this from earning 5 stars.

Despite not being able to understand the lyrics, I really enjoyed the rhythm. Really nice mix and I loved whenever the horns came in. A small nitpick, but I wish they didn't fade out during the resolution of Taaw.

Bon 3+

Liked this! Rich and mood boosting

Interesting and cool, put me in a good mood

An alright listen, although didn’t really catch me

Awesome. Something different, I like it.

Liked this a lot. Light, playful, the kind of discovery I come to this project for. 3.5/5

Interesting but forgettable.

Well, that was... Something. I'm not sure what it was but it was definitely something. I'm honestly unsure how to rate this. I didn't, on any level, enjoy listening to this. But I also didn't hate it on any level. I think, at the end of the day, the synths were just too much for me, dropping the rating from a "I don't know" 3-star to a "no thank you" 2-star rating.

Un buon album di World Music. E poi con Youssou N'Dour pensi sempre a "Seven Seconds".

Interesting and enjoyable

It's a little too jazzy for me.

Nice

I guess it's ok. But I could have lived without knowing this album ever existed.

Fun album. Not my cup of tea genre wise, but it did give me some pep in my step.

Þetta var hressandi. Sérstaklega komst ég í góðan fíling í fyrsta laginu. Undir lokin var þetta orðið smá enduurtekningargjarnt en aldrei leiðinlegt. Ég gæti alveg sett þetta aftur á fóninn ef ég man eftir því eða ég kemst í stuð fyrir eitthvað óhefðbundið sem er samt ekki leiðinlegt.

I liked this album more than I thought I would. Good beats, good sound!

Irgendwie immer das gleiche...

Fun beats, great atmosphere music.

A lovely pick me up album that is irresistible and making you want to move. Lovely harmonies, lovely melodies and Youssou's wonderful singing is is a delight to hear.

Musically I thought it was fine but N’Dours vocals were grating and I didn’t care for it. It’s a 3 if it’s an instrumental but the vocals drag this to a 2

Enjoyed it a lot!

I enjoyed almost all of it

Every song was definitely too long. I enjoyed it, but it felt repetitive. It was a nice change compared to the rest of the albums though.

was not in the mood for this today

I really enjoyed this and it was fun to have something very out of the norm from the albums I've pulled so far.

Good rhythm

Not a bad album from someone I've never heard of. 3/5

Found myself grooving along to this one.

With all respect, I didn't enjoy this 4 long songs album.

Pretty good, interesting to hear once but wouldn't listen again.

Funky upbeat African vibes. Liked it.

I didn't hate this album but it really tried my patience. The songs were so long! Before I made it to about the half-way point of each song I was growing bored and I got everything I was going to get out of the song.

Really good music. This is the type of s*** that I want when I started listening to a list of albums like this.

Bisher mir vollkommen unbekannte Musikrichtung Mblax, der ich nichts abgewinnen kann.

I don’t have much of a framework with which to assess this album, but I did enjoy it. The singing was great especially when the harmonies came in. The guitar work and brass work were great as well. The use of African rhythms and melodies within a pop framework worked well and I’d be interesting in learning more about this music.

Les premières pièces m'ont vraiment accroché, j'ai trouvé le style tellement bien fait et rafraichissant. Par contre vers la fin de l'album je trouvais que ça commençait à s'essoufler un peu. Certainement un album à réécouter par contre. 7/10

Not sure what to make of it. Not bad but seemed to blend together for me, very much all sounding the same.

Greatest musician in Senegal’s history. Super soulful. Looks like this album put him on the map. Not something I crave to listen to. Truly African.

No expectations for this, but very enjoyable.

Where did this musical variety come from? I like Afro-Cuban jazz, so this provides some sense of the Afro side. I like all the percussion - Djembe, right? It was interesting.

Not terrible. Not great.

Interestinf

Cool rhythms, overall enjoyable

Thank goodness for some variety on this list. It's been a lot of English and American stuff. N'Dour has a great voice, flexible and strong. I like the instrumentation a lot; I especially love the bass, particularly its tone on the opening track. Not sure about the synthesizers. They muddy the sound a bit. Maybe I'll revisit this album, maybe not, but I am interested in more of Youssou N'Dour's work now. So thanks for taking a break to present me with some good African music, list. I hope it wasn't too hard to include among all the Britpop and New Wave and post punk. Highlights: Pitche Mi, Taaw

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!

I have definitely heard of this artist. Just as I have "heard" of a lot of these artists, which is probably why these are on this list. Interested to listen to this style of music. Won't be for a long time. Definitely respect this type of music but won't make it past track 2.

Very fun and interesting to hear. Enjoyable listen.

Never heard this type of music before. Definitely a new experience.

Gentle instrumentation and smooth vocals with exotic spice

Kids enjoyed it

This took me far away, to another time, someplace else.

If you can't find the groove the problem is you

3 the songs were enjoyable but they were way too long without much if any changes

La musique du monde, ça m'excite pas vraiment. C'était intéressant mais je n'écouterais pas cet album une autre fois.

Interesting, charming, and I feel like a better person for having listened to this.

Infectious!

Very nice drums and vocal on this album. I can't really use anything else but I enjoyed it even if I don't often listen to world music.

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.

Pleasant. Uplifting. Short.

Senegalese singer and percussionist Youssou N'Dour. World Music from 1984 3/5

I think I have to be in the right mood for this, and I wasn’t. But I can appreciate the album as good music.

I was unfamiliar with this, but it’s a fantastic listen. Beautiful music - I personally did not find the synths intrusive or annoying. This is going onto regular rotation. The guitar work is fantastic. The singing is otherworldly.

Im a fan of juju music and I am surprised that King Sunny Ade didn't make this list. However, this album certainly rivals his best work. Great record. Amazing voice and great instrumentation.

I’ve never listened to music from Senegal before. This was fun background music while I cooked. I enjoyed it. 4

I only knew that song from the 90s he did with Neneh Cherry. This was funkier and more droney than I expected. Fun, but slight.

Brilliant, of course. 5 stars.

Fue divertido.

Awesome sound. I loved it; my cats loved it.

Cool stuff on this record. All I really have to say on it.

Hmm

Great voice, so-so songs. Not keen on all the synths.

Bright, enjoyable even though I don’t know the language.

Intresting first foreign language album, was like african reaggae jazz

Excellent Youssou N'Dour album from the 80s. I did not know it but as expected liked it a lot, close to 5-star.

Very nice album, only four songs, each with their own atmosphere, all delivered with a unique voice.

Fun. Quite different than music I normally listen to.

This was good, easy to listen to.

It's lovely to have a change of pace and move away from the western centric anglophone stuff that dominates this list. I only know him from a duet with Neneh cherry in the 90's and it's the interesting to dive deeper. The north African rhythms and instrumentation are lovely, obviously I've no idea what he was singing about but it ticked by quite nicely.

Not a fave. Couple good songs 4/10

Cmon now. Really.

I know Youssou N'Dour from other songs. This is a African style and sounds like world music. I don't like it very much.

I like it. But I need to be in the mood for it.

In a twist, 1001 Albums has included a Senegalese-native genre called Mbalax. Here, Youssou N'Dour blends the percussive elements of traditional Wolof Music with pop sensibilities. The result is a groovy, infectious handful of jams that simply do not compare. Having the traditional styling of Wolof Music lends a sound that is not often heard outside of it's respective culture, so the end result as a Canadian listener is a fresh and exciting sound.

Good to have listened

meh

Sounds good but not my jam. I’d listen to it while cooking

Yeah I enjoyed it I don’t have a lot of thoughtful commentary to add. Just really like the sounds, like how it ends

Très bon, je l'ai aimé beaucoup. C'est en français, mais certainement africain. Je crois qu'il est exceptionnel, et j'espère qu'on lui entendra encore

This album didn't really make much of an impression on me. In general, I've been a big fan of the African music that I've gotten on this list, but perhaps I just lack the context for this album in a way that I didn't with bands like Fela Kuti or Songhoy Blues. This album is fine, it sounds good, but it leaves me feeling a bit bored 3/5

yeah this was pretty cool! i always appreciate listening to music that is outside of my norm, that challenges my conventional, or in this case, american music sense. this album is pretty listenable for the north american ear. the rhythms are great and the music is really interesting. youssou n'dour's voice is compelling and i felt actually pretty uplifted by listening to this. fun stuff!

241223 16:06 3.5

Sounds nice enough but not worthy of a place on this list.

As Tim said, it's musically quite fun and good background music, but you lose a lot by not being able to understand the lyrics. I think it's not in French that much, and mostly in Wolof, which is totally incomprehensible to me. Still amuses me that 20 years of all time classics equals four songs. 2/5

Instrumental is nice but the vocals are not my type.

Pitche Mi is an amazing tune with jazz/african music blend, really enjoyed. The other tracks slightly less impressive

Short but decent album. Nothing stood out much, but it made for an enjoyable listen.

Pretty good. Reminded me of Mdou Moctar. I maybe wouldn't revisit this though. Songs are too long. 3/5

Groovy yet sophisticated. Consistent yet varied. Quite good! B

I don't know much about African music, so I've never heard of this album or artist before (I just learned that he did the percussion on Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," so shame on me, because I love that album). I had pretty high hopes for this album based on what I'd read, but this fell pretty flat for me. The percussion was really good, but that was the only interesting thing about this album. The songs were all pretty long, and none of them really went anywhere. This album wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good. I get that Youssou is pretty influential, especially in Senegal, but I'm still not sure why this album is on the list.

fun

The album was ok to have in the background. However, in contrast with other African albums we have listened to here, I could not appreciate the sound performed on this one. It may be due to not being used to it, something that does not prevent me from saying it is good music.

No és el meu estil, em donava més mal de cap que una altra cosa. La 3a cançó encara em va agradar prou

Almost halfway through the list, and the "Other" origin is consistently rated higher than "UK" and "US". A bit surprising to me, but especially the picks from Africa have been excellent, and Immigrés from legend Youssou N'Dour is no exception. A perfect blend of percussion, bass and synth.

The African entries on this list are mostly top class. This album by the former Senegalese minister of tourism is no exception.

Pleasant

Groovy

A nice departure from the norm on this list. An alluring sound, instantly appealing from the first rhythms.

Love all the percussion dancing around in my headphones.

Sounds like he is THE singer in Senegal and put Senegalese music on the map. Not my thing but sounds good. I find this funny, from Wikipedia: "Though the album has been criticized for its use of synthesizers, it has been praised as a showcase for N'Dour's voice"... like why can't there be a synthesizer on the album? I didn't know African music wasn't allowed to use non-traditional instruments. Why gatekeep? Cause of the pad on Pitche Mi? Guess no vibes allowed (granted this is just an All Music reviewer).

Didn't love the African style but not awful. 1.8/5

He's interesting. Good beats. Nice melodies.

Pitche Mi is exceptional. I love the jazzy world music with layers that really show interesting work across multiple instruments. The other tracks carry the same vibe and are enjoyable, but i can listen to Pitche Mi on repeat.

Overwhelmed with work today, and too exhausted to give *Immigrés* a proper listen. Browsing through those tracks that have quite a long time stamp, it feels like the album is somewhat different from the more "commercial" and "streamlined" output Youssou N'Dour had during the nineties. And it seems it has a more "authentic" feel, reminding me of Fela Kuti. I'm lacking refererence points to address this music correctly, so I won't say much more right now. But I have nothing but benevolent thoughts when it comes to what I've browsed through. *Immigrés* does "feel" like a nice entry point into a larger universe. Adding it to my "waiting list". Number of albums left to review: 361 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 288 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 153 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 205

Pretty good

didn’t listen to much of it but not cuz i’m racist, it’s okay

This was great! Rosie really loved grooving to the first track in particular, and it set us up for a whole afternoon of fun listening.

I can understand where this comes from musically, but I can't enjoy it. I would rather listen to this some of the others I have had so far, so I will rate it a 2. 1.5 if possible.

Although I liked the music itself, I can't resemble the spark. Maybe just there isn't any. 2.5/5.

Ändå mysig

Looks like this is, more or less, the only type of non Western music allowed here. As far as I am concerned, I am happy to sample this genre from time to time, but I can't say I love it. I also fail to detect the special spice here, but then again, what do I know.

I liked this, very positive energy, though of course the lyrics were opaque to me.

Was nice.

Of course already familiar with this singer, 7 Seconds being such a big hit and all, it was nice to hear some of his early work. And especially nice to hear this type of traditional music with a heavy 80s synth vibe to it. Very enjoyable!

I first tried to listen to this on headphones at work, but kept getting interrupted, then ear buds walking to work, it got a bit more interesting. Finally I played this fairly loud on my home stereo and wow this album fully open up. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to. I've since listen to a few tracks again and really like it.

I love the guitar, horns, and rhythms. But it’s an album I enjoyed but don’t see putting on again.

I didn't turn it off but it wasn't my thing.

Not for me. Didn't connect with it. Didn't really need to turn it off, either.

Beautiful music

Odotin ekan biisin perusteella enemmän, enemmän myös jännempiä perkussioita. Mutta oli ne kivoja, sekä biisit että perkussiot. Jäi aika kivan tasolle, hymyn kyllä toi.

Massana etenevää laulelua ja soittelua, johon on (melkein aina) strategisesti isketty juuri sopivasti pieniä jippoja ja toistoja, jotta kuulija pysyisi kiitollisena siitä, että kuunteli kaiken loppuun saakka. Seuraavan kerran haluaisin jo liikkua tahtiin.

Surprisingly interesting. I don't usually listen to international folk music but this album has inspired me to seek some more out.

I swear this album has been sampled non stop since release. I know I have never heard this before and the whole thing sounded warm, familiar. I liked this.

Some genuinely exciting music and grooves - I really liked the grooves of the tracks (especially "Pitche Mi"). The instrumentation is great, and Youssou N'Dour has an emotive yearning in his vocal tone.

i would probably be more into this if i listened to it more closely but who’s got the time?

Ok

I have looked forward to spending some time with Youssou N'Dour in this project and was glad he was included. It didn't disappoint, taking me to a party in Dakar, where so many influences have come together to make something unique.

This was great! I loved every moment.

Very nice!

A very nice change of pace that I quite enjoyed!

Talvez seja bom para alguém... Para mim foi terrível

It's fun island music.

Well known from 7 Seconds, but didn't know much of his work outside of that. It's short and beautiful, fantastic vibes that transport you to somewhere hot and dusty.

Nice enough vibe but I don’t really enjoy his tone.

Only 4 tracks and I have 0 clue what to expect from this. Not my kind of thing at all even tho it’s so short, I can appreciate it’s good cultural music but nah not for me at all sorry.

Great rhythms and joyful melodies.

African easy listening!

Cool afro music but very short.

Really great

mmm I have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy this

Passionate and a little groovy.

Beautiful album from the former minister of tourism for Senegal

Really enjoyed the vibe of this album, it blends traditional African rhythms with modern synthesizers and electric guitars, creating a vibrant and energetic sound that showcases N’Dour’s powerful voice. It is clearly an album of artistic merit and cultural significance, hence more than deserves its place on the list. But this isn’t an album that I’m going to listen to frequently due to my own personal taste, so I give this album 3 out of 5.

Unique sound not at all unpleasant.

Good change from the usual. The first track is tops.

I'm sure this would be more interesting with some context but as far as enjoyable music, I don't think id ever care to hear this again

Yeah, better than most of the international offerings on this list but that doesn’t mean I’m going to listen to it again. Maybe the shortest album on the list - that’ll get it a bonus star.

Interesting african/world music entry. I liked the drums, and horns. Not quite reggae but I could definitely hear this music having an influence on reggae. Not something I would typically listen too, but it's not bad

3.4 - Having seen N'Dour in concert and having experienced the piercing grip of that voice, and the energy of his backing band, I had high hopes for this. The first track starts strong with a grooving dance beat. But the second track puts a wet blanket on the vibe, and with only four tracks, the record doesn't really recover. Disappointing.

Meh

No thanks

Unfamiliar territory for me, so it’s not something I can critique in any way other than to say that I found it very enjoyable and easy to listen to on a visceral level. Will definitely be revisiting

Great listen for something I had never heard of before.

This is pretty good music that has a good rhythm and instrumentation. It is easy to put on in the background and chill to it. It's pretty upbeat and faster tempo too; which is nice. Don't understand a word being said, but it still is pretty good. Wish the tracks weren't so long though. The track length is one of the only things dragging this thing down from being a 4/5. If they were shorter songs that meandered less this would be a lot better. A strong 3/5

Pleasant enough for a Sunday afternoon

Not my jam

Honestly a pleasant listen. Had it on while working and it was never distracting. Kinda kept me in a zone. Probably won’t listen again, though.

Joyful music, full of emotion! The whole band is excellent. The bass playing stood out to me — there are some cool bass lines that add complexity to the music. And the guitar is gorgeous. Definitely going to put this one in rotation for a while.

Nice chill, laid back sound. I didn't resonate too much with the album but I appreciated it while listening. I actually think the more instrumental-heavy parts were better than the vocal sections. I did like the scatting on "Taaw" however. Track 2, "Pitche Mi" was my favorite. 3/5. Sounded good. Not sure if it's an album that you need to hear before you die.

That was an incredibly pleasant album. The combination of Senegalese drums with the jazzy rock influences makes this a great listen. And happy.

Background music, but at least I can pretend to be very intelligent while listening to it. Never heard of this guy, but he's apparently won every single award ever conceived and is considered one of the most famous African artists of all time, so good for him!

Boh

This album gave me all the fun, yet chill island vibes. Instantly boosted my mood and energy! Listen again: maybe, if I stumble across it. Purchase for my collection: probably not Favourite Song: Immegres (first song)

I liked this more than I expected, mainly because of the percussion. I felt that Taaw was a bit long (eleven minutes?). But an album that was only a smidge over 30 minutes long with only 4 tracks? Can't be overly critical. Most people know Youssou from "In Your Eyes", but I'm glad that this wasn't just him doing that. I was hoping the music would have been more varied, though. It felt very same-y to me. I think his voice complimented the music well, but I don't know if it's something I would listen to on a regular basis. I can think of his voice as just being an instrument, but it wears thin after a while. Still, it was good for what it was.

You know, the critics reviews weren't acclaimed on this one, so a bit surprising for it to make the list. Sure, this is the album where Youssou N'Dour became more widely known and then a bunch of artists wanted him to guest appear on their albums. But as an album it's just fine. I think we already had some really good examples of African music (maybe not Senegalese) by this time, but then again this was just before Paul Simon caught a lot of flak for misappropriating the African sound on Graceland. So maybe it was trailblazing? It doesn't make me want to go listening to his entire collection but I didn't mind listening to it.

Totally unfamiliar with this and Mbalax music in general. Nothing incredible by any means, but really excellent recordings and excellent music.

Pretty dope for the 80s

Sounds like background music a middle school English teacher puts on. Groovy though

Pretty enjoyable album with few tracks but a decent amount of variety and a nice diversion from what I normally listen to. N'Dour is considered one of the great world vocalists and I definitely can tell why. Downsides are that without understanding the lyrics I feel like I'm missing half of the song's impact.

Enjoyed it. Very different. A bit too jazzy for me

Take my ratings with a grain of salt. I especially love the two middle tracks

I have no idea what's going on, but it's got a nice beat.

Joyful, catchy and easily a relisten

It's nice to hear some african music, though this was better as background for me I hope to find more world music that are hidden jems that I love.

Often felt disjointed and wouldn’t allow me to get properly into it. One of those that feels like it was thrown in to beef up that “World” category.

I went in with an open mind and it wasn’t too bad until the vocals came in, as instrumentals these wouldn’t be bad but being the pale Caucasian b#tch I am I can’t get down with this

B- Immigrés / Bitim Rew 3 Pitche Mi 3 Taaw 3 Badou 3 Pure 3, through and through. I wanted to give at least one of these a 4 to add to my 45's playlist, but it'll just have to stay an album gem. Great music, I really liked it.

Not bad… that’s it

Very interesting beats but not a fan of the guitar tone

That was interesting for first two minutes, something way different than usual.Then extremely repetitive.

Funky stuff! Strong 3

De va krill

Very different. I liked listening to it and found it quite cheerful

Une voix puissante, des rythmes et arrangements qui pourraient faire croire que la vie est joyeuse, mais on sent la charge derrière

1/4, 25%

I like the viba of this album, but the first song kind of satisfies that style with the rest of it being unnecessary fluff. I enjoyed what I heard, though.

Happy music

Nice combination of guitar, skin drums, drums, and trumpets. It was a jam. Idk if i'll listen to it again, but I might do.

This is why I love this challenge. This was pretty cool, even if it was on the short side. I never would have picked this up independently, and I’m glad I got to give it a try

Highly enjoyable for not understanding anything. Solid percussive grooves.

Pleasant but not exactly memorable

Alright background music

2-3

Solid jams, very vibey. Loved the horns. Lots of interesting percussion. And the singing is great.

Exactly the type of album I was hoping to discover, as my knowledge of African music outside of Fela Kuti is severely lacking. A great project.

Damn is this a vibe. I wish world music like this had the same kind of write ups that the more popular stuff does. Obviously they hit a smaller group of people, but there's clearly a lot more to this album than the Wiki leads. A complex jaunt of music and emotion. The language barrier doesn't matter too much because the music is so expressive as is. As advertised: a short, but comprehensive jaunt through a uniquely African soundscape

Familiar funkiness with some greatly influential African twist. You can see N'Dour's fingerprints across so much, and that's a good thing.

I don't know if Youssou N'Dour and Baaba Maal have a Blur vs Oasis type rivalry, but if they do, put me down as a Youssou fanboy. I have a new favourite Senegalese album, because this is great. Everything about it is quality. The percussion rhythms, the vocal, the melodies, the horns are all fun, evocative, and sound joyous. I would definitely put this on again. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Immigrés/Bitim Rew Date listened: 10/07/23

Not my kind of music, but I admire how well-produced and boppy it is. "Pitche Mi" in particular is amazing.

Trop nice, j'adore tombé sur ce genre d'album. celui-ci est parfait pour mon mood. Il faut que sa sorte du lot un peu. C'est la raison pour laquelle j'aime la liste. 4.5

I enjoyed this.

Very unfamiliar territory for me but I dig it. The drums and rhythm in particular are fantastic.

Same as all the other African records....this is excellent music that is very enjoyable, but with little to no frame of reference, I find it hard to compare

Wow, great, always forget about him.

some cool rhythms and some guitar, some nice things

Loved this

Good guitar playing

Something different

This was fine I guess. Nothing too mind-blowing but I didn't feel compelled to skip anything either.

Some beautiful creation and originality

World music is simply more joyful than that of any other genre or region. This was, once again, really fun.

Oh come on, simply don't believe those giving this 4 or 5 stars. not completely unlistenable but was actively trying to block the vocals out 1.5

Yeah this is another “whatever” international album. I have no I’ll feelings toward this album except that I was bored by it and was glad it was only 34 minutes. In other news: I finally connected the dots that war pigs on the pigs no more album was a cover and I realized that it’s basically the same as the original but not as meaty so that album takes a hit cuz I dislike covers that are basically a copy of the original. It’s one of those where you discover you only like the sound of it because it’s near identical to the original that you also like.

i need to listen to more african music

Nice bit couldn't get too excited.

pleasant enough but nothing outstanding

Fine. Viva Nigeria was great.

"20 years of all-time classics"... distilled down to 4 tracks, eh? It's all fine, decent enough African/World music, but nothing particularly grabbed out at me.

I knew of Yousou N'Dour mainly from the various collaborations with western artists and involvement with different charity causes but I'd never heard his own music before. Very impressive. It's really exposing some gaps in my musical knowledge and sending down a rabbit hole of his extensive discography, the mbalax style, and Senegalese history. I'd give 4.5 if I could.

That was nice! Another album of African music. His voice grew on me. Liked that there was a touch of modern (80s modern) over the African style. Enjoyable

Rollo, pero bueno. 3

Nope

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.

This was fine. Senegalese singer uses synthesizers and local sounds.

Brilliant world music, really beautiful

Pleasantly surprised

Not for me. Nice background but not much.

Good!

Enjoyable. I liked the beats

From RYM Mbalax is a popular genre of Wolof Music that was developed in Senegal in the 1970s. It was rooted in njuup, a Serer ritual tradition. In addition, it incorporated influences from Cuban, Congolese and American popular musics, and soon became the predominant style in Senegal and the neighbouring Gambia. In the following decades it has grown to be one of the most popular styles of West African Music, aided by the global popularity of Youssou N'Dour (leader of Étoile de Dakar and later Super Étoile de Dakar) and Thione Seck (ex-member of Orchestra Baobab and leader of Raam Daan), as well as a younger generation of successful artists such as Alioune Kassé and Alioune Mbaye Nder. The group Super Diamono, featuring Ismaël Lô, also played a significant role in the development and popularization of the genre. Mbalax is traditionally characterised by the rhythms played on sabar drums, although this traditional drum is occasionally replaced by a trap set or even a drum machine. In the 1990s, a keyboard-driven style of mbalax dubbed "marimbalax" was pioneered by the band Lemzo Diamono.

I didn’t understand a lick of this album, but I liked listening to it while I winged my eyeliner in anticipation of another shit workday full of monotonous zoom meetings.

Not available

That was good but rather linear. The second half didn't grab me as much as the first half did.

The title song was pretty boring, but I enjoyed the rest

Good suprise.

I enjoyed this album as it contains some nice, groovy, well toned sounds, but again, I wonder why it is here, considering all the afrobeat masterpieces that exist in the world.

Nice album - pleasant Afro-beat. I only knew of Youssou N'Dour because of his collaboration with Neneh Cherry on 7 Seconds but his distinctive voice works well with the music

the rhythms are a bit choppy if you are not in a 4/4 mood

Very hard to judge but also enormously enjoyable

Pulsating with polyrhythms Youssou N’Dour’s album sounds terrific.

Poor production:Tinny, almost no low end, so you only hear the slap on the percussion, the top of the vocal range, the high horn, guitar, keys notes; it sounds like I’m listening to this on cheap headphones someone took out of their ear to talk to me. It distracts from the actual music, which seems like I’d like more, but it’s hard to say bc this is my first listen

Very good

Very relaxing

Just a really unique enjoyable listen. Something I would have never of stumbled upon otherwise. Will be adding “Pitche Mi” to the playlist. 3

Before listening to Immigres, just about all I'd heard of Youssou N'Dour's remarkable voice was his magnificent contribution to Peter Gabriel's 2002 track, "Signal to Noise". Described by Rolling Stone as "the most famous singer alive" in Africa, N'dour's also collaborated with Paul Simon (percussion on "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"), Neneh Cherry, and many more besides. He's become a "gateway" into Africa's popular music for many a sheltered Westerner (me), and so it feels difficult to argue with his inclusion in this canon. "Immigres", N'Dour's sixth album released the year before "Graceland", showcases the mbalax style, which I'd never heard of before today. It's a term N'Dour coined to describe percussion-heavy dance music from Senegal, emerging in the 1970's. As such, this is an album to quicken the pulse, galvanise the body and lift the spirit. The four tracks here are all extended jams showcasing syncopated rhythms, constantly shifting and overlapping grooves, N'Dour's voice ringing out triumphantly on top. There's frequent improvisation at work, giving every member of the band a chance to shine, but usually returning to a strong central melody. It's far from the music I'm used to listening to, so I'm rating on a tentative first impression and won't attempt to analyse it in any more depth just yet, but it's very well performed and it's always great to have the chance to hear something new. "World" music albums on this list are few and far between, so I appreciated the chance to hear N'Dour without any Westerners involved.

fun, not something Id normally listen to.

Exactly the kind of thing I want to get from this project. Good but not one I'd revisit, and I'd probably enjoy it more as just instrumental pieces. A chill warm orange sunset. 28/03/23

Um, I'm not sure what this is all about.

This album was emotional and enjoyable.

Hmmmmmmmm. Couldn’t dig this at all. I understand vaguely why some people might like to hear these weird musings but I’ll avoid for just now. Not my gig at all.

This was new to me, although I have heard of him. Really enjoyable, groovy beats and a nice short album.

- different than anything I normally listen to. I feel that I cannot judge it when it’s not in my field of knowledge

went absolutely crazy on this one. excellent instrumentals, catchy riffs and infectious rhythms. excellent excellent work

Loved it. I really want to go to Senegal in the meantime I'll listen to big Youssou.

Funky, feel food listening. Very enjoyable stuff.

Very nice switch up. Easy listening yet complex in structure. Lovely vocals too. Fave track - Taaw

It was good but very long and repetitive songs.

😠

ok

LOL, I complain that this list is too US/UK-centric but then I get a little world music and I'm like "meh..."

Good drums/rhythm

Quite a bit more smooth jazz in this than I expected, which was welcomed. It was nicely fused with the African drums and some synthesizers for the pretty cool I really sound. The longest song didn’t quite do much for me which made the album a bit of a disappointing listen. 6/10