Dec 21 2024
5
This is my recommendation and, firstly, let me apologise that this album is a bit difficult to find. I didn't realise that when I submitted it and I suspect his low profile may have something to do with why Salif Keita, the 'Golden Voice of Africa'., was overlooked on the original list. In fact, the whole of West Africa had fewer albums on the list than Elvis Costello.
If you're unfamiliar with this album, what I hope you'll hear is both the region's distinctive sound and instrumentation, combined with a fusion of Western influences that makes this music accessible. The opening track features a duet with the fabulous Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora. It's a love song in four different languages so I think it's fair to say the listener isn't supposed to understand all the lyrics.
I specifically chose Salif Keita because he was my gateway into this sound. The traditional influences are stronger in his music than other regional artists, right down to the distant hint of the Blues on some tracks. I hope you like it.
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Oct 07 2024
5
I *think* this technically violates the rules of the user-submitted list because it is impossible to find on spotify and also impossible to find in a single easy to find playlist on Youtube.com.
But I'm not complaining because this entire thing is wonderful. West African Jazz is my absolute shit. Go off Salif
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Oct 11 2024
5
Holy shit
5
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Nov 01 2024
5
Really nice album! I enjoyed it. I may not know this kind of music, but i know what I like. I liked this a lot!
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Mar 02 2025
4
Yes! This is the kinda stuff I was hoping to see. Music from people and places I've never heard of. I'm not going to actively seek out Malian music.
It's a really interesting album and sound. Of course my regular complaints of being too long still stand here, some songs go on too long, but at least it's different.
My personal rating: 3/5
My rating relative to the list: 4/5
Should this have been included on the original list? Yes. These are the kind of albums I'd love to have heard more of.
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Feb 08 2025
5
Yes, west African jazz, the list could be improved so much with more diversity like this. Beautiful music.
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May 15 2025
5
This is really good and it's now on Spotify!!
Not that i'm an expert in World music but it's very professional, well produced and enjoyable to listen to.
What more could you ask for?
Superb.
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Oct 17 2024
4
Great Salif Keita album. Lots of fantastic rhythms and a pleasure for my ears and hips.
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Nov 30 2024
4
This is the kind of stuff I was expecting to get more of from the original list. Thank you for recommending this!
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Dec 03 2024
4
Appears I'm lucky that this album is on my preferred streaming platform. Thanks Tidal. Has a good pulse to it, but I'll admit the slower songs lost me, mostly due to the language barrier. Still enjoyed though. Favorite tracks: "Yamore", "Madan"
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May 03 2025
4
The first album on this user-generated list already surpasses almost anything that was classed World Music in the original 1001 list. Organic, deeply rooted sound that isnβt filtered through Western pop sensibilities.
Superb start.
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Oct 09 2024
4
Couldn't find the full album readily, leaving me with an album of remixes and questionable YouTube playlists, so maybe I just got the flavor here. Kind of a broken record on the Afropop, I like it but of course can't understand any of it, so it kind of drifts into the background.
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Oct 14 2024
4
Nice slice of fun
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Jun 25 2025
4
June 30 2025
HL: βYamoreβ, βMoussolouβ, βKoukouβ
Sweet
I donβt know why the day/night cycle affects my music taste, but I really think hearing it at dusk-twilight enhanced Moffou.
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Jan 25 2025
4
Other reviews mention this not being on Spotify, but I personally found it in one search, so I think it's just a region-locking issue?
This is awesome. Very interesting backstory as well. More African albums are always appreciated.
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Apr 18 2025
4
Loses a star for having Martin Solveig turn up, but otherwise flawless
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May 11 2025
4
"Yamore" and "Madan" are two absolute bangers casting a long shadow over the rest of this album -- the first sweet and delicate, the second sweaty and lively like a wild night out in Bamako or Abidjan. Nothing as striking after that, but there are still plenty of evocative moments in cuts such as "Mousolou", "Koukou" and "Here".
3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4
8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5)
Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465
Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288
Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336
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Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 14
Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 26 (including this one)
Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 44
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Γmile ! J'ai rΓ©pondu Γ ton message. Regarde six reviews au dessus !
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May 22 2025
4
I listened to a version of this that had remixes that followed all the original songs. It was a bit distracting, since it made it harder to evaluate the album, but I was struck by how well all these songs transformed into modern dance music.
Her voice is beautiful, and it's a great recording as well. I have no idea what she's saying, but the emotion comes through so well. I don't even know how I would describe this, but it fucking works.
Upon looking at Wikipedia, it turns out this is a Malian singer. That figures. Some of the best guitar music in the work has been coming out of Africa, and I've liked basically everything I've heard on this list that involves African guitarists
4/5
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Oct 10 2024
3
Respect this submission for broadening my musical knowledge and exposing me to something way way off the beaten track. Great musicianship, and it's full of passion. It's not something I'll be a regular listener of, but a doff my cap to it.
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Jan 09 2025
4
Beautiful elements of French jazz
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Feb 04 2025
4
Well, this sure is Malian music.
It's pretty good too.
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Jul 17 2025
4
Itβs too bad that this is largely unavailable as what I heard of it was quite good.
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Oct 07 2024
3
Hard to rate this one as I couldn't find it anywhere. I have Youtube Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. I did find a video on Youtube with samples from all the songs, but not the actual album itself. It sounds like it would be rather peaceful. Hard to rate, so I'll go 3/5.
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Oct 07 2024
3
Rating: 6/10
Best songs: Yamore, Madan
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Oct 07 2024
3
I listened to some of his other albums and one or two tracks from this album off YouTube and some of the remix album and I think I would probably really like this. But Iβll never know unless I buy the cd. Shame. I will average knowns and unknowns into a 3
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Oct 08 2024
3
Why is this not on Spotify?
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Oct 08 2024
3
Liked it. No more, no less
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Oct 08 2024
3
Couldn't say I'd listen to this every day, but I enjoyed it as a once off. Like a mix of Latin guitar and African traditional music? It kinda lost steam in places, some of the tracks were too quiet for me, but I liked the ones where it sounded like a whole village was doing backup singing. 3/5.
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Oct 09 2024
3
Pleasant Afro folk
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Oct 11 2024
3
Enjoyed an international detour for a bit, and the strong sense of melody in the instrumentals was much appreciated. This was a rich (but not fatty) LP, Keitaβs warm, dominant vocals sitting perfectly atop the well-mixed melodies. Did get a bit homogeneous near the end, but overall a great listen and another much-needed international addition to the original 1001.
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Oct 11 2024
3
I enjoyed it. 3 stars.
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Oct 15 2024
3
Has a great soulful vibe and passion that is instantly appealing. I was a bit challenged by it in places where it become lyrically heavy and the music gets pushed to the background and all i'm hearing is a passionate guy loudly since in a language i can't follow. When it flows with the music, its easy to bob your head and follow the vibe, but i was thrown out of it a little bit when Salif really had something to say. Definitely an interesting listen and great to be exposed to music from around the world.
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Oct 15 2024
3
Upbeat. Good tempo. Glad it was recommended.
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Oct 25 2024
3
Out of the average. Good album. I appreciate this kind of suggestion because I would never look into this guyβs music just by myself
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Oct 28 2024
3
I didnβt really get anything out of this but it was only 16 minutes so thereβs not much for me to even say or have a feeling about.
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Dec 06 2024
3
The Mali music scene seems cool.
Rating: 3.5
Playlist track: Madan
Date listened: 05/12/24
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Jan 05 2025
3
Cool
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Jan 21 2025
3
Not bad.
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Feb 02 2025
3
I enjoyed it not my usual thing but it had passion and soul, and that goes a long way!
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Feb 08 2025
3
A pleasant listen π
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Mar 02 2025
3
Couldn't listen to this one except for a few remixes which were great but I can't properly assess.
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Mar 23 2025
3
A pretty cool and varied Malian jazz album. There are a lot of Western influences on here, particularly Spanish guitar music, combined with the grooves and timbres that you only really find in West African jazz, that results in an interesting vibe and sound of the whole record. The opening track was incredible and gorgeous, and I really thought this could be a 5, but I didnβt really click with anything else anywhere near as much
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Apr 25 2025
3
Enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I thought I would
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May 16 2025
3
Most of this wasn't available. The little that I did here was pretty engaging with a talented vocalist and enjoyable music.
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Jun 16 2025
3
Yea this is cool but its so outside my regular musical palette that I have no idea what to do with it or what to rate it.
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Oct 11 2024
2
Well, this album seemed to me to be very ethnic, and since it is so long for an album of this type, I found it very tedious to listen to. I suppose that for its origin it is fine, and trying to be objective, it seemed to me to be an average album, I am unable to understand it beyond my lack of knowledge.
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Oct 11 2024
2
Not my thing, but giving it 2 stars doesn't seem right either. I recognize that this is very well done, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Oh well...
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Oct 25 2024
2
Ekki fyrir mig
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Oct 26 2024
2
I'll echo what others have said, that I was unable to find the full original album and that it seems much of what I could find was in remixes. What I did hear of Keita sounded very nice, but this is a 2 for lack of an album.
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Nov 11 2024
2
World music. No me va. Un 2.
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Mar 30 2025
2
Dawg. If you want Mande music... https://rateyourmusic.com/collection/Zhanteimi/stag/mande+music/
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May 14 2025
2
This is really not my kind of music and I feel disappointed in myself for that.
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Jun 14 2025
2
It's OK, good in places but not really for me
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Jun 27 2025
2
That remix at the end of the album was fire but Iβm not sure I gelled with the rest of it.
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Jun 30 2025
2
Unable to access. 2s. Im sure its better if i could hear it.
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Oct 28 2024
1
I wasnβt able to find this album so I tried several other songs by this artist and I came to the same realization. I plant have mattered if I listened to this album because I wouldnβt have understood it. The beats and rhythms clearly match the African artist and Iβm sure theyβre good. Donβt have much knowledge to compare them. Overall this wasnβt for me. 2.4/10
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Mar 31 2025
1
Not feeling it
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Jun 26 2025
1
Another genre added to my small list of genres to never listen to again!
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