Monday, July 23, 2012

Baaba Maal et Dande Lenol - Wango (1987)

Moments after entering the Berkeley record store, on my way home from work, the clerk, who was familiar with my weekly Friday visits, said: "Check this out!" He put this record on his deck and filled the shop with Massamba Diop's tremendous tama. This was my introduction to Baaba Maal et Dande Lenol, so many years ago, and it opened a whole new avenue in my obsession.

Wango, simply put, is a masterpiece. Every song is exquisitely crafted and performed. Dande Lenol was incredibly tight on this perfectly recorded and mixed album, a definitive Sylla production. The rhythms are complex and urgent, and Maal's singing is sublime.

Two of the songs, "Laam Tooro" and "Loodo," are electrified versions of the well-loved acoustic versions on the earlier recorded, yet later globally released, Djam Leelii. Wango is a great way to start your week, as it has mine.

11 comments:

John B. said...

Sure better than a lot of the later World Music™ crap he put out.

Rhythm Connection said...

agreed. as I said, I didn't have the stomach to listen to "Television."

Anonymous said...

With little time and put in other rhythms at this time, I collected the previous jewels of Senegal, thinking to comment, when I hear them.

I bought this album in a Senegalese telephone call center, it is a copy of the original with added background music for the guts of the computer.
Without listen this now, I'm happy, I needed a clean record for a long time, thanks for taking care of us.

I think Baba returns to make music, television was only alienation mental, transitory.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for fulfilling my request! Yes, this is a great Sylla production: it modernizes the music and creates something new but doesn't fall into that faceless, slick World Music™ trap which John B. mentioned. Wonderful lively start for the week.

dan-the-man

Anonymous said...

Many Thanks for your exceptionnal post !!!!!!!!!

Please,Did you have in your archives some Vinyl of this cameroonian musical group called " Golden Sounds " ?

The vinyls are :

1-) Golden Sounds ‎– Zangalewa (1988)
2-) Golden Sounds ‎– Vol. 2 Casque Colonial (1987)

These two albums were very very big successful in Africa and Latin America. Shakira released their song Zangalewa for the world's cup.

Thanks in advance,
God bless you brother :)

Apurva Bahadur said...

Thank you for sharing. Apurva from Pune, India.

swamielmo said...

thank you so much. i was just thinking about traditional vs modern. i love the traditional music but just think how Rai music made so many angry, think about astore Piazzola and his new tango enraged the old school, think of Bob Dylan etc .... so much we might have missed. That said, I love what you do. Berkeley huh. I graduated BHS 1960 and UC 1968

Anonymous said...

Sometimes there are things that come by chance, but you need to share.

Do not fail to go through here:

http://youtu.be/O6ak9Ea1GZ8

http://youtu.be/OkEfU6VR14g

Rhythm Connection said...

Thanks, Ngoni, for visiting and sharing. I'm watching one of those live Baaba concert now. Crucial.

Rhythm Connection said...

BTW: I was fortunate to see both of these sets at other venues. :)

dungeness crab said...

Rick at Leopolds or mint platter?