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Avg: 4.0 (43 ratings)
- Date Released: April 22, 2008
- Genre: International
- Style: Africa
- Label: Riverboat Records / IODA
The second go-round from West Africa’s desert-blues greats: strong, authoritative, hypnotic and cohesive.
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We Say...
Every cut on Desert Crossroads, the second album by Niger’s desert blues sextet Etran Finatawa, shines by itself and contributes to the album’s quietly powerful weave. But its assured highlight happens right in the middle. From the close-miked fingers sliding across guitar strings to its big round vocal harmonies, “Asistan” is small, modest and perfect; it quietly stops the world for three and a half minutes, and the gently heaving rhythm moves with such little effort you’ll find yourself breathing in sync with it. Strong and cohesive, ultra-professional and instantly comfortable, with maturity to command instant respect and tunes that sway like holly in the breeze, Desert Crossroads, like 2006’s commanding debut, Introducing Etran Finatawa, is music to grow old with.
Etran Finatawa brings to the table strengths that few bands of any idiom carry in such obvious abundance. Group leader Ghalitane Khamidoune plays snakelike guitar leads and sings in a lightly cragged voice; both are personable and both carry a clear and immediate authority. All the other band members (who play acoustic and often traditional instruments and percussion) also sing; their call-and-response vocal lines and dense, keening harmonies are rich, robust and utterly hypnotic, as are their hard-loping rhythms — think one-TWO, one-TWO, with the “one” dragging a bit. The group’s members are Tuareg and Wodaabe, two nomadic groups from Niger’s dense ethnic stew of eleven total (they sing in Wodaabe and chant in Tamashek); the music has a heavy Eastern tinge, though it’s clearly West African in feel, and Desert Crossroads’ producer, Paul Borg, and sound engineer, Sandor Jozsa, bring it forth with uncluttered, vibrant presence. -
They Say...
It's that desert blues again, baby, a style that seems to have become vastly more popular in the last few years following the breakthrough by Tinariwen. Although this band follows much the same formula, they're made up not just of Tuareg but also Wodaabe people. There's a dryness to the guitar and a rolling rhythm that's reminiscent of a camel crossing the desert (much as the Tuvan singers use the rhythm of horses behind their songs). What possibly sets this group apart is that, at times, there's a deeper emphasis on percussion and its power, not just guitars or voices and the flute gives a sense of roots to the sound. There's a strong sense of cultural identity in all this; it's very much the music of the Sahara. Its lack of compromise is both its strength and weakness. Strength because it means Etran Finatawa won't lose who they are; it's a weakness if that will stop them from reaching a much wider audience, given the number of bands playing similar music now. That said, this is a strong disc, more refined than their debut, and tighter from months of touring, a satisfying slab from the true home of the blues.
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| 01. |  |
Saghmar N Nanna |
4:55 |
|
| 02. | |
Kel Tamascheck |
5:07 |
|
| 03. | |
Iguefan |
4:11 |
|
| 04. | |
Tea Ceremony I |
1:42 |
|
| 05. | |
Jama'aare |
4:47 |
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| 06. | |
Tekana |
5:28 |
|
| 07. | |
Ganyo Maada |
4:45 |
|
| 08. | |
Soto |
4:50 |
|
| 09. | |
Asistan |
3:45 |
|
| 10. | |
Bagui's Soundscape |
1:33 |
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| 11. | |
Gaynaako |
4:30 |
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| 12. | |
Alghalem Taxat |
5:19 |
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| 13. | |
Tea Ceremony II |
2:26 |
|
| 14. | |
Amidinine |
4:28 |
|
| 15. | |
Naanaaye |
5:14 |
|
| 16. | |
Tea Ceremony III |
1:14 |
|
16 Total Tracks, 64:14 Total Length
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Credits
- Paul Borg - Producer // Paul Borg - Liner Notes // Paul Borg - Mixing // Paul Borg - Photo Courtesy // Dick Beetham - Mastering // Anthony Leung - Assistant Engineer // Brad Haynes - Coordination // Brad Haynes - Design Coordinator // Marisa Lassman - Coordination // Marisa Lassman - Design Coordinator
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