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- Date Released: January 1, 1982
- Genre: International
- Style: Africa
- Label: World Circuit / IODA
A much-bootlegged 1982 classic captures the ensemble at their glittering best
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We Say...
Much bootlegged in the years before its 2001 official release (hence the title), this four-track recording from 1982 captures Dakar's favorite Cuban-influence ensemble at their glittering best. Named for the club where they enjoyed their residency, Orchestra Baobab seamlessly blend melodies and rhythms from West Africa and Latin America, all overlaid by Barthelemey Attisso's sparkling, incisive lead guitar, which makes its mark across the music from the slinky opener "Utra Horas" to the brimming closer "Balla Daffe." The cuts percolate with atmosphere and grace from the husky-voiced singers and the cool blue sax work, while the rhythm section brings drumming from Cassamance (in Southern Senegal) into the mix for a perfect, silky Transatlantic fusion — unfortunately just before they broke up. As well as giving some great music (with an extra CD of bonus cuts), the acclaim for this record spurred the band to re-form — definitely a very good thing.
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They Say...
Orchestra Baobab returned to rhumba with a vengeance on Pirate's Choice, but you have to wonder a little why this two-CD deluxe edition of the 1982 album received such unanimous praise from the world-music press. It's a strong album but positively sedate compared to the wild and woolly Bamba --guess it's a question of whether you prefer your African pop looking back to faithfully reflect its early roots or charging forward in new directions. The slow, measured "Utru Horas" and the gentle, lilting "Coumba" -- both featuring Issa Cissokho's sax as the principal solo instrument -- are the flipside to the hell-for-leather energy of Bamba. "Werente Serigne" gets that clip-clop galloping rhythm guitar, interwined lead guitar and sax lines, and magical Baobab harmonies working again, and "Ray M'bele" keeps the momentum high with a Barthelemy Attisso solo, who seems to have left his wah-wah and fuzz box at home this time. It's one of three Cuban songs Baobab reworked for the album, and maybe the fact that the singers are credited with writing all the originals (unlike Bamba, where Attisso's name is prominent in the credits) accounts for the mellow feel. The extra tracks are solid but none of them stand out enough to make you wonder why they weren't on the original LP. "Ngalam" and "Balla Daffe" have a slight reggae feel, and "Tourmaranke" could be an On Verra Ça outtake with its choppy syncopated riff and call-and-response vocals -- the mid-song handoff from guitar solo to sax to percussion breakdown is really nice, but it goes on a little too long. It's great to have a cover booklet with Malick Sidibe's excellent photos of late-'60s African music hipsters, but there's also a musical mystery -- the original World Circuit 1989 CD issue of the Pirate's Choice LP had alternate takes of "Utru Horas" and "Coumba" that aren't included here. This deluxe edition is full of solid music, but basically it's just too restrained to fully justify all the fuss surrounding it.
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| 01. |  |
Utrus Horas |
8:43 |
|
| 02. | |
Coumba |
7:45 |
|
| 03. | |
Ledi Ndieme M'bodj |
8:58 |
|
| 04. | |
Werente Serigne |
6:48 |
|
| 05. | |
Ray M'bele |
7:01 |
|
| 06. | |
Soldadi |
8:03 |
|
06 Total Tracks, 47:18 Total Length
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 12 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 12 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. | |
Ngalam |
9:33 |
|
| 02. | |
Toumaranke |
7:02 |
|
| 03. | |
Foire Internationale |
7:45 |
|
| 04. | |
La Rebellion |
7:58 |
|
| 05. | |
Ndiaga Niaw |
7:46 |
|
| 06. | |
Balla Daffe |
7:18 |
|
06 Total Tracks, 47:22 Total Length
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