The Whole Music Experience

World   Debademba Souleymane   World Village Some of the first world music I heard was from West Africa.   I started out with Senegalese music then discovered Malian music and West African music found a place in my life.   With so many musical styles hailing from West Africa, sometimes bands come along that mix and match while causes us to dance our feet off.   Debademba (led by guitarist Abdoulaye Traoré of Ghana and Malian griot vocalist Mohamed Diaby) performs High Life (Ghana), mbalax (Senegal), Afro-Beat (Nigeria) and griot blues (Mali) on their second album, Souleymane . These musicians supply us with ample infectious rhythms played on calabashes and other percussion, shimmering kora, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, as well as, violin, cello, flute, piano and chorus (women and men vocals).   I dare you not to dance. Okay, so it’s not all fast grooves and primal beats.   Djiki snakes along to Arabic modes with vocals so s...

World   Mamadou Kelly   Adibar   Clermont Music We are so fortunate these days to experience music of Mali.   Given events in recent years, where Muslim fundamentalists rounded up musicians, burned instruments, and cut off hands of Malian musicians, the musical spirit of Mali continued.   These days, a fragile peace reigns in Mali and we can only wonder about the powerful role music played in keeping hope alive and bringing a sense of solidarity. Malian guitarist and singer Mamadou Kelly brings us Malian grooves on his album Adibar .   Teaming up with Niafunke musicians that produced Ali Farka Toure and Afel Bocoum’s albums, we are reminded here of Ali Farka Toure’s snaky desert blues.   While guitar is the main instrument with Malian blues vocals, we also hear the traditional calabashes (percussion), spike fiddle (ndjarka), a mandolin-like instrument (djourkel) and bass.   The end result is chill-out music, moving at a slo...