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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent greatest hits collection, 21 Sep 2003
This Best Of collection opens with Keita’s great hit Sina from his masterful Soro album, an ebullient piece where his soaring voice is framed by soulful female vocals and polyrhythmic beats. The more laid-back Mandjou has a jazzy structure, skittering beat and yearning vocals. One of my favorite songs is the catchy Nyanafin (from the album Amen) with its tinkling hand-piano sounds, wailing backing vocals and rolling rhythms – a stunner! The up-tempo Ignadjidje is a gentle pop song whilst Nou Pas Bouger is a funky, brassy number. Djembe is a subdued, soulful affair, the spacious Souareba an evocative mix of Western and African sounds and Tenin is a light, dance friendly track with engaging keyboard and drum patterns. The atmospheric track Sanni Kegniba starts out with eerie muffled vocals and a solitary drum sound before developing into one of Keita’s powerful ballads. The album closes with the lilting pop tune Dalimansa. My only complaint is the omission of Yele n Na and Karifa from the Amen album. These amazing songs also deserved a second hearing, but overall The Mansa Of Mali is a superb introduction to this popular Malian musician.
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(1 customer review)
