Amazon.co.uk Review
Mali's Salif Keita might possess one of Africa's great voices, but in the past there have been times when his material hasn't done him real justice. That's not the case here--
Papa is as close to brilliance as he's likely to get, with enough of a real roots feel to bring out his emotive qualities. For once, the Western studio overlays (done in New York and Paris) don't overwhelm everything else. In fact, the only time they really intrude is when co-producer Vernon Reid (ex-Living Colour) takes a wild guitar solo at the end of the record, and that's an ideal fit. The title track is Keita at his very best, as his voice cracks and soars. This time he's hit it perfectly.
--Chris Nickson
CD Description
Salif Keita is known in world music circles as "the voice of Mali", as he's a star in that African country and its mostwell-known musical export. Mali is a cultural melting pot, where North African folk sounds meld with Arabic, French, Spanish/Cuban, and Anglo-American folk and pop sounds. Keita takes these influences and molds them into his own emotion-laden style, his smooth voice attaining gospel-tinged levels of passion.
PAPA, co-produced by ex-Living Color guitaristVernon Reid, is his most accessible album, yet compellinglymaintains the African elements at the music's core. Reid (along with special guest Grace Jones) provides a full-sounding, vibrant, pop-flavoured context in which Keita can shine. "Ananamin (It's Been So Long)" is an evocative, sultry, R&B-tinged love ballad (think Sade) that shimmers like a swimming pool on a hot summer day. The loping, pensive "Sada" continues the groove, but with the haunting refrain of a country-tinged guitar motif. "Abede" is lush with the dancing, sparkling guitars of Central and West African pop (think King Sunny Ade), bubbling percussion, and rich choral singing, with Keita's mighty voice testifying over it all. The music here is a virtually perfect fusion of different styles of traditional African and cosmopolitan pop music.