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Amazon.co.uk Review
It can be a bit like when you've got your mum staying over and you pop out to get some milk; by the time you've returned, a particularly houseproud tornado has gone through your house, violently cleaning everything in its path. This, in essence, is what happened to Baaba Maal's sound in the late 1990s. Once upon a time, you were able to sense the humid bustle of Senegal in Maal's work. Compare, say, the visceral, organic Afrofunk of 1994's Firin' In Fouta to 1998's Nomad Soul and the problem becomes clear: the latter sounds a bit rootless. Though it's tempting to blame the producers (there are several, including Brian Eno and Howie B), Nomad Soul also suffers from Maal's tendency to over-elaborate a lumpen groove at the expense of melody--"Douwayra" and "Mbolo" suffer especially as a result. Nits duly picked, it should be emphasised that Maal can rarely go too far wrong as long as there's plenty of room for his awesome pipes and the guitar of perennial sidekick Mansour Seck to be heard. It's on more meditative excursions such as the blissful "Cherie" and "Koni" that Nomad Soul truly finds its voice. --Peter Paphides

Description
Senegalese singer Baaba Maal's latest album is the result of a merging of cultures and was a collective effort on the part of several well-known British producers (including BrianEno) as well as a range of musical collaborators. NOMAD SOUL is an explosion of joyous sound, with a tendency to emphasise the songs' melodies and vocal harmonies rather than their rhythms and beats, which Maal keeps understated compared to many African musical traditions. A mix of Senegalese and English vocals adds to the sense of multi-cultural exploration; "Souka Nayo (I Will Follow You)", has strong Celtic influences, which are more subtle on "Cherie", and the lovely, acoustic "Koni". Maal's breath-taking vocals take centre stageon one song after another, yet they seem to be energised and held aloft by the music and voices of his collaborators.

2 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: Brilliant, haunting - a voice like no other, 10 Sep 2001 By A Customer It has been my luck to see Baaba Maal live on two occasions in two different countries. What a voice, what a presence!! Baaba Maal has a voice that is difficult to describe but once heard you will not forget. This CD is a great mix, brilliant west african beats with loads of energy & one or two slower haunting numbers. I could not recommend it more highly - and if you get a chance, see the live version.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: westernized, 17 Dec 2003 By  Zamby (England) - See all my reviews Suffers from the problem of many recent world music offerings that they water down what made the artist interesting in the first place... Do we need Irish singing alongside Babba Maal's vocals? No thank you Mr Producer. Please stop it. When everyone else stops interfering, as on the slow tracks at the end of the album, some of the true talent of Baaba Maal can be heard. Too late to save the album  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 2 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews