I’m a bit late to the Amadou & Mariam party, I’ll admit that right up front. I enjoyed their breakthrough to the US, Dimanche à Bamako, but I never really fell in love with it. It served as pleasant background music while I worked, never distracting but upbeat enough to keep my foot tapping.
Their latest album, Welcome to Mali, was released on March 24 (US) and despite receiving heaps of acclaim, I ignored it’s existence until last weekend. Turns out I’ve been missing out. It’s a really enjoyable and well rounded album that is sure to get a slot near the top of my playlist. One of the standout tracks for me is the lead track, “Sabali.” It struck me more than the rest of the album because it’s a bit more pop than world music. The reason this is simple, its produced by none other than Blur/Gorillaz/The Good, The Bad & The Queen/Monkey: Journey into the West mastermind, Damon Albarn. I’m starting to think this guy doesn’t sleep much.
The whole album is worth more than a few casual listens, but for now, sink your ears into “Sabali” and enjoy yourself for a moment.
photo courtesy of Jerome
