Youssou N’Dour – The Guide (1994)
Genre: Mbalax (look down for more info)
Intro:
Youssou N’Dour is arguably one of, if not, the greatest musician to come out of Africa. Born in Senegal in 1959, he has been an active musician since the early 70’s with various bands and is most well-known for being a vocalist and Percussionist.
“The Guide,” is his 7th studio album.
Review:
Firstly, the genre above says ‘Mbalax,’ which is basically the traditional sound of Senegal and surrounding areas. The genre consists of influences from our modern western music like rock, jazz, soul…. This combines with the ‘Sabar,’ which is the traditional drum rhythms, which you will hear gives the album such flavor.
An album that is truly African, would naturally produce African music, through and through, and that is what you receive in this box. Recorded in Senegal, made in Senegal, born in Senegal… Most would think after hearing those words that the music would be suspect, but this is arguably one of the best albums to EVER come out of Africa.
NO TRACK BY TRACK THIS TIME. Now I am sure, most people have heard Of Youssou before for the track “7 Seconds,” which came of this album and was his commercial standout.
The music is a concoction of Africa, from far and wide, showcasing their talents and proving to the world that they can play this game. As mentioned above, the Sabar is what really gives this album that exotic feel to it. The use of traditional instruments such as the Tama (Senegalese talking drum) also adds to the rich music. If you were expecting to be rocked by this, you may fall short, but in terms of richness, local talent, exotic sounds, native tongue, ect the album is brimming to overflow with these traits. You have to sit back and relax to the sounds and appreciate the crafting of the music and the originality.
Although the albums vocals are almost all in native tongue, the lyrics when translated in English are really beautiful and need to be read, to fully appreciate the music.
Overall, a really exotic album for the general population which is nice to throw on, sit back and relax, without sacrificing musical talent or originality.
7.9/10
Youssou N’Dour – 7 Seconds