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Orchestra Baobab (Senegal)
Winners in the Africa and Critics Award categories
Song : Bull Ma Miin
Album : Specialist in all Styles (World Circuit, UK)
Visit : www.orchestrabaobab.com
More on BBCi : | Album review
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I'd put up a strong argument that the post-independence electric roots bands of West Africa, during their first creative peaks centered on the '70s, produced a body of the greatest music of 20th century. It's up there with the country blues era of the late '20s/'early '30s or the be-bop explosion of the late '40s/ early '50s. Seriously. And if I had to pick one of those temporal destinations for my one chance in a time machine, then the West African option might get it by a whisker.
Most galling of all is knowing that I was a live, grown-up music fan at the time it was happening, completely oblivious to this musical heaven unfolding elsewhere. If nothing else, the explosion of growth in global world music communications must make it less possible that you'll spend the rest of your life kicking yourself.
For those of us who thought all those glorious big band arrangements of Manding and other traditional epics lost and gone forever, with only the occasional foray by Mali's mighty Super Rail Band to provide a lasting thrill, the past year has been very exciting. Firstly Senegal's Orchestra Baobab re-emerged and proceeded to grow in new confidence before our eyes and ears, culminating in a set that will go down in Womad history as one of the festival's greatest. Then news came from France that the blessed Christian Mousset had encouraged Guinea's Bembeya Jazz back together for this year's Angouleme Festival and an album for his new Marabi label.
It became clear that both these veteran West African outfits have as much matured experience to offer the world as any of the revered jazz and blues greats who hit higher peaks as their later careers unfolded, and that perhaps a fresh look at musical values from before soul got swamped by technology might be rather a good thing.
Baobab's newie - see Lucy Duran's cover feature back in fR221 for their story - is sublime in their quite distinctively different way. They have an inspired, original guitarist in Barthelemy Attisso, working alongside a great sax player Issa Cissokho. They have Cuba lingering in their hearts, but Wolof and Casamance roots too, particulary with their new young rising star singer Assane Mboup. They have guest appearances from Youssou N'Dour and Ibrahim Ferrer on a remake of their "greatest hit", Utru Horas, rechristened Hommage à Tonton Ferrer. And needless to say, being World Circuit with the Nick Gold/Jerry Boys team at the helm, the production is exemplary.
If there were any justice, Specialist In All Styles would beat all World Circuit's runaway sales records set by Buena Vista Social Club. Of course, without a sticker advertising the involvement of a famously grumpy US rock star with an ego the size of a planet, let alone a cult movie in tow, it's got a hard act to follow. But I bet I know which album will get more long-term plays once bought, eh?
It's the soundtrack to 2002, of classic West Africa firmly grabbing the wheels back from the dying days of the Cuba bandwagon. It's the law.
Ian Anderson for fRoots magazine 2002
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