Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,265 in Music (See ) Would you like to ? The mission of is to prove that different cultures and musical styles do have some common ground.
Malian singer Issa Bagayogo reaffirms this commonality on Timbuktu, finding the middle ground between traditional West African music--created with his six-stringed lute, acoustic guitars, and the djemb e --and modern down-tempo electronic programming that wouldn't be out of place at the or any other hip club in Paris or New York. Amidst this gentle and hypnotic fusion, Bagayogo maintains the griot tradition of teaching and politics, singing about such issues as racial tolerance, regional pride amidst the globalization of culture, and drug abuse among Mali's youth. Bagayogo presents his ideas in an evenly modulated midrange voice with ethereal-sounding female backup singers who answer and reaffirm many of his lyrics with haunting effectiveness.
All in all, this seductively laid-back album is another chapter in the ongoing tradition of great Malian music. --Tad Hendrickson Issa Bagayogo is at the forefront of African musical innovators, melding the sounds of electronic dance music with the roots music of his homela\ nd, Mali. Dub and dance beats are woven together with ancient melodies of the Sahara dese\ rt on Timbuktu.
Issa's virtuosity on the kamili n'goni (a six stringed hunter's lute) and acous\ tic guitar reflects his upbringing on the edge of the Sahara. The ingenious hybrid of tra\ ditional and Afro-electro sounds created by Issa and producer/engineer Yves Wernert is evide\ nce of a new direction for African music in the 21st century.
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