Habib Koite & Bamada - Afriki (Dig)
List Price:
Our Price: $9.09
You Save: $7.89 (46%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.88 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: Habib Koite & BamadaEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Music Label: Cumbancha
Soundtracks:
- Namania
- N'tesse
- Africa
- Fimani
- N'ba
- Mali Ba
- Barra
- N'Teri
- Nta Dima
- Massake
- Titati
Music reviews of Afriki (Dig)
Music Review: Laidback and enjoyable.
Rating: 4 Stars
Koité is without a doubt one of Mali's biggest international artists and is one of Africa's biggest-selling acts having sold more than 250,000 albums around the globe.
In the US, one of his most successful territories, he has collaborated with Bonnie Raitt, appeared on the Dave Letterman show, has been called "Mali's biggest pop star" by Rolling Stone, been featured in a 2-page photo spread in Vanity Fair and has received rave reviews in People, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times ("His reputation as a guitar player has become almost mythical"). And how about this for a mainstream achievement: two tracks from his first album Muso Ko were included with Microsoft Windows Vista, meaning that his music will be installed on many millions of PCs.
It's been six years since his beautuful last release Baro.
Listening to his new allbum Afriki is like having an old friend coming to visit, full of great tales and smiles.
Only a few minutes into this music and you almost forget that it hasn't always been part of your record collection. It brims with all those comforting things that set the experimental griot Koité apart from most of his contemporaries.
The husky voice, catchy choruses, trickling guitar patterns and clever jigsaw of Mali's myriad musical traditions - all are there. Even the quality of the mix reflects his earlier works. Koité was one of the first artists to break the mould of the thunder-voiced song and ancient repertoire associated with the Mande griots, Mali's traditional praise singers.
He preferred to search the length and breadth of his home country, collecting ideas and inspiration from a huge variety of traditional sounds. Others have since followed in his footsteps, yet Koité's musical universe remains entirely his own.
The main theme looks at developing Africa's strengths and getting Africans themselves to see that what they have can be worth a lot and is worth championing. The familiar range of Malian styles is adapted on the track "Afriki" by some nifty Pee Wee Ellis horn arrangements.
On "Afriki", almost every corner of the country is nodded to in the intricate guitar and percussion patterns that carry all of his songs. There are touches of desert blues, of the griot's ngoni (lute), and even an eerie chorus of hunters' antelope horns that softly caresses the clever arrangement of "Nta Dima" and lifts it to a rare level of musical beauty.
He has also a gloriously easy-going vocal style.
This set is a dash too laidback, though. As ever, he mixes influences from across Mali, but all are given the same gently sophisticated treatment.
The introduction of different instrumentation brings some variety, but when the string arrangements appear on "N'teri", it seems as if he is aiming for the easy-listening mass market.
All in all, it's a very enjoyable listening experience.
Stereo Spirit
Description of Afriki (Dig)
After a six year absence from the recording studio, Malian guitarist Habib Koité and his band Bamada return with a stunning new album. Afriki finds the group in fine form, and features an appealing set of songs that reflect Habib's unique approach to the diverse styles of Malian music. "His reputation as a guitar player has become almost mythical, combining rock and classical techniques with Malian tunings that make the guitar sound like a kora or ngonni." The New York Times
"the biggest pop star of the West African nation of Mali." Rolling Stone
"... in his case, the unfamiliarity of the language was no problem, largely because of his communicative manner - kneeling down at the stage edge to interact with the crowd - dancing in unison with his musicians - made such a clear - nonverbal connection with his listeners." The Los Angeles Times
International CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in International CDs
Hopscotch - Wishful WayRelease date: 2003-11-03; Music CD
Price in other shops:
![Coral Sea Dreaming [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
David Hannan - Coral Sea Dreaming [VHS]Compass Records; Release date: 1998-11-17; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.25
Price in other shops:
![20th Anniversary Celebration [VHS] Image](/images/20th-Anniversary-Celebration-VHS-6302274060-X.jpg){kind=small}
Steeleye Span - 20th Anniversary Celebration [VHS]Shanachie; Release date: 1995-04-16; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.94
Price in other shops:
Chris Rea - Return of the Fabulous Hofner BluenotesRelease date: 2008-03-11; Music CD
Best price: $38.80
Price in other shops:
A Concert Of Angels mini: Music From J.S. Bach To Gustav Mahlerby edel Classics GmbH
Edel Classica Gmbh; Published: 2006-11-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.12
Price in other shops:
Tanzkurs Vol. 4 - Rumba & Cha Cha ChaRelease date: 2007-06-08; DVD
Best price: $10.91
Price in other shops:
Sascha Hehn & The New Symphonic Orchestra - Peter Und Der Wolf/ Karneval Der TiereRelease date: 2010-04-27; Music CD
Best price: $4.31
Price in other shops:
Jurgen Fritsche, Sven Gortz - Edgar Allan Poe: Das Grauen IIRelease date: 2009-12-08; Music CD
Best price: $6.24
Price in other shops:
Sorene. CD. Kinderlieder aus Äthiopien - Children's Songs from Ethiopiaby Peter Pannke
Sunnymoon Distribution; Published: 2000-03-01; Audio CD; Book
Tibetan Meditation Music: For Quiet Mind and Peaceful Heartby Nawang Khechog
Soundstrue; Sounds True 2007-04-01; Published: 2007; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $0.98
Similar CDs
Ali Farka Toure - SavaneRelease date: 2006-07-25; Music CD
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Putumayo Presents - Acoustic AfricaRelease date: 2006-09-05; Music CD
Best price: $7.90
Price in other shops:
Ali Farka Toure - Talking TimbuktuRelease date: 2006-05-09; Music CD
Best price: $19.86
Price in other shops:
Salif Keita - MoffouRelease date: 2002-09-17; Music CD
Best price: $6.64
Price in other shops:
Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate - In The Heart of the MoonRelease date: 2005-09-13; Music CD
Best price: $10.94
Price in other shops:
Bamada, Habib Koite - Foly Live Around the WorldRelease date: 2004-01-13; Music CD
Best price: $14.28
Price in other shops:
Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate - Ali & ToumaniRelease date: 2010-02-23; Music CD
Best price: $13.15
Price in other shops:
Bamada, Habib Koite - Muso KoRelease date: 2001-09-11; Music CD
Best price: $35.99
Habib Koite & Bamada - BaroRelease date: 2001-07-24; Music CD
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops:
Bamada, Habib Koite - Ma YaRelease date: 1999-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $7.70
Price in other shops: