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CD Review by Tony Montague
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Penguin Eggs, CD Review by Tony Montague >>
BOUBACAR TRAORÉ – Kongo Magni (World Village)
The blues may have been born in the Deep South, but its roots and spirit are African, as can clearly be heard in the songs of Boubacar Traoré. The 63 year-old guitarist, now based in Paris, plays original material inspired by the traditional music of his native Kassongé region in western Mali. On Traoré’s fifth solo release Kongo Magni the structure of his compositions, his gentle melancholic voice, and his fluid style of guitar-playing bear uncanny resemblance to those of legendary bluesmen such as Charlie Patton and Mississippi John Hurt.
Every one of the nine tracks is superb. The arrangements are spare but imaginative, and producer Christian Mousset has done a great job in choosing the accompaniment. Percussion is limited throughout to shakers and the light but hypnotic clicking of sticks on a calabash gourd. Four cuts feature guest harmonica player Vincent Bucher, often playing in unison with Traoré’s guitar and occasionally adding wailing flourishes. On the midtempo “Kanou” the brilliant Malagassy accordionist Régis Ghizavo fills in the gaps between verses with tasteful and constantly varied phrasing.
But this is very much Traoré’s record. The title track, in which he bemoans the ravages caused by war, highlights his subtle, understated playing. It starts out as a mournful groove then, at midpoint, swings uptempo without losing the deep bluesy feel. Ironically on the brightest number, the fast-paced “Dounia Tabolo”, Traoré is singing about death, and more particularly the loss of his beloved wife Pierrette. At times his slightly husky voice is almost breaking up with emotion. Like the finest blues recordings Kongo Magni is intensely personal, even private, yet universal in its compassion.
Tony Montague 10/06/05 >> go there
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