By Bob Tarte

The liner notes to Kongo Magni (World Village) call Boubacar Traore a "Malian blues giant." Certainly you'll hear both the antecedent and successor to American blues in the modality, phrasing and slow delivery of his songs, and his gruff yet fluid vocals might put you in mind of John Lee Hooker. But just as noticeable are the tapping rhythms stretching toward Arabic North Africa that are only degrees of dynamics away from being belly dance beats, plus a dryness to his voice recalling singers from the Sahara. Countryman Ali Farka Toure had long been one of the strongest proponents of Mali as the source of American blues. Led by Traore's loping but at- tenlion-grabhing acoustic guitar, Boubacar's disc sets itself apart from Toure's catalog of calabash clickers by adding surprising touches lo his down-home repertoire.