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CD Review
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Sing Out, CD Review >>
No color can describe an emotion as poignantly as blue. Black symbolizes darkness; white, purity; nothing is as descriptive as the rolling waters of melancholy embodied by indigo. Little wonder, then, that displaced slaves devised the style, pulling from African folk traditions and pentatonic guitar scales. The sound of blues eventually mirrored their homeland, and today Mali is as renowned for the style as Mississippi. Elder patriarch Boubacar Traore embodies this music like no other: the simple picture of him on the cover of Kongo Magni, lovingly cradling his six-string with a gaze of longing, desperation and fulfillment fittingly describes the record itself. Having lived a tough life - losing 5 of 11 children and his wife over the past few decades - Traore's seesaw career caused him to disappear while healing internal wounds. Music is the salve, though, and the nine tracks on Kongo Magni feature the 63-year old vocalist/guitarist in his finest form. Injecting traditional instrumentation (balafon, kamele n'goni, percussion) with harmonica and, most uniquely, accordion, Traore's poetic musings are underscored brilliantly. The sad, fateful "Kanou," addressing the eternal quest for peace, and the vibrant "Horonia," about living freely and with dignity, are inspired outtakes in a life destined to walk between despair and exaltation. The light n'goni/harmonica play on "Independence" make this homage to his late brother Kalilou (who taught him how to play guitar) a beautiful tribute. Traore is of the rare breed that transforms inner turmoil into aural pleasure; his music is a sonic alchemy guided by passion and instinct. To hear his fingers effortlessly tread such fine wire, couple with that nimble, penetrative voice, is to plug into the absolute soul of blues music. 11/14/05 >> go there
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