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CD Review
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Straight.com, CD Review >>
Kongo Magni (World Village)
Although the blues was born in the Deep South, its roots and spirit are African, as can be heard in the songs of Kongo Magni, the fifth release by Boubacar Traoré. The 63-year-old acoustic guitarist from Mali has a fluid playing style and gently melancholic, soulful voice that carry echoes of Mississippi John Hurt. But while Delta bluesmen have left their mark on Traoré’s music, the strongest influence here comes from the hypnotic rhythms and chants of his native Kassongé region.
Recorded in Paris, where Traoré now lives, this is a gem of an album, with no weak tracks or padding. The arrangements are spare but imaginative, and varied instrumental textures deepen the grooves. Percussion is restricted to shakers and the click of drumsticks striking a calabash gourd. French harmonica ace Vincent Bucher makes tasteful contributions to four cuts, often playing in unison with Traoré and adding occasional wails and moans, and on the midtempo “Kanou” the brilliant Malagasy accordionist Régis Ghizavo fills the spaces between lines with his endlessly inventive phrasing.
But this is very much Traoré’s record. The title track, on which he laments the ravages of war, highlights his subtle, understated work. It starts out slow and mournful, then shifts up a couple of gears without losing its dark character. On “Dounia Tabolo”, Traoré sings about the loss of his beloved wife Pierrette. Though in places his slightly husky voice almost breaks with emotion, it’s ironically the album’s brightest and briskest number. Like classic blues, Kongo Magni’s mix of resignation and resilience in the face of adversity has both a private and universal resonance.
Tony Montague 11/17/05 >> go there
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