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CD Review
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Nashville's The City Paper, CD Review >>
There are plenty of admirers of the music made the Touaregs, a society that’s fought against being co-opted for decades and has found itself scattered across different parts of Mali and Niger as a result.
Their music utilizes sweeping, sometimes soothing melody lines and crisp accompanying rhythms, though within that framework such groups as Toumast, which was formed in the ‘90s by Moussa Ag Keyna, craft some beautiful and compelling statements. Toumast’s latest release Ishumar (Real World/Ryko) is named for the term given to young Touaregs seeking work, and is borrowed from the French “Chomeur” (unemployed).
You can hear in songs like “Kik Ayittma” (Hey! My Brothers!), “Ikalane Walegh” (These Countries That Are Not Mine)” and “Ammilana” (O My God, O My Soul)” a yearning and desire expressed through the vocals of Keyna, and augmented by sparkling accompaniment from Dan Levy on numerous instruments and Aminatou Goumar on callebasse, darbouka and djembe, plus background vocals. They also employ on “Ammilkana” a string chorus whose efforts underline the song’s foreboding, hypnotic effects. Ishumar offers both hard-hitting social and topical tunes and moving, emphatic musical statements.
-- by Ron Wynn 04/07/08 >> go there
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