Mischievously subtle guitar Blues of Mali

Boubacar Traoré took his guitar and strode out into the fields outside of Bamako, Mali. There, in the country quiet, he wrote a dozen new songs in a month.

"Town is too noisy. And I didn't go to the bush, but I left my guitar here, on my farm. Because I know here, I'm on a leash," says Traoré.

That leash, that connection to land and family, resulted in Mali Denhou (Lusafrica; June 14, 2011; distributed by Harmonia Mundi). On Traoré's first studio album in six years, the kindly, gritty voice of the veteran Malian bluesman intertwines with wonderfully idiosyncratic, cascading guitar. Wistful and pensive, Traoré exhorts, gives thanks, and reflects on love, history, and duty, with a deceptive simplicity and a deep, subtle knowledge of Mandingo tradition and West African vintage pop.

A legend in Mali since his groundbreaking hits of the 1960s, Traoré, possibly the eldest internationally-touring guitarist from Mali,has been around. He knows exactly what he wants. He insisted that if he was going to do a studio album, he had to have his longtime friend, the nimble French harmonica player Vincent Bucher, play with him. Bucher's rich, pure tone moves in and out of Traoré's succinct phrases and unexpected rhythms effortlessly on tracks like "Mondeou."

Elder statesman

Traoré doesn't fuss with his music in the studio: He's known for whipping out one or two stunning takes and then heading back to the farm. Recorded live at Studio Moffou, the cozy recording venue designed by Malian star Salif Keita specifically for acoustic African projects, Mali Denhou beautifully presents the spirit of an African blues master, in the way vintage jazz and blues recordings captured the masters of the Mississippi Delta.

"For Boubacar, it's not about being a virtuoso. He may only play a few notes, but they are all important," reflects album producer and friend Christian Mousset. "Like Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson, he has a style all his own. He wasn't taught by anyone, and doesn't sound like anyone else in Mali. It's always been a mystery to me, where Boubacar's sound came from."

An elder statesman of the Malian blues made famous by performers like the late Ali Farka Touré, Traoré is a natural. His songs and musicianship flow from an intimate, intuitive connection with his instrument, as well as with his beloved land.

As a young teenager, he would sneak into the room of his older brother-a music teacher who studied for eight years in Cuba-and play his Italian guitar. The guitar was off limits, but Traoré couldn't help himself: He had to play. When his brother finally caught him in the act, he was amazed to hear Boubacar playing riffs taken from Mandingo music for the kora (West African traditional harp).