After a near six year absence from the recording studio, celebrated Malian guitarist Habib Koite and his backing group of musicians (Bamada) is back with Afriki.  By combining traditional styles from his areas with some surprisingly Western ideas, Koite’s music is different from what one might expect of music coming out of Africa.  But that’s exactly what makes it so intriguing and it is easy to see why this particular artist has generated so much buzz in the past.

The aforementioned statement isn’t meant to discredit traditional African music, but rather to signify that Habib Koite is doing things differently with his music.  Here we have an artist who has clearly been influenced by his own culture, but also has looked abroad for inspiration.  Afriki is rich with textured instrumental work that is guitar driven, but often features a variety of other things going on in the background.  Koite has often been stated to be a perfectionist, and this really shows as each song has grooves and melodies that will enthrall just about anyone.

Not only do the instrumentals show evidence of being influenced by different countries, but the songs are sung in three different languages throughout the course of Afriki.  Thankfully the album booklet has translations for everything, so whether a song is in English, French, or Bambara listeners will be able to understand it all.  Koite’s singing style is relaxed and casual, making the music inviting and warm.  Though the guitar work is clearly the star of the show on this album, the vocals nicely complement the overall sound.

It may have taken six years for Habib Koite and Bamada to come out with a new release, but the wait has been well worth it.  Thanks to wonderful melodies and a sound that combines a Malian sound with Western influences, any world music fan should have this in their collection.  And though he may be a perfectionist, here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another six years for an album as enjoyable as this.

-- by Chris Dahlberg