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Sample Track 1:
"Khaira" from Timbuktu Tarab
Sample Track 2:
"Djaba" from Timbuktu Tarab
Layer 2
Album Review

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Spectrum Culture, Album Review >>

Timbuktu Tarab is a 2010 album released by Malian diva Khaira Arby, now re-released by Clermont Music, perhaps in hopes of reaching a wider audience than it did the first time around. Whatever the reason, the album certainly deserves more attention than it has gotten so far, so let’s hope music fans sit up and take notice.

Arby’s voice, which is raw and unschooled in the best possible way, floats above these complex polyrhythmic compositions—which are generally of the “desert blues” variety, but which often enough bounce into funkier, rockier, even reggae-inflected grooves. The voice is the glue that binds the record together, but make no mistake, the band is crucial here too.

That is evident from album opener “Goumou,” which sees Arby’s emotive, sometimes-strident vocals in counterpoint to a rollicking sea of guitars, fiddle and percussion, while backing vocals provide a rich call-and-response rhythm that runs the length of the song. Follow-up tune, the self-referential “Khaira,” sees perhaps the strongest vocal response on the entire album, a full-throated declamation (according to the too-brief liner notes) of the singer’s artistic intent. Rhythms gallop along, again propelled by nimble guitar work and relentless percussion; the bass, although present, is rather less prominent than might be expected.

So far, so good; these opening statements of purpose fall within the expected parameters of the genre and establish Arby as a dynamic, exciting artist. Other tunes reflect other styles as well: the lilting “Tidjani Ascofare” could be a village folk song or even a lullaby, and its understated instrumentation suits the mood perfectly.

The surprises start coming around the fourth song, “Dja Chieckna,” with its frantic guitar noodling, the almost dreamy, reggae-ish “Salou,” and “Waidio,” which introduces a funkier uptempo vibe. These songs mark out Arby as being not just a faithful follower of genre conventions, but a creator of them as well. Some experiments might be more successful than others, but the artist’s willingness to try them out speaks volumes for her integrity as an artist.

That said, this is not a perfect album. Many listeners will be put off by Arby’s voice, which is raw to the point of artlessness at times. She is always on pitch but can approach screechiness, which isn’t to everyone’s taste. More importantly, the back half of the album suffers from a tendency for songs to sound similar; the album is a generous 57 minutes, but with most tunes falling in the four-to-five minute range, a certain sameness of structure becomes apparent. There are few sections to the various tunes; they start up, establish a groove within a few bars, then ride it to the end. Songs don’t so much climax as merely stop. All of this is business as usual for the genre, but for a musician who shows such creativity elsewhere, her adherence to these norms can feel a little stifling.

This is a minor point, though. There is much more good than bad to these tunes, and much to engage an open-minded listener. In a music scene dominated by male voices (at least insofar as Western listeners are concerned), Arby is a singular presence and a compelling one. If this record is indicative of the future direction of the Clermont Music label, then here’s hoping to much more to come.

 09/30/13 >> go there
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