Today's short post features another loose and intimate recording of Baaba Maal. This cassette is part of the batch of cassettes that I found in Nouakchott, Mauritania in 2002--Baaba is arguably an even bigger star in Mauritania than he is in Senegal. Unlike this hypnotic recording, I don't think this is a 'home' recording.
Baaba is accompanied by two hoddus (lutes), one of which I suspect is played by the great Barou Sall, who released two wonderful cassettes of meditative solo hoddu in the 1990s (I thought the cassettes were circulating in the blogosphere but I can't find them, I will post them in the future). The cassette is unhelpfully entitled '# 6' and its sounds like a formal event--a radio performance, a television performance, a concert? Baaba seems more focused than when singing for a small group of patrons in an intimate setting. There also seems to be less of the praise singing associated with the more intimate evenings of music.
Download Baaba Maal # 6
The sound quality is not the best, but I enjoy the music enough not to be bothered.
Baaba is accompanied by two hoddus (lutes), one of which I suspect is played by the great Barou Sall, who released two wonderful cassettes of meditative solo hoddu in the 1990s (I thought the cassettes were circulating in the blogosphere but I can't find them, I will post them in the future). The cassette is unhelpfully entitled '# 6' and its sounds like a formal event--a radio performance, a television performance, a concert? Baaba seems more focused than when singing for a small group of patrons in an intimate setting. There also seems to be less of the praise singing associated with the more intimate evenings of music.
Download Baaba Maal # 6
The sound quality is not the best, but I enjoy the music enough not to be bothered.
baaba's old recordings are always enjoyable, there's something raw-african in 'em.....can't remember ever singing these in his shows ....thanks !!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed these Baaba cassettes. I have seen Baaba perform in the US and in Senegal and there is a big difference between the repertoire he performs for his different audiences. Even between different Senegalese audiences, Baaba will perform different repertoires.
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