LENI STERN, SABANI (LENI STERN RECORDINGS)
[DUNKELBUNT]
A NEW DAY; LAYA PROJECT REMIXED
ADDIS ACOUSTIC PROJECT
AFRO ROOTS WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
AMADOU & MARIAM
ANTÓNIO ZAMBUJO
APHRODESIA
BALKANBEATS
BANCO DE GAIA
BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC ORKESTAR
BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC
BOY WITHOUT GOD
C.J. CHENIER
CARLOS GOGO GOMEZ
CHOBAN ELEKTRIK
CHOPTEETH
CHRISTIANE D
CHRISTINE VAINDIRLIS
CLARA PONTY
COPAL
CUCHATA
DAMJAN KRAJACIC
DANIEL CROS
DEBO & FENDIKA
DEL CASTILLO
DR JAYANTHI KUMARESH
EARTHRISE SOUNDSYSTEM
EGYPT NOIR
ELIN FURUBOTN
EMILY SMITH
FANFARE CIOCARLIA VS. BOBAN & MARKO MARKOVIC
FEUFOLLET
FIAF PRESENTS WORLD NOMADS MOROCCO: MUSIC
FOOTSTEPS IN AFRICA
GECKO TURNER
GENTICORUM
GEOFF BERNER
GIANMARIA TESTA
GODS ROBOTS
GUARCO
HUUN HUUR TU
INDIAN OCEAN
IRENE JACOB & FRANCIS JACOB
JANAKA SELEKTA
JANYA
JERRY LEAKE
JOAQUIN DIAZ
JOEL RUBIN
JORGE STRUNZ
JOSEF KOUMBAS
JOYFUL NOISE (I GRADE RECORDS)
JUST A BAND
KAMI THOMPSON
KARTICK & GOTAM
KHALED
KHING ZIN & SHWE SHWE KHAING
KITKA'S CAUCASIAN CONNECTIONS PROJECT PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS
KMANG KMANG
KOTTARASHKY AND THE RAIN DOGS
LA CHERGA
LAC LA BELLE
LAYA PROJECT
LENI STERN
LES TRIABOLIQUES
LISTEN FOR LIFE
LOBI TRAORÉ
LO'JO
LOKESH
MAGNIFICO
MAHALA RAI BANDA
MIDNITE
MOHAMMED ALIDU AND THE BIZUNG FAMILY
MR. SOMETHING SOMETHING
MY NAME IS KHAN
NAWAL
NAZARENES
NO STRANGER HERE (EARTHSYNC)
OCCIDENTAL BROTHERS ON TOUR
OCCIDENTAL GYPSY
OREKA TX
ORQUESTRA CONTEMPORÂNEA DE OLINDA
PABLO SANCHEZ
PEDRO MORAES
RAYA BRASS BAND
SALSA CELTICA
SAMITE
SARA BANLEIGH
SARAH AROESTE
SELAELO SELOTA
SHYE BEN-TZUR
SIA TOLNO
SIBIRI SAMAKE
SISTER FA
SLIDE TO FREEDOM II
SONIA BREX
SOSALA
SWEET ELECTRA
SYSTEMA SOLAR
TAGA SIDIBE
TAJ WEEKES
TARANA
TARUN NAYAR
TE VAKA
TELEPATH
THE MOUNTAIN MUSIC PROJECT
THE NATIVE AMERICA NORTH SHOWCASE
THE SPY FROM CAIRO
TITO GONZALEZ
TOUSSAINT
VARIOUS ARTISTS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
WATCHA CLAN
WHEN HARRY TRIES TO MARRY SOUNDTRACK
WOMEXIMIZER
WOMEXIMIZER
ZDOB SI ZDUB
ZIETI
Album Review

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The Whole Music Experience, Album Review >>

In review--Mali in shades of banjo blue

Leni Stern
Sabani
Independent release

I sometimes wonder when the Malian musical star will fade out, but it just grows brighter each year.  With western musicians such as Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, Corey Hart, Bonnie Raitt and Leni Stern collaborating with Malian musicians, not to mention the prominence of Malian musicians worldwide, the excitement just keeps growing. 

Guitarist-songwriter Leni Stern (German-born), has already lived a musically exciting life that would make any cultural creative proud.  She has collaborated with Peruvians, performed at the Festival of the Desert (Saharan Desert, Mali), and jammed with the stellar lights of Malian music.  And now, she’s released a blues album featuring the n’goni (grandfather of the banjo) performed by herself and Haruna Samake from Salif Keita’s band, with another Keita band member, Mamadou Kone brings percussion to the session.  The result is the haunting Sabani--Malian blues with a feminine twist.

I have a collection of Malian recordings and none of them sounds a like.  Stern’s recording represents a jam session in Salif Keita’s Mouffou Studio in Bamako, with Keita’s bandmates--pretty impressive.  Malian chanteuse Ami Sacko (voice), her husband Buba Sacko (n’goni), and Zoumana Tareta (voice and sokou-bowed instrument) also drop in for a musical visit.  Highlights for me are The Sorcerer (dan sogo) that tells a story, the instrumental The Cat That Stole the Moon that rollicks along with bluesy electric guitar conversing with the n’goni’s cadence, the chilling Like a Thief, and the Malian blues I Was Born (Ibe Keneya).  Take a listen to Ami Sacko’s solo. Papillon features poetry that reflects on the natural world, sung over bouncy n'goni and acoustic guitar.  Actually, the entire album begs for multiple lessons. 

It seems that Mali has planted its feet firmly on the world’s musical map, exploring roots of the distant past, while bringing its music into the contemporary stage and studio.  By now, everyone, including our grandmas, have heard the sounds emanating from the West African nation.  You think this alone would bring us world peace.
 02/28/12 >> go there

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