I always enjoy when I receive a really intriguing press kit. (Tip for all you musicians out there: A good press kit can pique a writer's interest before he hears a note of your music.) The press kit for Sibiri Samake (from Mali) includes the line “If the blues’ origin can be traced to West Africa then this album puts listeners squarely at the doorstep of one of modern music's cornerstones." How is that for an attention grabber? Obviously it worked on me. 

So do I think that is a fair assessment of this album? Here's the thing. If you listen to the picking on this album, you can definitely get some sense of old-time Delta blues. But you have to go back further than that to find the real roots of the blues. The blues ultimately came from field hollers. This album may not sound exactly like blues as we know it now, but it definitely conveys the feeling of a field holler with the call and response that is prevalent throughout the album.