Tassoumakan
People like to see artists improve upon past efforts, but count it as a victory that Issa Bagayogo was able to match the beauty of 2002'sTIMBUKTU. Like its predecessor,Tassoumakanfeatures a seamless fusion of traditional Malian griot roots music and 21st-century electronic programming. Longtime producer, musician and collaborator Yves Wernert has continued to shine as the sound architect, making the sonic marriage more natural sounding than ever. The band also features hot guitarists Mama Sissoko and Karamokou Diabate as well as flutist Djuro Diallo, who does excellent work throughout. Less flashy than many singers out there, Bagayogo is brooding and moody---it comes out in his evenly modulated vocals (in Bambara and French) and the somber melodic turns he sometimes takes. Yet there is a quiet tension to the slower work, and a yearning to his faster songs that makes the music compelling. Highlights include a talking blues entitled "Ciew Mawele," the hypnotic sing-songy "Dya," and the galloping, n’goni-driven "Chauffeur."--Tad Hendrickson