Anansy Cissé
Mali Overdrive
Riverboat 1079

www.worldmusic.net
 

Sometimes listening to West African music is like looking at the surface of a beautiful pond. In the ripples we see reflections of American blues created by the musical circle that historically and culturally connects both our continents. This musical circle is drawn very masterfully by Malian musician Anansy Cissé.

The foundation of his music is built on tracks of bass guitar, ngoni (a west African stringed instrument in the guitar family), soku (single stringed traditional fiddle) and calabash (percussion instrument made from a gourd and beads). Cissé’s golden-toned voice is punctuated with intermittent riffs of his own very bluesy electric guitar. The calabash provides a syncopated rhythm that weaves a texture with the stringed instruments, and his vocal lines tie it all together melodically. Overall the feel of his music is acoustic, organic, earthy and very accessible to the Western ear while still remaining true to his traditional musical path.

When militant Islamists invaded northern Mali, Cissé was forced to move further south to continue his music. He deals with this ongoing tragedy by writing songs like “Gomni” which is a call for peace. In the song “Sekou Amadou” he uses a recording of a speech by Nelson Mandela with a message of harmony and equal opportunity. Even though the lyrics are sung in his native tongue, the spirit of heartfelt compassion comes through. This is the type of music we hear with the ears of our heart, and we have a most enjoyable experience while we’re listening.

— Thomas Ardizzone