mare sanogo - fourasi

[bubudi]

tracks: di, fourasi, yere kao, tourela makono, sigui, terriya, nioro, djonte bali, tanta, adiarra, kaarta, sindi kaarta.

this is some of the most stylish, cooking malian music to come out. mare sanogo is one of the old veteran first soloists of the ballet du mali. he tends to underplay and his playing is loaded with subtlety and finesse. great for percussion but much, much more than a percussion album, including some beautiful work on the maninka flute. this is a must have album.

[Dugafola]

sidiki camara(sewa kan, ibrahima sarr, ballet du mali) also plays lead on some of these tracks.

[e2c]

Not sure how I feel about the mix on this one - need to listen to it with headphones... Though I will say that the flute work is lovely. (I have to admit that I'm generally more of a fan of the kinds of "minimalist" recordings that Rainer Polak has done, at least when it comes to players from Mali.)

[bubudi]

ahh, but this isn't just a djembe field recording. it's an artistic masterpiece.

[e2c]

Yes, it's not a "field recording" - neither, I think, are Rainer's, even though he makes them outdoors. I think you know what I mean - the same feeling is there on Soungalo Coulibaly's "Naya."

To be honest, what I've heard of this so far strikes me as being a little too "produced." I've already stated my reservations about the mixing... (it kind of reminds me of some albums that were made when stereo was new - intense channel separation between right and left, although in this case, it's about "foreground" and "background" placement.) That's one reason that I need to hear this on 'phones - it might all balance out.

Maybe I'm just jaded, but so far, this one doesn't grab me. (No offense intended, truly!)

[Dugafola]

i agree with e2c. overproduced.

hope he makes another one.

[diakogiannis]

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002128955399&sk=photos

It was a really good time to see Mare Sanogo on stage, here in Athens -Greece on 31st March 2011 together with Zekoua Bi Seraphin and Seli Kanou (African Dance, Music & Art SELI KANOU School & Company). Click the link above to see some pictures from that night!!

His workshop also was a life experience!!