Sunday, June 27, 2010

CD Review: Gambia's Musa M'Boob & Xam Xam


Haral (Let Me Tell You)
Independent Release

Gambia's premiere percussionist, Musa M'Boob has learned the drumming traditions of West Africa from a long line of ancestral involvement in the Gambian music world. A top percussionist, Musa also sings and plays the sabar, djembe, dun dun, snare, and tama. He is joined by his band-mates, Xam Xam. There is a rich musical repertoire with bass, keyboards, guitar, sax, kora, modern drums, and back-up vocals always in the local language. Though Musa is based in England, his sound is uniquely Gambian with a jazzy and modern Afro-pop style. The rhythms are inventive and never dull. The song titles are translated in the liner notes with short song descriptions in English. This is the first contemporary Gambian release to emerge in years. Do yourself a favor and show Musa (and Gambia, for that matter) you care about the music! ~ Matthew Forss

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This review hits the nail on the head.