Specialist in All Styles

Orchestra Baobab
Nonesuch Records
World | Nov 2002

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2003-02-04
ORCHESTRA BAOBAB – Specialist in All Styles
World Circuit/Nonesuch, 2002

A real winner! World music super-producer Nick Gold reassembled Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab (which broke up in the mid '80s) after the re-release of their classic Pirates Choice album a while back. If you liked Pirates Choice, you’ll dig this return to the sort of relaxed, jamming, Cuban-Highlife fusion that ruled Senegal before Youssou N'Dour and the mbalax sound took over (N'Dour and Ibrahim Ferrer sing on track 7). I actually like this album better than Piates Choice: the band is tighter and the production is much cleaner. Yippee!

Every track is a gem. Play it all!

1. 6:02 – up/midtempo groove; great guitar work. Cool vox in Wolof.
2. 5:30 – relaxed Mandinka bounce; very catchy and upbeat
3. 4:16 – emotional vocal, great guitar accents, very cool rhythm
4. 6:03 – relaxed Caribbean feel and a steady dance beat
5. 5:19 – from the band’s early days: cute rhythm & loud Wolof vox
6. 4:56 – the band’s theme song: repetitive groove, call & response
7. 5:52 – melancholy Cuban son with 5 vocalists, all fabulous!
8. 5:25 – uptempo Cuban: good Spanish vox, great guitar dialogue!
9. 6:21 – happy highlife ditty: perky rhythm, vox, and saxophone

[Fo]

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Charting

2002-12-16 — 2003-02-17 Reggae/World
Week EndingAirplays
Feb 23 1
Feb 16 1
Feb 2 3
Jan 26 3
Jan 19 2
Jan 12 2
Jan 5 1
Dec 29 2

Track listing

1. Bul Ma Miin
2. Sutukun
3. Dee Moo Woor
4. Jiin Ma Jiin Ma
5. Ndongoy Daara
6. On Verra Ca
7. Hommage a Tonton Ferrer
8. El Son Te Llama
9. Gnawoe