Djekafo Paris Bamako

Diata Sya – Djekafo Paris Bamako
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/29/09
Fantastic Hip Hop/African/Reggae/Highlife from Mali. I can’t get over how good this is – the elements of traditional African music (notably marimba and percussion, as well as vocals) are merged with Hip Hop and other elements so well it’s smacking my proverbial gob.
No FCCs detected. Even the stuff I didn’t like as much as other tracks is really good. I heartily suggest playing the mess outa this!
1. 0:34 *solo vocals – a bit traditional, a bit doo-wop, a bit dancehall.
2. 4:20 *****swingy midtempo shuffle, almost soca, very upbeat and danceable.
3. 4:44 **minimalist marimba intro, light female chorus in English, and deep male hip hop vocals in African. Interesting combination, esp. between the marimba and electric guitar.
4. 5:08 ****marimba and several spoken voices intro, gradually building into slightly downtempo syncopated groove with hip hop vocals. Killer marimba solo. Man, this is tasty stuff!
5. 4:47 ****startlingly aggressive flute intro for over a minute, then gorgeous, dark and sexy slither with very traditional vocals and strings.
6. 3:37 *****oh damn! Short interchange of spoken vocals, then a great minimalist midtempo riddim, with several African hip hop vocals, including the big star Tata Pound.
7. 4:58 **big downtempo orchestral background, mix of hip hop and traditional, African and French vocals.
8. 4:19 ****midtempo upbeat and complex groove – a bit like soca or highlife – with lots of different vocals and styles. Great!
9. 5:40 ****slow and dramatic keyboard intro, then downtempo, very lovely bass/marimba/vocals sung in French. Hip hop vocals later in song. Lush and gorgeous.
10. 4:22 ***random electronics, gradually forming into downtempo hip hop with multiple voices, prominent marimba.
11. 7:36 *****hey, it’s Reggae! Downtempo, with very lush instrumentation, pretty male singing in French. Adds some African hip hop and builds energy. Lots of changes – getting better with every one.
12. 5:08 ****uptempo carnival vibe, highlife/soca groove, great African choral singing alternating with hip hop – upbeat, great merging of styles.
13. 4:36 ****lush roots Reggae, pretty male singing in French, female chorus, African hip hop. Music fades to vocals – which are thickly layered.
14. 3:48 *****Makossa, and not going to let you forget it – but also militant hip hop/dancehall vibe. Lots of testosterone, but the good kind…