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April 14 - 21, 2000

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*** Touré Touré

LADDÉ

(Tinder)

An inspired band of brothers, Senegal's Touré Kunda were one of the guiding lights of the 1980s Afropop explosion. During the '90s, the group dissipated, and their late work was perfunctory. Now two members of the next Touré generation, Omar and Daby, have created a new, Paris-based group that has much of the appeal of the original Touré Kunda.

To start with, these boys can sing. From the warm harmonies of "Sanio" (a warning against laziness) to the keening, Arabic verses of "Almudo" (a song urging Islamic teachers to teach kids, not send them out to beg), these performances are flawless, fresh, and satisfying. The band are as tight as the vocal arrangements, almost frighteningly so. Things get pretty slick on pumped-up tracks like "Bané" and "Yorro," but what distinguishes this from high-production Paris Afropop is the group's chemistry. Acoustic guitars and 21-string kora are more prominent than keyboards, always a plus in my book. The rhythm section pops, making even the lighter grooves sound heavy. And the compositions are good -- strong melodies belted out by strong voices, and arrangements that never sag.

-- Banning Eyre
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