*** 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
|