| Originally Posted by tru blu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hard to know what to recommend, because "Queen Bee," and by extension, Kulanjan is a one-of-a-kind collaboration. There are not too many places to hear an American bluesman sing over West African (in this case, Malian) griot music. Taj Mahal had been trying to do something similar for quite a while, but finally got it right on that album. If you're looking for similar African stuff that has kind of a blues-based feel to it, though, you might investigate the music of the late Ali Farka Toure (who Toumani Diabate recorded with from time to time; try The River and Niafunke) or Djelimady Tounkara (an album called Sigui). Toure and Tounkara are unbelievable guitarists. There is one other American blues guy who's integrated African music into his thing, though: the cornetist Olu Dara. On the record In the World from Natchez to New York, the songs "Okra" and "Your Lips" build nice grooves from the rhythms and guitar styles of Southern Africa. Hope this helps. |
| Haven't heard that particular album, but I adore Taj Mahal. Saw him years ago at the Hammersmith Palais (those were the days) - midway throught the set all power went down, after a couple of minutes Taj brought out a National Steel & gave an acoustic intermission in near darkeness til the lights went back on. This huge bear of a man hunched there in the shadows over his gleaming Steel...Magical. |
| Mahal is a brilliant performer, indeed. Just last year I saw him a do a solo tribute to the early blues lady Elizabeth Cotten, and there was this one really simple blues melody (I can't remember the name) that he repeated over and over until you realized he was actually doing something different (flipping the notes, changing the timing) every single time. The music was just coming out of him like a fountain. Btw, just thought of another blues-based African act that's worth checking out: a blind couple named Amadou & Mariam. |
