Album review: Sidi Touré, Alafia (Thrill Jockey)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.With a largely acoustic recording one might expect a certain amount of reserve and introspection. But that’s certainly not the case with this Malian singer-songwriter’s third album.
The intricate interweaving of guitar and ngoni juxtaposed with the bright, clear backing vocals makes for a sound that’s dynamic and assertive. In fact, you’d hardly guess from the largely optimistic vibe that – as is the case with other recent Malian releases I’ve covered here by Bassekou Kouyate, Tamikrest and Samba Touré – this was recorded under arduous conditions created by Islamic extremists. Occasionally, however, the barely repressed anger does break through, such as on the intense “Waayey” (“The Butcher”).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments