This is Toure’s third album and there is a distinctly harder edge to his music here, reflecting the war and atrocities in his Malian homeland.
Rhythmically more focused that the Saharan Blues we have ben hearing from the likes of Tinariwen and Tamikrest, this is River Niger Blues and Toure is an exemplar of the form – this is utterly entrancing but also deeply depressing to hear music that sang of the one-ness of the Malian culture reflecting the war and becoming angry at its heart. However, this is beautiful and uplifting for all that and doubly remarkable considering the circumstances.
Samba was a member of the late Ali Farka Toure’s and collaborated on many of his later work. He has also had two previous solo albums and they show off his playing alongside his warm nature and open style but this is strong and strident in many ways – ‘Albala’ means ‘Danger’ in the native Songhai language – and the playing is at a higher level, stronger and with a definite air of pushing himself than on the previous releases.
He is backed by Djume Sissoko on Ngoni and Madou Sanogo on Djembe and Congas but Toure’s voice and guitar are clearly the core of the band and they are aided by collaborations with Zoumana Tereta of souk (a 1 stringed violin) plus two members of Dirtmusic – Hugo Race and Chris Eckman – adding a faint western element to the music.
It isn’t an easy listen but it is a supremely successful recording, taking his music into the mainstream and making more people aware than ever before of the troubles in Mali. It is soulful and emotive, music from his very heart and something that I found impossible to put away.
