Youssou N'Dour

Youssou N'Dour - Nothing's In Vain [Coono Du Réér] (2002)

mp3 320kbps | 128MB | 58:16 min.

There's been a back-to-acoustic-roots trend among African artists recently, and even the big names don't seem exempt. Salif Keita's done it, and here Youssou N'Dour's at it -- which proves to be no bad thing. His recent output has been quite schizophrenic, divided between albums aimed at a Western audience and those for his native Senegal, with the more hardcore m'balax sound that made him popular in the first place reserved for the African releases. While the easy melodies of Nothing's in Vain (Coono Du Réér) place it far more within the Afro-pop category than much of his previous work, it's still a real gem, bringing in traditional musicians alongside his band, as on the opening "Tan Bi," which works gorgeously, the harp-like kora intersecting with N'Dour's rhythm section. The keening griot wail which has typified so much of his work is absent here, allowing for more subtlety of infection and tone. While that might be a bit of a necessity as he grows older, it also reinforces the fact that Youssou is one of the world's great singers, capable of wrapping and communicating emotion in a note or phrase -- even if you don't understand a word of Wolof (or French, since several of the pieces, like his version of "Il N'Ya Pas D'Amour Heureux," are in French). And when he does break into English, on "Look This Way" and "Africa, Dream Again," it's not the ridiculous, gushing lyrics that have appeared on some of his more recent discs. Yes, there are too many lush keyboards for it to fully qualify as a true acoustic release, and the low-key tamas juddering across "Yaru" do sometimes make you wish the band would kick into high gear, but overall this is N'Dour's most focused and accomplished disc in a long time. Maybe it's a new path, maybe it's a breathing space while he decides what to do next, maybe he just wanted a change. Whatever the reason, it works. -- AMG

01 Tan Bi (Heat, Breeze, Tenderness)
02 So Many Men
03 Moor Ndaje (Mr. Everywhere)
04 Li Ma Weesu (As In a Mirror)
05 The Joker
06 Genné (For Those Displaced)
07 La Femme Est L'Avenir De L'Amour (Women Are The Future Of Love)
08 Mbëggéél Noonu La (Because Love's Like That)
09 Il N'Y A Pas D'Amour Heureux (There Is No Happy Love)
10 Sagal Ko (Honor Her)
11 C'est L'Amour (It's Love)
12 Doole (Show Your True Mettle)
13 Yaru (The Makings Of Respect)
14 Africa, Dream Again

Personnel:
Youssou N'Dour: primary artist, Vocals
Baboulaye Sissokho: kora
Jimi Mbaye: guitar
Pape Oumar Ngom: guitar
Pierre Jaconelli: guitar
Pascal Obispo: guitar, Vocals
Jean-Philippe Rykiel: keyboards
Ibrahima Cisse: Keyboards
Régis Gizavo: accordion
Habib Faye: bass, guitar, keyboards
Youssou Camara: drums
Manu Katche: drums
Alain Bergé: drums
Jaco Largent: african percussion

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Mbalax they call it back in Senegal and Youssou N'Dour is inventing it
on this LP. Do it like this,
Stand in the middle of your room, turn up the volume, close your
eyes, start # 1 and let the warm flow of Youssou's sound
come over you, those drums, his voice, that baseline......

tracks


1 Immigres / Bitim rew
2 Pitche mi
3 Taaw
4 Badou

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1. N'Dobine 2. Donkaasi Gi 3. Wareff 4. Magninde 5. The Rubberband Man 6. Moule Moule 7. Samayaye 8. Nelson Mandela

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1. Lion/Gaiende
2. Shaking the Tree
3. Kocc Barma
4. Bamako
5. Truth
6. Old Tucson
7. Macoy
8. My Daughter (Sama Doom)
9. Bes

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1. Set Listen
2. Shakin’ The Tree
3. Sinebar
4. Medina
5. The Lion (Gaiende)
6. Toxiques
7. Fenene
8. Miyoko
9. Bamako
10. Fakastalu
11. Bes
12. Hey You
13. Macoy oy
14. Immigres / Bitim Rew
15. Xale/Our Young People
16. Kocc Barma

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1. Leaving
2. Old Man
3. Without A Smile
4. Mame Bamba
5. 7 Seconds (Duet With Neneh Cherry)
6. How You Are
7. Generations (Diamono)
8. Tourista
9. Undecided (Japoulo)
10. Love One Another
11. Life
12. My People
13. Oh Boy
14. Silence
15. Chimes Of Freedom

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1. 4-4-44 3:36
2. Pullo Àrdo 4:00
3. Sama Gàmmu 3:57
4. Bàjjan 4:03
5. Baay Faal 4:47
6. Sportif 3:25
7. Tukki 4:09
8. Létt ma 4:40
9. Dabbaax 5:09
10. Xel 4:50
11. Wake Up (It’s Africa Calling)

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