The East Wind

Cisse Diambe Kanoute is the protege of Senegalese star Baaba Maal, and mines similar territory. Even a cursory listen to the opening cut, "Serigne Saliou," shows the same percussive Fulani energy that typifies much of Maal's output, and the great man himself takes a subordinate role as one of the album's backing singers (one of seven!) on a production that's heavily tipped toward voice and percussion. Like Maal's own work, it keeps a good balance between a roots sound and being forward looking -- there's quite a bit of keyboards buoying things up. The problem, inasmuch as there is one, lies in the writing. Not all the tracks are credited, but they seem to come from Kanoute's own pen, and while she's perfectly adequate, there's nothing to make them stick firmly in the memory. Unfortunately, the same can be said about her singing. She's good, but so are many others, and there's little to make her stand above others with griot voices. ~ Chris Nickson|

Cisse Diambe Kanoute is the protege of Senegalese star Baaba Maal, and mines similar territory. Even a cursory listen to the opening cut, "Serigne Saliou," shows the same percussive Fulani energy that typifies much of Maal's output, and the great man himself takes a subordinate role as one of the album's backing singers (one of seven!) on a production that's heavily tipped toward voice and percussion. Like Maal's own work, it keeps a good balance between a roots sound and being forward looking -- there's quite a bit of keyboards buoying things up. The problem, inasmuch as there is one, lies in the writing. Not all the tracks are credited, but they seem to come from Kanoute's own pen, and while she's perfectly adequate, there's nothing to make them stick firmly in the memory. Unfortunately, the same can be said about her singing. She's good, but so are many others, and there's little to make her stand above others with griot voices. ~ Chris Nickson