Personnel: Oumou Sangare (vocals); Massambou Wele Diallo (arranger, percussion); Boubacar Diallo (guitar); Brehima Diakite (kamelngoni); Aliou Traore (violin); Eddie Parker (flute); Colin Bass, Alou Ouattara (bass); Ibrahima Sarr (djembe); Nana Tsiboe (percussion); Nabintou Diakite, Alima Toure (background vocals).
Producers: Nick Gold, Massambou Wele Diallo.
Recorded at Lunar Park Studios, Berlin, Germany in December, 1992.
Composer: Oumou Sangare.
Personnel: Oumou Sangare (vocals); Alima Toure, Nabintou Diakite (vocals); Boubacar Diallo (guitar); Aliou Traore (violin); Eddie Parker (flute); Ibrahima Sarr (djembe); Massambou Wele Diallo, Nana Tsiboe (percussion).
Audio Mixers: John Hadden; Nick Robbins.
Recording information: Lunar Park Studios, Berlin, Germany (12/1992).
Photographer: Christian Jaspars.
Translator: Terri White.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Ibrahima Sarr; Brehima Diakite.
A strong set of all-original material that has its cake and eats it too. With unobtrusive electric guitar and bass blending in with more traditional instruments like flute and djembe, it's both more accessible to modern audiences than traditional African instrumentation, and not as pop- and dance-oriented as much contemporary African music. The focus remains on Sangare's gliding singing (thickened by a couple of female backup singers) and the music's looping (but not laid-back) grooves. ~ Richie Unterberger minimize