Mali Latino
2010

Nominated for Best Album of the Year, 2010.
SongLines Magazine.

All nominations 
https://www.songlines.co.uk/world-music-news/tag/best-albums-2010/

Brought to you by TQMP
The Quality Music Project

Afro-Cuban meeting of minds (and strings)

British-born Renaissance man Alex Wilson has sweated buckets over this project, which sees him fusing Mande and Afro-Latin sounds with the aid of two stellar Malian musicians: balafon (xylophone) player and multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Fofana (from the Symmetric Orchestra) and kora maestro Madou Sidiki Diabaté, brother of the equally dextrous Toumani. Having travelled back and forth to Bamako, then unveiled the magic of their coming together in a live premiere commissioned by the Aldeburgh Music organisation in Suffolk, the award-winning pianist and composer set about recording this album with the help of a private investor. Who then promptly pulled out.

That this quite gorgeous disc is now seeing the light of day is testament to Wilson's belief that he was on to something special. Featuring an additional cast of horn players and percussionists, and guest vocalists including the jelimuso, or griot, Kandia Kouyaté, Mali Latino shimmers and shoulder-shakes its way through 12 varied and consistently excellent tracks. Wilson has previously explored links between soul and gospel to East Indian and Brazilian styles; with Mali Latino he takes jazz and Latin rhythms back to their African roots while still sounding dynamic and modern. Opener 'Donkan' sets the pace: a rollicking dance tune featuring sublime balafon playing, cascading kora and urgent brass, framed by clever arrangements. Aoua Kassé Mady Diabaté, daughter of legendary griot singer Kassé Mady Diabaté lends her sweet pipes to 'Sangre Mandinga'. 'Bomba Bambara', meanwhile, sees a host of wonderful African voices vying and blending, book-ended by Wilson's inspired piano. The effort, then, has paid off. Wilson has crafted a classic.
-- SongLines

Mali Latino is led by:
Madou Sidiki Diabaté
Ahmed Fofana
Alex Wilson

Track List
01 - Donkan
02 - Sangre Mandinga
03 - Ankaben
04 - Voyage
05 - Bamako 2000
06 - Joie au Village
07 - Ni Koh Bedy
08 - Ankan Tolon
09 - Kansala
10 - Bomba Bambara
11 - Oiaymelo
12 - Remercier les Travailleurs

Artwork, EAC log and CUE sheet included.

Audio format: FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) 
https://flac.sourceforge.net/index.html 

Enjoy, seed and inhale!
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