All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]


Simply stunning, 28 Oct 2008
This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, and I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow and lifts higher and higher. If you're not dancing around the room by track 3, you probably need anti-depressants. This is music anyone can enjoy, not just those beardy World Music aficionados. You shouldn't hesitate. Really.

you've been manu chao'd, 10 Jul 2006
If you like Manu Chao, you'll love this. If you want to here Amadou and Mariam, try an earlier album. Manu Chao's inisistent urban rhythms take something away from this fine duo.

It's not bad, but you can find better

beautiful tunes, 08 Jul 2006
I stumbled upon this album by chance and had never heard of this couple but am wowed by their sound - what a gorgeous album - even my young children love it! This is totally enchanting and i think you should buy it!

Awesome., 26 Jan 2006
I'm not going to bore you with a long winded, how worthy am I , listening to world music etc etc review.

This is the best album of last year. Easily. (i also bought stuff by Green Day, Pussycat Dolls, Killers, Magic Numbers, Bright Eyes to give you some context)

Buy it. Stunning. Early Saturday nights haven't been the same since.

Malian Blues, 22 Dec 2005
As a keen world music fan I come across many fantastic albums from across the world but this is a must for 2005, Malian blues at its best, this blind couple are the business and to top it off to see them at Womad this year was brilliant, if you only buy 1 world music album this year make it this one.

Where were you in 1972? If you were listening to the radio, you would surely have heard "Pata Pata", the bouncy number which carried Miriam Makeba's voice all round the world. So it's great to have it back as the title track of Pata Pata, plus 10 other tracks from the original album.

These are triumphant times for the first lady of African music: she recently celebrated her 70th birthday by accepting the Swedish prize whose previous recipients have included Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder. She spent 30 years in exile from her native land, and was re-exiled from the US during that time for her tireless campaign for racial equality; she has survived car crashes, a plane crash, cancer, four divorces and the deaths of her only child and grandson.

But since her return in 1990 her good works have redoubled; they include South African charities for Aids awareness and women's causes. Her art was always sweet and simple, no matter how urgent and combative her message: this CD has great charm. Most of the tracks are accompanied by a mélange of guitars and African instruments, over which her voice rides clear and clean, with just the occasional hint of vibrato. There are Cuban moments and pure Kwazulu moments, but it all hangs together in a seamlessly beguiling whole. --Michael Church

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]


Simply stunning, 28 Oct 2008
This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, and I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow and lifts higher and higher. If you're not dancing around the room by track 3, you probably need anti-depressants. This is music anyone can enjoy, not just those beardy World Music aficionados. You shouldn't hesitate. Really.

you've been manu chao'd, 10 Jul 2006
If you like Manu Chao, you'll love this. If you want to here Amadou and Mariam, try an earlier album. Manu Chao's inisistent urban rhythms take something away from this fine duo.

It's not bad, but you can find better

beautiful tunes, 08 Jul 2006
I stumbled upon this album by chance and had never heard of this couple but am wowed by their sound - what a gorgeous album - even my young children love it! This is totally enchanting and i think you should buy it!

Awesome., 26 Jan 2006
I'm not going to bore you with a long winded, how worthy am I , listening to world music etc etc review.

This is the best album of last year. Easily. (i also bought stuff by Green Day, Pussycat Dolls, Killers, Magic Numbers, Bright Eyes to give you some context)

Buy it. Stunning. Early Saturday nights haven't been the same since.

Malian Blues, 22 Dec 2005
As a keen world music fan I come across many fantastic albums from across the world but this is a must for 2005, Malian blues at its best, this blind couple are the business and to top it off to see them at Womad this year was brilliant, if you only buy 1 world music album this year make it this one.

A beuatiful recording of a truly beautiful voice, 08 Jan 2001
This CD is a re-issue of an album released in 1972. Featuring Miriam's stunning voice singing the songs she is most famous internationally for, "Pata Pata", "Ring Bell, Ring Bell" and "click song number 1". A twelfth extra track, "Malayisha" unfortunately in mono, is the B side of the original Pata Pata single. Producer Jerry Ragovoy has done an excellent job in showing the scope of Miriam's repetoire, even penning two of the most stunning songs, "Ring Bell" and "What is Love?" to do so. Particularly if you have only heard Miriam's more recent recordings I exhort you to add this to your collection, and listen a younger but no less exquisite voice.

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]


Simply stunning, 28 Oct 2008
This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, and I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow and lifts higher and higher. If you're not dancing around the room by track 3, you probably need anti-depressants. This is music anyone can enjoy, not just those beardy World Music aficionados. You shouldn't hesitate. Really.

you've been manu chao'd, 10 Jul 2006
If you like Manu Chao, you'll love this. If you want to here Amadou and Mariam, try an earlier album. Manu Chao's inisistent urban rhythms take something away from this fine duo.

It's not bad, but you can find better

beautiful tunes, 08 Jul 2006
I stumbled upon this album by chance and had never heard of this couple but am wowed by their sound - what a gorgeous album - even my young children love it! This is totally enchanting and i think you should buy it!

Awesome., 26 Jan 2006
I'm not going to bore you with a long winded, how worthy am I , listening to world music etc etc review.

This is the best album of last year. Easily. (i also bought stuff by Green Day, Pussycat Dolls, Killers, Magic Numbers, Bright Eyes to give you some context)

Buy it. Stunning. Early Saturday nights haven't been the same since.

Malian Blues, 22 Dec 2005
As a keen world music fan I come across many fantastic albums from across the world but this is a must for 2005, Malian blues at its best, this blind couple are the business and to top it off to see them at Womad this year was brilliant, if you only buy 1 world music album this year make it this one.

A beuatiful recording of a truly beautiful voice, 08 Jan 2001
This CD is a re-issue of an album released in 1972. Featuring Miriam's stunning voice singing the songs she is most famous internationally for, "Pata Pata", "Ring Bell, Ring Bell" and "click song number 1". A twelfth extra track, "Malayisha" unfortunately in mono, is the B side of the original Pata Pata single. Producer Jerry Ragovoy has done an excellent job in showing the scope of Miriam's repetoire, even penning two of the most stunning songs, "Ring Bell" and "What is Love?" to do so. Particularly if you have only heard Miriam's more recent recordings I exhort you to add this to your collection, and listen a younger but no less exquisite voice.

Simply beatiful., 19 Oct 2008
Rokia Traoré is better than ever. Her voice is stronger and so is the material she is performing.

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]


Simply stunning, 28 Oct 2008
This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, and I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow and lifts higher and higher. If you're not dancing around the room by track 3, you probably need anti-depressants. This is music anyone can enjoy, not just those beardy World Music aficionados. You shouldn't hesitate. Really.

you've been manu chao'd, 10 Jul 2006
If you like Manu Chao, you'll love this. If you want to here Amadou and Mariam, try an earlier album. Manu Chao's inisistent urban rhythms take something away from this fine duo.

It's not bad, but you can find better

beautiful tunes, 08 Jul 2006
I stumbled upon this album by chance and had never heard of this couple but am wowed by their sound - what a gorgeous album - even my young children love it! This is totally enchanting and i think you should buy it!

Awesome., 26 Jan 2006
I'm not going to bore you with a long winded, how worthy am I , listening to world music etc etc review.

This is the best album of last year. Easily. (i also bought stuff by Green Day, Pussycat Dolls, Killers, Magic Numbers, Bright Eyes to give you some context)

Buy it. Stunning. Early Saturday nights haven't been the same since.

Malian Blues, 22 Dec 2005
As a keen world music fan I come across many fantastic albums from across the world but this is a must for 2005, Malian blues at its best, this blind couple are the business and to top it off to see them at Womad this year was brilliant, if you only buy 1 world music album this year make it this one.

A beuatiful recording of a truly beautiful voice, 08 Jan 2001
This CD is a re-issue of an album released in 1972. Featuring Miriam's stunning voice singing the songs she is most famous internationally for, "Pata Pata", "Ring Bell, Ring Bell" and "click song number 1". A twelfth extra track, "Malayisha" unfortunately in mono, is the B side of the original Pata Pata single. Producer Jerry Ragovoy has done an excellent job in showing the scope of Miriam's repetoire, even penning two of the most stunning songs, "Ring Bell" and "What is Love?" to do so. Particularly if you have only heard Miriam's more recent recordings I exhort you to add this to your collection, and listen a younger but no less exquisite voice.

Simply beatiful., 19 Oct 2008
Rokia Traoré is better than ever. Her voice is stronger and so is the material she is performing.

Observer Music Monthly, 07 Nov 2008
Some influential voices will be dismayed, even horrified, by this combination of Issa Bagayogo's authentic, man-from-the-country sound and a series of propulsive rhythm tracks made from programmed beats and keyboards. I stand with the choir on the other side of the room, to sing the praises of an impressive and consistently enjoyable album from yet another marvellous and unique artist from Mali. How do you say 'it gets better with every play' without it sounding like a cliche? I give up.

Perhaps the closest parallel is to Amadou & Mariam's 2005 album, produced by Manu Chao, although the productions of Willie Mitchell in the early Seventies also come to mind - it's intriguing to imagine Al Green or Ann Peebles slipping into some of these arrangements.

Mali may be best known for music that reveals its roots but its capital, Bamako, has plenty of nightclubs, where the well-dressed take to the floor to be galvanised by DJs who switch between hip hop, R&B, reggae and their local equivalents. In general, there's an unwritten rule that the closer such local records get to matching the sounds of their Western models, the less interested we in the West are likely to be. Somehow Issa Bagayogo and his production team have surmounted this difficulty, developing a trademark sound that uses some Western elements and yet is still so distinctive, you instantly know who the singer is before he has opened his mouth.

Mali Koura is the fourth successive album by Issa Bagoyogo to have been co-produced by Yves Wernert, a Frenchman whose engineer's hands were on the tiller of every significant album recorded in Bamako over the past 10 years. Where previous albums were studio-based, these songs were recorded on location, starting at Issa's home in Wassalou in the south west of Mali, and then moving to Nancy in France, base of a polymath called Gael Le Billan, whose name appears 13 times in the credits, not only playing an astonishing assortment of instruments, but also collaborating in the songwriting, arrangements, production and mixing. He is quite a find, brilliantly integrating slinky saxes and Malian backing vocals, acoustic guitars and Issa's kamele ngoni.

Whether I were a boite DJ in Bamako or a radio DJ in London, I'd go for 'Poye' as first choice, but there are no duff moments on an album which throws up a different highlight depending on the time of day. The uptempo hustle of 'N'Tana' might grate at midnight but right now, at 11am, it sounds perfect. 'Sebero' is just what you'd hope to hear if you discovered you were the first to arrive at a party, filling an empty room without being overbearing. The horn riff in 'Ahe Sira Bila' will come back to haunt you days later.

Mali Koura is a giant leap for a singer who has until now been regarded as a minor player. The time has come for us to add one more name to the pantheon of great Malian artists.

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008
I was a complete newcomer to this man and his music until, when sat watching all the latest Arcade Fire soundalikes on Jools' 'Later' one night found myself completely transfixed by his single performance in the middle of it all. This CD has continued to captivate me with it's joyful tunes and resonances, captured perfectly by a most sympathetic engineer. Toumani makes his instrument 'sing' throughout in much the same way to my ear as Abdullah Ibrahim does with a piano, or Ornette Coleman with an alto sax. Profoundly beautiful music !

Very good, but not his best, 29 Jul 2008
Unlike New Ancient Strings and Kaira, on which every track is superb, this latest album has a couple of less strong, meandering improvisations that really demonstrate nimbleness of fingers rather than great musicianship. If you are already a fan, definitely buy it, but if this is your first, I'd recommend New Ancient Strings or Kaira.

Warning - highly addictive, 14 Jun 2008
Toumani Diabaté, the kora guru of Africa, has outdone himself with this collection of solo instrumental pieces. The virtuosity in fingering the kora, the richness of the rhythms and range of melodies is unmatched by anything this Malian musician has done previously. I enjoyed his earlier solo collection, "Kaira", produced twenty years ago and his "New Ancient Strings" (1999), with which he and the younger Ballake Sissoko paid homage to their fathers' musical genius. Yet now, with this CD he has reached a level of maturity, depth and musicality not previously achieved. For fans of the West African kora, this is a must in their collection; for the "newbies", this is a great introduction into a mesmerizing aspect of Malian music and treat to enjoy over and over again. It will very likely become addictive. This is music to lose yourself in, over and over again.

Toumani Diabaté comes from a long line of Malian musicians. His father was the most famous kora player of his time and Toumani often pays credit to him through his music. Nonetheless, the younger Diabaté has refined the abilities of the instrument and enriched the playing techniques over the years. Elements of these could already be detected in the award winning In The Heart of the Moon, a collaboration with the legendary guitarist, the late Ali Farka Touré. Toumani, being largely self-taught, has been open to experimenting with this traditional instrument, without abandoning its unique sound and complex harmonies. As he traveled the world, he absorbed and learned from other musical cultures, such as Indian classical music, flamenco and blues. The compositions on this CD harmoniously integrate such influences with melodies and rhythms of the past. All are his, or presented in his adaptation. Soft melodies that seem to tell gentle stories alternate with more vivacious and energetic pieces. Not surprisingly, a special homage is included for Ali Farka that he would have treasured. Toumani's extraordinary technical skill lets him expand the fingering to incorporate the bass line as an accompaniment creating the impression that two koras are playing. Furthermore, recently Toumani has been experimenting, successfully as the pieces here exemplify, with two differently strung koras, one for the traditional melodies and harmonies, the other for his more "modern" compositions. The photos in the included booklet show the details of the finger settings. The explanations of the background to the two kora stringings and insights into the stories behind each piece are written by the musician himself. A beautiful gift to yourself or for people you care deeply about. [Friederike Knabe]


Simply stunning, 28 Oct 2008
This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, and I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow and lifts higher and higher. If you're not dancing around the room by track 3, you probably need anti-depressants. This is music anyone can enjoy, not just those beardy World Music aficionados. You shouldn't hesitate. Really.

you've been manu chao'd, 10 Jul 2006
If you like Manu Chao, you'll love this. If you want to here Amadou and Mariam, try an earlier album. Manu Chao's inisistent urban rhythms take something away from this fine duo.

It's not bad, but you can find better

beautiful tunes, 08 Jul 2006
I stumbled upon this album by chance and had never heard of this couple but am wowed by their sound - what a gorgeous album - even my young children love it! This is totally enchanting and i think you should buy it!

Awesome., 26 Jan 2006
I'm not going to bore you with a long winded, how worthy am I , listening to world music etc etc review.

This is the best album of last year. Easily. (i also bought stuff by Green Day, Pussycat Dolls, Killers, Magic Numbers, Bright Eyes to give you some context)

Buy it. Stunning. Early Saturday nights haven't been the same since.

Malian Blues, 22 Dec 2005
As a keen world music fan I come across many fantastic albums from across the world but this is a must for 2005, Malian blues at its best, this blind couple are the business and to top it off to see them at Womad this year was brilliant, if you only buy 1 world music album this year make it this one.

A beuatiful recording of a truly beautiful voice, 08 Jan 2001
This CD is a re-issue of an album released in 1972. Featuring Miriam's stunning voice singing the songs she is most famous internationally for, "Pata Pata", "Ring Bell, Ring Bell" and "click song number 1". A twelfth extra track, "Malayisha" unfortunately in mono, is the B side of the original Pata Pata single. Producer Jerry Ragovoy has done an excellent job in showing the scope of Miriam's repetoire, even penning two of the most stunning songs, "Ring Bell" and "What is Love?" to do so. Particularly if you have only heard Miriam's more recent recordings I exhort you to add this to your collection, and listen a younger but no less exquisite voice.

Simply beatiful., 19 Oct 2008
Rokia Traoré is better than ever. Her voice is stronger and so is the material she is performing.

Observer Music Monthly, 07 Nov 2008
Some influential voices will be dismayed, even horrified, by this combination of Issa Bagayogo's authentic, man-from-the-country sound and a series of propulsive rhythm tracks made from programmed beats and keyboards. I stand with the choir on the other side of the room, to sing the praises of an impressive and consistently enjoyable album from yet another marvellous and unique artist from Mali. How do you say 'it gets better with every play' without it sounding like a cliche? I give up.

Perhaps the closest parallel is to Amadou & Mariam's 2005 album, produced by Manu Chao, although the productions of Willie Mitchell in the early Seventies also come to mind - it's intriguing to imagine Al Green or Ann Peebles slipping into some of these arrangements.

Mali may be best known for music that reveals its roots but its capital, Bamako, has plenty of nightclubs, where the well-dressed take to the floor to be galvanised by DJs who switch between hip hop, R&B, reggae and their local equivalents. In general, there's an unwritten rule that the closer such local records get to matching the sounds of their Western models, the less interested we in the West are likely to be. Somehow Issa Bagayogo and his production team have surmounted this difficulty, developing a trademark sound that uses some Western elements and yet is still so distinctive, you instantly know who the singer is before he has opened his mouth.

Mali Koura is the fourth successive album by Issa Bagoyogo to have been co-produced by Yves Wernert, a Frenchman whose engineer's hands were on the tiller of every significant album recorded in Bamako over the past 10 years. Where previous albums were studio-based, these songs were recorded on location, starting at Issa's home in Wassalou in the south west of Mali, and then moving to Nancy in France, base of a polymath called Gael Le Billan, whose name appears 13 times in the credits, not only playing an astonishing assortment of instruments, but also collaborating in the songwriting, arrangements, production and mixing. He is quite a find, brilliantly integrating slinky saxes and Malian backing vocals, acoustic guitars and Issa's kamele ngoni.

Whether I were a boite DJ in Bamako or a radio DJ in London, I'd go for 'Poye' as first choice, but there are no duff moments on an album which throws up a different highlight depending on the time of day. The uptempo hustle of 'N'Tana' might grate at midnight but right now, at 11am, it sounds perfect. 'Sebero' is just what you'd hope to hear if you discovered you were the first to arrive at a party, filling an empty room without being overbearing. The horn riff in 'Ahe Sira Bila' will come back to haunt you days later.

Mali Koura is a giant leap for a singer who has until now been regarded as a minor player. The time has come for us to add one more name to the pantheon of great Malian artists.


Keep it to yourself, 24 Aug 2003
Keep this to yourself because we don't want everyone knowing this – Amadou and Mariam are brilliant… and hardly anyone beyond sandal-sporting, Afro-philes knows about them. Wati is either their third or fourth album (it's difficult to know because we get such precious scraps of their music in the UK) and it's as amazing as Tje Ni Mousso and Sou Ni Tilé. They are a Malian couple (incidently they're blind) who mix traditional African rhythms and voices with western pop melodies. Their music possesses a genuine joy for life and you can imagine them beaming broadly as they play their life-affirming melodies. Get Wati before it becomes as tricky to acquire as all their other CDs.

For their third album African Spirit (the previous release, Blessed, won a 2007 Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album), the now-world-famous ensemble of brave, passionate survivors, many of whom are living with HIV and AIDS, has crafted another heartbreakingly beautiful and inspiring program. They raise their voices in praise and hope, at peace with what cannot be changed but not remotely resigned about how to deal with it. The set list concentrates predominantly on South African spirituals but also includes pieces composed by Bono/U2 ("One"), Bob Dylan ("Forever Young"), and reggae icons Jimmy Cliff ("Sitting in Limbo"), and Bob Marley ("One Love"). There is even a rendition of "The World in Union", official anthem of 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, which is in turn based upon the "Jupiter" movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets. Some listeners may cavil at the crossover tracks, and Bono, heard live with the choir, certainly isn't shy about claiming his share of the spotlight. But building exclusionary fences around music has, thankfully, always been a colossal waste of time. Of whatever origin, each track is a miracle of fellowship, professed belief, and positive striving, interpreted by soloists and choristers of soul-deep, indestructible genius.--Christina Roden

African Spirit has been Nominated for the 2008 Grammy Awards as Best Traditional World Music Album.

All hail Ethiopiques! Hot and spicy., 26 Sep 2008
Hey pop pickers! Do you despair at the state of British indie music? Need that itch seriously scratching? Man,this is one wild and groovy ride. Weird and wonderful and very much deserving the attention of any curious and open minded music fan.I ain't no world music fan ,but the currently very stale indie scene forces one to search further afield to satisfy ones needs. If you like this, watch the film: Broken flowers (Bill Murray). Alot of this music soundtracks that film brilliantly. Also try Tinariwen (for seriously cool desert blues)or Kasai allstars.
We have people like Damon Albarn to thank for drawing our attention to such brilliant music. Nice one.Fair play to bands like Vampire weekend and The Good,the bad and the queen for mixing it up with sound results (no pun intended).

Patchy offering, 31 Aug 2008
This seems a pretty random collection of tracks. There are a few things that grab my attention, but to be honest they are in the minority. I've read reviews comparing them for impact with the Buena Vista Social club. Maybe this showcases Ethipian music in it's best light and is comparable with the Buena Vista's showcasing of a portion of Cuba's musical heritage to maximum effect; but if that's true then it just emphaises how much more Cuba has to offer, and how much more acceptable and familiar the traditional sounds of Cuban music are to the general listener's (including general world music listener's) ear. To me it's one for the collector to represent Ethiopia perhaps, but I'll only really go back to a few selected tracks.

Haunting and uplifting music that deserves a wide audience., 04 Jul 2008
The 28 tracks on this wonderful double CD are drawn from a series of 23 Ethiopiques albums put together by the inspirational French promoter and champion of Ethiopian music Francis Falceto. This haunting, uplifting music which is an intriguing mixture of jazz, soul, funk & folk was created and recorded in Addis Ababa during the final years of Emperor Haile Selassie's reign(1930-74).
'The Very Best of Ethiopiques' has been described as "doing for Ethiopia what the Buena Vista Social Club did for Cuba" and this marvellous music certainly deserves to reach the widest possible audience.

music you can eat, 30 Apr 2008
I felt I had to review this release if only to address the balance of a spectacularly ignorant reviewer who gave it one star.

What (s)he fails to grasp is that the influence of funk and jazz etc on these tracks is not a sign of Africans trying to copy American styles from yesteryear, but that popular musics around the world influence each other (see Vampire Weekend for a modern example), and compilations like this serve to bring music to a wider audience that would otherwise be ignored. And about time too!

The influence of jazz and funk on popular music can be seen all over Africa. This is hardly surprising when you think that the original influences for these genres can be traced back to 'traditional' African music. But the point is, everywhere does it differently, and the blend of musical influences heard on these cds are truly mesmerising, including modal scales and liturgical music from the Orthadox Ethiopian church.

What surprised me, though, is the wide apeal of the cds. My flatmates got used to me putting on random cds but when I played this, they all loved it - comments from 'ideal at a dinner party' to 'great to make love to'. So there you have it - something for everyone!

All in all, a great advert for Ethiopian music and a great compilation of tracks that show just how rich this music was, and still is.

Fantastic gateway into Ethiopian music, 14 Apr 2008
Any best of from the titanic Ethiopiques series was going to make for interesting listening.
This double CD package really comes up trumps, giving you a fine sample of the artists featured throughout.
Disc One is Jazzier in it's feel. We have the slow meandering Heywete before we dive into the painfully cool Yerkermo Sew. It is Mulatu Astatque's music that has brought Ethiopian music to a wider audience. Hardly surprising. Taken from his experiences of living in America, the grooves of his tracks are funky, infectious. Yekatit is probably my favourite one from him - rolling beat, the coolest slice of funk.
Getatchew Mekurya's music is far last westernized, more organic - the saxophones lead to towards Egypt. I love Shellela on the second disc.
The other artist whose music deserves a definite mention is soul singer Mahmoud Ahmed, several fine tracks on here including the beautifully languid Fetsum Denq Ledj Nesh.
I would say that this best of CD is ideal for those just dipping into the music. An excellent gateway into the rest of the series.



Brilliant, just brilliant, 10 Oct 2008
If you do not want the hair on your neck to stand up and goosebumps to appear on your arm then don't buy it, because this CD is truly brilliant. It's different to his others but that is the greatness of this guy. Some of the tunes relate to his experiences in the UK and he even plays with us in Cantelowes when you hear the start of the sound track for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Hey this guy has humour as well as brilliance.
With the world falling about our ears and all the talk of greed and corruption just buy this and take your mind to some calm and peaceful place. This can really contribute to your sanity. I'm off to chill out with this CD. I have all his CDs but this is really set apart, perhaps it stands out becasue it is less traditional, please buy it and you will not be disappointed, trust me

a master at work, 02 Aug 2008
I bought this as part of the run up to the 2008 WOMAD and I am so glad that I did. This is a work of great virtuosity that transports me to another world. I feel humbled by the presence of Diabate's playing genius and simultaneously soothed by music of great beauty. Oh and by the way he was as good live as he is on disc. I can highly recommend this CD to anyone wanting to experience superb music and a living African legend.

A gentle bolt from heaven , 29 Jul 2008