Customer Reviews
If every Sunday in Bamako is like this, that's where I'm going... - By: Archer Books, 07 Jul 2010 
Like Salif Keita, Amadou Bagayoko & Mariam Doumbia are from Mali: the origin of the very best, most exquisite, innovative, effortlessly complex & original music from the African continent - if not the whole world - over the past 20 years. It's a mystery why, but all the very best music seems to be from Mali.
Like the late Ray Charles, Amadou & Mariam are blind. They're also married to each other, & have been composing & performing together since around 1980. This though is their most electrifying, original, joyful, danceable-in-the-street, clever, richly textured & simply best album by far, & the reason is almost certainly the involvement of Manu Chao who not only produced the whole glorious celebration but composed & performed on several of the tracks as well.
Sung mainlyin French with that delightful West African dialect - but also with a couple of English language numbers - "Dimanche a Bamako" (Sundayin Bamako - the title track of the album) is a joy from start to finish, full of surprises, different rhythms, interesting arrangements & eclectic choice of instrumentation. It romps along at a fair old pace and, even if you have no idea what they're singing about, you'll instantly love it. Every track is different & yet the whole is even more than the sum of its beautiful & exquisite parts: musical excellence, a delight to be savoured again & again.
If you like African music, especially music from Mali, & you never heard this album then you should buy it right now. If "world music" has never appealed & you're put off by lyrics sungin languages other than English, this could be a breakthrough & a revelation. Give it a listen, & open up a new world of joyous West African delight.
Very Catching - By: Mr. Norman H. Booth, 22 Sep 2009 This album contains a host of catchy tunes & will appeal to anybody seeking African music.
Magnifique - Absolument! - By: johnny t99, 13 Dec 2008 I cannot really describe myself as a World Music fan - lack of time principally: there is a 'world of music out there after all. And, I admit it: I thought I was on to a winner here given Manu Chao's involvement.
Just occasionally, you know a record's going to knock you dead ten seconds into track 1. This is one of those records.
Yes, Manu Chao's influnce is evident throughout but the stars of the show are Amadou & Mariam. From start to finish, across a wide variety of textures, colour & tempo the sheer vibrance & exhuberance never lets up. Mariamin particular, has a voice to die for. On the final track,(M' Bifé Blues') her repetition of the central motif, 'Je t'aime jusqu'à la mort' - dignified, unsentimental, matter of fact yet loaded with emotion sticks a lumpin the listener's throat, the size of a Granny Smith.
I'm off now to order some more stuff by this magnificent duo.
Incredibly enjoyable - By: I. Campbell, 09 Dec 2008 This CD is so very enjoyable. I own some other music from Mali - Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate -, but I had never heard Amadou & Mariam, which is I guess more "poppy". I bought it on the basis of the reviews here, & I am so very glad I did. It's one of those CDs that make you happy the moment you start playing. I am not a massive fan of Manu Chao, but his contributions actually fitin pretty well here, I find. I can't really imagine someone not liking any of the songs on this one... I tihnk my favourite track is the instrumental M'Bife Balafon, it's addictive & I play it on loop.
Simply stunning - By: Proud New Dad, 28 Oct 2008 This is simply one of the most joyous albums I own, & I have over 3,000! The mood starts out mellow & lifts higher & 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.
