The Rough Guide to African Blues
Various Artists
(2007) World Music Network
I absolutely love African music. I have since I first heard Paul Simon’s Graceland where he used South African singers and musicians to add depth and color to his sound. As it states in the booklet that comes with the African Blues CD, it’s “pretty much universally accepted that the sounds developed by black sharecroppers in the cottonfields of the Mississippi Delta can be traced back to Africa via the slave ships.” Listening to The Rough Guide to African Blues is like hearing the link from then to now playing out in your ears. This CD bridges the gap between then and now, where we can hear more traditional tribal echos coming through but also the sounds of modern African blues, electric guitars and all. American blues musician Corey Harris performs “Special Rider Blues” with Ali Farka Touré, which is one of the highlights on the CD, along with “Waino Blues” by Daby Balde. If you love either traditional or modern African Music, or if you’re just starting to learn about African music and the roots of blues music, this CD will fit right into your collection.
The Rough Guide CDs feature many different facets of music. If you love music then the Rough Guides CDs are a treasure.