Ben Zabo

Malian Afro-beater Ben Zabo came to the attention of the international music scene after producer Chris Eckman and record label owner Peter Weber heard him whilst recording at Bamako’s infamous Studio Bogolan. The producers were there recording desert rockers Tamikrest and the late Malian guitarist Lobi Traoré; in much of Zabo’s debut album, traces of that production can be heard. There’s the sparse-yet-nagging rhythms that the guitar picks out, the hoarse vocals and the general hazy, gritty atmosphere of the band all playing together in one small hot space.

Zabo’s songs are largely sung in Bomu, the language of the Bwa people who originate from the border region of Mali and Burkina Faso. ‘Cinquantenaire’ opens with a heavenly buzzing balafon and then dives into a multi-layered rhythm. ‘Ye Be Ma’e’ has the big-sounding Fela Kuti-inspired vocals, the expressive brass section, and the chatty-singing vocals that give you the feeling you’re being woven a moral tale (song translations would have added to listener appreciation here). ‘Wari Vo’ is an upbeat dance track with a retro feel. The tracks sometimes lack a distinct character, and border on being over-produced in order to sound under-produced. Somewhere in the mix, something got lost in translation. Yet there is an energy and a special vibe running through this album.