Nootee

The richness of sub-Saharan West African music continues to unfold before our ears as regional styles are identified and new exponents of traditional or modern music reach the world stage. Abdou Diop, who comes from the Casamance region of southern Senegal, enlisted in the army as a musician against the wishes of his family. However this move brought him to Dakar where he met fellow Pulaar speaker Baaba Maal who encouraged him to stick to the music of his native region. This suggestion gave him conviction and also started him on a road to success with European tours and two albums under his belt, despite recurring attacks of malaria. Abdou is a singer-songwriter and has bass, flute, hoddu (a lute-like instrument) and hand drums backing him. In addition there’s an array of guest guitarists. The guitar playing is clipped and brittle and reflects Senegalese string playing as much as any Western style. It makes a wonderful counterpoint when it is paired with the hoddu.

Nootee is well-produced and though mostly mid-tempo, there’s variety in the tunes and rhythms, and the liner notes give a synopsis of the lyrics to the 12 songs. The simplest song, ‘Dengere’, enjoining politicians to work together, sung to only drum accompaniment, is also the strongest.