Planting Trees

Abdoulaye Koné, aka Kandiafa, is part of a long line of Mande griots including great-grandfather Djigui and his uncle, Mama Sissoko. Kandiafa's first passion was the tamani (talking drum), but at 15 he took a fancy to the high-pitched djeli ngoni mincin. His rapid mastery of it marked him out, as did his thirst for music from elsewhere. His meeting with Ontario composer Lewis Melville opened the Malian to country music and experimental jazz.

These influences are felt in his debut Planting Trees and the subtle ‘Mali Country Remix’. Some even called him the Malian Django Reinhardt, which makes this third album all the more mystifying. Fans like myself – bowled over by ‘Kele Magni’, a riveting song and Keith Haring-inspired music video denouncing war – can only be disappointed by this rehash of Kandiafa's 2009 album. Some songs are easy listening, but most are laden with clichéd riffs from the ngoni or overbearing layers from the brass section, which descend into cacophony. Kandiafa's attempts at ethereal vocals are a far cry from the eerie authenticity of the singing in ‘Kele Magni’ or ‘Kabalo’. Only the troubadour atmosphere of ‘L'Arab’, and the interplay to a subtle reggae beat of ‘Roc Ngoni’, save this album.