River Strings: Maninka Guitar

With the kind of pedigree Guinean guitarist Djessou Mory Kanté has – brother to the late, lamented Kante Manfila, and collaborator with the likes of Salif Keita and Sékouba ‘Bambino’ Diabaté – you wouldn’t expect him to have to show off to impress. And he doesn’t. River Strings: Maninka Guitar is a pleasant, undemanding album of understated acoustic and electric guitar grooves that initially may seem quite a slight work – that loveable kind of slow-growing album whose charms really only reveal themselves on repeated casual listens. The friskily swaying ‘Senekela’ and the gently rocking ‘Djandjo’ both straddle pop and roots music convincingly and memorably. There are cameos from excellent supporting musicians, such as Harouna Samaké on kamalengoni and keyboardist Charly Coulibaly, who peps up the rhythm and melodic richness on ‘Fakoly’, then just rides a droning chord for atmosphere on ‘Mbalia’. Those looking for demonstrations of the dazzling guitar genius that Djessou Mory Kanté obviously possesses will probably be disappointed. Nor is this an album of the kind of majestic compositions that vintage Guinean music is synonymous with. But it is still a very engaging listen indeed.