Urban Spirit

Diogal Sakho is a long-time resident of Paris but was born amongst the Lebou people of N'gor, a staunchly independent village on the peninsular that now hosts the Senegalese capital of Dakar. N'gor has an independent spirit, with its own dialect, justice system and spiritual beliefs.

Urban Spirit is the third international release from Diogal, who has left behind the sweet, salt-tinged ballads of his first two releases – fishing, and the sea, are still significant cultural elements in the lives of the Lebou – and put together a rather one-dimensional set of songs which allude to life in the city. The gentle pace and pretty melodies of his earlier releases have made way for darker tones and Diogal's voice seems out of place in this new soundscape. His delicate guitar style rarely shines through, though on ‘Layi’ there are brief glimpses of what the young migrant balladeer has become so loved in Senegal for. His vocal strengths do come through on the opening track, ‘Reer’, but the song lacks the structure or intricacy that could have made it fly. ‘Town’, a song about the quiet city streets at night, is jarring, though an interlude of electric guitar from the exceptional guitarist Hervé Samb does something to bring it alive. For those who have followed Diogal's career, this album may come as a surprise. Lacking in his trademark melodies and too flat to be good African rock, this is a record that will leave some people cold.