Etoile de Dakar - Volume 1: Absa Gueye

These are some raw recordings from 1979. Listen to that call & response, listen to that vocal tone. Fucking beautiful singing. Known mistake-maker Youssou N'Dour is at his absolute best here, his future mistakes nothing but an errant prion or two at this point. This is vocal control and expressiveness. Fuck that bullshit American Idol over-singing.

Songs are composed based upon the aforementioned call & response over layered rhythms. Chord progressions are largely static, but wind instrumentation provides dynamics. Here is a fun game to play: Listen to just about any song on this, and try to figure out exactly what the hand drum is doing. This is really hard to do, and it will help your brain fucking swell.

A love for music shines through on these recordings, making them instantly relatable.

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