Track Listing

1. Lion/Gaiende
2. Shaking the Tree
3. Kocc Barma
4. Bamako
5. Truth
6. Old Tucson
7. Macoy
8. My Daughter (Sama Doom)
9. Bes

Product Details

• Released on: 2001-06-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

From Amazon.co.uk
For much of the world, this was the first opportunity to hear Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour. Championed by Peter Gabriel (who appears here on "Shaking The Tree"), he burst into public consciousness with the frantic mbalax rhythms of the title track, dedicated to Senegal's soccer team. The producers, including David Sancious, added some gloss to the sound without killing the thrill of songs like "The Truth". N'Dour's wonderful voice, with its high, keening griot sound, was firmly front and centre--exactly where it should be. While the music was toned down a little for Western audiences, it remained firmly grounded in the streets of N'Dour's Dakar, powered along by the inventive drumming of Manu Katché. You could aptly call this the birth of a superstar with N'Dour showing himself capable and ready to walk into the hearts of people around the world as one of the great voices. --Chris Nickson

Chronique amazon.fr
Le merveilleux chanteur sénégalais Youssou N'Dour faisait un tabac en 1989 avec la sortie de l'album The Lion. Quelques mois après la tournée mondiale d'Amnesty International en compagnie de Sting, Tracy Chapman, Bruce Sprinsteen et de son fidèle ami, Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour livre avec cet opus quelques-uns de ses plus grands tubes : "Gaiende" (le lion en ouoloff, sa langue natale), "Immigrés" et "Shaking The Tree" sur lequel intervient Peter Gabriel. Sa voix extraordinaire servie par d'excellents musiciens et un style aux confluents du jazz, du funk et de la soul sur une rythmique mbalax (la musique nationale du Sénégal) a depuis cette époque conquis la planète entière et a même donné une couleur musicale à la Coupe du Monde 98. --Sylvie Clerfeuille

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece

Salif Keita won international acclaim in 1987 with his masterpiece Soro, a brilliant fusion of the Malian musical tradition with modern technology. The follow-up, Ko-Yan, was disappointing since his voice seemed to have been sacrificed to insensitive production.

It's therefore a relief to report that Amen was a great return to form, featuring highly melodic, hook-filled tracks with a sense of space, variety and dance friendly beats in which that mellifluous voice comes into its own.

The tracks address contemporary issues such as the quest for democracy in West Africa in the song Waraya, but there are also beautiful love songs like the buoyant Yele N Na, the rousing Karifa and the trilingual N B'i Fe.

Throughout the album, producer Joe Zawinul harmoniously reconciles Keita's voice with breezy arrangements and the technical expertise of the jazz fusionists who assisted Keita in creating this riveting slab of sound. The tasteful packaging includes French and English translations of the lyrics.

The breakthrough album
This was the album that gave N'Dour an international audience. It opens with the lilting The Lion/Gaiende, followed by the soulful Shakin' The Tree where Peter Gabriel contributes vocals, the lively, fast-paced Kocc Barma and Bamako, a jazzy track. Old Tucson has a charming R&B flavor, Macoy is atmospheric and subdued, while Sama Doom is another polirhythmic delight. N'Dour sings in both English and Wolof, his native language, but his voice is so expressive that language doesn't matter much. The instrumentation and backing vocals are elegant and graceful throughout - full marks for expert production. The Lion is very accessible, without compromising the integrity of the artist's roots, a highly successful fusion of Western and African.

This album is excellent!!!
The music is wonderful. Also, the words to the songs are very insightful. Youssou's voice is great!!