al bilali soudan-chez aballou lp

Al Bilali Soudan sparked by passion, and experience generate an improvisational tour de force melding tradition, rhythm and scale. From Tombouctou, Mali, these bravura players have performed together for generations. Pairing blazing strings with insistent percussion, Al Bilali Soudan's cultural roots represent the source of trance desert blues. Al Bilali Soudan delivers Takamba in its rawest form -- the original desert sound. These masters command the tehardent, a three-stringed lute buzzing with hypnotic power, propelled by deep calabash rhythms. Their music is tradition unleashed: unrefined, immediate, and pulsing with the spirit of Saharan gatherings. Recorded during informal rehearsals, this session captures Al Bilali Soudan's essence. Two extended tracks stretch beyond 13 minutes, locking into relentless trance inducing grooves. Abellow Yattara leads with tehardent work that's both virtuosic and deeply rooted, proving why he's revered as a keeper of Mali's musical legacy. This is desert music at its most primal. No studio effects, no concessions -- just real, raw resonance of strings, skin and voice. For those who think they know African blues, here's the deeper truth.