Back in the early '90s, when I worked at Virgin Records, we had Peter Gabriel's Real World label under our umbrella. Through that, I developed an ear for global sounds, particularly West African. So Fatoumata Diawara's debut album, Fatou, was an easy love at first listen. It's a silky, shimmering
Diawara's youth was filled with Wassoulou music, a style often noted as an important pre-Colonial precursor of the blues. Because she sings in Wassoulou, the lyrics are, for most of us, irrelevant. An album like this reinforces the notion that music is, indeed, the universal language, and we can take all the cues we need from the melodies.
Pitchfork writes of the album's quiet intensity, “This is how the whole record works: There's no fanfare, nothing is announced. It simply surrounds you with its atmosphere. It is an ultimately beguiling album because of this. Even in its most demonstrative moments, such as the shivering lead guitar line that opens "Bakonoba", it's a record you can sink into and enjoy for its sonics as well as its songwriting.”
As our world becomes increasingly connected and simultaneously divided, those of us who have sheltered ourselves, intentionally or not, from broadening our musical horizons across more than a couple of continents would do well to change that. And this record is a gently glimmering place to start.
Hear the whole episode February 4 at 6 am, 12 pm, and 6 pm PT.
