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Djam Leelii

{{Infobox album

| name = Djam Leelii

| type = studio

| artist = Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck

| cover = Djam Leelii.jpeg

| alt =

| released = 1989

| recorded = 1984

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Senegalese music

| length =

| label = Mango

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Wango

| next_year = 1994

}}

Djam Leelii is the first collaborative studio album by the Senegalese musicians Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck, released in 1989.{{cite news |last1=Feist |first1=Daniel |title=Djam Leelii Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck |work=The Gazette |date=27 Nov 1989 |location=Montreal |page=B7}}{{cite news |last1=Denselow |first1=Robin |title=Baaba Maal The Grand, Clapham |work=The Guardian |date=29 Oct 1992 |department=Features}} It was recorded in 1984. A 1998 reissue from Palm Records raised the number of tracks to twelve.

Critical reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score ={{rating|5|5}}

|rev2 = Chicago Tribune

|rev2score = {{rating|4|4}}{{cite news |last1=Heim |first1=Chris |title=Rave Recordings |work=Chicago Tribune |date=28 Sep 1989 |page=13E}}

|rev3 = Robert Christgau

|rev3score = A−{{cite web |title=Baaba Maal |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist2.php?id=90 |website=Robert Christgau |access-date=18 March 2023}}

}}

The Washington Post wrote: "The album's eight selections range from the entrancing 'Lamtooro' and 'Muudo Hormo', tunes that achieve the spiritual grace and calm that so much New Age music aspires to but seldom delivers, to the more percussive, rhythmically contagious 'Salminanam'."{{cite news |last1=Joyce |first1=Mike |title=An African Acoustic 'Djam' |work=The Washington Post |date=18 Aug 1989 |page=N22}} The Chicago Tribune noted that "accessible melodies suggest American folk-blues, ethereal ECM-styled jazz and even modern classical music."

Robert Christgau concluded that, "for postindustrialized listeners, the interplay of recurring guitar patterns and penetrating Afro-Islamic voices adds up to background music with soul." Folk Roots named the album the best of 1989.{{cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Rod |title=In its January issue... |work=Edmonton Journal |date=30 Jan 1990 |page=C9}}

J. Poet of AllMusic commented that "two guitars, accented by a bit of African percussion and some tasty electric fills by Aziz Dieng, produce pure magic."{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/djam-leelii-mw0000201376 |title=Djam Leelii - Baaba Maal : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic |author=J. Poet |work=allmusic.com |year=2012 |accessdate=3 August 2012}} The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.{{cite book |last1=Moon |first1=Tom |title=1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die |date=2008 |publisher=Workman Publishing Company |page=462}}

Track listing

All tracks by Baaba Maal

  1. "Lam Tooro" – 6:40
  2. "Loodo" – 6:11
  3. "Muudo Hormo" – 6:13
  4. "Salminanam" – 4:29
  5. "Maacina Tooro" – 5:49
  6. "Djam Leelii" – 6:02
  7. "Bibbe Leydy" – 6:27
  8. "Sehilam" – 6:24
  9. "Kettodee" – 4:54 †
  10. "Ko Wone Mayo" – 9:29 †
  11. "Daande Lenol" – 4:34 †
  12. "Taara" – 5:23 †

† The last 4 tracks were absent from the original release.

Personnel

  • Baaba Maal, Mansour Seck - vocals, acoustic guitars
  • Aziz Dieng - electric guitar
  • Mamad Kouyate - kora (harp-lute)
  • Jombo Kouyate - balafon (idiophone)
  • Papa Dieye - percussion

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://archive.today/20130416141037/http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/RGphbSBMZWVsaWk=/Djam%20Leelii Djam Leelii] (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)

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Category:Baaba Maal albums

Category:1989 collaborative albums

Category:Mango Records albums