Firin' in Fouta
| Firin' in Fouta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 1994[1] | |||
| Length | 55:04 | |||
| Label | Mango[2] | |||
| Producer | Simon Emmerson | |||
| Baaba Maal chronology | ||||
| ||||
Firin' in Fouta is an album by the Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, released in 1994.[3][4]
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best World Music Album" category.[5] Maal supported the album with a North American tour.[6]
Production[edit]
The album was produced by Simon Emmerson.[7] It was recorded in Podor and Dakar, in Senegal, and at London's Real World Studios.[8][9]
Dónal Lunny and Simon Jeffes were among the musicians who contributed to Firin' in Fouta.[10] Positive Black Soul appeared on "Swing Yela".[11][12]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Robert Christgau |  [14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [15] |
| The Guardian | [16] |
The Guardian wrote that "Baaba Maal adds to the new experimental fusion of traditional styles and ultra-modern influences with his bravest and most startling album to date."[16] The Independent determined that Maal's "plaintive Islamic ululations are brilliantly blended with arrangements that may borrow from hip-hop, salsa and ragga."[17] The Baltimore Sun noted that "some songs are nearly worlds unto themselves, like the loping, hypnotic 'Sama Duniya', which mixes West African percussion, an East Indian drone, dancehall bass and funk clavinet into a near irresistible rhythmic stew."[18]
The Gazette considered "African Woman" to be the album's best song, writing that it "begins with a hint of bouncy Colombian cumbia but quickly becomes a blazing Afro-Latin stew."[19] The Globe and Mail concluded that "what stands out is Maal's exquisite ululating tenor, a voice so sweet and mournful, delicate and powerful that it seems to bridge the gap of language and culture all by its lonesome."[20]
AllMusic wrote that "the keyboards and, more importantly, the drum loops give the songs a deep European club feel along with a strong push in the way of the vocals."[13]
Track listing[edit]
- "Sidiki" – 4:53
- "African Woman" – 6:05
- "Swing Yela" – 4:24
- "Mbaye" – 5:01
- "Njilou" – 5:30
- "Gorel" – 5:28
- "Sama Duniya" – 5:19
- "Salimoun" (Funky Kora) – 5:02
- "Ba" – 7:14
- "Tiedo" – 6:08
References[edit]
- ^ Library of Congress copyright registration SR0000200067
- ^ "Baaba Maal". Chicago Reader. 16 July 1998.
- ^ "Baaba Maal Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Santoro, Gene (26 December 1994). "Our holiday lists". The Nation. 259 (22): 814.
- ^ "Baaba Maal". Recording Academy. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ Wartofsky, Alona (22 January 1995). "POP MUSIC". The Washington Post. p. G3.
- ^ "Album reviews — Firin' In Fouta by Baaba Maal". Billboard. 106 (48): 100. 26 November 1994.
- ^ "The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music". Routledge. 11 January 2013 – via Google Books.
- ^ Kot, Greg (20 January 1995). "CROSSING CULTURES". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
- ^ Levesque, Roger (2 January 1995). "BAABA MAAL: Firin' In Fouta". Edmonton Journal. p. B8.
- ^ Charry, Eric S. (2 July 2012). "Hip Hop Africa: New African Music in a Globalizing World". Indiana University Press – via Google Books.
- ^ Bennett, Andy (3 October 2017). "Music, Space and Place: Popular Music and Cultural Identity". Routledge – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Baaba Maal - Firin' in Fouta Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Baaba Maal". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. V. MUZE. p. 3381.
- ^ a b Denselow, Robin (4 November 1994). "Pop". The Guardian Features Page. The Guardian.
- ^ "RECORDS". The Sunday Review Page. The Independent. 27 November 1994.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (20 January 1995). "FIRIN' IN FOUTA Baaba Maal". MD. LIVE. The Baltimore Sun. p. 8.
- ^ Feist, Daniel (3 December 1994). "BAABA MAAL Firin' in Fouta". The Gazette. p. D4.
- ^ Dafoe, Chris (10 December 1994). "RECORDINGS POP FIRIN' IN FOUTA Baaba Maal". The Globe and Mail. p. C17.
