Mali has produced some remarkable instrumentalists, from guitarist Ali Farka Touré to kora player Toumani Diabaté and n’goni star Bassekou Kouyaté. The blind musician Noumoussa Soumaoro, better known as Vieux Kanté, deserved to be added to that list, but he died in 2005 at the age of 31, just as he was about to release this long-lost recording. He was an exponent of the kamale n’goni, the “young man’s harp”, a variant of an older ceremonial instrument, which was created in the 60s. Kanté added extra strings, invented a new style, bending notes or adding harmonics like a blues guitarist, and with his six-piece band he became a favourite in the Bamako clubs. The opening instrumental Sans Commentaire shows his skill as he improvises against a tight, slinky riff, and he demonstrates his powerful vocal work on the chugging and stomping Nafolo. Eleven years on, his work deserves international recognition.
