We’ve been enjoying this album from the Mali musician, which goes back to the roots of his music, which we’d guess is religious or at least mystical. Tinariwen are also from Mali, and for comparison, this is like an acoustic version of them.

Like much of this kind of music, the songs here lay down a hypnotic, repetitive groove, using only acoustic instruments and Kassé Mady’s voice. We’d say the music has its roots in either religion or storytelling (or both): whatever, it wants to get its audience into a trance, or at least drift off a bit.

It’s an intimate album with just Kassé Mady and traditional acoustic instruments, as well as the cello of producer Vincent Segal. If you like Tinariwen, you should certainly give this a shot. If this gentler take on African music appeals, you should try some even more stripped down music, like Morocco’s Gnawa (taken to that country by Sub-Saharan Africans), reduced to two-string guitar and qraqeb.