Na Zala Zala Rey Sapienz & The Congo Techno Ensemble At Pioneer Works may not have the crisp and polished touch of the group’s critically acclaimed Eghass Malan but what it lacks in mixing it makes up for in intimacy and energy, bringing listeners closer to the reality of the Tuareg experience. -Christian AskinĤ9.
Sometimes the music is revolving and dreamy like on the opener “Surbajo”, at others it’s exciting and energetic like on “Chakalan”, but my personal favorite is the joy that jumps out of the closer “Irriganan”. The guitar is central to Tuareg Blues aka Saharan Rock, and Gahli works her instrument with precision and dexterity, a quality particularly appreciated on a live cut. As a reminder, Gahli, the lead guitarist, is claimed to be one of the first ever female Tuareg guitar players, preferring the six-string over the traditionally female tende drum. Illighadad is a small village in the Sahara Desert in Niger, where the group formed. We hear the applause, the tempoed claps, and the cheers in-between cuts a happy reminder of the provincial roots that Gahli (lead guitar), Akirwini, Ahmadelher, and Gahli’s brother, Abdoulaye Madassane, on rhythm guitar, were brought up in. The hypnotic, repetitive works fill the project with the sense of urgency only found in a live show.
At Pioneer Works Les Filles de IllighadadĪt Pioneer Works, Les Filles de Illighadad’s fourth album, was recorded live at Pioneer Works Studio in Brooklyn during the group’s first North American tour. Listen to the selection via our playlist on Spotify and Deezer.ĥ0. We wish we could include every single that made us dance, every project that graced our ears, but for now, please enjoy our humble selection of 50 albums that define 2021. Our team and network of contributors across Africa and its diaspora do their best to give the who, what, how and why for every album, respecting each’s personal taste and take on the music that shook 2021.
Nonetheless, this is a compliment to our top naija, electronic, amapiano and rap, so feel free to browse your favorite genres via our other selections. You’ll notice a preference for diversity over popularity, letting us dig a little deeper into the many pan-African styles and scenes. Our selection is a pan-African special, collecting the best sounds from all over the continent to represent the vast talent and creativity coming from Cairo to Pretoria, Lagos to Nairobi. The 50 best albums of 2021 Listen in on 2021 with our pan-African selection from Cairo to Pretoria, Lagos to Nairobi, featuring the likes of Ayra Starr, Mdou Moctar, Focalistic, Nahawa Doumbia, and Kasai Allstars.Īnother year over and again more great music was released than we could ever hope to list here.