Oumou Sangaré - Ah Ndiya

Oumou Sangaré is one of the most revered singers from the West African nation of Mali. When she sings, time stands still. You can feel the sensation of warmth come over you immediately like the first ray of sun catching your face on an otherwise cloudy day. It is filled with a soulful harmony unlike anything you've ever known. You don't have to know what she is singing, but her passionate delivery is so overpowering that it wouldn't matter if she was singing about chalkboards and paint cans -- she has you at "ebede" (hello). It then is a bonus to know that her CD's come with translations of her lyrics, revealing themes of women's rights, empowerment and female sensuality. She openly roils against polygamy and other regional issues. The themes of her songs have frequently come under attack from some elders in her country, much to the delight of her fans and her contemporaries. Her music is in the tradition of Wassoulou, a blues-like music whose roots in Mali date back to the 1950's. Though Oumou's body of work is limited, it has made such an impact throughout the world it was deemed worthy of a retrospective. The double CD set simply entitled Oumou. was released this past February and is one you will not be able to forget. This song, "Ah Ndiya" (Oh My Love), and it's companion, "Diaraby Nene" (The Shivers of Passion) speak for themselves. These are among her most well known, and both appear on her first album, Moussoulou. It is the perfect introduction to the richness of her music and, I hope, will encourage you (as it did when I first heard her myself) to want to hear more.

BONUS TRACK: Diaraby Nene

You love it.