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  Thione Seck
Orientation (Stern's Africa STCD 1100, 2005)
Senegalese vocalist Thione Seck has always been a versatile guy, a hereditary
griot whose skills include singing the traditional music of the Wolof people,
the Afro-Latin style (as a member of
Orchestra Baobab in the '70s) and the same sort of crackling m'balax that
Youssou N'Dour shot to fame with. As a Sufi Muslim, he also came to
appreciate music as a mystical force that enlightens as well as entertains. That
background, coupled with Seck's love for sounds stemming from further east of
his Senegalese base of operations, has led to the creation of his latest album.
Orientation is, quite simply, an astoundingly good exploration of
African, Arabic and Indian sounds. Recorded over a three-year course in Cairo,
Dakar, Madras and
Paris with assistance from visionary producer and arranger Francois Breant, this is
both a fusion album and and a brilliantly realized experiment in which a master
African singer puts his pipes to work in some unexpected settings. Actually,
there is something of a precedent here- the first few tracks have the kind of
lush, string-laden spirituality that characterized
Youssou N'Dour's Egypt album. Seck is no imitator, though. His voice has a
testimonial power and range all its own, shaking things up at every turn.
Especially thrilling is "Woyatina," a hypnotic jewel of tingling Afro-Arabic
beauty. No ground is lost as the proceedings move into India territory, with
instruments such as tabla and sarod easing into best-of-two-worlds grooves that
Seck once again voices amazingly. "Mouhahibou" is the particular gem here,
sporting mainly Indian instrumentation that slip-slides through a loping
Africanized rhythm topped by heavenly lead and background singing.
The final three tracks welcome Seck back to Senegal with an adundance of
grace and might, reminding us that he is an African artist first and foremost.
And a treasured one at that. Clocking in at just under an hour,
Orientation's running time is generous enough but I found myself
wishing it would go on and on. It's one of those albums in which every word sung
and every note played adds up to pure excellence. One of the best releases of
2005, perhaps the absolute best. (www.sternsmusic.com)
Orientation
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