Welcome to Mali

Last updated
Welcome To Mali
WelcomeToMali.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 17, 2008 (Europe)
March 24, 2009 (US)
Genre Pop music
African blues
Electronic
Worldbeat
Length57:33
Label Because Music (Europe)
Nonesuch Records (US)
Producer Marc Antoine Moreau
Laurent Jais
Damon Albarn
Amadou & Mariam chronology
Dimanche à Bamako
(2005)
Welcome To Mali
(2008)
Folila
(2012)

Welcome to Mali is the fifth studio album by Malian musicians Amadou & Mariam. It was released on Because Music on November 17, 2008, in Europe and was released on Nonesuch Records on March 24, 2009, in the United States.

Contents

In 2012 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 75,000 copies throughout Europe. [1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sabali"Albarn, Doumbia, Moreau3:15
2."Ce N'est Pas Bon"Bagayoko, Moreau3:49
3."Magosa [2] "Doumbia3:43
4."Djama"Bagayoko, Dembele3:15
5."Djuru"Doumbia3:35
6."Je Te Kiffe (feat. Juan Rozoff)"Bagayoko, Rosoff4:18
7."Masiteladi (feat. -M-)"Bagayoko3:56
8."Africa (feat. K'Naan)"Bagayoko, Keinan3:48
9."Compagnon de la Vie"Bagayoko3:46
10."Unissons-nous (feat. Keziah Jones)"Doumbia4:16
11."Bozos"Bagayoko3:46
12."I Follow You (Nia Na Fin)"Bagayoko4:02
13."Welcome to Mali"Bagayoko3:20
14."Batoma"Doumbia4:13
15."Sebeke"Bagayoko, Doumbia4:31
16."Boula (hidden track)"  
Total length:57:33

Singles

"Sabali," released on 27 October 2008, was the first single from the album. The second single was "Masiteladi."

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
Observer Music Monthly Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg link
Paste (5.5/10) link
Pitchfork Media (8.4/10) link
Popmatters (7/10) link
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg link
Robert Christgau A

Welcome to Mali has received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "Universal acclaim." [3]

Keith Phillips of The A.V. Club gave the album a grade of A−, writing "Welcome To Mali sounds heavily produced but not overproduced, and even with the pings and whizzing, Amadou’s playing and the pair’s singing insure it never sounds less than organic." [4] In another positive review, Pitchfork Media's Joe Tangari wrote: "This album is an affirmation of global connectivity and an emerging global culture that transcends and repurposes tradition as it sees fit-- the sound of Mali merging with the world at large." [5]

Paste's Nick Marino, on the other hand, called the album "frustratingly uneven," writing: "[D]espite moments of exuberance, it can also feel like a mundane grind [...]" [6]

In August 2009, the webzine Pitchfork Media named Sabali the 249th track in their staff list "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s" [7] and earned a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album nomination in 2010.

Related Research Articles

<i>You Forgot It in People</i> 2002 studio album by Broken Social Scene

You Forgot It in People is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band Broken Social Scene, released on October 15, 2002. It was the band's commercial breakthrough. You Forgot It in People features intricate, experimental production techniques and a large number of instruments coinciding with the band's vastly expanded size. Local excitement for the album was so big that initial pressings sold out quickly, necessitating a 2003 reissue.

<i>Funeral</i> (Arcade Fire album) 2004 studio album by Arcade Fire

Funeral is the debut studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on September 14, 2004 by Merge Records. Preliminary recordings for Funeral were made during the course of a week in August 2003 at the Hotel2Tango in Montreal, Quebec, and the recording was completed later that year all in an analogue recording format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amadou & Mariam</span> Malian musical duo

Amadou & Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the Bamako-born couple Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia (vocals).

<i>The Woods</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Sleater-Kinney

The Woods is the seventh studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney. It was released in 2005 on Sub Pop. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann and recorded in late 2004. The album received widespread critical acclaim.

<i>Bang Bang Rock & Roll</i> 2005 studio album by Art Brut

Bang Bang Rock & Roll is the debut studio album by British rock band Art Brut. It was re-released in 2006 with bonus CD.

<i>Alligator</i> (The National album) 2005 studio album by the National

Alligator is the third studio album by American indie rock band the National, released on April 12, 2005 on Beggars Banquet. Recorded and produced by Peter Katis and Paul Mahajan, the album brought The National critical acclaim and increased their fanbase significantly.

<i>Silent Shout</i> 2006 studio album by the Knife

Silent Shout is the third studio album by Swedish electronic music duo the Knife, released on 17 February 2006 by Rabid Records. The album is darker than its predecessor, Deep Cuts (2003). It spawned four singles: "Silent Shout", "Marble House", "We Share Our Mothers' Health" and "Like a Pen".

<i>Lets Get Out of This Country</i> 2006 studio album by Camera Obscura

Let's Get Out of This Country is the third studio record by the Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura, released by Elefant Records on 6 June 2006. It was recorded in Sweden with the producer Jari Haapalainen, and arranged by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John.

<i>Dimanche à Bamako</i> 2005 studio album by Amadou & Mariam

Dimanche à Bamako is the fourth album by Malian duo Amadou & Mariam featuring, and produced by, French singer Manu Chao. It was released on the Nonesuch Records label on 2 August 2005.

<i>Cross</i> (Justice album) 2007 studio album by Justice

Cross is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Justice, first released on 11 June 2007 through Ed Banger Records and Because Music. Recorded during 2005 and 2006 in Paris, Cross was composed as an "opera-disco" album. It features many samples and "microsamples" throughout, with about 400 albums being used as sampled material. These include samples from Prince, Britney Spears and Madonna. The song "D.A.N.C.E." is a tribute to Michael Jackson. French musician Mehdi Pinson appears on "DVNO", and vocalist Uffie appears on "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". The album was supported by the singles "Waters of Nazareth", "D.A.N.C.E.", "DVNO", "Phantom Pt. II", and "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". A controversial music video was also released for "Stress".

<i>Night Falls Over Kortedala</i> 2007 studio album by Jens Lekman

Night Falls Over Kortedala is the second studio album by Swedish indie pop musician Jens Lekman. Described as "a collection of recordings 2004–2007" on Lekman's website and in the album's liner notes, Night Falls Over Kortedala was released in Scandinavia on the label Service on 5 September 2007 and worldwide on 9 October 2007 through Secretly Canadian.

<i>Volume One</i> (She & Him album) 2008 studio album by She & Him

Volume One is the first album by She & Him, a collaboration between M. Ward and singer/songwriter and actress Zooey Deschanel. It was released by Merge Records on March 18, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wavves</span> American rock band

Wavves is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. Formed in 2008 by singer-songwriter Nathan Williams, the band also features Alex Gates, Stephen Pope and Ross Traver.

<i>Manners</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Passion Pit

Manners is the debut studio album by American electropop band Passion Pit. It was released on May 15, 2009, by Frenchkiss Records. "The Reeling" was released as the album's lead single on May 11, 2009, and its music video was premiered on YouTube on April 21, 2009. A second single, "To Kingdom Come", was released in August 2009, followed by "Little Secrets" in December 2009. "Sleepyhead" was originally included on Passion Pit's first EP, Chunk of Change (2008), but was mastered for inclusion on Manners. As of December 2009, the album had sold 82,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<i>Humbug</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Humbug is the third studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released on 19 August 2009 through Domino Recording Company. The band started to write new material for the album towards the end of summer 2008 and finished it entirely in spring 2009. Like their previous release, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug was released first in Japan, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and Germany, on 21 August 2009. It was then released in the UK on 24 August 2009, in the US the following day, and in Greece on 31 August.

<i>Audio, Video, Disco</i> 2011 studio album by Justice

Audio, Video, Disco is the second studio album by the French electronic music duo Justice, released on 24 October 2011 by Ed Banger Records and Because Music in France, and Elektra Records in the US.

<i>Folila</i> 2012 studio album by Amadou & Mariam

Folila is the sixth studio album by Mali musicians Amadou & Mariam. The title means "music" in Bambara.

<i>UZU</i> 2013 studio album by Yamantaka // Sonic Titan

UZU is the second studio album by Canadian experimental band Yamantaka // Sonic Titan.

<i>Distant Relatives</i> 2010 studio album by Nas and Damian Marley

Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae vocalist Damian Marley. It was released on May 18, 2010, by Universal Republic, Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records.

<i>Infra</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Max Richter

Infra is a studio album by neo-classical composer Max Richter, released on July 19, 2010, on FatCat Records. The album was reissued on April 25, 2014, on Deutsche Grammophon.

References

  1. "Aktuelles VUT: VUT - Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmer*innen e. V."
  2. Spelled "Magossa" on the CD back cover, but "Magosa" on http://amadou-mariam.com/, "Magosa" is the title with which this song was registered with the SACEM, "Magossa" being the subtitle
  3. Critic Reviews for Welcome to Mali. Metacritic. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. Phillips, Keith. Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali. The A.V. Club. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  5. Tangari, Joe. Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali. Pitchfork Media. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  6. Marino, Nick. Amadou & Mariam: Welcome to Mali. Paste. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  7. Pitchfork Staff (17 August 2009). "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s". Pitchfork . Retrieved 17 August 2009.