Against a simple, yet expertly worked, landscape of guitar, beat box, bass, harp, n’goni and percussion, Ms. Traoré’s mesmerizing vocals astound as they soar delicately, plunge to throaty depths and offer flirty trills throughout Tchamantché. This captivating delivery charms, cajoles, scolds and seduces, making Ms. Traoré’s performance utterly irresistible.
Tchamantché is a varying landscape of tracks with fierce tracks like “Dounia” and “Tounka,” the delicately colored “Dianfa,” the n’goni-laced “Kounandi” and the rolling rhythms and seductive vocals of “Aimer.” Tracks like the deliciously worked “Zen” and the fascinatingly rich “”Koronoko” are seemingly simple, but offer up a sophistication in their construction that bends expectation and quickens the blood. Ms. Traoré includes a stunning version of the Billie Holiday classic “The Man I Love” that would turn the most reluctant goofy with love, making the twists and turns of mood in Tchamantché interesting and downright entertaining.
Rounding out the sound of Tchamantché are n’goni player Mamah Diabaté, hip-hop artist Sly Johnson on human beat box and backing vocals, guitarists Sibiri Koné and Seb Martel, bassist and harpist Christophe “Sisco” Minck, percussionist Steve Shehan, drummer Vincent Taeger, backing vocalist Dianke Termessant, as well as guitar by Ms. Traoré.
Buy the CD:
- In North America: Tchamantché
- In Europe: Tchamantche
