Sahel by Tuareg guitarist Bombino has taken the number one spot on the Transglobal World Music Chart for February 2024. Sahel was released on September 15th, 2023, under Partisan Records. Named after the expansive African region spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, Sahel follows Bombino’s 2018 Grammy-nominated album, Deran.
Collaborating closely with Welsh producer David Wrench, known for his work with acclaimed artists like David Byrne and Frank Ocean, Bombino and his bandmates recorded the album over ten days in a Casablanca studio. This album marks Bombino’s most intimate and diverse work to date, aiming to reflect the intricate mosaic of cultures and people in the Sahel.
Touching on themes ranging from the Tuareg’s struggles to lost love and youthful folly, Sahel delivers a mix of introspection and energetic rhythms. The lead single, “Ayo Nigla,” follows the previously released “Aitma.” The album’s opener, “Tazidert,” released in the spring, encapsulates a message of patience amidst music that beckons movement. Bombino emphasizes his ongoing dedication to shedding light on the Tuareg’s challenges, making it a central focus of this album.
February 2024 Chart
- Bombino – Sahel – Partisan
- Batsükh Dorj – Ögbelerim: Music for My Ancestors – Buda Musique
- Shakti – This Moment – Abstract Logix
- Bixiga 70 – Vapor – Glitterbeat
- Ary Lobo – Ary Lobo 1958-1966 – Analog Africa
- Koum Tara – Baraaim El-Louz – Odradek
- Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Allstars – Chronika – Borscht Beat
- Hysterrae – Hysterrae – Linfa
- Mari Boine & Bugge Wesseltoft – Amame – By Norse Music
- Sidiki Camara – Return to the Traditions – Global Sonics
- Almir Mešković & Daniel Lazar – Family Beyond Blood – ALDA
- Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas – The Soul of Epirus Vol. II – Artway / Technotropon
- Casapalma – Montañesas – Raso
- Idrissa Soumaoro – Diré – Mieruba
- La Sève – Chlorophylle – King Tao
- Aga Khan Master Musicians – Nowruz – Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- Carola Ortiz – Cantareras – Segell Microscopi
- Okavango African Orchestra – Migration – Okavango African Orchestra
- Lenhart Tapes – Dens – Glitterbeat
- Luzmila Carpio – Inti Watana / El Retorno del Sol – ZZK
- Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin – Ya Mizolé – Jarring Effects
- Okan – Okantomi – LulaWorld
- Omiri – Ribatejo e Estremadura Vol.II: Abrantes e Alcobaça – Repasseado
- Mama Sissoko – Live – Mieruba
- Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhriain – Double You – Bendigedig
- Gao Hong & Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde – Alondra – ARC Music
- Bicho Carpinteiro – Bicho Carpinteiro – Bicho Carpinteiro
- Lina – Fado Camões – Galileo Music Communication
- L’Attirail – Honorables Correspondants – CSB Productions
- Ayfer Düzdaş – Kilomên Arxawûnê – Ayfer Düzdaş
- Ana Carla Maza – Caribe – Persona Editorial
- Cserepes – Pink – Fonó
- Leon Keïta – Leon Keïta – Analog Africa
- Genticorum – Au Coeur de l’Aube – Genticorum
- Dareyn – Ghost Secrets – Dareyn / AudioMaze
- Mohammad Motamedi & Rembrandt Trio – Intizar – Just Listen
- Eva Väljaots & Robbie Sherratt – Skylark – Eva Väljaots & Robbie Sherratt
- Times New Román – Jól Élünk – Times New Román
- Johanni Curtet – If Only I Could Hibernate – Buda Musique
- Salvio Vassallo & Monica Pinto – Il Bacio: Rise and Fall of Salomè – Visage Music
More information about the Transglobal World Music Chart: transglobalwmc.com
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central