NEWS : the cd "DOUMALE - La Musique d'Issa Sow" has been nominated for the Klara Award in Belgium (like the Radio 3 award).
You can buy it and other music by some of the best, most interesting and exciting musicians of today at www.homerecords.be and homerecords.be on myspace - A small, independent recording company, dedicated to producing incredibly beautiful, intimate sound. Gold Dust ! Support them, spend your money there if you have some - if not, just listen and enjoy!
ISSA SOW - Doumale: La Musique DIssa Sow (Homerecords)
"Issa Mbaye Diary Sow is a 62-year-old Fulani, originally from Senegal but now based in Brussels, who learnt to play the nianiooru (one-string fiddle, also known as a riti) when working as a shepherd, before going on to play with many of his countrys big names, including Youssou NDour and Baaba Maal. Issa contributed some haunting high-pitched moments to Malick Pathé Sows well-received Maayo Men album of traditional Fula music earlier this year, but Issas sound is rawer and even more traditional than that. Issa Sow has a dextrous, rangy approach to what is by necessity a limited sound, pulling out long, scratchily melodic notes (as opposed to the harsher, short attacking style of Gambian riti player Juldeh Camara, for instance) which bounce along on the sparest underpinning of percussion, tinkling hoddu lute and acoustic guitar (and occasionally kora).
Unfortunately the French-language (and hard to read tiny font on black background is a no-no!) sleeve-notes give no clue as to who sings on which track, but five different singers are utilised, all relatively unknown but very impressive (Malick amongst them), whether it be a seasoned, commanding earthiness or something smoother, more melodic.
Its all very appealing, but made all the better by the enhancement provided to about half the thirteen tracks by stabbing, sweeping string arrangements in the style of a fully-fledged Egyptian orchestra. Im not sure how much a true part of the Fula tradition these splendidly realised Arabic strings play, but they add a drama and depth and are totally convincing despite being arranged and played by north European musicians. Issa Sows nianiooru dives in and out of the orchestrated passages, rolling over circular hoddu phrases and call and response vocals. Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar meets Afel Bocoum its surprising and stirring stuff on an otherwise gritty and ear-opening album."
www.homerecords.be
This review first appeared in fRoots magazine
Issa Mbaye Diary Sow (nianiooru / riti), Wouter Vandenabeele (violin), Malick Pathe Sow (hoddu, song), Serigne M. Gueye (percussion), Bao Cissokho (kora, tama), brilliant strings c/o orchestra Olla Vogala. At 't Ey, Belsele, Belgium 14.6.09. Thank you. " Le riti est fort différent du violon que l'on connaît. « Pour un public occidental, le riti est un instrument étrange », explique Vandenabeele. « Le son est très aigu, pénétrant et ensorcelant. C'est un violon qui n'a qu'une corde et cinq notes, mais qui est très expressif et plein d'émotion. L'intensité, le fait d'hypnotiser jusqu'au moment de l'explosion, rappellent Ali Khan (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le maître pakistanais du qawwali, une musique rituelle soufie, N.D.L.R.), même si musicalement, c'est fort différent. Au début, il faut s'adapter à ce son particulier. Mais moi en tout cas, j'en suis devenu accro ! » "
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Abou djouba Dehby hussein050319,495 views
How many notes can be played on this fiddle?
Max0Inq 7 months ago
ca c'est super! je vuex acheter toute les chansons d'issa sow! Son instrument, c'est comme le riti ou le gonjey non? merci!
DEUTSCHLANDDUDE 1 year ago