American blues and African traditional music still maintain very similar sounds, especially when the two cross pollinate. Here's Taj Mahal on Taj Mahal Meets The Culture Musical Club Of Zanzibar and Ali Farka Toure in Savane.
Taj Mahal plays with some Zanzibar musicians on this album to make for a great representation of how African music influenced Blues. It carries the same focus on great sounding licks but they also add quite a bit more ornamentation to the notes. I absolutely recommend this album for a step into the World music realm while still maintaining an easily recognizable sound.
Ali Farka Toure is known as the King of the Desert Singers. He started out playing Malian traditional njarka and guitar and eventually jumped the ocean to experiment with their musical cousin the Blues. It is peculiar listening to this track because at first I imagine a heavy Bluesy drawl, but in English of course. His manner is so reminiscent of artists like John Lee Hooker that I feel as if the lyrics would be just like a typical Blues song if I could understand them.
Catfish Blues
Ledi Coumbe
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