Senegal’s most beloved musician, Baaba Maal, has just released his new song off of his latest album, The Traveller.
“Fulani Rock” is an instant ear-grabber, and the instrumentals alone in the song make it wildly powerful. The combination of sounds in a single song topped with Maal’s powerful and tribal presence gives the new track an incredibly enticing sound. The musical gem is produced by Johan Hugo Karlberg, who according to NPR, has “spent much of the last decade attempting a more perfect fusion between the organic and electronic soul musics of the two continents.” This becomes incredibly evident after you listen to “Fulani Rock” a couple of times. You feel the embrace of electronic influences, mixed with a highly authentic sound true to Maal’s style and roots.
It is a unique composition consisting of world-music and absolutely should be given a listen more than once. It will grab you. It’s telling of Maal’s worldliness and sense of culture that his newest album, The Traveller, would begin its track-list with a song that could literally make you feel like you are in another place…a traveler if you will.