Donso 2: Yaya Sangaré

Compared to the amount of words in print about the hunters' music of the Wassoulou there is sadly little of this music available in the shops. This is regrettable, because it is the music itself that has given rise to its fame, and not all the various music styles which (claim to) have been derived from it.

This is only one of the reasons why I am posting another cassette by a donso n'goni artist. The main reason is, of course, that it is just plain great music.

This cassette by Yaya Sangaré is (again) one of the many produced by Siriman Diallo, who is the number one specialist and authority when it comes to hunters' music. His cassettes are strictly legitimate, with all copyrights paid.

Like many of the great donso n'goni artists Yaya Sangaré is a man with a strong personality. The force of this can be sensed in his music. He is perhaps not as spectacular as Yoro Sidibé, and certainly not as extreme as that young lion Sekouba Traoré (who will the subject of a later post), but he has enough depth to compensate for what he lacks in ardour.

It seems to me this cassette was recorded in two sessions, with side A and the first two tracks of side B belonging to the - more introspective - first, and the last three tracks to the - slightly more extrovert - second. Both moods seem to fit in perfectly with the stormy wet November weather we are having here in Western Europe (but don't ask me why...).

Siriman Diallo SD 041