Search - Wasis Diop :: Judu Bek (The Joy Of Living)

Diop's Back with an Evocative Gem

Juan Mobili | Valley Cottage, NY USA | 09/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Diop has not released anything in a few years which is clearly our loss while it lasted. This album is probably mellower and more evocative than prior outings, yet it holds all the goods that makes Wasis Diop one of the great singers of West Africa. The deep voice, sinuous melodies and great musicianship are here, as strongly present as his best past material.



Unlike other albums, this is a narrative of sorts, an album devoted to look back and tell stories of his life. Definitely more a movie than a journal, the songs endure in your mind as images, moments of someone's life. But if this music can be called cinematic it is not because it plays well as background sounds. In the contrary, this a set of great songs with enough emotional immediacy and melodic nuances to have you sit for hours, listening to the stories of your own life."