A Land of Drummers

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: November 19, 1996
• Total Time: 54:59
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: World

Review

A Land of Drummers is actually a compilation of songs from six other albums on the Village Pulse label: Mapathe Diop's Sabar Wolof: Dance Drumming of Senegal, Boubacar Diagne's Tabala Wolof: Sufi Drumming of Senegal, Mamadou Ly's Mandinka Drum Master, Malang Mane's Balanta Balo: Talking Wood of Casamance, Amadu Bamba's Drums of the Firdu Fula, and Saikouba Badjie's Bougarabou: Solo Drumming of Casamance. Two songs from each are represented on this album, and good choices were made as to the presence of each track. The best works from each album were definitely chosen. Mapathe Diop shows amazing skill on his two tracks, especially "Thie Bou Dienne," which utilizes heavily opposing rhythms. Mamadou Ly carries some amazing speed on "Chingo." Malang Mane and his accompanying friend Oumar Sadio work side by side on an unusually large balofon for a medley of griot works. The Firdu Fula drumming utilizes the same set of drums as the Mandinka drummers, but at a slightly slower pace. Both of the tracks by Saikouba Badjie are praise songs, one of the chief of his village, the other of the chief's wife. Overall, the album is a worthwhile effort to procure, though those that find the drumming good should definitely dig up the six albums that spawned this compilation, as they are quite superior on each of their respective styles to the measly two songs taken from each. Still a good compilation though. ~ Adam Greenberg, Rovi

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