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Album review
CD OF THE WEEK : CHEIKH LÔ
Mbalax, 'M'beddemi' and Muridism
22/10/1999 -
Cheikh Lô's new album gets off to a somewhat confusing start, kicking off with a reworking of the Cuban classic "M'beddemi". Listeners will already be familiar with the original version of the song, by Cuban star Portabales, as Portabales' version appears on the best-selling album "Buena Vista Social Club". But what, we might well ask, is a Senegalese musician doing reworking traditional Cuban guajira? Music fans might be tempted to point the finger at a certain Nick Gold from World Circuit. Gold, one of the production masterminds behind "Buena Vista Social Club", was called in to co-produce Cheikh Lô's new album with Youssou N'dour. Perhaps the idea of covering "M'beddemi" was a cunning ploy dreamt up by Gold to cash in on the success of the superstar granddads from Havana?
Cheikh Lô insists that covering the Cuban classic was his own idea, however. "No, it wasn't my record company's idea," says Lô, " I chose to cover the song myself. I see it as a way of paying tribute to Cuban music. You know, Cuban music has had an enormous influence on our music scene for the past thirty years or more. Covering the song was also a way of showing that I'm open to a lot of other things that are going on in the world. I knew a pop version of "M'beddemi" existed already and I wanted to try and create a totally different arrangement for my new album."
This question of reworking and rearranging has been at the forefront of Cheikh Lô's mind since he made his debut on the international music scene with the album "Ne la Thiass". The 40-year-old Senegalese star has already had to face the problem of rearranging certain songs from his old cassette albums so that fans are not disappointed by a sense of déjà vu on his new CDs. Cheikh Lô has also had to try and find a way of asserting his African identity, while showing himself to be open to other influences. Cheikh Lô appears to have found a solution to this problem by experimenting with musical fusion. On the album "Ne la Thiass" Lô skilfully mixed Latino rhythms with his native mbalax, paying tribute to another major source of inspiration. "(Latino) music is so strong, when it comes to both rhythm and melody, that it was bound to end up influencing me," says Lô, "And then, just look at the way the music scene is these days - there are no boundaries, no national frontiers any more! Musicians in Europe have started playing the tama and the balafon and sampling our music. Why shouldn't African musicians also have the right to experiment with music from other countries?"
Cheikh Lô experiments with a joyous fusion of rhythms on "Bambay Gueej", mixing his native mbalax with everything from reggae to Afro-beat and inviting a truly eclectic group of stars to guest on his new album. The album retains distinctive Senegalese touches, however, Lô making full use of the traditional tama and sabar drums. Cheikh Lô also introduces a mystic element to his music, drawing inspiration from Muridism (the Sufi brotherhood which he belongs to in Senegal) and from which he takes his official Sufi title "Baye fall". 
Besides using his new album to pay tribute to the founder of Muridism (Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, "our saviour") and to the late African music star Fela Kuti, Cheikh Lô rails against war and corruption. The essential message Lô puts across on "Bambay Gueej" is addressed to the children of the world: "Forgive us, children of Africa / Forgive us, children of the world / Instead of natural death we bring you war / Forgive us, and bring the people of the Earth together in peace." A worthy sentiment for such a superb album. French text: Soeuf Elbadawi
English translation: Julie Street
**Mbalax or mbalakh: a popular Senegalese rhythm made famous on the international music scene in the 80s by Youssou N'dour and the group Super Etoile de Dakar.
Bambay Gueej (Jololi / World Circuit / Night & Day).
