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Rokia Traore
Tchamantche
(Nonesuch)
First Appeared in The Music Box, June 2009, Volume 16, #6
Written by Douglas Heselgrave
Wed June 3, 2009, 04:30 AM CDT
Rokia Traore is one of the most underappreciated singers in the realm of
African music. This, however, should change for the better in the wake of her
excellent new album Tchamantche. Although she originally is from Mali,
Traore has an international perspective. This stems from her father’s service as
a diplomat, which forced her family to move from locale to locale around the
globe. Consequently, the palette from which she draws is more diverse than the
one used by her West African counterparts.
In addition to working on Tchamantche, Traore also has written a
musical based upon the life of Mozart, and she has participated in a traveling
revue devoted to exploring Billie Holiday’s canon. Not surprisingly, then, she
often conducts stylistic experiments by inserting jazz and classical motifs into
her compositions. Traore also plays the guitar, an instrument that is not
usually deemed suitable for an African woman to play. These unusual career
choices undoubtedly account for the fact that she has not received the acclaim
that she long has deserved.
Unlike Traore’s other endeavors, which have featured her either accompanying
herself on an acoustic guitar or backed by a traditional African ensemble,
Tchamantche is an exercise in electric minimalism. Filled with her
fuzzy-sounding, Gretsch-guitar tones, the songs on Tchamantche often
evoke John Lee Hooker’s folk-blues recordings from the 1950s. A luxurious sense
of space emanates from the recording, and each note that Traore delivers
resonates with warmth, while hanging poignantly in the air. This maximizes the
emotional impact she makes.
Backed by a European rhythm section — which thankfully doesn’t fall into the
trap of trying to sound like a Malian outfit — Traore offers a very tasty
collection of stripped-down, minor-key blues songs, which gain momentum and
complexity as Tchamantche progresses. Likewise, the rhythms become more
seductive and uplifting. Tchamantche begins with a hushed invitation to
intimacy, but by its final track, it has evolved into a full-fledged celebration
of life in all of its glory and sorrow.
It is impossible not to admire Traore’s audacity as she seems to delight in
inverting formulas. For example, she uses a classical harp instead of a
traditional kora to generate a wash of string sounds. Like most artists from
Mali, Traore sings primarily in French and her local dialect, but the inclusion
of her cover of George and Ira Gershwin’s The Man I Love — a tune that
typically is associated with Holiday — demonstrates just how creative and
innovative she has become. Traore’s take on this oft-recorded standard is
bizarre, insightful, and beautiful beyond words.
Without a doubt, Traore is an artist to watch. With Tchamantche, she
has proven that she thoroughly understands and honors her own traditions. Yet,
she also has seen beyond them to create her own style and means of expression.
Exciting and innovative, Tchamantche is a slow-burning album that reveals
itself gradually through repeated exposure. 
Of Further Interest...
Robinella - Solace for the Lonely
Seckou Keita Quintet - The Silimbo Passage
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars (DVD)
Tchamantche is available from
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For Canadian orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2009 The Music Box
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