Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics

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The Ousmane Kouyate Band

  • Domba [Mango, 1990] A-

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Domba [Mango, 1990]
The rockish grandeur of this Guinean world-music ensemble sounds like it owes Santana. Probably doesn't, of course--we know where the polyrhythms started, and in 24 years Carlos has never risked a singer who could steal his thunder like this hereditary troubadour. On the other hand, Carlos can outplay the troubadour even though the troubadour counts himself a guitarist by trade. The crux is that most of the time Carlos's corn just sounds like corn. Kouyate's sounds like the staff of life. A-