Vol. 2

Description

The label Awesome Tapes From Africa started over 10 years ago with the reissue of Nahawa Doumbia's Vol. 3. That recording kicked off a series of classic and new recordings from African artists, made available for the first time to the international market. For their 50th release, ATFA presents the Vol. 2 by the iconic Malian singer Nahawa Doumbia. Released on vinyl in 1982 and unavailable outside Mali until now, Vol. 2 is an intimate and powerful document of the early efforts of one of Mali's most enduring voices. Four decades later, Doumbia continues to tour the world with her soulful and emphatic singing, backed by her partner, guitarist N'gou Bagayoko. Vol. 2 is sparse in its instrumentation – it’s simply voice and acoustic guitar – but massive in its sonic impact. Carefully extracted and remastered from vinyl, this is the first time this recording has been cleaned up for wider distribution. Doumbia's voice soars above Bagayoko's guitar, as she expounds her plaintive approach to expressing the relevant subjects of the day. The background sound could be considered the third instrument, as its form and effect are vibrant throughout the recording.