I Bring What I Love (Music from the Motion Picture)

iTunes Review

The Senegalese singer/songwriter Youssou N’Dour first came to the attention of Western audiences in the ‘80s. Mixing sounds from his homeland with various strains of Latin, rock, soul, and other genres, he was central to the development of the style known as mbalax. N’Dour is an adherent of the mystical Sufi branch of Islam, and his keening vocals, which draw from the Islamic vocal tradition, are powerful. The documentary Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love sketches out the African pop star’s biography and follows him as he works on Egypt, a release that stirred up controversy in the Islamic world. On “Immigrés/Bitim Rew,” the singer lets loose as horns stab the air and Assane Thiam works wonders on tama, or talking drum. “The Messenger,”which has room for traditional instruments like balaphone and kora as well as modern keyboards, features guest Mustapha Mbaye's intense vocals. The Fathy Salama Orchestra brings the distinctive sound of Egyptian music to two live cuts, “Yama” and “Mame Bamba/Touba - Daru Salaam,” and the album closes with the spare and dramatic “New Africa.”