Youssou N'Dour Lion CD

Youssou N'Dour's third album, released in 1989, was the one that pushed him into the international limelight. Though N'Dour would perfectly blend commercial accessibility with the sounds of his native Senegal on his follow-up release, SET, LION sows the seeds for that fusion with its propulsive drumming and smooth, palatable production.

While critics may occasionally accuse N'Dour of watering down his original African sound, the constant here, as with all of N'Dour's albums, is his astonishing, soaring tenor. Rough-hewn, but capable of great, surging flights, N'Dour's voice always seems to be on its own spiritual quest, a quality that underscores the sacred feel of much of his music. He is in excellent voice on LION, particularly on the lovely duet with Peter Gabriel, "Shaking the Tree," making the album as fine an introduction to his talents as any. Additionally, a number of LION's songs are rooted in mbalax, a dense, polyrhythmic African dance beat (see the rolling groove of "The Truth"), making the album quite exciting and distinguishing it from the artist's later, more pop-oriented releases.

Out of print in the U.S.! Originally released in 1989, The Lion is considered the Senegalese singers breakthrough album. There are albums by World artists that are geared for a commercial market, but The Lion is something else entirely. It is an album that the commercial market wholeheartedly embraced without N'Dour having to alter has sound or cater to a new audience. The Lion is N'Dour, pure and simple. Well, he does have some high-powered guests appearing on the album including Peter Gabriel, David Rhodes, David Sancious, David Sanborn and others. World music never sounded so good. EMI.

Recorded at Real World Studios, London, England and Studio 2000, Dakar, Senegal.

Engineers: Rod Beale, Hugh Padham, Dave Bottrill.

Personnel includes: Youssou N'Dour (vocals); Peter Gabriel (vocals, piano); David Rhodes, Pap Omar Ngom, Kamil Rustam (acoustic & electric guitars); Habib Faye (guitar, keyboards, bass, programming); David Sancious (guitar, keyboards); Oumar Sambou (Tokhoro flute); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Jimmy Mvondo Mvele (tenor saxophone); Christophe Diop (trumpet); Pierre Chabrele (trombones); Kenny Kirkland (piano); Simon Clark (piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals); Roger Bolton (keyboards, programming); Rod Beale (keyboards); Aliou Mane (balafon); Manu Katche, Mamadou Dieng (drums); Assane Thiam (talking drum); Babacar Faye (percussion); George Acogny (programming); Aby N'Dour, Tessa Niles, Dolette McDonald (background vocals).

Producers: Peter Gabriel, David Sancious, George Acogny.

Q - 3 Stars - Good