It does not take long for the world of sound to take notice when a living legend, after half a century of developing his art, produces something new. Sidiki Camara, the Malian-born, Oslo-based drumming master and Spellemann award-winning performer, has been one of the most important composers in the world of music for quite a long time now. Based on the profound Manding music traditions of Western Africa, the entire career of Camara is a textbook of development, characterized by innovative cooperation with such legends of the music industry as Ali Farka Touré and Boubacar Traoré, the great Mamady Keita, innovative jazz musicians Bill Frisell and Esperanza Spalding, and Karpe among others. The album Ankaben, consisting of ten tracks, was released by Camara on September 4th.
The opening track, “Ankaben,” features the syncopated and plucked notes of the Kamale N’Goni (Malian Harp-Lute) in a pleasant and rolling pentatonic scale. In just a few seconds, it is accompanied by the hollow thump sound made by striking a wooden calabash and the soft shake sound, making an appealing and rooted rhythm before any vocals are heard.
In terms of lyrics, the main idea of this song lies in the key Bambara concept that can be translated as “Let’s agree,” “Let’s reconcile,” or “Let’s come together.” Camara creates a poetic call for harmony, social coherence, and understanding that will help people to settle their disagreements. Camara’s singing style has its roots in the tradition of West African griots—it is confident but soothing at the same time. His vocals smoothly move from storytelling to melodic and soaring vocals accompanied by warm call-and-response singing. As for the musical instruments, there is a dialogue of earthy picking on the n’goni, acoustic guitar playing, and solid percussion rhythms. “Ankaben” acts as an entrance to the project that cleanses the listeners’ souls and wraps them in the sensation of community spirit. It fills the listeners with peace and balance starting from the first notes.
The song “Slow Diarabi” starts off with a calm and wide-ranging solo arpeggio played on an acoustic stringed instrument wherein the notes decay gradually into silence; then follows a very soft vocal humming sound in a low pitch before the main melody is finally established. On a thematic level, the composition provides a reflection of “Diarabi,” a well-known West African tune that tells the story of passion and devotion. Through his slowed-down tempo, Camara manages to bring out the quiet, delicate, and persistent aspects of love, which include patience and emotional vulnerability. The vocalist, Sidiki Camara, speaks in a velvety tone on this track that is full of breathy subtleties, delicate pitch inflections, and a kind of intimate conversation.
This music is very clear in its instrumentation and is dominated by the plucked strings of the fingerpicked n’goni and guitar, a beautiful sax melody, as well as the soft brushes of the percussion. “Slow Diarabi” is music for creating a peaceful and holy space to meditate on your relationships and love.
The piece “Tolerance” begins with a fast electric guitar melody and what sounds like clear calabash slaps, which are quickly followed by an energizing n’goni bassline that provides a rhythmic Manding groove. As far as the lyrics go, the theme is about accepting one another on a global scale and the need for mutual respect and coexistence regardless of differences between cultures, political beliefs, and age groups. Camara makes use of some powerful proverbs to remind us that our differences are what make us stronger as people. The voice delivery in this song by Camara is lively and with great conviction, delivering an enthusiastic tone despite the rhythm, with the help of the numerous layers of vocal harmonies. This track is filled with the vibrancy of polyrhythmic instruments, n’goni licks, percussion accents, and a strong bass line that makes the song rhythmically irresistible.
The effect of the song “Tolerance” on the audience is uplifting to both mind and body. The song makes you think and dance at the same time, leaving an impression of optimistic humanity and rhythmic bliss.
Introduction is accompanied by a beautiful, unpitched jazz/highlife melody that rises into the air using the griot style of decoration, followed by the cascade of picked notes from the n’goni as an accompaniment, providing the foundation. The theme of the song relates to the idea of wisdom, ancestral voices, and intuition, “Lalikan” (voice of advice or warning) in traditional Malian culture. It suggests listening to the generations’ experience instead of being distracted by the noises of the modern world. Camara exhibits his amazing vocal skills by showing great vocal range and turns, which possess much soul. The musical arrangement is a blend of fine harp-lute sounds along with contemporary acoustic arrangements, where complicated fingering string sounds are complemented with a percussive backbone of heartbeat-like beats.
The music of Lalikan leaves the listeners with a feeling of being rooted and reverent.
This song begins with a soft stringed (harp)melody and electric guitar sounds like woodblocks and the light clicks from the shakers, forming a walking tempo rhythm. The lyrics of the song revolve around “Nakan,” which means destiny/fate in West Africa. This song gives the listeners a very comforting assurance in the way that everyone has their own path to tread upon, and no matter what kind of hardships come into our lives, by following one’s destiny, one would be fulfilled at last. The singing in this track has the quality of a wise elder talking with a soothing tone. The musicality of this song has been improved through the complexity of counter-melodies between n’goni and acoustic guitar, with some bass movements and woody percussion hits. “Nakan” gives the listener a feeling of tranquility and perspective. It serves as an anchor for people who are having doubts about their lives and assures the listener to follow their destiny in life.
The track begins with an easily identifiable and lively Manding pentatonic n’goni riff, an electric guitar melody that is a lively rhythmic motif and adds vibrant energy right from the start. The track’s theme celebrates “Baba Dramé”, a historical figure associated with leadership, nobility, generosity, and honor. Camara sings in praise of those honorable people who inspire their communities through their leadership qualities. The musical composition itself is a perfect showcase of acoustic mastery of West Africa. The vocals of Camara are dynamic and exuberant, with a lot of praise-singing involved. They alternate between solos and choruses. As for the instruments used in the track, there is very lively n’goni picking, explosive calabashes, and percussive breakdowns. “Baba Dramé” offers the listener a vivid and culture-rich musical experience.
Unlike its slow version found earlier on the recording, this one “Diarabi”, starts with a vibrant and syncopated string rhythm accompanied by an equally vibrant and quick percussion roll leading into a lively tempo. In terms of theme, this version speaks about the joyful, passionate, and exuberant nature of love and concentrates on the joy and excitement that love gives. In other words, it is love as an invincible and life-giving phenomenon. The delivery of Camara is very vibrant, happy, and melodically improvised. The instrumental part of the song is based on the fast and rhythmic n’goni picking, lively and quick calabash polyrhythms, and melodic acoustic basslines. In other words, “Diarabi” leaves you feeling happier and more vibrant after listening to it.
This composition opens in a quiet ambient style with one clear acoustic note sounding into the open space, followed by the appearance of minimalist jazz plucked strings performed in a cool manner with plenty of tranquility. The idea of the tune “Lys”, based on “Light” or “Lily” in the Nordic language, touches upon such notions as fragility, purity of the spirit, hope, and elegance. This tune is reflective of the musical background of Camara, who was traveling through cultures: the spacious and quiet nature of introspection characteristic of Nordic lands combined with the warmth of storytelling soul from Mali. The musician employs an incredibly soft and whispering vocal technique with particular emphasis on breath control and slight tone modifications. The instrumentation is minimalist and ethereal: it includes clear acoustic string sounds, warm acoustic bass sounds, and light ambient percussion.
Lys creates a sense of peace and meditation in the listener. It is a perfect rest in the midst of the album. The song begins with a percussive bass guitar melody and a conversation between interlocking taps on the calabash, subtle accents from the talking drum and wood clicks, until the syncopated riff on the n’goni locks the rhythm in place. In terms of lyrics, the song addresses the issue of humility vs. arrogance (“Kantolon”). This song warns against pride, boasting, and despising others, highlighting the fact that true knowledge can only be gained through awareness and appreciation of everybody’s hidden contribution.
In this particular case, Camara uses rhythmic vocal style that easily flows into melodic hooks, providing the song with an effective rhythm and musicality, which consists of tight percussive layering, bouncy basslines, and agile finger-picking playing off the accents in the voice. The experience of listening to Kantolon can be both rhythmically pleasing and inspirational.
The last song opens with a vibrant guitar chord sequence, a pulsing bass line, and a weaving n’goni tune that instantly invokes the spirit of freedom and the wide open road ahead. The thematic elements that are focused on include self-actualization, empowerment, and moving forward in your time without fear. This song provides an empowering ending to the album by expressing the joy and optimism for the future that come with personal growth. The performance is confident and powerful, backed by rich ensemble harmonies that build in the chorus. The combination of instrumentation includes West African folk music elements along with worldwide saxophone and acoustic singer-songwriter arrangements. Closing the album with “My Time” gives a sense of accomplishment and optimism for the future.
“Ankaben” comes backed by an elite collection of Norwegian musicians who share a perfect chemistry with Camara. In other words, this record oozes with organic warmth, raw spontaneity, and a unique heartbeat that you simply cannot ignore. The percussion on the album can only be described as legendary, where every hit on the calabash, every note on the harp-lute, and every polyrhythmic beat seem to breathe life and are very much intentional. The level of accomplishment achieved by Camara through Ankaben goes beyond what is usually expected from World Music. Indeed, the music album can only be defined as a cultural dialogue tapestry, where the sunshine storytelling nature of the Malian griot tradition converges with the harmonious atmosphere of Scandinavian music.
Once more, Sidiki Camara has proven that he is not only a musician, but an alchemist of sound who can unite different continents and people in such a way that no artist can manage to do it. His new creation, titled Ankaben, which means “Humanity,” is a brilliant example of how powerful music can be to become an unstoppable uniting force on our planet. As someone who has been listening to international sounds since time immemorial, I must confess that there has never been an album before that has managed to fuse elements with such effortless elegance, emotional profundity, and brilliance of structure. It is unambiguously and gloriously African in spirit, but incorporates contemporary modern nuances so seamlessly that it has set the bar for cross-cultural collaborations. Sidiki Camara is not just a musician who creates music; he is someone who speaks right from the heart using his phenomenal virtuosity and reminding us of all the things that make us human beings and make us connected despite the oceans that separate us geographically and culturally. Ankaben is a massive accomplishment, a peak performance in what was already an illustrious career, and an album that proves why Camara is one of the most inspiring musicians of our age. As an ardent admirer of his art, I am thoroughly astounded by this album, and I look forward to working with him again.
Stream the “Ankaben” album on Spotify.
Follow Sidiki Camara here and on her socials: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
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