What's most impressive about the music on the disc is how well the musicians have managed to blend their diverse talents to create music that not only reflects their individual musical backgrounds, but something new as well that's a result of that intermingling.
The music of Mali was not written with saxophone or clarinet in mind, yet not once on any of the disc's eleven tracks do either of those instruments sound out of place when being accompanied by the balafon, or when they provide accompaniment to Makane Kouyate's vocals. The same applies when Balla Koyate joins Etkin for a rendition of Duke Ellignton's "It Doesn't Mean A Thing." His balafon, although lending the song towards a more exotic flavour than we might be accustomed to, sounds right at home.
There have been recordings made of North America musicians playing with those from countries like Mali before. Yet they have not been like this, because most of those have attempted to graft the blues or jazz onto a tradition. While sharing some similarities, it still has its own distinct flavor. In the past, that flavor has usually been close to washed away, resulting in people exclaiming about how much "they sound like us."
Of course any similarities that may exist do so because our music descends from theirs. In other words, because we sound like them. However, the real problem is the fact that the styles never seem to meet on equal terms.
On Kelenia Oran Etkin and his bandmates aren't trying to graft anything. Instead they have synthesized their individual musical and cultural identities to create something that not only allows them to express a unified sound, but also preserves their individuality.
The last thing I would think anyone would want to hear would be a sound that eliminates our differences in order to create something homogeneous and without character. Somehow these musicians manage to both celebrate their differences and ways for them to work in concert. As you listen you'll be able to pick out traits that sound familiar to your ear which serve as a bridge into this new musical landscape.
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