If you like acoustic guitar music and are a world music fan, in the truest sense, you will love this masterpiece. While the beat and rhythm is always Senegalese, respectively Mbalax, Cherif Mbaw incorporates many styles from all over the world and creates something NEW (which can't be said from the majority of recording artists). You'll hear influences from Afro-Cuban music, Indian tablas, Flamenco style handclapping, Blues harmonica, accordeons, etc. I'm a lover of music from all over the world and this CD has climbed to my personal Top10 list, because it get's better the more you listen to it. - by S. Majcenic, Amazon.com
Chérif Mbaw has the voice of a young Youssou, the guitar of Pape & Cheikh and the feel of Cheikh Lô. In other words, he sounds like everything I like about contemporary Senegalese music. Mbaw come a long way over the years. Born in Ziguinchor then raised in Dakar, he fought his way to the top. After working on his singing for years he earned a spot training with Youssou N’Dour. This led to a grant to go study in Paris but apparently it took him several years to get permission to go to France. Once he finally made it to Paris he had to busk in the metros to pay the bills. These bumps along the road didn’t seem to discourage him: after two successful releases Chérif is now touring with the likes of Amadou & Mariam and Tracy Chapman. - Matt Yanchyshyn, Bennloxo.com
Artist: Chérif Mbaw
Album: Kham Kham
Yera: 2000
Label: Erato
Runtime: 45:42
Tracks:
1. Kham Kham 4:35
2. Doomu Adama 4:05
3. Adduna 3:55
4. Boroom kër 4:05
5. Wéet 4:06
6. Borom baakh 4:52
7. Jamm 3:57
8. Sakhaar gi 5:17
9. Saay Saay 3:19
10. Su suy 4:05
11. La danse 3:20
All compositions by Chérif Mbaw
Personnel:
Chérif Mbaw (Vocals, Guitar)
Shabaz Hussain Khan (Tablas) - 4,6,8
Alberto Alvarez Fernandez (Cajon, Palmas) - 1-3,9-11
Cédric Lesouquet (Double Bass) - 4-6,8,11
Laurent Griffon (Bass Guitar) - 1-3,7,9,10
Omar Sosa (Piano) - 2,8,10
Stéphane San Juan (Tringle, Cow-Bell) - 1,11
Debashish Bhattacharya (Slide Guitar) - 5,8
Alejandro Barcelona (Accordion, Harmonium) - 5,10
Pedro Soarez (Cavaquinho) - 2,4
Nicolas Auriault (Trumpet, Flute) - 1,6
Christophe Malaval (Clarinet) - 3,4
Vitto Meirelles (Guitar) - 7
Loic Landois (Harmonica) - 9
Leity M'Baye (Tama) - 10
Carmel Mac Court (Vocals) - 2
Mad Sheer Khan (Violin, Dobro) - 8