What initially strikes you about Paris based Senegalese ensemble Toure Kunda are the incredible vocals harmonies. Almost every piece demonstrates their unique ability to harmonise over their Afro-pop dance music, taking on, Congolese rhumba, mbalax, reggae, tango and Latin influences. They’ve been playing since the 70′s and though members have come and gone, they continue to produce this fascinating hybrid of forms. A perfect example is Ah Dietta, which begins with Mozart’s Turkish March though evolves into a samba percussion stomp. They use traditional instrumentation at times, yet also beats, electric guitars and synths, creating a homage to the Afro Cuban sounds they grew up with. The production is incredibly lush, perhaps too lush at times, though it’s hard to begrudge them as the vocals sound phenomenal. They also sing in a wide variety of languages aside from various Senegalese languages there’s also some Portuguese creole. Whilst Toure Kunda are an institution in Africa, they are probably best known for the cover of their Africa Bamba which appeared on Carlos Santana’s 1999 Supernatural album, the album which reintroduced him to the world. Toure Kunda have toured and recorded with him on a number of occasions since and even worked with the ubiquitous Bill Laswell. Santhiaba is remarkably diverse, the instrumentation differs dramatically with each piece, the constants being the incredible vocals and the care given to the production.
Bob Baker Fish
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