Lately I’ve really been into Nuru Kane’s latest album, Sigil. My father sent it to me a few weeks ago after reading a bunch of good reviews. As I’ve been really busy lately it’s great that others have picked-up the crate digging slack for me.

I absolutely love both of today’s tracks. The first one reminds me of whipping through Parisian streets late at night on my bike, on my way to some African music concert in a shady bar. The second has been stuck in my head for a while.. always puts me in a good mood when I blast it down my earphones on the walk from the metro to my desk. When that accordian kicks in.. shivers.

Nuru Kane grew-up in the Medina, the main “quartier populaire” in central Dakar. He mixes Moroccan Gnawa which he plays with the three-stringed, bass-lute hybrid instrument, the guimbri, with his native Senegalese styles, plus some splashes from the West. The band he plays with, Bayefall Gnawa, pretty much sums this all up in their name. The lyrics are in Wolof which means I get a kick out of partial comprehension.

Kane is playing in Paris on the 17th. Unfortunately I’m not in town but I heavily encourage any fellow Parisians to check it out.

Nuru Kane - Niane
Nuru Kane - Diarama