''Firin' in Fouta'' is an album by the Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, released in 1994. The album was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, in the "Best World Music Album" category. Maal supported the album with a North American tour.

Production

The album was produced by Simon Emmerson. It was recorded in Podor and

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

, in Senegal, and at London's Real World Studios. Dónal Lunny and Simon Jeffes were among the musicians who contributed to ''Firin' in Fouta''. Positive Black Soul appeared on "Swing Yela".

Critical reception

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'' wrote that "Baaba Maal adds to the new experimental fusion of traditional styles and ultra-modern influences with his bravest and most startling album to date." ''

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'' determined that Maal's "plaintive Islamic ululations are brilliantly blended with arrangements that may borrow from hip-hop, salsa and ragga." ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'' noted that "some songs are nearly worlds unto themselves, like the loping, hypnotic 'Sama Duniya', which mixes West African percussion, an East Indian drone, dancehall bass and funk clavinet into a near irresistible rhythmic stew." '' The Gazette'' considered "African Woman" to be the album's best song, writing that it "begins with a hint of bouncy Colombian cumbia but quickly becomes a blazing Afro-Latin stew." ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'' concluded that "what stands out is Maal's exquisite ululating tenor, a voice so sweet and mournful, delicate and powerful that it seems to bridge the gap of language and culture all by its lonesome."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote that "the keyboards and, more importantly, the drum loops give the songs a deep European club feel along with a strong push in the way of the vocals."

Track listing

# "Sidiki" – 4:53 # "African Woman" – 6:05 # "Swing Yela" – 4:24 # "Mbaye" – 5:01 # "Njilou" – 5:30 # "Gorel" – 5:28 # "Sama Duniya" – 5:19 # "Salimoun" (Funky Kora) – 5:02 # "Ba" – 7:14 # "Tiedo" – 6:08

References

{{Authority control Baaba Maal albums 1994 albums Mango Records albums