Various Artists – Wagadu Grooves Vol.2: The Hypnotic Sound Of Camara 1991-2014

The second volume of »Wagadu Grooves« delves deeper into Gaye Mody Camara’s archive of Malian diasporic music. After moving to Paris in the 1960s, Camara became a key figure in the West African music scene, and by 1979, he had established a shop that served both as a hub for collaborating musicians and as a repository for his vast 3,000-strong record collection. Following the first volume—released by Parisian label Hot Mule—which explored the ancient Soninke sound between 1987 and 2016, this new compilation shifts focus to Wassoulou, a culturally rich region spanning Mali, Ivory Coast, and Guinea.

The album’s highlights include »Bi Magni«, where Souley Kanté delivers a scathing critique of societal excesses over a whirlwind of high-energy rhythms and furious guitar picking, as well as Faalé Mokoba, which irresistibly nods to Congolese rumba. The rise of cassette culture in the 1990s helped Wassoulou’s traditional sounds merge with synth-driven dancefloor rhythms, a fusion best heard on the Afro-pop track »Taman«, where soft synths intertwine with traditional instruments like the kamélé ngoni harp and the metallic scrape of the karingnan. Elsewhere, Bande Koné’s Togo experiments with auto-tuned vocals and high-pass filters, while guitar-driven tracks such as Tougharanke, with its growling overdrive, and Tamajoujou, featuring swirling, arpeggiated lines, showcase the region’s evolving sound. »Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2« is a vibrant snapshot of West African music, with Camara ensuring that the intersecting stories of migration, shifting identities, and cultural heritage within Wassoulou’s musical landscape are preserved.