Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba - Moorish Music from Mauritania (1990)

I've posted this amazing cd after a request from Botched Surgery.

Okay, this is what Afropop has to say about Dimi Mint Abba:
"Born to a musical family Dimi Mint Abba has enjoyed top billing in Mauritanian music since she won the International Oum Kalsoum Song Contest in Tunisia in 1977. Her winning song "Sawt Elfan" ("Art's Plume") argues that artists play a more important role than warriors in society. Dimi has one international release recorded in England in 1990 with husband Khalifa Ould Eide on guitar, vocals and tidinit, and his two daughters on percussion. Backed by tambourine, hand claps, and one deep, dry-sounding kettledrum (tabola), Dimi and Khalifa pluck and jangle their lutes and exchange vocal leads, telling stories as they shift among related musical modes. Catchy melodies and extended improvisation grace this severe, but beguiling music."

Here's what I have to say: If you only ever download one album from this blog, then make sure its this one. This is completely bewitching music from the deserts of Mauritania. The beauty of the singing and playing is breathtaking, and the depth of emotions expressed in these songs is sometimes almost too much to bear, and this is despite the fact that the language is completely alien to me.
Check out this youtube clip, this is not a track from the album but gives some idea of what to expect:

Here's the tracklist:

1. Waidalal Waidalal
2. Yar Allahoo
3. Hassaniya Song for Dancing
4. Hassaniya Love Poem
5. The Tortoise's Song
6. Independence
7. Art's Plume
8. Oh Lord Bring Apartheid Crashing Down!
9. Mauritania My Beloved Country
10. My Young People Do the Youth of Nations Invite
11. Autoot

The zip is here for your listening pleasure.

If you like this album, then check out this great youtube clip by another fantastic Mauritanian singer, Ouleya Mint Amartichitt: