Ndigal (Sangomar, Thiès 1984) / Ndigal (Sangomar, Thies 1984)

Guitarist and bandleader Bai Janha is one of the more important figures in Gambian and Senegalese popular music. At a time when samba, bossa, pachanga, and other Latin styles dominated the region's music, Janha looked to American soul, funk, and psychedelic rock for inspiration. His early work with The Super Eagles often featured swinging, funk-inflected pop tunes, but by the early ‘70s he was making dark, challenging psychedelia with his new outfit, Ifang Bondi. This more experimental direction would inform Janha’s work with Karantamba, an ensemble of young musicians who studied under his tutelage in the early ‘80s. The belated release of Ndigal—a collection of intimate live sessions from 1984—should do much to raise Karantamba’s profile among devotees of West African popular music. Janha was an unusually sensitive bandleader, and it's clear that by the time of these recordings Karantamba had evolved into a deeply accomplished ensemble. These relaxed, long-form excursions into Senegambian rhythms and melodies positively sparkle with improvisational brilliance.