Tidiane Thiam: Africa Yontii (LP)

"The time has come. Africa, it is time. It is time for Africa to change. It is time for our leaders to change. Everything that is happening in Africa is extraordinary. We have everything: water, soil, sun, oil fields, gas. We have all this in Africa, but Africa is still poor. It is time for us to change our way of thinking. It is time for Africans to take their destiny into their own hands. If not, others will take over." This is the message that instrumental guitarist Tidiane Thiam wants to convey with his new solo album Africa Yontii, a title from the Pulaar, which translates as "Time for Africa" To a casual listener, Thiam's bold statement stands in stark contrast to his melodic playing. But a closer listen to Thiam's expressive playing reveals a thoughtful voice that stands out from the crowd of contemporary guitarists. "What I should be singing (with words), I say with my guitar instead," he says. Thiam comes from the sleepy Senegalese fishing village of Podor, home of the great Baaba Maal, and taught himself to play the guitar by playing Manding music on the radio at night. He soon developed his own style, often incorporating themes from Pulaar folklore into his compositions. On Africa Yontii, Thiam's third album for Sahel Sounds, he teamed up with hip-hop beat-maker Ndiaye Moctar of Studio M. N. Records to accompany the music and incorporate unexpected elements such as field recordings and electronic sounds. In the liner notes to Africa Yontii, Thiam expresses his concern about the lack of opportunities for Africa's youth and the lonely road one must walk when leaving loved ones behind in hopes of a better life. Alongside two more hopeful traditional songs in the form of wedding and river songs, he also intersperses a philosophical question about the eroding state of the world. Despite the sometimes heavy subject matter, Thiam's love for his homeland and heritage shines through. Tidiane Thiam's Africa Yontii reclaims the reviled genre of "world music" for itself, in a sonic space that has long been dominated by other narratives. As the title says: It's time!