Amadou-Tilo is dedicated to Amadou Toure, a brother of Ismaila and
Sixu-Tidiane and former member of the band who tragically died on-stage in 1983. The remaining brothers' tribute to him is one of their finest moments and one of the great albums to emerge from the African pop scene in the '80s. Unlike other recordings, where a certain amount of pop schlockiness weighed down the proceedings, here they found just the right balance between indigenous Senegalese rhythms and melodies and rock propulsion and ornamentation. While there's still a bit of a reference to reggae, the feel is far more West African (though not as much as the following release, Casamance au Clair de Lune). Virtually every tune is infectious, from the opening, heartfelt voice/percussion duet through the grooving "Utamada" through the gorgeous, ecstatic "Salya," here featuring a performance by the departed Amadou Toure. Even songs that start out rather lackluster ("E'Mbalma") suddenly take an unexpected twist and veer into unforgettable territory. One can even hear inklings of "Lambada," which several of the sidemen (under the name
Kaoma) would turn into a worldwide hit a few years down the road. But on this album it's the stirring, transcendent vocal harmonies and gorgeous melodies that capture the attention and allow it to hold up to scrutiny almost 20 year later, when much from that period and genre had been forgotten. Along with the aforementioned Casamance and their Live Paris: Ziguinchor recording, this is among the finest
Touré Kunda releases and is a superb place to start for the newcomer. Highly recommended. ~ Brian Olewnick