Alhousseini Anivolla
World Music. Alhousseini Anivolla : Anewal / The Walking Man (NI,2012)**°
Alhousseini Mohammed Anivolla singer and composer from the band Etran Finatawa decided to do a solo album this time. He had left the live performance scene and went back to the animal farming in the desert. In the meanwhile, in preparation of a new European tour, he picked up all the songs he heard over there and composed some new ones and recorded then with guitarist Anana Ag Harouna and percussionist Toulou. For some part I feel like the sound is repeating itself a bit. The songs are more basic, have repetitive patterns of singing, with a repetition of the song theme by the electric guitar, acoustic guitar rhythms and repetitive rhythms on percussion, in a way it becomes a bit predictable. If people would not give as much attention to this as before it is not just because the surprise is gone, but in the west we also need the feeling with something new that it is part of life, has an openness to life to adapt and change in circumstances, away from pattern based life we are over-consumed with*. The disadvantage of going back to the desert blues is that this style on its own has the tendency to keep it simple in its core. The instrumental on the album still makes it therefore most effective. But then, never the less, a few tracks further on it becomes clear that inside the desert blues, Alhoussein also feels the connection with American blues. And even so that this western blues style also often is embedded in a situation where no one is able to get out so easily (for the western blues it is mostly about one's own boredom), this reaching hand in style is effective and shows (especially in the later tracks) a welcome opening up, never the less how subtle it is. The last track is entirely different, has keyboard arrangements and a female lead voice. It is as if this track works as filmic trailer.
* with the exception of mainstream music and interests.
