Sia Tolno - My Life
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Sia Tolno - My Life
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Sia Tolno This album starts off a bit jarringly as Guinean-born Sia Tolno shouts out the title of opening track “Blamah Blamah” like it’s some kind of taunt. Actually, it’s the name of a town and the song is about an annual celebration there. But you can’t blame Tolno for coming on strong. She was raised by abusive parents in Sierra Leone, displaced by the wars over control of that country’s diamond industry, lived for a while in an apartment that housed 30 people and overcame considerable odds to excel as a performer, first in theatre and then in music. It was the latter that provided her breakthrough, beginning as a singer covering songs by Edith Piaf, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston in the nightclubs of Conakry and later developing her own material with assistance from guitarist Kante Manfila and producer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist Francois Breant, both known for their work with Mali’s Salif Keita. My Life, recorded at Mory Kante’s studio in Conakry, is Tolno’s second international release. It’s a strong, lively selection of Afropop that may well put you in mind of another modern African diva, Angelique Kidjo. Traditional instruments and rhythms mix freely with sounds and ideas from the present day and Tolno, singing alternately in the minority Guinean Kissi language, English and French, belts it out in appealingly husky style. The musical backing largely stays away from programming and canned beats, a natural approach suiting Tolno’s similarly earthy pipes. Some songs address hardships of African life that Tolno has experienced or witnessed, but there’s an ample amount of danceable arrangements to keep things from wallowing. A couple of accordion-laced tracks are truly stunning in fine Lusophone style, and the whole album, though hardly a landmark in African music, is heartfelt and satisfying throughout. - Tom Orr CD available as a special order from cdRoots
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CD available from cdRoots
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