By Phillip Smith; Feb. 29, 2020
It didn’t take but one listen to Salone, the latest release from Bai Kamara Jr., to turn me into an instant fan. This was my first exposure to Kamara and his music, and to put it bluntly, his songs have swept me off my feet. Born the son of a former Sierra Leonne ambassador, Kamara who grew up in the UK and moved to Brussels where he has lived for over twenty-five years. For Salone, his sixth album, he embraces his African heritage with fifteen fantastic all-original, self-produced songs rooted in blues, jazz, and funk.
Kamara, with his six-string acoustic guitar, reminds me a lot of the current delta blues players. His songs are intriguing and poignant. He begins with “Can’t Wait Here Too Long”. The song is highly infectious. Kamara’s vocals are suave as he sings of empowerment on “Lady Boss”, a cool and funky blues track. One of Kamara’s songs which have burrowed deep into my brain is “Black Widow”. Spider-like percussive sounds are at the forefront of this deep-blues track which I utterly adore. “Don’t Worry About Me” is an absolutely stunning song of overcoming hardships. It reminds me a lot of the music of another favorite, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez.
Salone is a downright fascinating piece of work which deserves to be heard, and Bai Kamara Jr., with his brilliant songs, has definitely won me over.
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