Label: NubeNegra INN1114-2

Mariem Hassan's album is the rawest, dirtiest slice of blues I'ver heard in quite a while. Hassan and her troupe of musicians are now resident in Europe and recorded this album in Madrid.  Like every desert blues artist I've encountered, this music has an extraordinary intensity to it; unlike many, they also have variety on their side. Some tracks are built around wailing vocals and the extraordinary ampedup electrical guitar of Baba Salama, othere feature accordeon or a funky horn section, and there are acoustic pieces with guitars and percussion.  Vocals are shared out between women and men (although the women women are the ones that really blow the roof off), one track is a children's lullaby featuring just voices and handclaps.  These excellent songs (some traditional, some new) deal with cultural identity, religion and politics.