Yenbett by Noura Mint Seymali

At the roots of both American blues and Spanish folk music lies a crucial cultural crossroads which goes under-discussed in Western education, a region of Africa straddling religious, climate, and cultural boundaries known as the Sahel. Yenbett by Noura Mint Seymali makes modern advancements on the traditional music of Mauritania, a country which participated in both the Maghreb culture which once controlled Spain and the West African culture which would enter America through enslavement and forced migration. Played in the local Griot tradition, a mode of oral storytelling which serves as the bedrock of Mauritania’s cultural memory, these songs introduce influence from psychedelic rock and electric instruments to deepen the form’s trance-like state. A close listen reveals some of those connections to traditions which Western listeners may have more context for, as certain harmonies and song structures point towards traditional American blues, while some of the acoustic string instruments and melodies feel reminiscent of the deepest traditions of Latin music. This cultural powerhouse of a nation speaks through Yenbett, announcing its persistence on a world stage through this beautiful celebration.