Amadou & Mariam - Folila (Full Album Stream)

Malian artists Amadou and Mariam deliver their new album Folila in its full streaming glory in conjunction with NPR. While the husband-and-wife duo initially planned to make two albums, Amadou and Mariam would record one as a self-described “crossover” album, which was recorded in New York City. The pair spent numerous studio sessions with the likes of TV on the Radio, Santigold, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Theophilus London, and members of Antibalas. The second project was planned to consist of the exact same song list as the New York sessions, but this time the songs would be recorded in the pair’s home city of Bamako, the capital of Mali. Assistance comes in the shape gifted African collaborators, such as Toumani Diabate playing African instruments like the djembe drum, the marimba-like balafon, and the plucked kora. After recording both versions, however, the couple decided to fuse those two intercontinental projects into one single album, Folila, which is scheduled for a April 10 release. Listen to the ‘hybrid’ result here.