Sidiki Camara has spent more than five decades building bridges between musical traditions, and Ankaben, out September 4th, might be the fullest expression of that work yet. Malian-born and Oslo-based, Camara is considered one of the founders of the modern Manding music movement, with a career that’s taken him from the National Ballet of Mali through Brussels and finally to Norway, working along the way with names like Boubacar Traoré, Ali Farka Touré and Bill Frisell, whose Intercontinentals project he toured internationally with for years. Following his 2023 Spellemann win for Return to the Traditions, Ankaben, whose title translates to “Humanity,” brings together an all-star Norwegian ensemble including Bendik Hofseth, Unni Løvlid, Sarah Camille, Erik Sollid, Jacob Young, Audun Erlien and Eirik Askerøi, recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studios and grown out of his acclaimed A Life in Music performance from Oslo World 2024. As Camara puts it himself, “Ankaben is about meeting across genres and cultures through mutual respect and spontaneous creation.”
I do not say it lightly when I say this album changed my life for the better. After my first listen, I recommended various tracks from it to a bunch of my friends so their lives could be transformed too. There is such beauty and humanity in every single track here and an incredible level of musicianship from everyone involved; there’s not a single wasted note or percussion hit.
This is a nutritious album; it’s food for the soul. This is music that is simultaneously for meditation and for celebrating life and what humanity is all about. I will briefly talk about my favorite tracks on the album, but just know that words will never do these songs justice; you need to experience them.
“Nakan” takes its time to set up a beautiful groove split gorgeously between all the ensemble members. Every member here knows how to dynamically tell their side of the story without overpowering the other elements; this is a heartfelt conversation between all of them.
“Lys” actually gave me goosebumps; I couldn’t help but to break out my acoustic and start playing and singing along to join them in this soulful and intimate conversation. It is so simple on the surface, but it has such depth and warmth because of the nuance in the performance from all the musicians. This is as beautiful as music can get.
This incredible album needs to be experienced from start to finish in one sitting, paying attention to all the details and simply letting go because you’re in good hands. This is music for the ages; this is a rare diamond.
Camara will bring Ankaben to the stage for its official launch at Oslo’s Cosmopolite Scene on October 18th, with festival dates including Drammen Sacred Music Festival and Holmlia Kulturhavn also on the calendar in the meantime. For an artist whose life’s work has been about connection across borders, this album feels like the clearest statement of that mission yet.