Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Art Tatum figure prominently among some of the most successful blind musicians; there are also the three different blues musicians who went by the name Blind Willie. Aside from Mr. Wonder’s presence at the Obama Inaugural Concert in January, the brightest moments of these luminaries are largely in the past. But a new generation of musicians inured to their visual handicaps is now impressing audiences worldwide, and two acts worthy of particular attention are Brother Ali and Amadou et Mariam.
Born Jason Newman, the legally blind and albino Brother Ali adopted his new Muslim faith and name when he moved to Minneapolis, where he now records at the Rhymesayers label known to fans of the acts Atmosphere and Soul Position. He’s released three albums and two EPs since 2000, and a new album, Us, will arrive in stores the 22nd of September.
The first single off the album, “Fresh Air,” finds Brother Ali rhapsodizing about his life while Ant, the producer from Atmosphere, crafts a wah-wah laden backdrop that serves as an interesting compliment to lyrics about how he’s “got the world’s most beautiful kids.” Many tropes of hip-hop are nowhere to be found in Brother Ali’s rapping. Rather than simply flaunt wealth, women, or wheels, he humbly informs us that “even if I die tonight I’m the luckiest son of a bitch that ever lived.” He’s more overtly political than many of his peers—see “Uncle Sam Goddamn” off of the Undisputed Truth. Brother Ali won’t leave the tough issues untouched, but he sees little reason to
bring his own suffering to light.
Like fellow convert to Islam Cassius Clay, Brother Ali aims to “be one of the greatest of all time.” Other tracks off of Us include the superbl
y crafted “the Preacher,” which was originally a possible title track, and the current title track explains how he “started rhymin’ just to be somebody…and not just be the new kid, the albino, make ‘em say yeah I know but have you heard him rhyme though.” Backed by a gospel-like backing track, Brother Ali seems to try to channel the history of the African Americans with whom he claims to identify more because of thestigma of his albinism. He’ll be in Boston as part of the Fresh Air Tour in November.
Partners in life and music, Amadou et Mariam, who met at the Mali Institute for the Blind, have been making music since the mid-80s. No strangers to fame, they had a 2003 album produced by Manu Chao and they recorded the 2006 World Cup Theme, but in the last few years they have taken off. 2008 brought the release of the widely-acclaimed and Damon Albarn-produced “Sabali” and the opportunity to back—or perhaps steal the show from—Coldplay.
This July marked the release of The Magic Couple, a collection of songs from three LPs recorded in the late 90s and early 00s. Amadou’s guitar work and Mariam’s hypnotic voice appear throughout, but it is the seamless incorporation of instruments from around the world that displays the true talent of these musicians. Never sounding forced or conspicuously experimental, latin-style trumpets, piano, harmonica, and even trombone appear naturally alongside the Malian sound familiar to fans of Ali Farka Touré.
“Je pense a toi,” the album’s opening track, features violin work that lulls the listener into a state of easy expectance, and Mariam’s voice complements Amadou’s singing throughout. Another track, “Sarama,” features jazz piano that explores the potential of the sonic textures afforded by Amadou and his desert blues rhythm section. Mariam once again wows with a voice whose power is only matched by its expressive ability.
After performing for so many years and finally garnering the acclaim they deserve, one can only hope that Amadou et Mariam continue to explore, perform, and synthesize. Given the diversity of backing tracks Brother Ali offers in his albums, perhaps the two acts could even collaborate somewhere on down the line. Whatever the case, these talented musicians have already surmounted many obstacles in the search for something new.
