Music in Mauritania

A friend recently told me about this charming video interview with the man who runs the only music store in Mauritania. Although I am still very much a novice to Sahelian music, I am quite fond of mbalax and some Malian music (I went through a Salif Keita and Tinariwen phase in high school, as well as with some 'desert blues' from the likes of Ali Farka Toure). I mean, who wouldn't love mbalax, such as this lovely gem, from Etoile de Dakar. In countries such as Senegal and Mauritania, one sees a convergence of Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, local rhythms, Islamic influences, blues, and pop that proves itself alluring countless times. I hope to write more about Mauritanian and Senegalese music soon.