Leni Stern - Smoke, No Fire (2012)

Smoke No Fire, Leni Stern’s thirteenth independent release, was primarily recorded in Bamako, Mali during the military coup d’état of 2012. She continues in her exploration of African music via collaborations with Malian heavyweights Haruna Samake, Ami Sacko, and the rapper Woroferela Moden.

Leni Stern is a global music artist and electric guitarist whose stature has grown in the wake of her acclaimed CDs “Sabani”, ‘Sa Belle Belle Ba’, ‘Africa’ and ‘Spirit In The Water’ – all were recorded in Mali, using local musicians, instruments and equipment, and integrating African and Western music forms with distinction. Critics embraced ‘Africa’ as “a significant new chapter in a career marked by bold changes,” and ALLMUSIC described it as “one of the finest CDs of the...year, in any genre.”