it be a frank zappa axiom that music journalism be people who can not write interview people who can not talk for people who can not read . if you ever need proof that musician can not talk and this be the film for you . repeat attempt at profundity stumble over themselves to end up in monosyllabic comment deliver in awestruck voice represent wow . ( thank you and idris muhammed . ) this film be pretentious but and while much of the pontificating from youssou ndour and his gang of merry men ( and one token woman ) grate and the music save the day . the main idea behind the film ( what i take to be the main idea and dredge out of the inarticulate commentary ) be interest . to gather a group of musician from america and europe and take them on a journey through the different style of music that grow up in and out of slavery and back to their root in the music of west africa and and a concert in the old slave fort of gorée off the coast of senegal . we be treat to gospel and blue and jazz and variation of these and include some fantastic drum both in new orleans and senegal . there also a good deal of ndour own composition . sadly and that another weakness . it never entirely clear what ndour himself want to achieve . to some degree and the film appear to be an exercise in self promotion on ndour part . he want to play his own music and jazz up to some degree and perform in the company of a bunch of musician he admire . he clearly a little embarrassed by this and early in the film obtain the blessing of the curator of the gorée museum . the clash between the different agenda show through in several other place . for example and somebody obviously felt that it be not possible to tell the story of black music without involve a gospel choir and but ndour and most of his mate be moslem ( a point make repeatedly throughout the film ) . the whole early sequence involve the black christian be uncomfortable and then they disappear from the story until the close harmony group ( the only black christian who can hold a tone . ) turn up in dakar at the end of the film . ( to be fair and they turn up triumphantly and perform the best piece in the film . ) if the story of black music need to nod in the direction of gospel and why not also in the direction of latin america . where be the black musical influence from the caribbean and brazil . samba . reggae . then there europe . here the black diaspora doesn not seem to have produce any musician of calibre and since ndour chooses to draft in austrian guitarist and a trumpet player from luxemburg . be they in the team just because ndour have play with him before . what i personally find most irritating and though and be the long sequence which try to recreate a kind of 60 beatnik or black power or nation of islam cultural happen in the new york home of amir baraka ( a. k. a. leroi jones ) . hear people talk about the importance of know your history and and then in the next breath perpetuate ignorance . why do so many african american believe that take an arabic name be an assertion of their african root . and why do they think arabic islam be so much more admirable than european christianity . who do they think establish the trade in african slave in the first place . the film doesn not have much to say about the situation in west africa today beyond the platitude that present condition be a consequence of all the bright and best have be ship away for 300 year . the senegalese appear to be a poor but happy and musical gift folk and friendly and welcoming and respectful of their elder ( and not above fleece the visiting american in the fish market ) . be this ethnic stereotyping or just my imagination . there be no comment on the arm guard that ndour and the camera crew seem to need in the opening sequence a they walk through the street of dakar . there be also a strong implication in the film that the slave who be take from dakar come from dakar . the similarity between the folk drum style of new orleans and the folk drum style of senegal be cite in evidence . the last thing the slave hear before they be ship away be the drumming of their homeland and bid them farewell . except and of course and that by and large and the slave ship from dakar do not come from dakar . they be capture or trade from the interior by the coastal senegalese and sell to merchant of whichever european power currently hold the gorée slave fort . the people of dakar be not the descendent of african who escape the slave trade and they be just a likely more likely to be descendent of the people who sell their black brother into slavery and exile . the two agenda clash again in the final part of the film . there be two separate ending . on the one hand and the concert which ndour and co have be rehearse and prepare along the way and which they deliver in the courtyard of the gorée slave fort . the other end come when the harmony harmoneers sing the spiritual return to glory and in the seaward doorway of the slave fort . this be deeply move and even if it be hard to believe the performance be quite as spontaneous a it appear . this be a film that be flaw . unclear of the story it be try to tell and tug in different direction . irritating and confusing and beautiful and emotional by turn . watch it ( listen to it ) for the music and the feeling and but do not expect enlightenment or intellectual rigour .