Six years after her last mbalax-worshipping CD, AMINA, Ashley has woven her voice, words, and melodies into twelve hot, 99% Senegalese grooves…. delivered by Senegal’s Absolute Best musicians. Building from her earlier ten visits to Dakar (rehearsing, collaborating, performing, dancing, recording, making videos, appearing on television and radio), she eventually raised the money to record CD #6, YES, with a GoFundMe campaign that brought in donations from all over the world (THANK YOU, Everyone !!!). Ashley first stopped in Washington, D.C. with a bounty of new material she had been co-writing with legendary Senegalese bassist / producer, IBRAHIMA “ETU” DIENG. Etu was the musical director for Senegalese diva Kiné Lam and played on countless recordings for Senegal’s finest during his own Dakar Days. Over a long weekend, Ashley recorded vocals for six tracks. She and Etu also invited Mor Coumba Gueye from New York to play the sabar drums. She then continued to Dakar. In Dakar, Ashley brought twenty original songs to the studio of PAPIS KONATE, a current top producer who had produced Ashley’s earlier single, SOON. At Konate Studios, she, Papis, and bassist THIERNO SARR listened and decided upon six songs to record. The next morning, in walked The Dream Team: Thierno Sarr (bass), Samba Ndox Mbaye (tama), Ibou Mbaye (keyboards), Babacar Seck (sabar), Jeannot Mendy (guitar), Abdoulaye Lo (drums). After fond reunions all around, with everyone sipping coffee and shouting “Waaw Waaw !” (Yeah! !), they listened to the first tune and dove in. It was like the Motown days. Since these musicians play for most of Dakar’s current studios’ recordings and for Senegal’s biggest stars onstage and on tour, Papis already knew their sonic coordinates. So, plugging in, they already sounded amazing. And with no charts, nothing written down, simply learning the music at lightening speed by ear and locking in with one another instantaneously, they recorded four songs on day one. Day two, Dembel Diop (bass) replaced Thierno, and Yatma Thiam (tama) replaced Samba because they had to travel to tour with Cheikh Lo. It was another lightening-fast day, with the final two songs recorded and Ashley in tears of gratitude and wonder. Ashley recorded the vocals and harmonies in a day and half and the musicians trickled back in for two days to record overdub parts. Finally, Papis mixed for three days and the Dakar recordings were done ... six songs in eight days, start to finish. Incredible !! Returning to Los Angeles, Ashley continued working on the Washington recordings with Etu. These songs came together in a very different way, as Etu (a master musician) was playing most of the instruments. And while it was a challenge to marry the sound of their ebullient musicality with the spontaneous energy of the Dakar mixes, they more than succeeded !! The result is a big bold challenging record that captures the energy of Senegal’s furious talent in Dakar and abroad, and Ashley’s unique ability to marry her melodies to it. Thematically, her songs encourage us to say “Yes” to Life and to Love in all of its messy glory. Uplifting, spiritual, beautiful, thoughtful, epic, and yes, danceable … always danceable. Welcome to Senegalese mbalax, with a twist of Californian sunshine !!