Africa music reviews

This wonderful collection of some of Africa's greatest straight ahead jazz players features some very cool tunes covering quite a wide-ranging stylistic soundscape. There's a little Afro-modal Shorter-ish hard bop ("Owed to Bishop"), a bit of McCoy Tyner-styled post bop ("Naivasha"), some great Township jazz ("Celebrate Mzansi"), a dollop of King Sunny Ade juju ("Langery"), Hugh Masekela meets "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" ("Tugela Rail"), Afro-Caribbean ("Dee Mwa Wee"), more Masekela stylings, updated ("Imbali"), and even an Afro-samba ("Shawn's Uhadi Samba")

A wild, untethered joy suffuses these songs, pure blitheness of spirit, with sometimes just a thin vein of sorrow or melancholy sneaking through.

My favorite numbers include "Imbali," by the great pianist Bheki Mseleku (Where's he been hiding out for the past decade, after a handful of fine discs in the early 90s?), music of the very highest standard with some killer sax work by Ezra Ngcukana and the mellow flugel horn of Feya Faku; "Shawn's Uhadi Samba," a simple, mesmeric tune with gorgeous horn harmonies and smart piano vamps by Hotep Idris Galeta; the driving, get-under-your-skin modality of "Owed to Bishop" by trumpeter Marcus Wyatt; and the dancing glee of "Celebrate Mzansi" (I'm a sucker for that Township stuff). But it's all operating on a very high level. And despite the quite amazing diversity of styles, it all hangs together. That's because, I think, it's not like a normal anthology. It's more like selections drawn from a large extended family of music makers, with many of the players popping up on each other's tunes.

Entirely enjoyable and certainly worth picking up.

This is a really striking and lovely disc! Shades of pure jazz, with hints of Abdullah Ibrahim, Gigi and Randy Weston. A really nice and at times forceful range of styles is shown here, from jazz as-you-know-it to stirring, haunting vocals on track 4 to mbalax overtures and nods to King Sunny. This album does not cover the Arabic northern aspect of Africa, the Red Sea Riviera, but does a very nice job on southwards. A disc you will play on long drives in the car or sitting with the Sunday paper. This is a solid collection of jazzy, African moods and themes...

Africa Straight Ahead is a uniquely performed and flawlessly recorded music CD anthology showcasing great African jazz, and celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the end of apartheid. Featuring a cross-section of jazz styles, these toe-tapping rhythms blend emotion and sheer energy with pulsing drumbeat of human history. Tracks include Owed To Bishop (5:54), Naivasha (6:55), Celebrate Mzansi (5:32), Beautiful Love (4:42), Langery (4:49), Tugela Rail (5:39), Sweet Anathi (7:18), Lovers On Empty Corners (4:17), Amasabekwelanggeni (7:36), Dee Mwa Wee (8:24), Imbali (5:51), and Shawn's Uhadi Samba (4:01).

Outstanding album!!! This album is extremely musical! I love how the Mbira enhances the feeling of each song! The lyrics are wonderful as well. I highly recommend this album!!

The hearing of the song "Mai" in a recopilation of African music leaded me to the search of this album, what was not available in my country. Finally, I got it and I'm absolutely happy with the purchase. The mix between traditional african music and modern pop instrumentations is so fascinating as Chiwoniso's voice. I haven't yet listened it too many times, but I have two preferred songs: first one (Mai) and last one (Everyone's Child). Both are some of the best songs I've ever heard.

...all of these abound in this recording by Chiwoniso Maraire, a young singer/songwriter of African heritage. She skillfully takes the traditions of her rootsland, Zimbabwe, and blends them with Western influences and her own deep, heartfelt sense of family, spirituality and love of the earth and its people into something that is new and ancient simultaneously.

This is African music, let there be no doubt about that -- the melodies, the rhythms, the harmonies, the instruments, all pulse with the heartbeat that is African music at its best. Some of the songs are sung in English, some in a mixture of English and native tongues -- but where other attempts at such a blending have come across as forced, false and unsuccessful, Chiwoniso's touch is a delicate, tasteful one. The meanings are clear, the poetry intact -- all of it in perfect complement to the spirit of the music.

This cd would be a great introduction to African music for someone who thinks they won't like it -- if they love music, they'll be hooked on this beautiful recording. It's that infectious. I can't wait to hear what she does next -- and I hope we don't have to wait too long to find out.

I've really enjoyed listening to this. I think it's a masterpiece. From the first track to the last, full of first class talent. Certainly a must have!

Wow, this is one hot CD -- well OK, I don't own the CD, I own the video! Great music to dance to. Most of the clips are in classic style - start off slow and mellow, and then heat up into a frenzy of animation and guitar riffs. I would reccommend this to anyone!

Wow, this is one hot CD -- well OK, I don't own the CD, I own the video! Great music to dance to. Most of the clips are in classic style - start off slow and mellow, and then heat up into a frenzy of animation and guitar riffs. I would reccommend this to anyone!

At first listen, Fela seems unfocused on Beasts of No Nation / ODOO. Extended songs are a long-standing trademark of Fela's afrobeat, but in most cases the song's length is propelled by the energetic strength of Fela's music and the conviction in his message. His seeming lack of focus makes the half-hour tracks on this recording seem overlong. However, Beasts of No Nation / ODOO were a pair of relatively late-period albums for Fela (roughly 1988), and the toll that decades of imprisonment and beatings had taken on him is well-documented. Close listening reveals that the strength of this recording lies not in his slightly diminished charisma, but by the evolution in his compositions and the realization of this evolution through his band, the Egypt 80.

Considering that Fela's performances (even on record) always had an improvisatory aspect to them, the Egypt 80 proves to be a highly flexible and responsive group. In comparison to the hard-driving Africa 70, The Egypt 80 was more attuned to the texture and subtleties that Fela was developing in his late-period work. Although the Africa 70 excelled in executing highly complex beats derived from local traditions, Beasts of No Nation / ODOO shows that Fela was experimenting beyond the boundaries his previous work. Repeated listening reveals some of his most complex arrangements and memorable melodic material, seamlessly bound into an improvisatory tapestry. It does not take too much effort to visualize Fela conducting the Egypt 80 like an orchestra in the same way that Frank Zappa conducted his bands.

However, one can't help but feel that on some level Fela is repeating himself. Despite the subtle strength of the overall composition, his direct quotation of "Zombie", "Suffering and Schmiling", "Unknown Soldier", and several other of his "greatest hits" in ODOO feels a little more like nostalgic lip service than relevant political dialouge.

The Lowdown: Listen really closely to this one. Although Fela's usual politics are present, he was channeling his energy into evolving his music towards what he considered a new "African Classicalism". One cannot help but think about where this path would have led him if he would have stayed with us for just awhile longer.

You ask the age old question, what album would you want if you were stranded on a deserted island? Well, this is the album I would have with me. Specifcally, BONN, is simply the funkiest, most driving, hypnotic, fluid based, jam/song there will ever be. The ebb and flow of the beats, lyrics and interjected horn lines make you want to jump up and get freaky-deaky (to quote another masterpiece). Then the title track gives way to a melodic, if not, mesmerizing slow pulse jam that is one of Fela's greatest juxtaposition songs ever i.e. lyrics are forceful and strong political claims while the beats are steady and peaceful, inviting the listener to sit back and enjoy. As far as advice, if you have stumbled on to this site looking for Fela stuff, I highly recommend this album as your foray into afrobeat OR just the next afrobeat album to add to your collection.

Beast Of No Nation....BONN........ The IBB years. Captures the increasing sophistication of deceit foisted on Nigeria by that administration..... This helped us ignore the lot and get on with Life. a must listen to!!!! This is a special one for me cos I remember the last time he played at the shrine. I'd like to think this is the 'one' from his twilight years. 'tis mellow and enlightening. The instrumental is sweeeeeeeeeeeeet. If you know BABA a must have, if you don't 'you don jones!!!!!!'

I have had the pleasure of both owning 2 of their records and having heard them in concert. The harmony and beauty of the voices is food for the soul. As good as any choir or small group I have ever heard. This album and the Warner Bros Collection are my favorites.

Fans of world music, traditional hymns, minimalism, and linguistics will love this album. The best track is mislabeled however--the song printed as "Vuka Jona Sithandaze" is in fact called "Uphi Umhlobo" and was released as track 3 on the 1st Best-of album. I can only guess it appears here in error. No matter, since you'll want to play this track 400 times.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is an extremely talented group of vocalists whose intricate, uplifting harmonies seem to be excecuted with great ease. The fluidity and rich depth of each member's voice comlement the overall beauty and peace which each piece conveys. I can't say enough about this CD!

This, the most recent Bongo Maffin LP, sees the departure of Speedy from the band. While a lot of what Speedy did on previous releases from Bongo Maffin can only be called annoying, he took something of Bongo Maffin with him when he left. That said, Thandiswa's voice is as amazing as ever (check out her solo album Zabalaza for more from her) and songs like "The Way Kungakhona", "Brave, True and Strong" and the uplifting "Twasa" soar. "Twasa" is a Tswana song whose lyris: "Ba Yo Twasa!" are litrally interpretted as "We [The World/Our People] Will Dance" and so we shall. Bongolution is a great place to start getting into one of south africa's best and most popular afro-pop bands.

I was so lucky to see Bongo Maffin in concert, which made me realise that they are real musicians and artists both on-stage and in studio.

Although I haven't heard their last CD (called IV), I have heard some of their previous songs before and can say that they have evolved musically. Some songs have a more r&b/house feel to it than what I had previously heard from them, but it's all very good and Bongo Maffin is still the same Bongo Maffin!

In fact, you can't really place this album within one genre, because it is filled with so many styles, from reggea (represented by appleseed) to hiphop (with stoan, the emcee) to r&b (with red, the female voice of the group) to house and kwaito! I don't know their language, but I've read several reviews that claim that their lyrics are very good and not superficial at all. Their songs bring messages to the african youth in today's South Africa, and in the CD's cover leaflet you'll see a short text below some of the songs describing the message for those of us who don't know the language.

My favourite song from this CD is The Way Kungakhona, a song that really makes me feel good! And in the end that is what Bongolution does, while at the same time delivering good lyrics and positive messages.

These guys are blowin' me away every time I listen to the CD. I haven't heard music like this since Soul II Soul. I hope American airwaves will give it a chance, we know how that goes???

this music is the root of all music.....sounds I grew up with.....

With a mixture of beats, rhythms, and styles this is a superb example of Masekela's work. Best Bit? "A song for Brazil."

This album is one of my favorites, next to Masekela's latest. everyone needs to check this album out. best songs: in the jungle, colonial man, excuse me baby, and the boy is doin' it.

And since this is predominately a Ghanaian collection, the emphasis is on pop sweetness. Classic 1970s highlife: basically "Yaa Amponsah"-style guitar bands with horn sections influenced by soukous from Congo/Zaire. Most of the Ghanaian stars of this period are represented. This was arguably the golden age of Ghanaian pop music, before the economy completely collapsed, and most of the musicians fled for Europe. The inimitable A.B Crentsil/Sweet Talks/Super Sweet Talks/Sweet Talks International agglomeration represented by "Abeye Amawo" in which during the coda/fadeout Crentsil lists roughly half the musicians on this disk (including this collection's producer)who will "help out Sister Adjoa"...Teddy Osei/Mac Tontoh/Osibisa amalgamation appear on three cuts: "Kwaa-Kwaa," "Pete-Pete," and an (innappropriately?)upbeat cover of "Malaika" in which the Ghanians joyfully mangle Swahili. "Matutu Mirika" and "Odo Bra" are from Eric Agyeman's 1979 "Highlife Safari." The ever populist Gyedu-Blay Ambulley contributes an updated "Cut Your Coat" in which he complains about "managers conniving with the traders" and advocates soaking the rich. George Darko and Jewell Ackah are among the other stars of that era who appear on this collection.

This is a must buy for any one that likes West African highlife. I was presented with an excellent sample of all the most famous hits such as "Obey Amawo" and "Kwaa-Kwaa by A.B Crentsil and the Highlife Stars. The variety is superb and the tone is one of upbeat African pop. This album was a must at Nigerian parties in the late seventies and is still immune to age. Children in particular like this album because you can dance to the majority of the songs and the trumpet is not overdone as in later versions of highlife. The songs are catchy, fast and enormously fun. This is an excellent introduction to West African highlife for those unfamiliar with this style of music

this is a must . go get it! being a ghanaian in the U.S. I must say that Ghanaian music has gone far

The passing of the gentle giant of Congolese Rumba leaves a big hole that cannot be filled. This recording showcases his strengths and ability to express his soul. He had one of the best voices in any musical genre and thankfully there are wonderful examples available on CD. He was a natural talent who did not follow trends.

The music is very nice to listen to but the video is the best so far, we will miss you Peppe Kalle

This is one of the best of Pepe Kalle. If you liked the best of Pepe Kalle albulm, You will certainly love this one.

There are some great lyrics on here but the beats are kind of wack and you can tells this is a compilation.There are a good collections of MCs and musiscians-Asheru-Wordsworth-Kweli-J Live-Ken Starr...If you are looking for some B-Boy roots music music this could be the place for you.The Top songs are as Follows "B.M.I.G.","Braggin rights","Backstage" and "Mood Swings"
Lyrics-10/10 Production-6/10 X Factor-7/10 Classic-8 Replay-7
Total=7.5 out of 10 Fingers

This album was off the hook! Every track is crazy. This has the illest underground MCs. Y'all need to watch out, they bring the ehat on this album. You want some real music? Then cop the album!!!!!!!!

This album was off the hook! Every track is crazy. Watch out for these cats, they're definitely makin some real noise. Cop the album!!!!!!!!