Africa music reviews

I had placed this CD on my Wish List.

Surprise!

I played this CD the day after Christmas. I enjoyed all the sellections very much. My favorites are the first and last tracks. Each song is a mood setter. All are exotic and exciting. If you like to travel and this is one area of world you haven't physically been to, this CD will entice you to go.

I bought this CD as a gift for my best friend Omar from Sudan. He just called me to tell me that it was a very wonderful experience listening to this CD. He is a very big Reggae fan and for the first time he heard an Arabic music with a Reggae beat and that was excellent. He definitely and without hesitation gave 5 stars to the CD. He is also a big fan of African music and he was very happy with what he heard. Remember, he just heard it and only once when he called me, so tomorrow, I am going to stop by and listen to the CD with him and will write my own review. One main thing he said for now: It is very relaxing and soothing

I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite. The one-disc "sampler" is like a "Best of..." -- very good, but as many listeners will know from first hand experience, some of the finer, and more subtle pieces are in the original complete recordings. True here in spades. If you only own one set of discs to represent Africa and all its nations and sounds, this is it.

If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this. It's got modern and traditional stuff on it -- mostly modern -- from all over the continent. My tapes of this set live in my cassette road case, and I listen to them when I go on long trips. The variety and quality are both excellent.

The booklet's a nice touch, too.

This is one of the tightest collections of african funk I have ever heard. Buy it now (if you can find it).

The recipe: take African musicians, feed them on a steady diet of James Brown and funk influenced tunes, shake, stand back and watch what unfolds. The result: a compilation selecting the finest Afro Beat for your sampling pleasure. Who's at the party? Peter King, Wali & the African Carnival, Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango Mulatu Astatqe and more. What does it sound like? Listen to track 3, the flute grabs you, the drums make you feel as though you are 007 being chased through the African jungle, and the chants possess that camp fire sing along flavor. My favorite tune of the disc, track 7. If the name alone doesn't get you (the tune is called EXPENSIVE), the groove will. Imagine, if you will, James Brown in Nairobi backed up with a jazzy riff, and there you have it, an instrumental classic. But just when you take breather, the horns charge in!

This is great music, inspired by the incomparable Jean-Bosco Mwenda, who was a huge recording star in Afica in the 1950s and 60s. An aside--if you found this disc in the vast Amazon.com electronic catalog, then you must like African music. If so, then you simply MUST get "Mwenda Wa Bayeke" by Jean-Bosco Mwenda. As one reviewer of that disc correctly said, it will change your life. It is, quite simply, the most beautiful music in my not-too-shabby collection. Anyway, back to the present disc, Mr. Kakolobango (may I call him Dominic?) has mostly faithfully propelled the Mwenda/Masengo style of finger picking guitar into the "new millenium" (sick of that phrase yet?). I personally found the couple of tracks with harmonica to be more distracting than enlightening, but most of the pieces, written by Dominic himself, are lovely. Overall, the disc is upbeat and propels itself along nicely. Interestingly, the last track, by Kakolobango, is the fastest. At first, this struck me as an unusual ending for a disc, but upon repeated hearing, I realize that it left me craving more. By the way, the same artist has another disc out that reportedly focuses on music by Mwenda. It's available from Amazon.com and I can't wait to get my copy.

Dominic Kakolobango is a unique player, the only artist of his generation performing in the classic style of the 1950s. A lovely singer, and expert fingerstyle guitarist, he has updated his music with some brilliant electric guitar lines from the soukous master Dizzy Manjeku and occasional harmonica, but his own acoustic playing is the heart of this album. Reminiscent of Cuban son or bolero, but with a distinctly African flavor, and a touch of early blues, this is an unusual and beautiful disc.

The insinuating ostinato of Bra Joe From kilimanjaro, a journey into the heart of Africa unfolds. Abdullah, then still "Dollar Brand", pounds the piano in lilting melodies, and in Selby...works into a fury, flurry of notes, heavy chords. But for the sound of the piano, which adds a freshness to the not so usual sounding, this is Abdullah best effort may be, to be challenged by the Autobiograhy, on Planisphere recorded in Nyon, France. A masterpiece, an African Piano.

An (almost) solo live gig recorded in a Scandinavian jazz club accompanied by much loud eating, drinking and conversation. It's hard to believe that anyone with a working set of ears would not be completely transfixed by this intense and committed performance - my meatballs would have certainly remained untouched until the last note had faded away. Thankfully, the background noise does not interfere with the listeners enjoyment. I first heard this record 20 years ago and even though I spent several of those years without a copy, the indelible impression left by this blend of South African folk melodies and modern jazz sensibility bound together with a constant muscular, supple rhythmic pulse and an almost tangible spiritual sincerity, has kept it as one of my most beloved of all albums. A "must buy" for any Dollar Brand fan, along with "Good News From Africa", the excellent album of duets with bass player (and fellow South African) Johnny Dyani.

For some incomprehensible reason, Abdullah Ibrahim is a very underrated jazz artist. This CD proves the point. Listen to the rocking Toi-Toi and African River, the swinging Duke 88, the sweet and sublime The Wedding and The Mountain. Ibrahim and his band are tight and passionate.

A group that was ment to play together. Listen to how these musicians all connect to form a coherent rythm. If you like musicians that click and play together, you gota try the test tracks out.

Everything El Din does turns to gold. This is a wonderful sample of the beautiful music of Nubia, of which Hamza is their greatest sample.

I listen to Hamza el Din everyday. The artist reaches into my soul.

Al Oud plays from the start like a well scripted concert. Each song takes hold of the ear, guiding us to the next. The transition from each track glides without seams. Hamza gives the listener a perfect balance between his simple and beautiful oud playing and a voice so gently harmonious. Hamza El Din is a technical master of oud and voice. This is why he can give us his true expression. What he wants to pour into the listener, is as easy to him as drinking water. This is a true gift.

Eh oui ! C'est un groupe bien de chez moi (Grenoble) que l'on retrouve jusqu'au bout du monde. Ce disque est une merveille: planant, reposant, funky � souhait... Inspir� aussi bien du ra� que du reggae pur souche c'est une d�couverte � faire sans plus tarder... A plus les Gnawi !

the masters are here!! if you want to dance your ass off, get it now!! le chakal systeme en pleinne action. BUY IT AND YOU WON'T REGRET. Les Gnawia, bijour les enfants c'est yonas.

the masters are here!! if you want to dance your ass off, get it now!! le chakal systeme en pleinne action. BUY IT AND YOU WON'T REGRET. Les Gnawia, bijour les enfants c'est yonas.

I discovered Kanda Bongo Man after researching the history of soucous and exploring the variety of forms soucous takes, created by various artists. The web allowed me to review quite a few styles by soucous artists, most of whom reside in France and in Africa. Prior to hearing Kanda Bongo Man, I ranked Yoko Enzenze the best -- this is no more. Kanda has more zest. Great music to get mindless to. Highly recommended. This music is the exact opposite of Death Rock. Enjoy!

This is definitely one of my favorites in a very large collection of afro-pop. I bought the LP when it first came out in the late 80s then upgraded to the CD when the vinyl was worn out. High energy dance music (good for listening to while cleaning the house!). I just love these classic soukous, which start out slow then pick up the tempo about 1/2 through the cut, i.e. when the percussionist, lead and rhythm guitarists launch into the "seben". Amour Fou and Bayembi are nice long tracks which just soar. You will, too. Diblo "diamond fingers" Dibala's arpeggio style solos have never been better. Astounding speed, accuracy, and sensitivity on the frets. I get a kick out of Kanda when he stands back during the solos and shouts encouragement. I read somewhere that he asked Diblo to slow down during the recording session!

Here is one of the very great records by Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim.Just one of the best ones.Just an outstanding moment of music.
I saw and heard Abdullah IBrahim on stage,one month ago in Besan�on,France,playing solo acoustic piano;two hours of the greatest music I've ever heard,and I heard a lot.Abdullah,born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town,1934,is one of the greatest jazz piano players of all times,and one of the last great players still alive,with Hank Jones and Randy Weston.
It's a pity that some of his greatest recorded works are still not available on CD ("live at the Blackhawk with Carlos Ward","Dollar Brand"in Poland with Ward;the immense "autobiography",recorded in Switzerland,1978,is issued now on CD in Europe,but doesn't seem to be available in the USA).
This extremely magnificent album,recorded January 30,.1965,in Copenhagen,will let you listen to Abdullah's african music.Except for "smoke gets in your eyes",the rest of the program is made of african-oriented tunes,even if you can find here Monk's or Elmo Hope's or Herbie Nichols' or Duke's influences.THis south african trio,made of Abdullah,Johnny Gertze on bass and Makaya Ntshoko on drums (the trio which recorded the very great "Duke Ellington presents the Dollar Brand trio",Reprise label),this trio plays here some of the most haunting music ever played.The twenty minutes long suite,which includes "Boulevard East","sunset in blue" and "Easter joy" is a very high moment in the art of jazz,or simply improvised piano playing.Makaya Ntshoko's drive on drums is terrific,you could think of beeing listening to Max Roach or Sam Woodyard.Here is some very great music,by one of the most original jazz piano players.Absolutely essential!!!

soulfull free playing! more than your average composer's jazz, Dollar Brand makes music that brings together the past and the future, leaving behind any pretense or false obedience to obtuseness.

His playing is natural and full of rhythmic variety, mixing familiar melodies and moods with an edgy willingness draw outside of the lines... sort of a cross between Cecil Taylor and Monk.