Africa music reviews

Pianist Abdullah "Dollar Brand" Ibrahim series of duets with the late great South African bassist Johnny Dyani captures the energy and virtuosity of first class African and jazz giants conversing in the esoteric language of the ancestors. The album manifests Abdullahs' religious beliefs but do not take away from the music. Abdullah doubles on flute, with mbizo on cow bells, both in vocals call, and Africa answers. True Giants, a must have.

A feast of fast-paced Zairean/Congolese soukous in which a host of great names are queuing up to lead an all-star ensemble with compositions of their own. The 'Stars' are: Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Daly Kimoko, Shimita, Ballou Canta, Ngouma Lokito, Nene Tchaku, Yondo Sister, and Zitany Neil; and this veritable a-team are supported by the likes of Pablo Lubadika, Wuta Mayi, and Lovy. Basically you have input from the African All-Stars, Zaiko, Bozi Anti-choc, and other former greats, coming together in Paris to compile an album of incredible energy. The pace is relentless, and the rich African vocal and guitar talent is matched by a vigorous Parisian horn section.

Check out MARA (track 6) to sample the upfront lead guitar of Nene, or DALY SWING (track 7) to feast on Daly's own wicked dillying...

Total music: 64 minutes

One of those CDs inspired by the gods to allow mankind a glimpse of heaven.

If you need more "down to earth" analysis...

It's Tito Paris' masterpiece.

The mornas will move you emotionally, and the coladeiras will make you want to move your body.

Try it with a romantic dinner.

Robert

This is one of my favorite CDs. The songs on it are very well played and sang. The CD is a well balanced sample of Capeverdean music with a Brazilian accent. Tito Paris is one of the most sought after musicians in Portugal and Cape Verde. Another Cd woth buying is "Fidju Magoado" from the same author.

Oh Lord, what a great album! Four fine singers: Papa Wemba, Gina Wa Gina, Bozi Boziana, and Evoloko Jocker, plus a great band. It sounds like these musicians are truly excited to be together and they're having a great time. Over 70 minutes of can't-miss musical celebration. If this doesn't move you, you're dead.

First off: this is not a "various artists" CD. Grupo Batuque is a collective of veteran Brazilian percussionists, drummers and musicians assembled by Joe Davis of the great Far Out label. This, their third album, is emphatically recommended to anyone interested in Capoeira dancing, or who conducts or attends dance classes with an emphasis on African dancing. This is a rootsy percussion-centric masterpiece guaranteed to strike a chord with all those that way inclined. It's also a great reminder of just how African-rooted Brazilian culture really is. Aspiring percussionists are also strongly advised to invest in this CD ASAP. It's a MUST!!!

I wonder if, as a 'reissue', this recording will fulfill the original purpose it was intended for. It was recorded sometime prior to 1992, issued as a limited print of only 1000 cassette tapes, would you believe, and quickly sold out at Olatunji's workshops and concerts during the next year. Then when Olatunji wanted to do another pressing the owners of the recording studio started the usual music biz low behavior and in effect held the master tapes hostage demanding Olatunji pay the studio a ridiculous amount of money, which he agreed to do, uncharacteristically. Then of course the studio upped their demand, not once but three times. So Olatunji walked away and, yes, did what any self respecting artist would do, he re-recorded the whole album independently and it was issued on CD as "Healing Rhythms, Songs, and Chants" which is also now virtually unavailable. -Anyway, to get to the music on the orginal sessions, it is one of the most pure examples of Olatunji's cultural vision ever recorded, a small ensemble imparting deeply moody meditational music in a highly pure, traditional mode. For the tens of thousands of Olatunji's former students from over 50 years of his workshops this recording will transport you back to the first time you sat down with the master drummer himself to learn traditional songs he taught using his 'gun-go-do-pa-ta' teaching method. For those unfamiliar with Olatunji or those who know him from the early Columbia Records label vinyls from the 1959 groundbreaking 'Drums of Passion' through his jazz augmented work of the 1960's (all compiled in an excellent box set by the German mail order house Bear Records and now out of print) and his later recordings produced by Mickey Hart during the 1980's on the Rykodisc label, 'Healing Sessions' will show you the core starting point for those highly orchestrated more well known high-energy recordings. The core of this music is the djembe drum and an assortment of larger ngoma and ashiko drums -the instruments Olatunji grew up with in his native village of Ajido in Nigeria, and the instruments he was apprenticed on which he recounts in his startling autobiography 'The Beat of My Drum' which was published by Temple University Press shortly after his passing. With a small ensemble of vocalists the singing and chanting on 'Healing Sessions' is subtle but very muscular, delicate but at the same time deeply moving. Olatunji's own high volumed chanting will remind anyone who ever heard him open a live show of how they were transfixed and exhilarated by his incredibly soulful vocals. This recording is a timeless example of the power of music to attain an amazingly spiritual presence, convey a human spirituality and leave you feeling grounded and assured that, in Olatunji's own words, "There is a cultural basis for our unity as people here on Earth." One of the real tragedies of Olatunji's career as far as the music biz goes is that he had so very much to offer like to 'Healing Sessions' but the fundamental character of commercial manners in the business were so incompatible with Olatunji's creative objectives. He grew to have a deep, abiding mistrust of the recording business and some of his most rewarding creativity left this world along with his own physical presence. This recording has an unequalled and unparalleled generosity of spirit. May the people at the label who reissued it come to find some humility in their profit.

This album is not for everyone. I found this CD sitting in a Tower Records shelf where they let you listen to the disk. I sat there and listened through the whole disk in the store, looking for a good gift for my mom. I bought two copies of it, one for my mom, and one for me. It's simple, african music. Some of the vocals are a bit annoying the first time you hear them, but they grew on me after a minute or more. This is one disk that I keep putting on.

On this excellent album MOSE FAN FAN heads a reincarnation of SOMO SOMO NGOBILA, for a session that is brimming with masterful contributions from a list of Zairean musical legends including: Syran Mbenza, Bopol, Nyboma, Wuta Mayi (aka LES QUATRE ETOILES), Youlou Mabiala, and Sam Mangwana himself.

Opening with the rousing title track HELLO HELLO, the album continues with an array of compositions that remind the listener of the glorious histories of the featured artists. Listen to the subtle threeway guitar excursion on MAMITA (track 2)(cf.FOUR STARS); or NDEMDELI, reminiscent of THE AFRICAN ALL STARS and earlier incarnations of SOMO SOMO.

Buy this CD for the range of soulful vocals, the harmonious guitar playing, and balanced compositions.

Total music: 40 minutes

I came across this album in Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfumo's home town. I gave a local in a bar a few bucks on the condition that he plays every tune on the jukebox. The title song, Hondo came on. Mellow and hipnotic. I bought the Hondo CD, then the rest. If you like African music, not the cheesy staff made for whities like me, you will cherish this disc. And you will help the Lion of Zimbabwe spread his good words.

I came across this album in Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfumo's home town. I gave a local in a bar a few bucks on the condition that he plays every tune on the jukebox. The title song, Hondo came on. Mellow and hipnotic. I bought the Hondo CD, then the rest. If you like African music, not the cheesy staff made for whities like me, you will cherish this disc. And you will help the Lion of Zimbabwe spread his good words.

Hugh Masakela crosses over into pop and mixes South African music with pop and his usual jazz roots: this makes him much more accessible than the usual jazz trumpet work - and makes his latest cd HOPE shine.

I stumbled onto this album in a Tower store years ago. I've since listened to it many, many times. I agree that Hugh's not too esoteric here and the quality of the live recording is spectacular. This is a great first album for anyone wanting to sample Hugh Masakela.

This album of well known South African songs was recorded live at the Blues Alley in Washington with an array of great South African jazz musicians like Themba Mkize, Lawrence Matshiza and Bakithi Khumalo. Masekela is a master of the horn, his virtuosity brilliantly demonstrated on the brilliant tracks Stimela (Train), Grazin' In The Grass and Ntyilo Ntyilo. Other standout track tracks include Nomali, Marketplace, Fela Kuti's Lady and the Miriam Makeba composition Abangoma. The atmosphere is wonderful and the rhythms are superb. This warm, heartfelt music should appeal to all lovers of jazz and African crossover music. I wish I were there.