Africa music reviews

This CD perfectly demonstrates the wonders of technology. Having struggled to listen to a gradually deteriorating taped version of SINA MAKOSA, that classic by LES WANYIKA, since the early 1980's, I am now able to enjoy this and other equally exceptional classic recordings on CD. The quality of guitar playing, the rythmn, melodies and harmonies of these songs is exquisite. They have soul. To anyone with memories of Kenyan music in the 70's and 80's, or anyone who wants to acquaint themself with this spirited music, this album is a blessing.(Also check out LES WANYIKA's new CD AMIGO (CLP001).)

Bouncy South African pennywhistle, or kwela, music from the leader of the Solven Whistlers, and during the 1950s a frequent collaborator with Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks. Mashiyane pretty much made the pennywhistle a popular sound, and few people could match him for the expressiveness he brought to such a seemingly limited instrument. For an all-instrumental album highlighting a fairly oddball sound, this disc is far more captivating than one might imagine. Recommended!

May just be the most fun you can have without leaving the house! Infectious, happy music that will put you in a great mood. Short, upbeat African Jive songs featuring the sweet harmonies of the Mahotella Queens, and the rough and tender lead vocals of Mahlithinni.You'll be singing along without even knowing the words.

If you have a chance to see them live, do it!

This album is as good as, say, "Deep Breakfast" by Ray Lynch (a platinum New Age album) or some of the albums by Kitaro. Yet "Kora So Far" is every bit as good as these best-sellers, so good that my non-New-Age music fan mate at home commented how much he liked this music. I played this album twice through when I got it.

Ravi is a Londoner with a good cohort of musician friends. He combines his own considerable talents on electric kora and other instruments with the eclectic sounds of his colleagues--so this is a mix of soft jazz and Indian raga, and a blend all his own. Ravi's kora playing is in no way like Gambian or Mali style--he is possibly Britain's only non-African kora player, coming from a background of Celtic harp and guitar. His style is unique.

If you like soft jazz, New Age or relaxation music, with a blend of kora (Mali harp-lute), plus Indian sounds and mellow, mellow saxophone, this is for you. Try this surprise album for a real treat. I just love it --in fact, off to go play it again.

no words can describe this sensation ! just buy it and push the repeat button !

We are presented with seven different tracks from six different ethnic groups [Siamou, Birifor, Gan, Dagara, Dian, and Lobi] living in the region of Burkina Faso [formerly Upper Volta] and thereabouts, where different types of xylophones are generally the dominant musical instruments. The liner notes are quite good, with 5 pages each in French, and in English translation.

The French tend to call any West African xylophone a 'balafon', even though pretty much every ethnic group who uses/possesses them gives them a different name. The term 'Bala' is used further west for the straight frame type - and only among the Mandinka, Malinke and some of the related peoples of Mali, Guinea, the Gambia, and Senegal.

A couple of pages into the liner notes the writer corrects this "error" of naming. He then goes on to tell us something about each of the seven ensembles, including the type of xylophone(s) used, as well as the backup instruments [usually some type or assortment of small drum(s) and a piece of metal to clang]. Note that some of the xylophonists wear wrist rattles.

From the photographs (each xylophone is pictured at least once, though the photos are small and a couple of times cropped so it's difficult to see anything other than a few keys being beaten) it appears that most if not all of these xylophones are of the curved-frame variety.

The recording itself is beautiful - but it's the interlocking rhythm of the melodies will really get to you. This music nowhere contains the long melismatic Islamic-influenced melodies more characteristic of the Mandinka/Malinke orchestras and dance troupes from Senegal, Mali and Guinea. By contrast, among the Voltaic peoples the rhythmic sophistication and virtuosity is particularly endemic, particularly when two xylophones are playing interlocking rhythms and/or melodies one off/through the other. It's quite a tight weave, and generally very, very fast. I can almost guarantee that it's very different than anything you've heard before. Listening to each different piece really does something new to your mind, and dynamically energizes to your body, whether or not you let it move.

The last highly touted 'balafon' CDs I listened to ['Guinee Balafon Mandingue', volumes 1-3] were very disappointing in that they showcased the soloist to the extent that the 2nd balafon and the indigenous "orchestra" behind it were almost wholly drowned out. This was a pity, as this pure Mandinka band (one-string fiddle, flute, double reed horn, and big bass hunter's harp or 'bolon') was playing along in extremely beautiful fashion. But you could barely hear it above the close-miked solo balafon, which was overloading those (probably expensive) stereo microphones.

There's however none of that sort of problem here. On each of the seven different ensembles you hear absolutely everything, the stereo separation is matchless, and the tone quality is clean and lively. Only on the last cut, the 2nd xylo player beating out the basic rhythm on 2 keys with the end of his sticks is too loud, probably due to the microphone being badly placed, but possibly partly due to his over-enthusiasm. You can still hear everything, but the more subtle leads are a little too far back in the mix. Too bad, as otherwise it's probably the prettiest piece, and reminds me a bit of the style of the 'kadj' xylophones of the Casamance region of southern Senegal, though even here, it's definitely more rhythmically challenging.

Otherwise my only criticism is that it seems sometimes the xylophones may have been placed sideways to the microphones/audience rather than lengthwise, so that the stereo potential of each xylophone is diminished. And a couple of times it seems that there are two different stereo setups (one for each of two xylophones) which are then mixed together in a rather unconventional manner which makes it slightly confusing to the listener, though in a abstract sense it's maybe even more interesting/beautiful. These are very minor glitches, if you even want to call them that.

But you certainly cannot by any stretch of the imagination criticize the musicians here; their world is open for you to savor, so don't miss out on this one if you can help it! If you're looking for awesome musicality and virtuosity, and rhythms that will get your ears flapping and your hips moving, along with melodies that will jump all over and around you, by all means look no further.

La Bomba is my all time fav. the minute I first heard it I was amazed, it was great. I listnend to it over and over, I couldn't stop. I then went on to buy the rest of King Africa's cd's.

Benjamin Lew is one of my absolute favourite musicians and "Le Parfum du Raki" is one of his best moments. If you like music which is unpredictable, beautiful, organic and poetic this might be something for you. It's impossible to describe his songs because they don't follow any given structure. When you listen to a CD by mr Lew you climb into his own universe. A starting point is Brian Eno's ambient music. We talk about instrumental and very atmospheric music. Poetry for ears. However, the songs of Benjamin Lew are more complex and demands maybe more attention from the listener. Benjamin Lew plays mainly electronic instruments, while invited guest musicians like Malka Spigel (ex Minimal Compact), Peter Principle (Tuxedomoon), Denis Moulin, Gilles Martin and others contributes with acustic atmospheres like sitar, guitar, brass, woodwinds, percussion, violin etc. Some may say that his music is pretentious (just like this review might be). I say, give it a try. Don't be frighten to leave the main stream road and walk deep into the forrest where Benjamin Lew haunts. Maybe you will love it...or hate it. I cannot imagine that you can be neutral to Benjamin Lew. I can also recommend another CD by Lew called "Nebka". It's wonderful as well...

This classic Guinean pop ensemble has one of the grooviest sounds I've heard, and for whatever reason, I find them completely enthralling. Part of it is the roughness and seeming incohesion of their sound -- there are several distinct elements that appear on the surface to be unlike each other -- the keening, shrill vocals; the gorgeous, perfect, echoey guitars; lastly, the driving, aggressive percussion, an unusual mix of indigenous drums and a lively snare set, all anchored by a swirly little organ. Camayenne Sofa seemed content to leave the rough edges in their music, and that suits me just fine. These guys were extremely talented performers who didn't succumb to the age-old temptation to "perfect" every little bit of their music, and thus these discs are more energetic and compelling than the vast majority of African pop albums you're likely to hear. Great stuff. Highly recommended!

Pepe Kalle was truly a great in congolese music. His song "Roger Milla" will certainly get the party started!! one of my favorite songs of all time is this one and also "Gerant", and im sure whoever listens to it will not be disappointed!!!!

Pepe Kalle was in my opinion one the true legends of Zairean music. His style and his class will live on forever. This cd is only a small tribute to a man who passed away in the prime of his life and his career.