Africa music reviews

Erica Kundidzora Azim's singing is smooth, sweet, exploring, inviting, soft, and well matched and balanced with her skillful mbira playing. Other artists' mbira album titles I like: Zimbabwe The Soul of the Mbira, Shona Spirit, The Healing Tree, Svikiro Meditations from an Mbira. Erica Azim's Mbira Dreams is my favorite.

This is good stuff for fans of S/A music.

Solomon Linda & His Original Evening Birds' recording of "Mbube" (aka Wimoweh) is well known to S/A music fans and is on numerous compilations, but along with this we get to hear our heroes on some other songs. These guys were really talented.

There are some other mbube groups featured in unreleased recordings and well as ultra-rare recordings from SABC radio. Some of these tunes feature minor instrumentation via piano or banjo, but these are as much fun as the acapella songs.

All of the songs are in Zulu, but you get an idea of what's going on as the titles of the songs are translated on the liner notes.

As a bonus, we have the VERY FIRST radio recording of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1967)-the group that made this style internationally known. Thier sounds has remained consistant through the years.

If you like S/A music, you'll love this. Get it.

This is a great recording. Featuring the original stars of "Isicathamiya" and "Mbube" type singing like Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds, the Crocodiles and of course, the current Isicathamiya legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo with their first ever radio transcription, from 1967. This album is a great, brilliant and factual insight into South African music, with the original so-called 'Wimoweh', "Mbube". The latter sounded very original and yes, more rhythmic than the American versions. The inlay and booklet features information on the songs and artists, with a great picture of Ladysmith in 1968 and Solomon Linda's Evening Birds, in 1941. If you want to listen to the music that made Ladysmith and other stars famous for what they do today, buy this album. A definate 5 stars.

This CD is a guide to South African music. It's reveal the roots of famous musicians like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba and others. The tracks vary from clasical chorals (listen to Mbube) to some African country music with nice instrumental parties. The only disadvantage is the recording quality of some tracks transferred from old LPs. Nothing to do - it's history!

I don't have the CD--I have a Zimbabwean cassette that someone brought back for me in 1993. I first heard MM on the BBC in 1991 and was determined to get hold of his music... As other reviewers say, this is joyful, inspirational music whether you understand Shona or not. The combination of electric guitar and vocals is absolutely gorgeous.

This is a very strong set from Mechanic Manyeruke, leader of Zimbabwean gospel group `The Puritans'. They developed an international following at the height of their popularity in the late 80s to mid 90s through tours in Europe and the US.

Manyeruke writes and performs the melodic, dancing, sunny songs and The Puritans support with celebratory, joyful backing vocals.

The lyrics are in Bantu and Mechanic's vocals are gentle, earnest and spirited. He supports with irresistible guitar work - typical of much African guitar, he concentrates on high trebly triads to produce a happy, delightful, lightly attacking, rhythmical sound.

If you like African music, especially for its distinctive guitar sounds, this comes strongly recommended.

[A bonus is that the Bantu lyrics spare us from all the facile drivel about 'the Lord Jesus', 'God', 'Christ' and other such brain-washed mind-loops of gibberish].

this is the best album ever released by mechanic and i like it cause it tells a story and reminds me of a lot of things we face in life and that the lord is great

This jazz classic by the great South African (originally) performer could be a precurser of New Age music. Anyone with eclectic taste should give it a listen.

If you're only familiar with Miriam Makeba's folk-era recordings ("The Click Song," etc.) then take the time to check out this amazing set of her earliest work from the mid-1950s, with the Skylarks vocal ensemble. This is South African "jive" music, a mix of ska-like African rhythms and American jazz and swing melodies - some of the most cheery and infectious music you'll ever hear! This is the first disc of a 2-volume collection... BMG also put out an 18-track single CD best-of that has a lot of the same great material. Either way you find this music, it'll knock your socks off!

If you're only familiar with Miriam Makeba's folk-era recordings ("The Click Song," etc.) then take the time to check out this amazing set of her earliest work from the mid-1950s, with the Skylarks vocal ensemble. This is South African "jive" music, a mix of ska-like African rhythms and American jazz and swing melodies - some of the most irresistibly cheery music you'll ever hear! This is the second disc of a 2-volume collection... BMG also put out an 18-track single CD best-of that has a lot of the same great material. Either way you find this music, it'll knock your socks off!

increadible sounds as well as music a must for all lovers of taarab and chakacha

This CD is quite ambitious. Africa is a huge continent, with incredibly diverse traditions. The differences between any given cultures and traditions in Africa can be incredible. And yet, this CD attempts to give a brief taste of Africa's best dance music, and it does a pretty good job. The first track, "Sina (Soumbouya)" from Salif Keita gives a pretty good idea of what to expect from this CD, dancey, soulful music from the heart of Africa. Cheik Lo's track, "Ndoga" was particularly upbeat and catchy. There were also excellent selections of Malian musical traditions, performed by Boubacar Traore and Rokia Traore. Habib Koite's song "Wassiye" was hauntingly beautiful and deeply soulful. However, the greatest song on the CD was Gadir Abdel Salim's "Bassama", a dancy, Mid-Eastern influenced song meaning peace, which I found particularly interesting given that there aren't many CDs available of Sudanese music. Overall, this is simply a great CD.

This CD, part of the Monod Melodia collection, gives some great insights into Soukous, a unique African style of music, derived from Rumba, which originated in Congo, and spread into Kenya, Central African Republic, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia, and even further afield. After listening to this CD, you'll understand why Soukous are so popular. The music is fun, danceable and quite enjoyable.
Needless to say, the Soukous are a very diverse genere, but this CD does a wonderful job of pulling together some of the best Soukous out there. From Madilu System's wonder "Ya Jean" to Papa Noel's lively "Malou", this CD will give you hours of enjoyment, even if you can't understand a word thats being said. This is great music because it just compels you to dance. And this CD includes some excellent selections by such legends as Papa Wemba, Franco and Sam Mangwana. After listening to this CD, you'll be hooked.

"Monkey Banana/Excuse O" is another gem in the Fela two-albums-on-one-CD reissue series on MCA. (By the way, the cover art posted on this page is that of "Upside Down" not "Monkey Banana.") It should be noted that unlike some of the other titles in this series, the song "Monkey Banana" was previously available on the original Celluloid label release of "Zombie" in the mid-1980s. Both the original "Monkey Banana" (with its b-side "Sense Wiseness") and "Excuse O" (with its b-side "Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism is the Boss") LPs were originally released in 1975. This was the beginning of what was arguably Fela's greatest period, and in the next three years he would release more than a dozen albums! While "Zombie" and "Opposite People" are clearly the essential recordings from this period, this disc is not far behind. In fact all of the Fela reissues are really indispensable, and you should get them while you can.