Bulletin - May/ June
2010
Ethnic & World Music
Various Artists
| AFRICA-EAST AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buda 860184 |
Zanzibara 5 - Hot In Dar |
$15.98 |
10 tracks of haunting and sensuous music from East
Africa recorded in Dar es Salam - the largest and richest city in
Tanzania. The recordings here are from the late 70s and early 80s
when Dar es-Salam had one of the richest and most vibrant musical
scenes in Africa, with some 25 to 3o professional bands performing
in nightckubs and theatres. Tight guitars, riffing horn section,
enchanting harmonizing vocals and unfailing swing characterized this
dance music that was the backdrop to everyday life in the city. This
disc pressnts the music 10 of the top bands of the period. Includes
28 page booklet with extensive background notes, rare photos as well
as information on the artists plus lyric transcripts in French and
English.
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| AFRICA-WEST AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Honest Jon's 041 |
Africa Boogaloo - The Latinization
Of West Africa |
$18.98 |
13 tracks, 55 mins, highly recommended
I've noted, in the previous reviews of CDs from the Honest Jon's
label, the influence of Latin music on music from Africa, especially
West Africa. And the Honest Jon's folks have helpfully devoted a
whole CD to illustrating this very point. On tracks by Orchestre OK
Jazz, Le Grand Kalle, Don Gazalo and Manu Dibango, Rio Band,
Orchestre Baobab, and Amara Toure the give and take between the
African musicians and their Cuban and Caribbean brethren is evident
(since a lot of what makes Latin music what it is came from African
in the first place). African musicians that changed their names to
sound more Latin and songs composed in Spanish (or nonsense words
that sounded like Spanish), were typical of this cross-pollination
of musical styles and ideas. These tracks, recorded in the 1950's
and 60's, are exuberant and exciting like the best African music,
and also highly danceable and more accessible than some African
sounds to the Western ear. In short, this collection is an easy way
for a novice listener of "World" music to get his or her feet wet.
(GMC)
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| JEWISH/YIDDISH/KLEZMER |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Renair 126 |
Shbahoth - Iraqi-Jewish Song From
The 1920s |
$18.98 |
15 tracks, highly recommended
Amazing compilation of rare recordings from the 1920s of Iraqi
Jewish musicians. Until the mass emigration to Israel in the 1950s
Iraq had the oldest of the Jewish Diaspora communities and in the
period when these recordings were made the majority of the
instrumentalists in Iraq were Jewish. Five performers or ensembles
are featured and the songs are all Shbahoth or songs of praise sung
on Sabbath and other important holidays. The music is beautiful and
haunting and while it' hard to make comparisons sounds a little like
early rembetika with heavily ornamented singing and instrumental
accompaniments by instruments like hammered dulcimer, violin and oud.
Unlike rembetika a number of songs feature bursts of vocal ululation
- a vocal style common in Arabic countries. The last two tracks on
the set are very different from all the rest featuring a youth choir
singing acapella interspersed with instrumental segments by a
rousing brass band with flutes and brass performing ululation.
Considering the age and rarity of these recordings the sound is
outstandingly good. It's a shame that the documentation by Sarah
Manasseh is rather perfunctory with practically no information on
the artists or instrumentation and a discussion of the songs
involving technical terms that are never explained. Notwithstanding
this CD is an indispensible look into a long gone musical culture.
(FS)
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| AFRICA-ZIMBABWE |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sharp Wood 032 |
Bulawayo Jazz - Southern Rhodesia,
1950,'51, '52 |
$24.98 |
23 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Another great album from this label that has been re-issuing the
field recordings made in Africa by the indefatigable Hugh Tracy from
the 30s up to his death in 1977. Although Tracy, based in South
Africa, recorded vast amounts of rural material he was also in tune
with some of the more modern sounds emerging in urban areas and this
collection features a selection of recordings made in Southern
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) between 1950 and '52 featuring a style of
African jazz that was popular in the area around Bulawayo. Though
drawing on elements of American jazz the music was distinctively
Southern African with a lovely melodic quality to it. The bands were
usually led by alto and tenor sax and trumpet with the alto usually
taking the lead and with rhythm which often included guitars and
banjo. The dominant figure on the scene was alto saxophonist/
composer and singer August Musaruwa who is featured on 15 tracks
here with The Cold Storage Band and the Chaminuka Band. One of
Musarurwa's compositions was a tune called Skokiaan which
attracted the attention of South Africa's Gallo record company who
recorded the tune by the band changing the group's name to the
Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms and released to great success in 1952. It was
subsequently issued throughout the world and became a worldwide hit
and was covered by many artists in many different styles. If you are
familiar with and love that tune then here is a whole lot more music
in a similar vein including an unissued practice version of
Skokiian which swing even harder than the hit. Most of the
tracks are instrumental but a few feature warm and enagging vocals.
In addition to above lineup there is also a beautiful track by The
Dick Ncube Trio which features a violin lead and the delightful
Hlabelani Je Bafana by De Brown darkies - a group of vocalist
accompanied by acoustic guitar doing a very Africanized version of
Glenn Miller's In The Mood! A real delight with in depth
notes by Michael Baird and an introduction by Hugh Tracy's son
Andrew. (FS)
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| AFRICA-NIGERIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soundway 20 |
Nigeria Special, Vol. 2 - Modern
Highlife, Afro Sounds |
$18.98 |
The first Nigeria Special album (Soundway 9) was
released to critical acclaim in 2007; this follow-up continues the
exploration of the most dazzling period in Nigeria's recording
history. The styles of music range from highlife to Juju and
Nigerian blues sung in the languages of Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, and Ijaw.
The 70's was an exciting time for Nigerian musicians; for the first
time they were allowed more freedom to record their own styles and
the result was a hybrid of Highlife, afrobeat, rock, jazz, and
native blues that sound as fresh today as they did then. The CD
includes a full color 24-page booklet with nuggets of historical
info and the background to the scene at the time.
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| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Strut 054 |
Next Stop Soweto - Township Sounds
From The Golden Age |
$16.98 |
20 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of South African mbaqanga music recorded between
1968 and 1977 and originally issued on singles. Mbaqanga is an
exhilarating mixture of traditional Zulu and Shangaan music melded
with American R&B, rock 'n' roll and jazz utilizing great vocal
harmonies, thundering electric bass, chattering guitars and drums
plus occasional riffing accordion and stuttering sax. Apart from
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens most of the artists here are
pretty much unknown outside of South Africa but all are fine
including artists with great names such as The Melotone Sisters with
Amaqola Band, S.Piliso & His Super Seven, The Tempo All Stars and
The African Swingsters. Excellent sound and the 20 page booklet has
information on the origins and development of mbaqanga by South
African music scholar David B. Coplan plus artist photos and label
shots. (FS)
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