| Spin
the Globe reviews, July 2003 |
|
VUSI MAHLASELA
THE VOICE
ATO Records
www.atorecords.com
www.vusimahlasela.com |
| If you name your CD The Voice,
you'd better have the pipes to back it up. Vusi Mahlasela does.
From the first listen, chills ran down my spine as I drank in
his pure voice, singing in English and various African tongues.
The arrangements and singing are more melodic than rhythmic,
reminiscent of Cameroonian Richard Bona. But there's no mistaking
the funky township jive roots of "Red Song" and "Ntate
Mahlasela." Even singing a cappella on the intro to "When
You Come Back" he has a distinctly South African sound
(though an eavesdropper in the Spin the Globe review center
says he sounds at times like an Irish tenor). From
the gospel feel of "Weeping" to the bouncy, trombone-and-organ-enhanced
"Loneliness," this CD is a smoothly arranged vehicle
for Mahlasela's extraordinary singing. The Voice is
Mahlasela's first US release, though he's been recording music
since 1991 and appears on the soundtracks from the films Amandla
and Mandela as well as on Dave Matthews' "Everyday."
During the first listening, this CD reminded me of Paul Simon's
Graceland. Now, however, I just hear the voice of truth,
singing songs that cut to the heart.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
YALE STROM WITH HOT PSTROMI & KLAZZJ
CAFE JEW ZOO
76026-2 Naxos World, 416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509,
Franklin TN 37067
www.naxosworld.com |
| In 1981 at the age of 24, Yale
Strom bought a one-way ticket to Eastern Europe and wandered
the land searching for Jewish song. His curiousity has continued
unabated since, and he's traveled, written books, directed movies,
and made music aimed at sharing and strengthening Jewish culture.
His latest CD reflects his wide knowledge of Jewish music, presented
as different "species" or aspects of Jewish culture
in the Café Jew Zoo. Strom laments the decreasing
Jewish population even as Jewish culture and music are achieving
more popularity. Often, he explains in the generous track notes,
he feels like he's on display, an example of a nearly extinct
species. He may be right, though I've been impressed recently
with the number and variety of new Jewish/Yiddish CDs available,
from the likes of Les Yeux Noirs (France), Fortuna (Brazil),
the Klezmatics, and David Krakauer, among others. From
the darkly rhythmic Romanian "The Bonesetter's Last Dance"
to the violin-clarinet duet "Stoliner Skotshne #1"
to the funk-pop "Ten Plagues," Strom and the two
bands he formed present a wide variety of music, infused with
fine musicianship and bittersweet emotion. Whether you're
a newcomer to the world of Jewish music or a frequent visitor,
this zoo has plenty of entertaining attractions.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
SOLOMON & SOCALLED
HIPHOPKHASENE
Piranha Musik
www.piranha.de
|
Not a lot of wedding soundtracks
bear repeated listening. This is an exception. In blending
traditional Jewish wedding music, historic-sounding audio
samples, and hiphop beats, it treads an ambitious - and fine
- line between campy and brilliant. Me, I lean toward the
latter interpretation. DJ Socalled (who has also released
a hiphop Seder CD) and fiddler Sophie Solomon (founding member
of English klezmer-fusion band Oi-Va-Voi) have created a very
listenable album that used the new to celebrate the old. To
be sure, the questioning of the musical tradition carries
with it other questions. In "(Alt. Shul) Kale Bazetsn"
Socalled raps "Folks are sentimental and they'll always
need their rituals / Plus as a concept it's dated, ketubah
outmoded and faded / ... But yo, your arents woulda been so
proud, so scream your damn vows out loud." High-profile
musical guests David Krakauer, Frank London, and Michael Alpert
add fiddles, horns, and vocals to several tracks. In structure,
the 15-track CD varies between fairly straight musical numbers
such as "Dobriden," "Zay Gezunt," and
"Electro Taxim" and beat-heavy mixes including "Freylekhs
Far De Kale" and "7 Blessings." Then there's
the downright goofy side, like "Freylekhs Fun Der Khupe:
Pelt Me With Rice," with its playful, bouncy horns, cartoony
vocal samples and the indescribable "Hiphopkele."
Hiphopkhasene is a vow-sealer unlike anything you've
heard before.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
GHANDAIA
UNO
Xochipilli Entertainment
www.ghandaia.com
|
| Right off the bat I liked this
band for their CD cover. Band name in small letters, CD title
UNO in big bold letters (implying "it's our
first CD, and we're not afraid to say so!"), and a little
elephant in between. Um, but there aren't really any elephants
in Latin America, right? I mean, not in the wild? Still, except
for my friend Jim, who really has been chased by elephants,
I don't know anyone who doesn't find these pachyderms charming
in their immensity. The elephant seems to be the symbol of
this nine-piece Austin-based band, whose name means "celebration"
in Portuguese. Maybe they're just dreaming large, but this
fine CD justifies that. It's a collection of samba, Afro-Cuban,
funk, and reggae that stays tight without being uptight, with
an underlying message of global unity and "levity of
soul." From the reggae/ska/funk title track to the psychadelic
guitar-rock of "Nos Eixos," these guys play with
confidence and vision. You won't even snooze off during the
soothing Brazilian songs "A Cor Do Som" and "Las
Olas," though the latter begins with the softest batucada
drumming I've ever heard. And the Brazilian thing gets downright
funky in the curiously named "Dharma," which seems
to be a Spanish-language ode to Krishna accompanied by bubbly
bass effects and rockin' guitar solos. My Spanish isn't good
enough to follow all the lyrics, but anyone can follow this
groove. Ride this elephant, my friends.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
RADIO MUNDIAL
LA RAIZ
Palm Pictures
www.palmpictures.com
www.radiomundialband.com
|
| Popping the CD in, you're met
with a traditional cuatro line. Before you know it, a truly
funky bass line has crept in, and your hips are moving. New
York-based Radio Mundial (World Radio) does Latin music with
traditional roots and contemporary urban branches, including
funk and reggae. The opening title track sizzles with energy,
followed by the deeply funky "Cuarto Sin Ventanas"
and its sinuous groove and tight conga work. The bilingual
"Hold On" starts as reggae/dub, only to transmogrify
into a kicking ska piece. The soulful, jazzy arrangement of
"Underneath" sounds a lot like a Stevie Wonder piece.
But all the tracks are originals, and underlying the energetic
grooves is a positive message. Says vocalist and guitarist
Jean Shepard: "For me what inspires me to write has a
lot to do with what gives people hope and happiness and I
think what music does for me is that it gives you company
and comfort as you go through life so I choose to give hope
with rich rhythm and up-lifting melodies." Radio Mundial
is a musical collective originally formed by Puerto Rican/Peruvian
Shepard and Chilean Swedish DJ and producer Andy Delano, which
helps explain the various influences. Tune your ears to crisp,
fresh Radio Mundial, not far down the dial from funk and Latin
and jazz but on a frequency all their own.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
QUETZAL
WORKSONGS
Vanguard Records
www.vanguardrecords.com
|
| This CD opens with the traditional-sounding
"This Is My Home," a track that would have fit right
in on Lila Downs' La Linea. But by the time the title
track rolls around, it's clear that LA-based Quetzal leans
more toward rock than tradition, even while keeping their
Latino roots intact. Six of the songs are in English and four
in Spanish, with "Time to Go" and its harmonious
vocals spending time in both camps. As implied by the comparison
to Lila Downs, the vocals by Martha Gonzalez are a distinct
highlight of Worksongs. Whether belting tight-throated
rock growls on "Decide" or soaring through the pop/R&B
tune "Relationships," Gonzalez has a soulful lilt
to her voice that reels you in. Traditionalists will be less
happy with this CD than those from Radio Mundial and Ghandaia
(reviewed elsewhere on this page) or even Quetzal's previous
CD, Sing the Real, because of its frequent use of
pop-rock-electronica devices. But especially because of its
linguistic accessibility and use of familiar rock sounds,
Worksongs might also reel in a catch of listeners
previously unaware of the delights of contemporary Latin music.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
YAYA DIALLO
NANGAPE
OZ001, Onzou Records, PO Box 53030, 1222 Douglas Street, Victoria
BC, Canada V8W 3Y8
www.onzou.com |
|
Don't confuse him with Guinea-born Afro-pop
star Alpha Yaya Diallo. Yaya Diallo, a master drummer from
Mali, uses traditional instruments in his playing of original
compositions in traditional style. This album was originally
released in 1980 but has a timeless sound with Diallo's skilled
hands caressing the djembe, balafon, dounouba, tama, and conga.
Joining him is fula flute player Sylvain Leroux. The music
is soothing enough that you could put it on as background.
But turn it up to hear the rich interplay of the instruments.
Balafon and flute take the leads on "Lobi
à la Yaya," a song about originality. "When
an original work is prepared, one must put one's soul into
it," the liner notes say. "Ivorien" is pure
rhythm, reminiscent of Polynesian log drumming. Starting with
natural water sounds, "Outeme" is about the flow
of time, balafon and flute hurrying along only to meet the
water again at the end. "Wassoulou" returns to straight-ahead
drumming.
The CD concludes with the title track "Nangapè,"
the notes for which describe a charming discussion between
a six-year-old child and the wise elder for whom the song
is named. At first the child is looking for quick answers
to the miseries of life: "Rummage through your great
library of life and give me the book I should read. Give me
your magic formula." But the child learns patience and
perspective from his elder, who assures him: "Continue
like this and you will not only grow, you will grow to be
great."
The five-track CD weighs in at just under
35 minutes (a reminder that the album was originally issued
on vinyl), giving a short but rich visit to traditional Africa.
The songs tell stories without words. If you do feel the need
for more words, check out Diallo's books on music and healing,
including The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings.
And watch for his upcoming CD Live at Club Soda, which
features Diallo's drumming alongside a full band.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
ALESSANDRA BELLONI
TARANTELLE & CANTI D'AMORE
76049-2 Naxos World, 416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509,
Franklin TN 37067
www.naxosworld.com |
| Southern Italians will explain
that tarantismo is a mental affliction encompassing
depression, anguish, hysteria, and the like. This music is
the cure. With the musicians of her performing troupe, I Guillari
di Piazza, Belloni raises her strong, passionate voice to
the myriad problems facing women in historical Italy and the
present day. The songs retain a mostly traditional sound,
though the instruments include bodhran, ocean drum, bansuri
flute, sax, and berimbao. Excellent liner notes convey the
context of each song, whether for the healing of despair,
the plague, or unrequited love.
The wild, percussive, minor-scale "Tarantella
di Ogliastro" is a traditional song to exorcise evil
spirits. Belloni wrote "La Notte delle Stelle Cadenti
(The Night of the Shooting Stars)" as she swam in the
ocean making wishes on shooting stars. Starting with a slow,
dreamy melody, the tune then turns rhythmic and sharp with
the dancing flute giving it an almost Celtic feel. As you
would expect from a singer and percussionist, some songs emphasize
vocals, others rhythm, and many both, as on "Leva Leva,"
a fisherman's chant for success and protection. This music
hits a deep, emotional place. "I hope to make people
dance with the same passion that we have [in Southern Italy],"
Belloni says, "creating that feeling of joy and lightness
as being in ecstasy."
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
DALINDA
TURQUOISE
EUCD 1780, ARC Music, PO Box 2453, Clearwater, Florida, 33757
www.arcmusic.co.uk |
| Pure, fun North African pop.
Like Natacha Atlas, Dalinda brings her tradition along even
as she plunges into the international dance scene. With crisp
percussion and tight production by Egyptian great Hossam Ramzy,
this disc sizzles with energy. Born in Libya and raised in
Bosnia, Dalinda has a voice strong and clear enough to balance
the club beats of "Yeslam Galbak (God Bless Your Heart)"
and the more traditional but no less driving "Min Youm
(Since the Day You Left)." Turquoise includes
influences from the bubbling trumpet of Samy El Bably on "El
Shams (With Every Sunrise)" to Moroccan-flavored "Esh-Hal-Qadni
(How Will I Be Patient Enough)," co-written by Chalf
Hassan. The ballad "Yaah (Oh How Much)" highlights
a quieter side of Dalinda's voice, though this isn't her strongest
suite. She shines most when fronting a dance groove, and fans
of global dance should relish this offering.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
ZOHREH JOOYA & MADJID DERAKHSHANI
MUSIC OF THE PERSIAN MYSTICS
EUCD 1792, ARC Music, PO Box 2453, Clearwater, Florida, 33757
www.arcmusic.co.uk |
| The Persian mystics of the title
are the Sufi poets Mowlana Rumi, Haviz, and Saadi. Their poems
speak of love and longing, an unfulfilled yet dedicated longing
for, ultimately, the affection of the divine. Singer Zohreh
Jooya and arranger/musician Madjid Derakhshani are both Iranians
now living in Europe, and they maintain a traditional feel while
incorporating vocal overdubbing and other Western influences.
Musically restrained with slow tempos and mostly sparse arrangements,
the songs rely on the vocals to convey the passion of the poetry,
with mixed results. Zohreh's voice leans more toward opera than
ululation, which might put off Persian-music purists even as
it makes the CD more accessible to others. "Bon Voyage
(Safar bekher)" by contemporary Iranian poet Shafii Katkani
is included as "as counterpoint of modern reality to the
old mystics," the liner notes explain, though the distinction
may be lost on monoglot Westerners.
©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
SHAFQAT ALI KHAN
SUBLIME SUFI
EUCD 1798, ARC Music, PO Box 2453, Clearwater, Florida, 33757
www.arcmusic.co.uk
|
Trance music comes in many flavors.
Sufis use repetitive music and ecstatic singing to pursue a
state of ego-less divine bliss. In the West, people often try
to lose themselves (or find others) in the throb of electronic
dance music. Sublime Sufi finds singer Shafqat Ali Khan
trying to merge the two into "contemporary Sufi music."
The opening track, "Ish Kamal (Love Sublime)," begins
with a vocal call, joined by programmed drums, sax, and electronics.
This sets the stage for most of the tracks:
Traditional instrumentation is subdued or absent, leaving Shafqat's
voice soaring over synthesized beats and instruments. My ear
is drawn more toward the exceptions: "Yaad (Memory)"
features tabla and mandolin in its tale of sleepless longing,
and "Journey to Marwa (Raag Marwa) is a moody night raga."
The Urdu-language ghazal "Sitara (Sitar)" is also
relatively free of electronics, though it sports a modern bass
line. If you've been yearning for Qawwali with more beats, this
may be for you. ©2003
Scott Allan Stevens |
|
