Dobet Gnahoré - Ano Neko

Dobet Gnahoré
Ano Neko
Contre-jour cj014, 2004

Dobet Gnahoré is an up-and-coming young artist from Africa's Ivory Coast. She not only posesses a incredible voice but she also has a commanding presence on stage. Gnahoré inherited all the power of the bété traditions from her father Boni Gnahoré, drum-master and vocal lead of the Attungblan Choir. As part of her studies before becoming a professional singer, Gnahoré performed alongside her father in the Ki Yi Mbock theatre troupe in Abidjian. The album's title, Ano Neko, means "let us create together" in bété. Gnahoré's album is a mix of African folk traditions with modern sounds reminiscent of the work of to Zap Mama and Sally Nyolo and features songs in French, Bété, Fon, Baoulé, Lingala and Malinké.

01. Intro Pygmé
02. Youné
03. Kakou (Je Meurs) [En Bété]
04. Weli
05. Nsielé (Fatigue) [En Bété]
06. Warabo
07. Nan (Maman) [En Malinké]
08. Sida
09. Atho
10. Mindilé (La Vie Est Belle)
11. Notéfi
12. Nadodo
13. Flute (Intro)
14. Bété Djili (Esprits Bétés)
15. Abiani
16. Amonbolo

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Cheikh Lô - Lamp Fall

Cheikh Lô
Lamp Fall
World Circuit wcd073, 2000

Nearly every artist in Senegal has to wrestle with the long shadow cast by the mighty Youssou N'Dour. A former N'Dour protege, Cheikh Lo is one who has staked his own claim. With a deep but still sweetly melodious and sometimes hoarse voice that is the opposite of the keening N'Dour's, Lo takes a foundation of Mbalax--an uptempo Senegalese style that mixes pop, African and Caribbean styles together in varying degrees--and adds even more. Here, on his first album in six years, a drum troop from the Brazilian state of Bahia fills out some tunes and James Brown saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis is brought in to add some peppy soul music-inflected horn parts to others. The intersection of ideas, styles, and cultures is far from smooth, but the kinetic energy created by all the influences brings a festive vibrancy to the music. Highlights include the undulating "N'Galula," the smooth ballad "Sante Yalla," and the chattering "Senegal/Bresil." --Tad Hendrickson

Senegalese musical maverick Cheikh Lo's third album for World Circuit/Nonesuch, Lamp Fall, has a distinctively contemporary feel, incorporating different styles and influences while retaining the deep spirituality that is essential to Lo. Lamp Fall is undeniably upbeat, celebratory album, that weaves together a myriad of colors and textures.

01. Sou
02. Lamp Fall
03. Xale
04. Kelle Magni
05. Senegal-Bresil
06. Sante Yalla
07. Toogayu M'Bedd
08. N'Galula
09. Sama Kaani Xeen
10. Bamba Mo Woor
11. Fattaliku Demb
12. Kelle Magni (Encore)
13. Zikroulah

Cheikh Lô - vocals, guitar

Lamine Faye - guitar
Adson Santana - guitar
Davi Moraes - guitar
Pee-Wee Ellis - saxophone
Erick Firmino - bass guitar
Etienne Mbappe - bass guitar
Samba N'Dokh - talking drum
Thio M'Baye - percussion

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Stella Rambisai Chiweshe - Chisi

Stella Rambisai Chiweshe
Chisi
Piranha pir 27 CD, 1990

Accompanying her swooping vocals on mbira, a thumb piano consisting of metal strips set in wood, Stella Chiweshe has taken the traditional Shona music of Zimbabwe to the international stage. Chiweshe reached her largest audience when she joined Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca and Tex-Mex singer-guitarist Tish Hinojosa for the Global Diva tour in 1997.

One of the few women to play the mbira, Chiweshe was taught to play by her mother's uncle in 1963 or 1964. In 1974, she had to borrow an instrument in order to record her debut single. In the two decades since, Chiweshe has recorded more than twenty singles. In addition to performing as a soloist, Chiweshe performs with the Stella Chiweshe Mbira Trio and the Earthquake Band. According to World Music: The Rough Guide, Chiweshe "has provoked some criticism for her avant garde mixture of sacred and commercial music, a controversal issue in a country where music is so close to the spiritual centre of life". Partly based in Germany, Chiweshe performs mostly outside of her native land. A talented actress and dancer, Chiweshe is a member of the National Dance Company Of Zimbabwe and is known for her portrayal of national hero, Mbuyo Nehanda. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

01. Ndinderere
02. Huya Uzoona
03. Mikono
04. Nyamaropa Pachipembere
05. Gwendere - Gwendere
06. Mapere
07. Kundara Kwangu
08. Rwuye Rwuye
09. Mudzimu Dzoka
10. Machena
11. Baya Wa Baya
12. Zungunde
13. Dande
14. Mese Maikwana
15. Kuzanga

Stella Chiweshe - vocals, mbira, ngoma, clapping
Virginia Mkwesha - vocals, mbira, hosho, clapping
Gilson Mangoma - baritone marimba, vocals, clapping
Leonard Ngwenya - soprano marimba, percussion, vocals, clapping
Charles Willie - guitars
Eric Makorora - bass guitar
Tonderai Zinyau - drums

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Spirit of the Eagle. Zimbabwe Frontline Vol.2

Spirit of the Eagle. Zimbabwe Frontline Vol.2
Earthworks CDEWV 18, 1978 (1990)

Zimbabwean guitarists are the most hardcore and no-nonsense of all. The songs charge along relentlessly while they pile on never-ending and increasingly more catchy riffs under the singing. Seemingly simpler than benga or soukous, this is not the breathless sprint of Diblo et al., but an inexorable gallop. Vol.1 was a revelation, Vol.2 is a feast (with Mapfumo and the Four Bros, among others.~ Carl Hoyt

Chimurenga godfather Thomas Mapfumo's producer also oversaw the quieter Robinson Banda opener and the more percussive Nyami Nyami Sounds entry, while someone named A.K. Mapfumo produced the other Banda song as well as two by old favorites the Four Brothers. Everywhere the ripple of mbira guitar buoys music whose varied details are mere decoration for a tourist like me--a tourist who sits grinning foolishly, amazed yet again that such a wonderful world could thrive independent of his sustained personal attention. - Robert Christgau

1. Robson Banda - Masvingo Netara
2. Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Ngoma Yekwedu
3. Patrick Mkwamba & The Four Brothers - Vambozha Vauya
4. Robson Banda - Dzinomwa Muna Save
5. Patrick Mkwamba & The Four Brothers - Mombe Yeumai
6. Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited - Nyamutamba Ne Mombe
7. The Four Brothers - Tsiga Mureza
8. Nyami Nyami Sounds - Ndiani Apisa Moto
9. Jonah Moyo & Devara Ngwena - Wenhamo Ndewe Nhamo

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Japanese Traditional Music [3] - KABUKI

KABUKI

Popular Japanese entertainment that combines music, dance, and mime in highly stylized performances. The word is written using three Japanese characters — ka ("song"), bu ("dance"), and ki ("skill"). Kabuki dates from the end of the 16th century, when it developed from the nobility's no theatre and became the theatre of townspeople. In its early years it had a licentious reputation, its actors often being prostitutes; women and young boys were consequently forbidden to perform, and kabuki is today performed by an adult all-male cast. Its texts, unlike no texts, are easily understood by its audience. The lyrical but fast-moving and acrobatic plays, noted for their spectacular staging, elaborate costumes, and striking makeup in place of masks, are vehicles in which the actors demonstrate a wide range of skills. Kabuki employs two musical ensembles, one onstage and the other offstage. It shares much of its repertoire with bunraku, a traditional puppet theatre.

Traditional form of Japanese theatre, including dance numbers and purely dramatic plays. It is accompanied by offstage music (wood blocks, gongs, xylophone, bells etc, for sound effects), as well as on-stage musicians (singers and shamisen, or lute, players).

Japanese form of dance theatre dating back to the 16th century. Kabuki means song, dance, and acting, although the term originally meant shocking or strange, in reference to the form's unusual style, and it originated in shows given by O-Kuni, a dancer and lay priestess from the Izmumo region, and her all-female troupe. They were very popular in Kyoto where they performed a fusion of prayer dance, folk dance, comic mime, and erotic dance. This mix evolved into dance dramas whose populist style contrasted with the refined and aristocratic noh theatre. Part of their popularity derived from their overtly erotic content which led to a ban on women appearing in kabuki performances (from 1629) and on boys (from 1652). Adult male dancers thus took over the kabuki style, creating the profession of female impersonator or onnagata which became an honoured calling for which boys were trained from childhood. Kabuki evolved through four basic stages, its works originally taking their inspiration from historical sagas, then tending more towards dance, then concentrating on folk stories, and finally aiming for more contemporary narratives. In its classic form kabuki is an integrated mix of dance, gesture, music, costume, make-up, and vivid stage effects. Performances tend to be long by Western standards and slow moving, but are rich in imagery and emotion. Two famous works are Chushingura (The Forty-Seven Loyal Samurai), a historical tale of honour and revenge, and Sumidagawa (The Sumida River), the story of a mad woman's search for her lost son. Kabuki dance troupes (as distinct from kabuki theatre troupes) also now give independent performances, with both male and female artists taking part.

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Sissoko Yakhouba - Gambia. Griot Tradition

Sissoko Yakhouba
Gambia. Griot Tradition
Air Mail Music SA 141152, 2007

1. Malinke
2. African Tales
3. Spirit of the Mask
4. Savanna

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Salim Fergani - La noria de los modos. Musica Andalusi, Maluf de Constantine, Argelia

Salim Fergani
La noria de los modos. Musica Andalusi, Maluf de Constantine, Argelia
Pneuma PN-890, 2007

Salím Ferganí is an Algerian singer and lute player who carries on with a secular tradition handed down by his ancestors. He performs with an instrumental quartet (violin, which takes the place of the old rabel, flute and two percussionists). The quality and conviction of his singing are vastly superior to those of “recycled” performers who offer as “early” something that is simply folklore. Ferganí’s voice is wonderfully expressive and natural, although it is impossible to understand what he is saying (a translation of the lyrics is provided and it helps, but in a case like this it is not enough).
What he performs is an original poem by a mystic named al-Darif al tunisi, who died in the year 1385 of the Christian era. Composed of recollections of the death of a child, it is divided into stanzas that correspond to different modes that succeed each other as the music and lyrics change. Hence, its title alludes to something in movement: La noria de los modos. Noria is the Spanish word for water wheel. Without knowing these modes, it is hard if not impossible to appreciate them, even if one does discern differences among them. It would have been useful to include a brief explanation in the libretto. This would have helped the CD win over not just fans of this genre but also people who might be tempted to explore it. - Maricarmen Gómez

01. Bashraf Zidane-H'sine
02. Rahaoui: Buenas gentes de Andalucía
03. Deil: Enamoradas
04. Asbihan: Sobre ardientes brasas
05. Sika: El recuerdo de Andalucía
06. M'hair: Desde que te has ido
07. Mezmoum: Mi corazón ha sufrido
08. Rasd: Llegada la noche
09. Maya: La bella ha venido
10. Asbian: Me quejo de esta pasión
11. Irak: Apareciste como un relámpago
12. H'sine: Corazón mío
13. Nawa: Tú que buscas el amor
14. Sika H'sine: Lejos de Andalucía

Salim Fergani - vocals, 'ud
Youcef Bounas - zurna, djuwáq o fhal
Nabil Taleb - kemandja
Bachir Ghouli - tar
Khaled Smair - darbuka

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GRANADOS, E.: 12 Spanish Dances (Torres-Pardo)

Rosa Torres-Pardo
Granados, Twelve Spanish Dances
Naxos 8.554313, 1998

I had been listening to some very different types of music when a friend offered to lend me this CD of Enrique Granados' (1867 -- 1916) "Twelve Spanish Dances" performed by Spanish pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo. The CD was a welcome change of pace from my more usual and more solemn listening. I have heard these dances before in concert but not on CD, and I greatly enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time with them. Rosa Torres-Pardo was entirely new to me. She plays these works with elan and high spirit. This is a budget CD and a fine choice for those wanting to get to know Granados.
Granados' music straddles the late 19th -- early 20th century, with the Spanish Dances dating from 1889 when the composer was 22. They are arranged in four books of three dances each. The Dances are frequently arranged for the guitar and other instruments, but it is good to hear them on the piano, the instrument for which they were composed.
This music reminded me of the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, with its guitar-like strumming, echoes of castanets, strong and varied rhythms, and lightness. The music also reminded me of the dance sets of Brahms and Dvorak, written at almost the same time as these pieces, and sharing their popular appeal and nationalistic celebrations. Yet, these pieces by Granados are a delight in themselves, and shouldn't be analyzed as much as savored and enjoyed.
The pieces are written in different dance forms. Some of the dances took me away to long, hot romantic evenings while others are flamboyant and lively. The first set of three dances includes two flashy outer pieces, "Minueto" and "Fandango" surrounding a much more plaintive haunting middle dance, "Oriental". The second set includes the most famous of these dances, "Andaluza", a strongly rhythmical piece, together with a flowing, pastoral work "Villanesca" and a brief finale "Rondalla Aragonesca", which gradually increases in intensity and includes a song in its middle section. The third book of dances begins with a bouncy "Valenciana" followed by a work with alow singing theme in the treble and strumming rhythms, "Sardana". The concluding "Mazurca" is a flamboyant showpiece. The final book of dances opens with a famous "Dance Triste" . The second dance, "Zambra", the longest of the collection is a snappy, rhythmical piece, and the final light "Arabesque"
reminded me of Spain's Moorish heritage and of Robert Schumann's piano work of the same name. The CD closes with a shimmering, impressionistic piece, "Estudio" published after Granados' death.
Listening to these dances brought home to me again the variety there is in music and how much joy there is to be gained by exploring. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to hear the Spanish Dances in depth and to try to communicate something of the music to those who might like to hear it. - Robin Friedman

01. Spanish Dances Book 1, Op. 37: Minueto 2:43
02. Spanish Dances Book 1, Op. 37: Oriental 5:24
03. Spanish Dances Book 1, Op. 37: Fandango 4:11
04. Spanish Dances Book 2, Op. 37: Villanesca 7:15
05. Spanish Dances Book 2, Op. 37: Andaluza 4:12
06. Spanish Dances Book 2, Op. 37: Rondalla Aragonesca 4:27
07. Spanish Dances Book 3, Op. 37: Valenciana 5:07
08. Spanish Dances Book 3, Op. 37: Sardana 3:52
09. Spanish Dances Book 3, Op. 37: Mazurca 5:49
10. Spanish Dances Book 4, Op. 37: Danza triste 5:01
11. Spanish Dances Book 4, Op. 37: Zambra 8:21
12. Spanish Dances Book 4, Op. 37: Arabesca 5:34
13. Estudio 4:40

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