CD Reviews 2
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CD Reviews 2
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Souad Massi Honeysuckle (WRASS170)
I fell in love with the voice of French/Algerian singer songwriter Soud Massi back in 2001 when she launched her first solo album Raoui. Souad’s voice, full of emotion and sad reflection singing beautiful yet melancholic songs sung in Berber and accompanied sparingly, by cello, viola, the odd African/Arabic percussion but mostly just acoustic guitar. On this new album by Souad less is more. More chance to hear her songs of love, of loss and longing for times past and the beloved homeland that she left behind for Paris in 1999. The guitars, playing mostly in a Spanish style, reminding us that the word Flamenco derives from the Arabic word Fellahmengu, meaning “Peasant without Land" and that much of what we consider as ‘Spanish’ is in fact passed on from the Moorish conquerors from North Africa and who remained in control of many parts of Spain until the late 15th century, the word Andalusia originating from the Arabic Al-Andalus. On track 5, ‘I won’t forget my roots’ Souad reaches across the Sahara desert to sing a duet with Malian singer Daby Toure a more ‘uptempo’ song with a definite Malian influence and instrumentation. The Malian influence doesn’t end there as the production on this album was helped by Jean Lamoot who produced Sali Keita’s excellent Moffou. Track 9 takes us right back to the Algerian roots for a duet with Rabah Khalfa a track that is distinctly more 'Rai' than anything else on this album. This album won’t have you dancing around the room (except maybe tracks 5 & 9) but it will move you, unless of course you’re made of stone. Phil B What the missus thought: Beautiful! To hear audio samples or purchase online click on the album cover above. We have tried in vain twice (so far) to get Souad Massi over for a series of gigs in Ireland, however, she is due to appear in Belfast on the 2nd March. For more details call 02890 325 942. And we're trying to put together a show in the South on the 1st (watch this space) For more details on Souad Massi see: Wrasse Records 0028 Cheikh Lo – Lamp Fall (WCD073)
Cheikh Lo’s third outing on World Circuit and possibly his best so far. Lamp Fall was 5 years in the making and recorded in Dakar, London and Bahia. Over the years Cheikh Lo has been influenced by many forms of music in his travels and they all show up in this album, with slow Cuban ‘guajira’ rhythms present in ‘Sante Yalla’ reminiscent of early Orchestra Baobab, a 40 piece samba percussion orchestra joins Cheikh for ‘Senegal-Bresil’ and ‘N’Galula’ shows off Cheikh’s ability to perform Congolese Rumba/Soukous in a style popular in the 70s and a song that was originally performed by The Orchestra Elegance Jazz. With musicians including JBs saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis playing tenor sax, Cissinho de Cassis on Sanfona Accordion, David Moraes's on cavaquinho (traditional Brazilian guitar), Lamine Faye on guitar and Cameroonian bass-player Etienne M'Bappe amongst many other guests playing a variety of instruments both African and Latin American, we are treated to a veritable ‘world tour’ of music from the African Diaspora. However, the music is still rooted in the Senegalese Manding tradition and the Latin influences do not overwhelm or detract from the body and overall quality of this work If you already have Ne La Thiass or Bambay Gueej you will definitely get this album, a bit less ‘mblax’ than previous outings perhaps but all the more accessible for it. Phil B To hear audio samples or purchase online click on the album cover above Fela Kuti – Best of The Black President (WRASS 158)
A double CD crammed with 13 of Fela’s best known and loved tracks, starting with ‘Lady’ perhaps Fela’s most copied song, covered in the past by the likes of South Africa’s Hugh Masekela and Baaba Maal from Senegal (and thousands of others since). With other Fela classics like Zombie, Water Get No Enemy, Coffin For Head of State and No Agreement this truly is a ‘Best Of’ and an essential for anyone discovering Fela for the first time. We are spared some of Fela’s ‘polem-athons’ by judicious editing, most of Fela’s songs last around 30 minutes, these are sympathetically reduced to a maximum of 15 minutes and a minimum of 7 making the whole package very ‘listener friendly’ and offers a great way-in to Fela’s music. And if you like what you hear and want to delve further into the rest of Fela’s work and get the full length versions (around 55 other releases) then this CD would be a great point to start from. And if you’re a DJ and like to feed some Fela samples into the mix, this is the one guys. Phil B To hear audio samples or purchase online click on the album cover above. See Also: Wrasse Records Tiken Jah Fakoly - Tiken Jah Fakoly (WRASS 159)
The Fakoly family belong to the griot caste. The African griots are the storytellers/musicians who guard the oral tradition of their people, their region and the most important families living there, recounting stories and legends through their music. Singing and playing Reggae, mostly of the ‘conscious’ variety, in French and his native tongue, Dioula, Tiken Jah sings about important social and global issues, especially those concerning Africa and it’s people. Tiken Jah is reportedly the biggest selling Reggae artist in Europe and yet receives little or no attention in Ireland or the UK. Most African Reggae-philes will already know Alpha Blondy, also from The Ivory Coast, and of course South Africa’s Lucky Dube, 2 times visitor to Ireland. Much of this album was recorded at Jamaica’s legendary Tuff Gong studio and lists veterans Sly & Robbie in the rhythm section and features reggae stalwarts, U-Roy, Earl Chinna Smith and Anthony B amongst the ‘special guests’. With the sound of Africa still present in most of these tracks the output is still completely ‘reggae-centric’ and no less than you would expect with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Skakespeare in the engine room. If only Tiken Jah sang in English, or Patois, he’d probably be massive. A very nice album overall, brilliant to dance to, and a great introduction to this artist. I have regularly played tunes from this album along with some from his 1999 release, ‘Cours D’histoire’ whilst DJ-ing recently and was frequently asked “who was that!” And where else would you hear a reggae tune start with a Kora solo? (track 3 Alou Maye) Phil B To hear audio samples or purchase online click on the album cover above. For one minute samples of all the tracks on this album go to Sterns Lo Jo - Bazar Savant (to be released April 06)
On first listening I thought that this album fell short of their previous outing Ce Soir La, in my opinion one of the finest ‘live albums’ I have ever heard and a benchmark that any subsequent release will inevitably be compared to. However, on the fourth listening I came to the conclusion that this new album is every bit as good as Ce Soir La the only difference being that Bazar Savant is far more considered, slightly more clinical in it’s reproduction and is perhaps more cerebral than it’s predecessor. Whereas I would frequently listen to Ce Soir La whilst dashing around in the car, Bazar Savant is for sitting down and listening to, probably on your own and preferably through some good quality headphones for the full effect. Lo Jo’s music is a complex mixture of Spanish/French/Arabic/African and probably a couple of other styles that I missed. This could easily end up sounding like a horrible mess however Lo Jo are one of the best ‘Global Fusion’ bands around today, every musician a virtuoso, most of them playing more than one instrument, so I wasn’t surprised when this album grew on me after a few hearings (always a good sign I reckon). With instruments that include the Indian Harmonium, Imzad, Soprano Sax, Koras, Turkish Clarinet and bassoon (and I’m sure I heard an Oud in there somewhere too, only I have no sleeve notes at the moment to check) this album isn’t just for people with adventurous tastes, some passages on this album have an almost ‘classical’ feel to them others will go off in the direction of Dub, chanson or even Polka, but whichever direction they go they are all immaculately and sparingly produced. Denis Paen’s voice, oft compared to a ‘French Tom Waitts’, is slightly more prominent on this album than before maybe, however, Algerian singing sisters Yamina & Nadia Nid El Mourid still underpin the whole of this production with their sumptuous harmonizing and the instrumentation is of course ‘fantastique!’ Phil B Various - Sound of the World (Compiled By Charlie Gillett) WRASS169 
Charlie Gillet’s 2005. roundup
of Global tunes that caused a stir on his shows on the World Service and BBC
Radio London over the year.
A 2 CD Set boasting 33 artists
from 28 countries featuring a few of the expected; Mariza, Amadou & Mariam,
Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate amongst them, and a whole load of the
unexpected; some exquisite New Zealand Dub from DJ Fitchie & Joe Duke,
flamenco-hip hop from Russian Ivan Kupala, cool & witty ambient dub from
France's Camille, proving that nothing is ever quite what you expect in
today's World of music. I could go on and on but we'd be here forever, this
album has to be one of the top ‘world music’ compilations of the year. Just go
buy it, you won’t be disappointed. I even had Pearse from The Saw Doctors in
Galway raving on about it yesterday, which reminded me it was about time I
reviewed it! It also means it might just be in the shops.
Dub, Dance, Hip Hop, acoustic trad, haunting melodies, stirring vocals, addictive beats and even a bit of Tuvan throat singing ‘There’s something on there for everyone’ said the missus, and that is it’s strength and not it’s weakness, MOR definitely not, MORE yes please! And anyone who can sandwich Russian & Bulgarian tracks between Mali & Senegal and get away with it can come and DJ at my party anytime. Phil B To hear audio samples or purchase online click on the album cover above.
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