Classic sounds from Congo's greats
A lot of classic Congolese music is back on CD this month. These inportant Sonodisc recordings come and go on the market, so it's great to see so many being reissued at the same time.
Tabu Ley Rochereau And Afrisa International -
Kaful Mayay 1973Not only neo-traditional 'Kaful Mayay' but also gorgeous 'Nzale,' hypnotic 'Aon-Aon' and 5 other tracks from the early 70s, including two making their first appearance on CD.
Grand Kalle et l'African Jazz -
Merveilles du PasseSo good it took three CDs to capture it all! Grand Kallé, Dr. Nico, Dechaud, Mujos, Vicky Longomba, Rochereau, (briefly) Manu Dibango: the first great modern Congolese band at its peak. Marvelous indeed and truly essential.
More titles now available: (
see more info on the whole series here)
Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Merveilles Du Passé, Vol. 2 (1961-1962)
Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Succes Des Années 50/60, Vol. 1
Grand Kallé & L'african Jazz - Succes Des Années 50/60, Vol. 2
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 1
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 3
Grand Kallé & L'african Team - Volume 2
African Fiesta - Nico, Kwamy, Rochereau & L'african Fiesta
African Fiesta - Makila Eyina Nzoto
Tabu Ley Rochereau - Le Seigneur Rochereau
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - À L'olympia
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - L'afrisa International
Rochereau & Franco - Lisanga Ya Banganga (2 CDs)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - Rochereau, Sam Mangwana & L'African Fiesta National
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Tete Nakozonga
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Sacramento
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Rochereau & L'african Fiesta National, Vol. 1 (1964-1966)
Tabu Ley Rochereau And Afrisa International - Kaful Mayay 1973-75
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Rochereau & L'african Fiesta National, Vol. 2 (1966-1969)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - 1968/1969
Tabu Ley Rochereau - 1971/1972/1973
Rochereau, Tabu Ley - Sorozo
These CDs are all available via
cdRoots
Reem Kelani sings of the woe and joy of Palestinian life.
Reem KelaniSprinting GazelleFuse Records (www.reemkelani.com)
A review from RootsWorldElegant and poetic, Reem Kelani's debut CD speaks to the woe and joy of Palestinian life. She has a voice of such power and passion that if it were one degree more intense, it would burst.
The CD is a graceful mix of the traditional and the avant-garde. It is experimental without being grating to the ear. Her diverse settings of traditional Palestinian songs and the work of twentieth century Palestinian poets show her to be an innovator with a sensitive ear. The instrumentation is much more than mere accompaniment - it becomes part of the story. Western instruments such as violin, clarinet and piano interact with yarghul, nay, and a battery of Middle Eastern percussion. In "
The Cameleer Tormented My Heart," camel bells and acoustic bass give way to scratchy fiddle, drony bass clarinet, and swishing percussion to create a desert landscape under Kelani's expansive vocals.
One of the most organic pieces is the thirteen-beat "
A Baker's Dozen." The violin and bass clarinet play repeated parallel lines over hand claps. Zoe Rahman's sweeping piano work provides a rich backdrop to several tracks. On the seven-minute-plus "Yafa!," in which piano is the only accompaniment, Kelani uses the Arabic practice of qasidah, a highly ornamented improvisational technique. Rahman follows Kelani's mournful vocals with tender warmth and raging passion, at times suggesting a Keith Jarrett influence with her rolling arpeggios and left hand ostinati.
The only barely perceptible misstep is "Galilean Lullaby." Its predictable harmonic and melodic material accompanied by a tinkly new-age piano make it a little too precious in the presence of the magnificent work surrounding it. Inexplicably, they reprise this weak link in the bonus track. Again, it's a minor lapse in an otherwise sublime work. - Peggy Latkovich
CD available from
cdRoots©2006 FNI/RootsWorldDo not reproduce without written permission
