Track Listing

1. Diarabi - Issa Bagayogo
2. MAW Expensive (A Tribute to Fela) - Masters at Work
3. Sidudla [Gus Gus Remix] - Mabi Thobejane
4. Awakening The Spirits - Bob Holroyd
5. Sutukung - Organic Grooves,
6. Noumou Foly [Frédéric Galliano Mix] - Neba Solo,
7. Freetown - Future Loop Foundation
8. In the Sun - Beat Pharmacy
9. Dan Gna [Joe Clausell Mix] - Les Go

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16094 in Music
• Released on: 2001-06-19
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Genius!
Whoever came up with the idea of mixing techno dance beats with African pop music was a genius. Although I am quite familiar with African music, this was like nothing I have ever heard. It is a wonderful CD, and words alone cannot do it justice. It opens with Issa Bagayog's "Diarabi", which features the use of a kamae n'goni (a unique Afrian string instrument). The next song, "MAW Expensve" by Masters at Work is a remix of Nigeria's gret Fela Kuti. Following this, we are treated with excellent tracksfrom Bob Holroyd, Mabi Thobejane and Organic Grooves, all of whom perform excellent songs, which cannot be described or categorized easily. Bob Holyroyd "Waking the Spirits" was particularly interesting, with an excellent mix of vocals and percussion. Future Loop Foundation gives an excellent performance of "Freetown," which is particularly dancy. However, the final song, a remix of Les Go's "Dan Goa", is also particularly good, and leaves you wishing that the CD never ended. Ah well, thats why we can just play the CD over and over again. Overall, this is a terrific CD, which I strongly reommend to anyone, whether or not they are interested in African music or not.

Fun compilation of "African techno"
Fun compilation of "African techno" -- whatever that means. I suppose what it mostly means is modern mixers sample mainly old tracks and combine them with techno beats. Although the approach is generally similar across the tracks, the results are not, and this makes the collection enjoyable to listen to straight thru since the music varies from track to track and its not just the same electronic dance beat from start to finish.

Some of the most interesting are tracks where the sampled music is played on traditional string folk instruments Issa Bagayogo' "Diarabi" and Organic Grooves' "Sutukung" where the combination of the traditional instruments and the electronic beats create a nice tension. Neba Solo's "Noumou Foly" is a variant on this approach, but the main folk instrument, the balafon (a wooden xylophone with gourd resonators) already sounds like an electronic beat so the folk-instrument-meets-the-beats contrast is a little more blurred.

Masters At Work "MAW Expensive" is a remix of Fela Kuti's "Expensive ..." -- see the Amazon page of the original recording for the details of the song's origins -- and its similarity to the original recording brings home just how timeless those 1970s Afrobeat recordings were. Joe Clausell's remix of Les Go's "Dan Gna" is a fairly straightforward remix of a 1999 international dance tune.

Finally, some of the other tracks go the other way - are more techno than African, such as Bob Holroyd's "Waking the Spirits" where despite the sampling the African input is pretty incidental.

...ucking GOOD!
I want to make this short: this cd is extremely good, excellent. It's the type of music that will rock you and that you will want to listen anytime. It motivates you and it has some beats that will conquer you! I have traveled with this one (cd) to different places and everyone loves it, I mean everyone, from south america to north america.

Honestly, it's the best cd I have in my collection and I always want to show it of. Please also get Arabian travels, wow...a pair that will give strong reputation to your music collection!