Welcome to my "New World Music" page, which highlights new(ish) African, Asian, Latin American and Celtic records, and "miscellaneous" records that I had the good fortune to check out in May, 2008. This page is added to as new records come in... If you want more to read more reviews, many others are archived nearby, and there are separate sections for various kinds of world music that you might like exploring as well.
Recommended Records: May, 2008 | Review Archives
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Mbilia Bel "Bel Canto: Best Of The Genidia Years: 1982-1987" (Sterns Africa)
Kassin +2 "Futurismo" (Luaka Bop)
Claudius Linton "Roots Master" (Sun King)
Os Mutantes "Live At The Barbican Theatre: 2006" (Luaka Bop)
Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRICAN PARTY" (Putumayo)
M'bilia Bel "Bel Canto: Best Of The Genidia Years (Congo Classics 1982-1987)" (Sterns Africa, 2007)
When M'bilia Bel first joined the band of Congolese bandleader Tabu Ley Rocherau, she was thought to be just another in a long line of female support singers. She swiftly emerged as one of the most potent forces in African pop music, an incandescent vocalist emanating vibrancy and good cheer in a series of gorgeously produced, uptempo recordings. Bel eclipsed Rocherau, whose own career spanned decades, and by decade's end they parted ways. Throughout the 1980s, however, Rochereau and Bel produced some of the most lovely African pop ever made -- this stunning 2-CD set gathers the best of their work on Rocherau's Genidia label, one sweet song after another, packed with the finest melodies that soukous music had to offer. Longtime fans and newcomers alike with instantly fall in love with this collection, one of the finest reissues I've heard in recent years. Highly recommended!
Kassin +2 "Futurismo" (Luaka Bop, 2008)
(Produced by Alexandre Kassin... +2)
This is the third album by a trio of Brazil's most playful and innovative artists, Alexandre Kassin, Domenico Lancellotti and Moreno Veloso. Each has had their turn "headlining" one album, and now it's Kassin's turn
The extended version features three bonus tracks co-produced with Sean O'Hagan (of The High Llamas) and John McEntire (of Tortoise). This trio of hipster lovefests are quite satisfying; they are also sung in English, giving them a distinctly separate, but not distracting feel from the rest of the album.
Claudius Linton "Roots Master" (Sun King, 2007)
Reggae fans looking for new sources of old material will greatly enjoy this album, which gathers about a dozen rare, vintage tracks from Jamaican vocalist Claudius Linton, a lesser-known compatriot of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and the rest of the conscious-roots reggae set. This disc includes tracks spanning 1969's "Woman Wash Your Hair" to later efforts such as 1986's "Third World," and a hefty dose of dub as well. It's mostly politically-minded material, and while the social preaching may fall flat on occasion, the soulfulness of the music is never in dispute. One highlight is Linton's 1976 hit, "Crying Time," heard here in the single version that topped the Jamaican charts, and as a monophonic demo... These songs are part of the huge wealth of independently released singles that delighted in-the-knowfans, back in the day, but which remained hard to track down well into the CD era. It's sweet stuff, with great vocals, very much in the classic roots mode.
Os Mutantes "Live At The Barbican Theatre: 2006" (Luaka Bop, 2007)
The reunion of the legendary Brazilian psychedelic-surrealistic rock band Os Mutantes was one of the most highly anticipated events in the global hipster-sphere... The band had fragmented and flamed out in the 1970s, after a glorious career in the vanguard of the provocative, revolutionary tropicalia scene. Of the original three members, one went mad, another became a mainstream pop star and a third turned to jazz. This 2-CD live album captures the reconstituted group at London's Barbican Theatre, with '90s pop-rockster Zelia Duncan taking the place of Rita Lee, who declined to take part in the reunion. Probably just as well: even though it undercuts the historical impact of the band's comeback, Lee's absence means the music is stronger, since her musical output has been rather bland for several decades, and bereft of inspiration. Duncan, on the other hand, is younger, enthusiastic and full of good cheer and exudes a healthy dose of the chaotic charm that made Mutantes such a groovy band to begin with. She almost has trouble keeping up with the geezers, though: singer-pianist Arnaldo Baptista and his brother, guitarist Sergio Dias, burst with energy and excitement. It's been a long time since they could really cut loose and go crazy, and they clearly relish the chance to summon up their old magic again. Many of the sound elements appear to be prerecorded, but even with this technological crutch, the show is remarkably powerful and coherent. Recreating the kaleidoscopic avant orchestrations of their old hits, the duo rides atop the well-manicured cacophony, proving themselves as lively and inventive as ever. As with their original studio work, this may be a bit too cluttered and bombastic to listen to recreationally, but it's still great to hear these avant-pop heroes back in action.
Various Artists "PUTUMAYO PRESENTS: AFRICAN PARTY" (Putumayo, 2008)
A fun record! This collects several sweet African pop grooves from artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Bonga and Sekouba Bambino, as well as several lesser-known artists such as BoPol Mansiamina, from Congo, and Macire Sylla, from Guinea... The songs come from 2000 to 2008, with a lone 1990s track by Oakland, California's venerable band, Kotoja. Almost all the songs sound lively and cheerful, living up to the album's promise of a good time party vibe for all. There are one or two tracks that are a little too overproduced for my tastes, but that's still a darn good batting average: like many Putumayo discs of recent vintage, this is an excellent set, sticking to more soulful, rootsy material that will make longtime world music fans quite happy. Just the kind of album to have on all morning long to brighten up your day.
