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World Music Reviews |
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by Lynette Diaz
dance:dream:dance -- Shaman’s Dream
(Sounds True M1089D)
With the different genres of world music styles crossing in each other’s paths, it’s no wonder there are so many new classifications emerging. dance:dream:dance -- Shaman’s Dream might fall into the category of world fusion or ethno-techno and from start to finish is a sonic journey of electronica and dance that will leave you wanting more.
Manifesting the vision of yogini/dancer Micheline Berry and Craig Kohland, the mission of Shaman’s Dream is to facilitate lasting healing and self-realization through sound, movement, nature and sacred ritual. The album was mainly put together by Rara Avis and Amani Friend, together known as the Desert Dwellers, and who have heavily immersed themselves into the acoustic/electronic fusion genre. This album visits the motherlands of shamanic music of native America, Turkey, Brasil, India and aboriginal Australia. The samples used are innovative and well incorporated.
A highlight is the track, “Afronaut.” The name is a clever way to describe the mixing of this song, which includes native tribal vocals with an electronic edge. The result is incredibly creative and infectious. Similarly, the track “Brasileiro,” will inspire emotion as percussion, chanting, and programming fuse for a high-energy dance session.
The album slows down in certain spots, perhaps to give you a chance to catch your breath. “Riosphere” captures female vocal samples from Vocal Planet 5: World Voices and pairs them with acoustic influences and a jazzy trumpet break by Don Barrozo. And “Pow Wow Sky Mix” definitely provides the dream element to the compilation. Beginning slowly with sounds of nature and highly refined Native American chants, the mix then injects a dance beat, transitioning the song into an overall ethereal experience.
Although electronically compiled, this album does not seem overly programmed. The native and natural elements tone down the harshness that other electronica efforts might struggle with. Put this album on to start your day, or to cure that mid-afternoon energy slump!
Prayers on Tanbour
Heyraneh with Jamie Papish and Christo Pellani
If you enjoy the mysterious and powerful melodies that come with the music of the Middle East, then Prayers on Tanbour should be a definite addition to your musical library. Heyraneh’s vocal performance, paired with a savvy instrumental arrangement, is a devotional endeavor that connects the listener with the sacred and ancient themes of Iran.
According to the liner notes, tanbour is the oldest and most genuine Iranian string instrument. It holds a high place among the Yarsan people, to the point where its vibrations have been called “neda-al Hagh,” or the voice of the Divine. Heyraneh herself plays the instrument, while Jamie Papish and Christo Pellani contribute sounds from a diverse collection of drums and other percussion. Many readers may remember seeing Jamie Papish perform with Girish not too long ago at Tridosha in San Luis Obispo. (Stay tuned for a return appearance from Papish to the area in the near future).
This album is based on sacred and ancient maqams of Yarsan, and is divided into five chapters: Longing, Surrendering, Bewildered, Union and Ecstasy. The music matches the experiences in each chapter, and the listener is immediately engaged, following the sounds in one’s own interpretation of the journey. Heyraneh dedicates this creation to all bold lovers, and her meaningful and sultry voice lets us know that she might be as bold as they come. In places ,she plays the tanbour slowly, and in others, she speeds her style to accentuate the point she is making lyrically. Without Papish and Pellani, the songs would be absent of a foundational heartbeat.
Reflective, spiritual, and potent, Prayers on Tanbour is a good pick if you’re looking for something new to use for meditation practices. It would also compliment any peaceful group setting, and will leave members wishing the performers were live in their space.
Momento
by Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto’s history is one of Brazilian legend. Her father, João Gilberto, is sometimes named the creator of bossa nova and considered part of Brazil’s musical royalty. Bebel has followed in her father’s foot steps since she was a child, with her recording debut arriving at the age of seven, and the release of her first solo album, Tanto Tempo, in 2000. Her latest recording, Momento, is a masterful love album that Gilberto herself says is a result of many true moments in her life.
One of the most beautiful tracks is, “Bring Back the Love.” The song starts with Gilberto’s deep exhales and a beat that reverberates like a heartbeat through a stethoscope. The song is enticing and its intent is to resurrect a torrid love affair. At the end of the track, Gilberto makes her mouth create effects that sound like a cracking whip. Perhaps she’s demanding the lover to either come back to her, or suffer the consequences.
Though raised in Brazil, Gilberto was born in New York City and returned in 1991 to explore her art. This move proved to be wise, as it widely opened her musical opportunities. “Os Novos Yorkinos,” an anthem about the Big Apple and its inhabitants, feels like Gilberto’s love song to the city of her birth. She sings, “The sun comes up over the high rooftops of lower Manhattan. Give me another cup before the music stops, until we go home or somewhere else.” This track captures the feeling of being in New York, and Gilberto’s adoration for it is made abundantly clear.
Other notable tracks include an original rendition of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day,” which features a baritone sax, light percussion, and an excellent showcase of Gilberto’s voice; “Tranquilo,” which ironically is the most upbeat song on the album-full of traditional Latin rhythms and instruments; and “Um Segundo,” a unique and experimental track that sounds a bit like a Brazilian Nancy Sinatra.
Gilberto’s voice can be described in one word - tender. Right from the start of the album, we are put at ease and settled into what will be forty minutes of pure aural ecstasy. With the cover designs and liner notes full of butterflies and flowers, the listener knows this is the kind of album that will ensure a transition from candlelight dinner to legitimate foreplay.
Guiding Star
by Vusi Mahlasela
Many of us in the United States were first introduced to Vusi Mahlasela this past July when he performed at the Live Earth concert from South Africa. His latest album, Guiding Star, is a wonderful extension of that performance. The album is a musical journey of native African beats intertwined with lyrics to inspire global political action.
The album starts out with an upbeat track entitled, “Jabula,” which translates from Zulu to mean “happiness.” Mahlasela describes it as a song that encourages many styles of dance and therefore, a path to inner-freedom. Another Zulu dance track is “Ntombi Mbali,” or “flower girl,” and is the story of a romantic crush. This song starts with a guitar solo and then picks up speed until, before you know it, you’re turning your living room into a tribal dance hall.
Perhaps the most emotional declaration is “Sower of Words,” a lament for the late Black Consciousness poet and writer, Ingoapele Mandingoane. In-between the soft instrumentation and an excerpt from the epic poem, “Africa My Beginning,” lays the passionate vocal styling of Dave Matthews. Mathews compliments this track with a rich and full contribution- a perfect match to the lyrics that ask questions about Africa’s beginnings and endings.
“Chamber of Justice,” features Xavier Rudd, a multi-instrumentalist from Australia. The cross-continental track also includes a nylon string guitar coupled with powerful words targeted against immoral political leaders. Mahlasela sings, “I have been to a place where criminals are given awards and politicians slide through revolving doors and leaders become bidders in the stock exchange at the expense of the poor.”
Guiding Star is the type of album you’ll want to put on when you’re cooking dinner or cleaning your house. Whether through moments of inspiration or just plain fun, one gets the sense that Mahlasela is genuine in his messages and comfortable with his medium. The combination is certainly a relief from the manufactured efforts coming out of the Western part of the world. m
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