Zack: I’ve semi-recently taken to a few north African
bands/artists, namely Bombino (who I believe we’ve talked about before) and
Tinariwen, and I really enjoyed the album by Ali Farka Toure we listened to a
little while ago. I also have loved everything by Fela Kuti I’ve ever come in
contact with, and eagerly await listening to a whole album of his. But my
exposure to southern African music has been more mixed. Ladysmith Black Mambazo
sucked (not even going to try and be diplomatic about it), and I similarly
disliked the South African-influenced Graceland. So that makes Miriam Makeba
the first “W” South Africa has gotten their hands on. The album is strong, and
does an impressive job of blending together traditional South African sounds
with a little bit of jazz and soul. Everything is tied together with Miriam
Makeba’s impressive voice, which can slip into a sort of Billie Holiday zone
when it’s appropriate but has a range that can evoke almost anything. I
wouldn’t say I loved Miriam Makeba as much as any of the above northern African
artists, but this album was certainly strong enough to warrant another listen
at the very least.
Favorite Tracks: Mbube; Lakutshn, Ilanga; House of the Rising
Sun
Emily: Miriam Makeba was also known as Mama Africa, an apt name for the woman who was one of the first to bring the sounds of South Africa to the rest of the world. This self-titled album shows why she was able to do that and earn her nickname. Rather than only covering the traditional sounds of her country, Makeba incorporates elements of jazz and soul to create a unique sound that's accessible to a broad audience. Some of the songs are in English (including a cover of House of the Rising Sun), others are in native African languages, and few mix in both. The result is an album that takes on the world and succeeds.
Favorite Tracks: Where Does It Lead; Olilili; Suliram
No comments:
Post a Comment