Click
to buy |
"Afrika Wassa"
Senegalese
singer/songwriter/kora player Vieux Diop is joined on this long-awaited
release by "Graceland" band members Bakithi Kumalo and
Tony Cedras, along with guest appearances by Eileen Ivers, Spirit
Ensemble leader Jimmy Cruiz, and a host of percussionists and
African singers. This 2000 release is the first CD Vieux has released
since his 1995 critically acclaimed CD "Via
Jo". Vieux Diop is a gifted songwriter; the songs are
memorable, rhythmic and infectious. He has a voice that seems
to transcend his ethnicity and reach straight to the heart of
the listener. Every tune is a standout: this is one of our very
best ethnic recordings.
Track
List:
1.
Afrika Wassa
2. C On
3. Mouille
4. Pourquoi
5. Mom's Jam
6. Lepto Feyto
7. Sing Lo-Lo
8. Halis
9.
Manku
10. Ti Gui
11. Nio Kolo Koba
Release
Date: August 22, 2000
Label: Triloka/Sony R.E.D.
Reviews:
Amazon.com:
"Vieux Diop, who began his musical career many years ago
in the same Senegalese band as Youssou N'Dour, has lived in the
U.S. since the early '80s, and the tone of his third album, Afrika
Wassa, reflects the cultural melting pot that's now his home.
Its heartbeat is ineffably African, as on the glorious vocal harmonies
of 'Manko', but, like America, it pulls from everywhere, drawing
in not only Diop's kora, which is beautifully displayed on 'Mom's
Jam', but also the Celtic fiddle of Eileen Ivers. Some projects
that are so all-inclusive can get lost, but there's a tight focus
to Diop's vision, whether it's the halam that forms the basis
of 'Pourquoi' or the bouncy light groove of 'Sing Lo-Lo'. The
writing, too, is always fresh and incisive, with the arrangements
framing the engaging melodies rather than overwhelming them; all
instrumental egos are subsumed in the song. This record might
have been five years coming, but it's worth the wait." --Chris
Nickson
|
