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Product Description
Review
It’s not always a disaster when plans go astray. Fourteen years after the celebrated sessions in Havana that gave rise to the Buena Vista Social Club, AfroCubism is a re-imagining of how that record might have sounded if the original idea of a collaboration between Malian and Cuban musicians had worked out. In the event, the Malians didn’t arrive, so the project became almost purely Cuban, and spawned the eponymous mega-hit.
Of course, many of those involved are sadly no longer with us. Even so, AfroCubism brings together core members of the originally envisaged group with several Mali-based luminaries. Although the material is equally divided between the two cultures, the predominant ambience of AfroCubism is West African. In fact, the sound and arrangements often recall the lovely instrumental album Ballad of Manding (2007) by the inexplicably obscure guitarist and ngoni player Zoumana Diarra.
The best-known figure on AfroCubism – and arguably the group’s leader – is guitarist and singer Eliades Ochoa, who featured on Buena Vista Social Club’s version of Chan Chan. He opens the vocals with a beautifully relaxed take on Al Vaivén De Mi Carreta, a song he once recorded with its composer, Cuban troubadour Ñico Saquito. In a deft symbolic gesture, the other main singer Kasse-Mady Diabaté takes over in the second half, gently moderating his usually stern griot tone to suit the vibe.
Kora maestro Toumani Diabaté maintains a surprisingly discreet presence throughout, only really cutting loose on his own fine composition Mali Cuba, and later on Benséma. Djelimady Tounkara will be familiar to fans of the Super Rail Band, and his fluid, mildly psychedelic electric guitar is especially impressive on Djelimady Rumba. Lassana Diabaté drops breathtaking runs on his balafon (wooden xylophone) into many of the pieces. The other major star is ngoni specialist Bassekou Kouyate, who startles by switching to an amplified bass version of his instrument on the spooky and atmospheric Dakan. Horns, a rhythm section and backing vocalists fill out the arrangements.
World Circuit’s two decade-plus exploration of the long history of musical exchange between Cuba and West Africa didn’t necessarily guarantee the success of AfroCubism, but these players seem to have overcome considerable cultural differences and generated good chemistry together. If the ego issues that often beset such supergroups can be kept in check, this probably won’t be their only outing.
--Jon LuskFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Songlines magazine #72 - Top of the World album review
Fourteen years after the improvised sessions that begat Buena Vista Social Club, World Circuit returns to its original vision: an album celebrating the shared rhythms of the Caribbean and West Africa. And so the Santiago de Cuba trovadore Eliades Ochoa and his band, Cuarteto Patria, found themselves in a Madrid studio with five of the foremost griots in Mali: Toumani Diabaté on kora (harp-lute), singer Kassé Mady Diabaté, Fodé Lassana Diabaté on balafon (xylophone), ngoni (lute) maestro Bassekou Diabaté and guitarist Djelimady Tounkara. The latter pair's visa problems scuppered the originally scheduled recordings back in 1996. In places - `A La Luna Yo Me Voy', for example - this verges on becoming a `Buena Vista II', a Cuban album played on African instruments, but this acknowledgement of parentage is also reflected in `Djelimady Rumba', where the intro is reminiscent of the flamenco flourish opening `Sute Monebo' from Songhai 2.
This is no dry transatlantic ethnomusicology thesis, however: liberated by the anonymity offered by the project title, the virtuosos flaunt their talents, taking turns to fire off dazzling solos over thick layers of rhythm and driving each other ever onward to impressive effect. Four instrumentals (the opening `Mali Cuba', a hypnotic `Guantanamera' at the end, and the contrasting `Eliades Tumbao' and `Dakan' in the middle) reiterate the fact that these are musicians at play, enjoying themselves and experimenting. Fourteen years is a long time in the music business, but some things just shouldn't be rushed.
© David Hutcheon
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I played this wonderful, wonderful record for the first time this morning. I loved it immediately. It really is beautiful - a much overused word with regards music, but in this instance entirely apt. I shall leave it to others to wax lyrical about the coming together of sounds and cultures; it is enough for me to recommend this release without reservation. It will brighten your day, it really will...
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There's a great story behind 'AfroCubism'. When Nick Gold & Ry Cooder went to Cuba back in 1996, they were intending to record Malian mucians with Cuban musicians. But the Malians never showed up (visa issues apparently) so there they were with 3 weeks booked in the studio and no collaboration. They worked on other ideas and ended up recording Buena Vista Social Club - the rest, as they say, is history. Or world music history at least :)
The original idea for the project - AfroCubism - has finally seen the light of day, so is it worth the wait? Well, the band is certainly more of a supergroup than it would have been back in 1996 - Cuban Eliades Ochoa & Malians Bassekou Kouyate & the kora genius Toumani Diabate in particular having high profiles in their own right these days, and the album more than reflects the considerable talent of all those involved. The discipline of the Cuban rhythm section makes sense of collaborations involving the looser more improvisational Malian style. There is even a fresh & enjoyable improvisation re-working of 'Guantanamera'!
This record blends traditions, pushes boundaries & gives you something thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. If you loved Buena Vista Social Club then you will love this too. Joy & exuberance abound!
The original idea for the project - AfroCubism - has finally seen the light of day, so is it worth the wait? Well, the band is certainly more of a supergroup than it would have been back in 1996 - Cuban Eliades Ochoa & Malians Bassekou Kouyate & the kora genius Toumani Diabate in particular having high profiles in their own right these days, and the album more than reflects the considerable talent of all those involved. The discipline of the Cuban rhythm section makes sense of collaborations involving the looser more improvisational Malian style. There is even a fresh & enjoyable improvisation re-working of 'Guantanamera'!
This record blends traditions, pushes boundaries & gives you something thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. If you loved Buena Vista Social Club then you will love this too. Joy & exuberance abound!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Whichever side you're coming from, ie an interest in Cuban music, an interest in Africn music, a fan of both or even someone new to 'World music', this album has it all - wonderful playing, singing, composition and that wonderful feeling that comes across of everyone just having such a great time creating something which is a genuine fusion of styles, rather than clumsy Damon Albarn-style bolting on of one music to another.
Songs are by turns more Malian than Cuban and visa versa in their basic rythms and composition, but the playing blends in wonderfully, each set of musicians copying and reproducing the opthers' styles to create something genuinely seamless and unique.
Something also very evident here, and which I increasingly appreciate about much 'World music' in general, is that the best-known artists, Eliades Ochoa, Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate, are all capable of stepping aside and letting others take the lead - this was very evident when i saw the Afrocubism show recently - Fode Lassana Diabaté on the balafon (a truly wonderful Malian instrument resembling a large wooden xylophone) was given as much solo time as any of those I mention above, as were all the other artists.
This should, and I hope will, become just as essential to anyone's music collection as 'Buena Vista Social CLub' itself, and well done to Nick Gold for finally bringing it all together.
Songs are by turns more Malian than Cuban and visa versa in their basic rythms and composition, but the playing blends in wonderfully, each set of musicians copying and reproducing the opthers' styles to create something genuinely seamless and unique.
Something also very evident here, and which I increasingly appreciate about much 'World music' in general, is that the best-known artists, Eliades Ochoa, Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate, are all capable of stepping aside and letting others take the lead - this was very evident when i saw the Afrocubism show recently - Fode Lassana Diabaté on the balafon (a truly wonderful Malian instrument resembling a large wooden xylophone) was given as much solo time as any of those I mention above, as were all the other artists.
This should, and I hope will, become just as essential to anyone's music collection as 'Buena Vista Social CLub' itself, and well done to Nick Gold for finally bringing it all together.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fantastic!
I love the mix of the stringed instruments, the percussive Cuban style with the rolling Mali-an sounds, and the mix of the Cuban Sonero singing style with the solo African calling... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Tess
Splendid mixture between Mali and Cuba
A very nice mixture between Cuban and Malian music! If you like Buena Vista Social Club you will certainly also like this one.
Published 3 months ago by Jonas Möller Nielsen
Just what I wanted
I heard a track from this album on a world music radio show and bought it for my mum for xmas. I've only heard a couple of the songs, and they were good, and my mum thinks it's... Read more
Published 4 months ago by krcmckay1
Afrocubism
After having seen the group in concert I was very keen to get the CD. It came quickly and it is brilliant!
Published 17 months ago by Karen Elliott
Afrocubism in Istanbul
I was lucky enough to watch the group live, in Istanbul, just a few days before I received the cd. Although I thoroughly enjoyed their stage performance, I still would go for the... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ahmet Ceylan
Compelling musical communication
The post dated nature of this mingling of African and Cuban musicians has inevitably tinted the eventual album. Read more
Published 17 months ago by N. H. Rowland
Great execution of the original conecpt
Although I do think Buena Vista Social Club was a happy accident that should have happened, it is great to see the follow through of the original idea of W. Read more
Published 17 months ago by T. H. Matheu
Uplifting and life affirming
I was lucky enough to be at the concert at the Barbican last weekend. It was stunning. I felt really priviledged to see and hear such great musicians play. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. Ian Stuart Robertson
just what I was looking for...
I got this CD for my mum for her birthday. It arrived really quickly which was good as I had been a bit slow with sorting something out for her. Read more
Published 18 months ago by cnd1234
Unusual music
Every now and then there is a programme on the TV and you wonder where they get their music from. well, it is not to belittle this product in any way, but now I know that some... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Miriana Ponte
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