Amazon.co.uk Review
Makeba started her career in the 1950s, first with the Manhattan Brothers, then the all-female Skylarks. In the early 60s, she became an exile, directly as a result of her uncompromising stance against Apartheid. She worked in the US with Harry Belafonte, before being harried on to Guinea by the authorities (she had just married Black Panther leader Stokeley Carmichael). Makeba's "Pata Pata" single was a US chart hit in 1967. It's reprised here as a duet with Zenzi Lee, pleasantly licked by mellow guitars but suffering from a metronomic beat. Much of this album has been penned by guitarist Lokua Kanza, his drum programming particularly unsubtle on the title track. Masakhane makes a good opener, with its constrained electric fuzz guitar, slicing horns and exuberant backing singers (the Crew of Six). Makeba's delivery on Amaliya is far too formal, while tracks like "Cause We Live For Love" and "Africa Is Where My Heart Lies" are smothered by synths and phoney drums, the former's already trite lyrics also suffering a cutsey gospel blanketing by the Chaneng Primary School Choir. A welcome contrast arrives with the ritual heaviness of Liwawechi, stripped down to just voices and drums. --
Martin Longley