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The Very Best of Africa
 
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The Very Best of Africa

~ Various Artists - International - Africa
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Audio CD (4 Feb 2002)
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Nascente
  • ASIN: B00005QD0X
  • Other Editions: Audio CD
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 110,003 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Track Listings

Disc: 1
1. Didi - Khaled
2. Seven seconds - N'Dour, Youssou & Neneh Cherry
3. Monie - Kanda Bongo Man
4. Diboukikou lambe - Toure Kunda
5. Truth don die - Kuti, Femi
6. Bolon - Keita, Salif
7. Are you ready - Clegg, Johnny
8. Barra barra - Taha, Rachid
9. Soul makossa - Dibango, Manu
10. Umuntu ngumuntu - Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens
See all 13 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Set - Lo, Cheikh
2. Musanypere - Mapfumo, Thomas
3. Sodade - Evora, Cesaria
4. Homeless - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
5. Merengue - Franco
6. Yodelle mann - Maal, Baaba
7. Pata pata - Makeba, Miriam
8. Lady - Kuti, Fela
9. Salama - Diabate, Toumani
10. Grazin' in the grass - Masekela, Hugh
See all 13 tracks on this disc

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nigel Williamson's superb new compilation The Very Best of Africa should be the first port of call for anyone who wants a proper overview of the music of this great continent. Many of his selected tracks are dancefloor-pop, reflecting the fact that Africa's musical hot-spots are mostly geared to that, and almost everything is delightfully easy on the ear. But that is not to denigrate its importance: who could fail to be won over by Algerian rai, or Congolese soukous?

The great strength of this collection lies in the fact that it spans the past 40 years, rather than dwelling simply in the present. Here is Manu Dibango, the "Lion of Cameroun", in 1972, Miriam Makeba back in the 60s, and the late great Franco in full flood. All the obvious people are here--Cesaria Evora singing "Sodade", Abdullah Ibrahim recalling Thelonious Monk, Youssou N'Dour with Neneh Cherry, Salif Keita soaring over contemporary dance-beats--but there are also some refreshingly unfamiliar tracks as well. Listen to the raw, rough sound of the desert with Rachid Taha, and the light, fanciful tones of Angelique Kidjo . --Michael Church

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars an addictive collection of melody and rhythm you can feel, 1 May 2002
This comprehensive,wonderfully warm and haunting collection of African music uniquely manages to avoid most of the usual cliches of the genre.It demonstrates the cultural diversity, richness and vibrancy of African musicians that resonates through and beyond an imposed colonial history into unique,individual sounds that have grown beyond each of their cultures and have become a very important influence upon the work of musicians worldwide.
There is both music past and present here but I do wish just a little more imagination could have been used in the choice of Nigerian musicians and I cannot quite understand why a one dimensional view of Youssou N,Dour (7 seconds) is presented yet again.Apart from these minor gripes this album has sent me scurrying off to find more of the work of many of it's artists.
If you want to know more about African musicians and their influences this is the album for you.It's the best compilation yet and very hard to take off the disc player.You simply cannot fail to feel this music growing!
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant compilation of total diversity., 25 Feb 2002
By A Customer
This album has been compiled from many African countries that have there own unique and beautiful sounds, to each other and within themselves. If you're new to African tunes then this album will open your ears to many styles and expressions. If you're not new, then there's no need for me to tell you how fantastic this album is. All the artists are top class and the songs choosen from their collections also fit the description. A must if you want a bit of everything!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hits for Africa!, 29 Dec 2003
By Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This wonderful album is a brilliant introduction to the pop music of Africa as it covers a wide variety of styles from many countries. In addition, all of the tracks are classics and the selection spans the decades.

From South Africa there's Miriam Makeba's ebullient 1960s classic Pata Pata, Hugh Masekela's languid Grazin' In The Grass, Abdullah Ibrahim's jazzy Zimbabwe, Ladysmith lack Mambazo's soulful Homeless and the beautiful Umuntu Ngumuntu by Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens. Zimbabweans Thomas Mapfumo and The Bhundu Boys contribute Musanypere and Ring Of Fire.

The well-known hits include Youssou N'dour and Neneh Cherry's Seven Seconds, Yeke Yeke by Mory Kante and the huge disco hit Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango. Kanda Bongo Man and Franco contribute hip-shaking Congolese soukous whilst Femi Kuti and Fela Kuti present those funk-rock Nigerian sounds.

Baaba Maal, Cheikh Lo and Salif Keita bring us the splendours of West African music and Khaled and Rachid Taha do the same for North Africa whilst Cesaria Evora from Cape Verde charms with her lovely voice on Sodade and Angelique Kidjo impresses with her lively voice and buoyant rhythms.

Although Eastern Africa, Egypt and Sudan are not represented, this is a great compilation with timeless songs that will appeal way beyond the narrow confines of World Music.

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