Volume 1 by New African Composers

1

Limitless Sky Records, 2002

New African Composers is an essential listen for anyone interested in the origins of so much of this world's music, from ska and jazz to salsa and merengue. It is simultaneously a history lesson and a glance into the future evolution of what has become generically known as "world" music. It is certainly a must for those who appreciate the syncopated beats of hip-hop, or the free-verse improvisation of jazz.

02/03 Written by Rob Walsh from Ink 19 Magazine www.ink19.com

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The lively, percussion-driven pop act Yekete Beat Band formed in the Arusha region of Tanzania in 1989. Yekete Beat Band offers a boisterous blast of bass, hand percussion, growly, cycling guitars, horns and vocals.

Achigo Band used to be Orchestra Marquis, champions of Swahili dance music. Achigo Band features a big, lush vocal sound, strongly reminiscent of the more choral Congolese pop music. They do play rumba, as on "Tebo," but their tour de force here is a rolling, nine-minute, 12/8 extravaganza called "Watanzania Watu Wa Amani."

Guitarist and singer Ndala Kasheba first came to Tanzania with a band from Congo in 1964. Ndala Kasheba's music also bears the stamp of his Congolese roots. But Kasheba has a number of distinguishing qualities in his Swahili rumba sound, most notably his use of an electrified, 12-string acoustic guitar, which he overdubs to create a gorgeous, chiming ambiance.

Garikayi Tirikoti's three mbira pieces round this set out with satisfying variety. Among the things that set Tirikoti apart from other mbira artists is the way he combines mbiras using different tunings to create a rich, almost orchestral sound.

We get just a taste of Delphin Mununga with a pretty acapella piece called "Kilimanjaro," but this compilation will leave any fan of classic African dance pop panting for more from the Limitless Sky vault.

05/03 Excerpts from a review by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org

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ARTISTS INFO:

***** MAESTRO NDALA KASHEBA ***** Dar es Salaam

Kasheba is originally from Lubumbashi, Congo. In 1972

he settled in Dar after travelling and gigging all

over East Africa. He earned respect and admiration as

leader of the "Orchestra Safari Sound", which he left

in the early 1980's. His music is well loved across

the region. He is known as one of the greatest African

guitarists, appointed the title "Maestro" by his fans.

He sucessfully toured with his own group "Zaita

Musica" to Europe in 1991 and has continuosly performs

as a solo guitarist as well as with his colleagues -

Nguza Viking, King Kiki, Kassongo Mpinda Clayton,

Kibambe Rhamadhan, Delphin Mununga, and others on

multiple nights a week.

***** ACHIGO BAND ***** Dar es Salaam

The Achigo Band, led by guitar giant NGUZA MBANGU

VIKING of "Orchestra Marquis" fame, is a solidly

operating music machine. This group keeps the audience

on their feet from Friday through Sunday at a variety

of popular Dar es Salaam venues: Polisis Officers Mess

on Fridays, Lions Inn in Sinza Saturdays, and Mango

Garden in Kinondoni on Sunday nights - together with

Ndala Kasheba. These two prolific composers - Nguza

and Kasheba - were the rivals of the 1970's MUZIKI WA

DANSI scene in Dar es Salaam, always seeking to

out-perform the other for the crowds. Now they share

the stage, to the delight of their fans.

***** YEKETE BEAT ***** Arusha

Swahili spices blend into highlife to make a

substantial brew. Refreshing from the first sip. The

Yekete Beat band hails from the garden of Eden known

as Arusha, Tanzania. You can find them in the shadow

of Kilimanjaro. They come from a variety of ethnic

traditions and blend them into one dance music style.

They were the first to use popular lullabies as breaks

and for choruses in their songs. Namsitu Dawa,

included on the compilation, tells the story of a

hacksaw in the forest. Feel the fun and energy of this

band who gig regularly in Arusha's nightclubs, for

corporate and political events, and in the National

Parks hotels.

*****DELPHIN MUNUNGA ***** Congo/ Dar es Salaam

Delphin is originally from Lubumbashi, Congo. He grew

up in the 1960's, listening to the music float into

the windows of his downtown home, from where he spied

the musicians performing in nearby clubs. He wistfully

recalls hearing Ndala Kasheba, Fauvette - Safari Nkoy,

and other big bands. He listened and learned.

Realizing a childhood dream he was recruited to sing

with Kasheba's "Zaita Musica" in Dar es Salaam, and on

tour to Europe. He has since travelled with his own

group, Esthetic Music, to Arabia, Asia and through

Eastern- Soutern Africa. His voice is finely tuned to

a wide range and repetoire. On this album he performs

solo, a capella, with improvisation inspired by

spiritual melodies from his youth in church choirs.

***** GARIKAYI TIRIKOTI ***** Zimbabwe

In 1968, when Garikayi was about eight years old, he

left his rural village and went to Wedza, to another

uncle's village, and there he built his own mbira and

started playing at ceremonies. He had to set out

walking in the early afternoon to arrive at the

ceremony by evening, and then he would play for two or

three days without sleeping. It was hard work -

walking, playing, then walking back home. But he kept

this up for seven years, and with the small amount of

money that he was paid for playing he managed to pay

his own school fees. When Garikayi was fifteen, he

returned to live in his mother's village. After

watching his older brother build mbiras he got serious

about building his own. He loved it and built many

mbiras, until in 1976 his work was interrupted by the

war. But he resumed in 1980, and it was then that he

started experimenting with changing and mixing

different tunings. He was inspired in this effort by

his dreams. This was the beginning of Garikayi's now

famous 'mbira orchestra.' Over the years the dreams

continued and Garikayi was shown many songs and

tunings, until by 1999 he was arranging traditional

mbira songs as well as his own compositions for an

eight piece mbira orchestra. (Copyr. 2002 Elizabeth

Checcio) This compilation includes two compositions

from his upcoming album "MaiDei".

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