New Reviews: July 19, 2004
Reviews by Matthew J. Forss
Various Artists
The Pulse Of Africa
Arc Music
The drum rhythms of Africa are showcased on The Pulse Of Africa. The El Hadj Ensemble,
Soweto Ensemble, Ipelegeng Group, African Works and Matodzi Groups all perform
various drum pieces from various African countries, including Zululand, Congo,
Uganda, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Gambia, Ghana, Central African Republic, Botswana,
South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and more! Several drum types and a myriad
of other assorted percussion instruments complement the drum work. Furthermore,
some vocals accompany the drum beats. A great CD for the drum fan! A real treat
for the music lover of hard-to-find African music! A detailed booklet covers
all of the instruments, musicians and related information in English, German,
French & Spanish translations.
Hidekazu Katoh & Richard Stagg
Masters Of The Shakuhachi
Arc Music
The Japanese shakuhachi flute is eloquently played by both Hidekazu Katoh
and Richard Stagg. Five long compositions consisting of Japanese folk tunes
are included. Vocals and other instruments are absent. Hidekazu Katoh is an
acclaimed shakuhachi flutist of the Chikuto Group at Chuo University. Richard
Stagg, a non-Japanese performer of shakuhachi, studied under the tutelage of
Yoshikazu Iwamoto. Clearly, both musicians are "masters" of the shakuhachi,
as evidenced by the majestic, yet fluid playing of both performers. Flute
lovers, Japanese folk music fans and the not-too-adventurous world music traveler
should find comfort, joy and amazement in yet another fine Arc Music recording.
A detailed booklet in English, French, German and Spanish translations is included.
Suzzana Owiyo
Mama Africa
Arc Music
Singer, songwriter and guitarist, Suzzana Owiyo, bring us several songs of
Luo pop music from Kenya. Suzzana has received numerous accolades of musicianship
throughout Kenya. Eack track features Suzzana on vocals and guitar, with additional
African percussion instrumentation. However, Mama Africa is a contemporary work,
highly influenced by the cultural heritage of the Luo people of Kenya. A very fine
recording of contemporary music from one of Kenya’s largest ethnic group -- the Luo
people! A detailed booklet in English, French, German and Spanish translations is
included.
Various Artists
The Sounds Of The West Sahara: Mauritania -
Field Recordings By Deben Bhattacharya (1978)
Arc Music
The traditional music of the West African nation of Mauritania is
featured on The Sounds Of The West Sahara: Mauritania. The late Deben
Bhattacharya conducted research and collected field recordings of griots
(professional Moorish musicians) throughout Mauritania in 1978. The fruition of
Deben’s work is appropriately showcased on The Sounds Of The West Sahara:
Mauritania. Various love poems, folk songs and maqams were recorded in the
field. Several tracks feature female vocals and instrumentation of the ardin
(harp), tidinit (four-stringed lute) and t’bol (kettle drum). An essential
album of great, historical significance! A detailed booklet in English, German,
French and Spanish translations is included.
Matthew J. Forss is currently a full-time student at
Lakeland College-Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He is majoring
in Biology and German Language/Culture. Since 1998, he
has collected numerous musical instruments and CDs from
around the world. Also in 1998, he wrote a paper on
Mongolian Ethnomusicology, entitled: How Does Music
Play An Important Role In The Life And Culture Of
Mongolia? Currently, he has collected over 100 CDs that
represent dozens of different countries. His general
interests include ethnomusicology journalism and
researching the traditional/contemporary ethnic music
of various cultures from around the world. His specific,
geographic areas of study include the traditional and
popular music from Central Eurasia (especially Mongolia,
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.) In November of
2000, he accepted the position of writing world music CD
reviews for this site.
