David Dalle
Thursday July 18th, 2024 with David Dalle
30 for 30 in Africa with Tabu Ley and the Kronos Quartet! Spain, Argentina.

We will continue celebrating my 30 years on-air at CKCU with 30 of the most significant albums in my musical evolution. This week features two selections from Africa: "Pieces of Africa" (1992) from the Kronos Quartet and "Muzina" (1994) from Tabu Ley Rochereau. I was gobsmacked by Tabu Ley's golden voice when I first heard this album, honey being poured into my ears! Since that first album, I have listened to a lot more Tabuy Ley. His music from the 70's to 80's was better, more analog with fewer synths, but this album was my introduction to Tabu Ley and Soukous (probably, the most influential 20th century African tradition). Tabu Ley still possessed one of the greatest voices ever to grace this Earth. "Pieces of Africa" was the Kronos Quartet's largest venture into music and compositions from Africa, with a couple of works for the quartet only, but most collaborating with African musicians and singers. It features African music by Dumisani Maraire from Zimbabwe, Hassan Hakmoun from Morocco, Foday Musa Suso from Gambia, Justinian Tamusuza from Uganda, Hamza El Din from Egypt, Obo Addy from Ghana, and Kevin Volans from South Africa. This superb album introduced me to the idea that Western classical music could work with African music. Most of today will be a large set of African music with these two albums and a few others. We will begin the journey with Tabu Ley and end with Dumisani Maraire's "Kutambarara", a phenomenal piece which means "Spreading" in Shona. Dumisani Maraire said it was based on the idea that "African concepts, perspectives, philosophies, traditions and cultures" are being spread around the world. However, unlike in the past, this is being done by Africans themselves. The piece features Maraire on vocals and mbira, with a gospel choir and the quartet of course. The music builds and opens up, spreading out. Fittingly, it is the last piece on the album, but though it makes a wonderful concluding piece, it also sounds like a new beginning, an African dawn! 1. Lustmord "The Monstrous Soul" Side Effects 2. Ludwig Van Beethoven/Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan et al. "Symphony No. 9" Deutsche Grammophon 3. Doudou N'Diaye Rose "Djabote" Realworld 4. Julius Eastman/Lutoslawski Piano Duo with Joanna Duda, Mischa Kozlowski "Unchained" Dux 5. The Master Musicians of Jajouka featuring Bachir Attar "Apocalypse Across The Sky" Axiom 6. Ustad Bismillah Khan & Party "Shehnai Recital" EMI India 7. Franz Liszt/Claudio Arrau "12 Etudes d'exécution transcendante" Philips 8. Ludwig Van Beethoven transcribed Franz Liszt/Cyprien Katsaris "Symphony No. 9" Teldec 9. Malek Masoudi "Mandir" Shahram 10. Shahram Nazeri "Aatash Dar Neystaan" Shahram 11. Kayhan Kalhor "Scattering Stars Like Dust" Traditional Crossroads 12. Goran Bregovic "Underground" Polygram 13. Kocani Orkestar "A Gypsy Brass Band" Long Distance 14. Misia "Garras Dos Sentidos" Erato 15. Goran Bregovic & Alkistis Protopsalti "Paradehtika" Polygram 16. Tabu Ley Rochereau "Muzina" Rounder 17. Kronos Quartet "Pieces of Africa" Nonesuch