Shime! (World Village, 2009)
The first thing that you’ll notice when you see Culture Musical Club’s photos in the CD booklet is that it is a very large orchestra. The Zanzibar-based ensemble is not only the largest orchestra in the Tanzanian island, but it is also one of the leading Taarab ensembles. Culture Musical Club’s music brings together Arabic influences and the Swahili beats from mainland Africa.
Culture Musical Club was originally called Shime Kuokoana which translates as ‘a call to preserve something which is about to be lost’. Thus the title of the new album, Shime!. Throughout the years Culture Musical Club has toured the globe, taking taarab music to audiences in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Arab Emirates and Reunion.
The orchestra’s director is accordionist and composer Said Mwinyi. On Shime! you can hear the elaborate weaving of his accordion melodies with the masterful sounds of the qanun, ud and violin, accompanied by a delicious mambo-like beat.
Culture Musical Club‘s taarab is inspiringly detailed and will serve as an excellent introduction to the mesmerizing sounds of Zanzibar.
Buy the CD or MP3 download:
- In North America: Shime!. Other titles available: Waridi, Scents of Zanziba, Bashraf, Taarab 4
- In Europe: Culture Musical Club – Shime!. Other titles available: Waridi – Scents of Zanzibar, Taarab Music of Zanzibar Vol.4
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
