Stephen Marley Revelation Pt. 1 The Root of Life (Tuff Gong / Universal Republic, 2011) There’s no denying that the recorded works of Bob Marley’s…
Life Revealed
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.
Rock the Caravan
Terakaft Aratan N Azawad (World Village, 2011) Like their contemporaries Tinariwen, Mali’s Terakaft is comprised of Tuareg rebel souls who traded guns for guitars, finding…
Grabbing the Bull by the Horns
Ocote Soul Sounds Taurus (ESL Music ESL 175, 2011) Back with album number three, Ocote Soul Sounds (OSS) continue to combine Afro-Latin funk with a…
Afrobeat on the Upswing
Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 From Africa with Fury: Rise (Knitting Factory Records KFR1110CD, 2011) Seun Anikulapo Kuti, son of Nigerian Afrobeat creator and…
The Return of Kar Kar
Boubacar Traore Mali Denhou (Lusafrica 562492, 2011) Hard to believe it’s been six years since Boubacar Traore’s quietly stunning Kongo Magni CD, but Kar Kar…
How Sweet It Is
Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga Maisha Ni Matamu (Life Is Sweet) (Virunga Records VR003, 2011) Still supple, spine tingling and, yes, sweet after 30 years…
Incendiary Cool
Eliane Elias Light My Fire (Concord Picante CPI-32761-02, 2011) The connections between Brazilian music, jazz and pop are longstanding, and Sao Paulo-born pianist/singer/composer Eliane Elias…
In On It
Vieux Farka Toure The Secret (Six Degrees 65703611792, 2011) It’s no longer any secret that the origins of the blues are West African, just as…
The Sound of Caffeinated Headwear
Neil Pearlman Coffee & the Mojo Hat (Paddledoo Music PAD 107, 2011) What an intriguing title, though I couldn’t tell you what a mojo hat…
Hailing a Revolutionary Cab out of Africa
Les Nubians – Nü Revolution (Shanachie, 2011) Malika Zarra – Berber Taxi (Motema Music MTM-60, 2011) There’s a lot of Africa in both of these…