Customer Reviews

Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Place me squarely in the pack of people who love this cd. I picked this one up in early 2004 and have been loving it ever since. I listened to it again last night and earlier today and felt it to be even more powerful than usual.

I'm surprised one reviewer remarked about the rather low-tech recording. This disc? This disc is as good as you can imagine a field-recording sounding. If you let yourself go, you are right there in that little temple with these fantastic singers. There is as little distance between performer and listener on this disc as is possible. Their voices are all around you.

The break down is like this... 2 songs in english, a few tunes of very bad keyboard-dominated Afro-pop, one great tune with singing and drumming, a couple with acoustic guitar, and the rest is some of the most beautiful vocal music I've ever been lucky enough to experience. Maybe it's just me, but there is something about great women's voices. Most of these tunes are dominated by the voices of young women, sometimes young women and girls, and sometimes females and males.

I can't even really find the words for this disc. This is a brilliant Ugandan folk choir, I guess I'd call them. This music is love and extended-family as song. It's a cliche to comment on the call-and-response aspect in this or that African musics, but it is such a wide open thing. So much possibility exists. Some of my all-time favorite call-and-response happens on this disc. These young women are in that upper tier of the best that humans have to offer each other.

This is deeply spiritual community music of the highest order. There is something so gentle and pure and seemingly innocent about this music. It breaks my heart every time I hear it. It's the sweet soul of a community purely translated into sound without ego. I can feel like the whole of the world is going straight down the toilet in a swirling flush of cultural and environmental destruction, of greed and violence and pain. Then I listen to this disc (aside from the keyboard-pop which I skip) and I get to have over an hour where I'm again reminded of the beauty that humans are occasionally able to create and/or be a part of. There are a couple tunes here that have made tears stream down my face every single time I have heard them. I'm honored just to be the same species as the people recorded for this cd. For me this disc really is a gift to humanity. It touches me as deeply as anything ever has.

This is IT, folks. If track #14 is the last thing I hear in the waning moments of this, my earthly existence, I will be going softly into my goodnight with tears on my face and a smile in my heart.

Though Reviewer Timothy Dougal did not find this cd to be a "satisfying hourlong musical experience" I would have to disagree. As he mentioned, this is not for everyone, but no music is. If you find any interest in such a topic, buy it. You will not regret it. Being Jewish, as well as an avid folk and roots music fan, I find that this cd has much to offer for many people. Where Dougal found familiarity with the "O Brother" sound track, it should be noted that this is nothing like that, and should not be bought with such a notion. The quality of the recording is amazing. The voices are clear, the bass is balanced and the warmth is felt. I wonder if Dougal has ever listened to Patton's recordings and commented on those. Never forget the circumstances that such pieces are recorded in, and even with this remembered, this album is amazing in production. But don't take my word for it, listen to some of the tracks and determine for yourself. And as a quick note, the editorial review suggests that Judaism was brought in the wake of war between Muslims and Catholics, this is not the case. Kakungulu did fight for the British against Muslims and Catholics, but seperated himself from them as well as the anglican church because of the unfavorable treatment of the people of Uganda. He then went on, seperatly from his involvment with the British military, to establish the Jewish faith.

The repertoire is wide, from lullabies and political songs to devotionals and choir arrangements: be prepared for an unusual diversity of theme unified by a strong choral thread throughout.

Strange to hear familiar religious chants sung by African voices in beautiful melodies. Highly recommended

The Abayudaya are a community of around 600 people who live in Eastern Uganada and are practicing Jews. This CD is their music.
The group's Jewish origins are interesting. In the early 20th century, their leader Semei Kakungulu fell out with the local British authorities and the Anglican Church and decided to begin following the precepts of proto-Judaism. From the 1930s until the 1960s, the group had almost no contact with other Jews and suffered abuse and persecution from their fellow Ugandans. Later, under Idi Amin, they had to practice their religion in secret.
In this CD, they sing psalms and hymns, some in their own language, some in the more familiar Hebrew. Included are familiar songs such as L'cha Dodi and Adon Olam. The harmonies are a sweet, melodious and utterly winning blend of Zulu music, traditional Christian hymns and African folk.
It's a lovely collection and it reminds us of the power of the message and its ability to reach people in the strangest of circumstances.

I have a six month old son and discovered that when he was in all-out melt down mode, playing this cd calmed him instantly. When I say instantly, I mean within 10 seconds or less. And, it also puts me in a peaceful mood too. It's a must for all new moms - a great shower gift.

I know the producer of this album, and just received word that it was nominated for a Grammy Award in the World Music Category! I have listened to several tracks and it is gorgeous.

Don't expect broadway- it aint. If you have memories of singing around a campfire and memories of feeling in tune with your spiritual community you will appreciate this album. Very Jewish. Very African. Very nice.

A Rabbi friend stationed in Africa as a chaplain, met this performer and shared his music with our synagogue. I was filled with peace hearing the traditional Jewish prayers sung to an African beat. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the performer while he was on tour in the U.S. I highly recommend this CD to all who love the traditional prayers and would like to hear them sung to a different beat.

The music of Abayudaya, Jewish People of Uganda filled me with peace. The
sounds of the singing, songs that I am familiar with but to a different tune,
has lifted my spirits to an all time high. I sincerely recommend this CD to others
and look forward to actually meeting Mr. Moses at Adath Jeshurun October 27, 2011,in Elkins
Park, PA.