Customer Reviews

Akwaaba

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Francis Bebey is an atypical artist for this label, which is most well known for its anthologies of excellent dancebands and highlife music from the 1960s. Bebey also doubled as a novelist, which may give a clue to the ambition on this album. Akwaaba features a wide scope of techniques and styles that are integrated into a still fresh-sounding and unique amalgam.

The title track is a gorgeous span of thumb piano, but is followed by the otherworldly Bissau, in which pulsating bass provides foundation for Bebey's droning vocal and angular flute & thumb piano. Binta Madiallo again places the thumb piano up front, but the reverb-drenched, echo-ey production and Bebey's haunting vocal strains make it both eerie and beautiful. One could go on and on for each track; nothing is a throwaway here. Bebey made an incredible record that is both true to its folk roots, but forward looking without succumbing to pop cliches. I'd call it a classic if it weren't so unjustifiably obscure.

"This is one of the very best recordings of African music I have heard. I have been listening to a great deal of music of Africa for the last 30 years and this recording stands out as one of the top 5 (or top 2 for that matter). It may not be what you expect... some "pan" pipe flutes, some throat singing, some driving bass guitar lines, some tapping on a glass bottle ..etc... innovative and stellar musicianship."