Customer Reviews

Baka Beyond East to West

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

 

 

It's good to see that Baka Beyond is not resting on its laurels but has come out with another great, creative CD. Existing fans should not hesitate to get this. I've only had one complete listen-through but this CD seems to have more of a celtic influence than predecessors which is fine with me. Plus the djembe playing is excellent and more pronounced. While the group stays true to its acoustic feel, I was happy to hear some experimentation with electric guitar as well. Congratulations to Martin Cradick and company.

I first heard Baka Beyond at a festival and was enthralled immediately. Their music is infectious and forces you to smile, sway and rock back and forth in your chair before finally being carried away and jumping up and dancing with full force in the aisle! Listen and be enchanted for yourself :)

Very successful mix of African and Celtic styles. The rhythm and syncopation of the Baka percussion, and their complex singing, provides a surprisingly interesting background for Irish lyrics and melodies. This goes to show how cultural mixings can produce really show-stopping aesthetics.

This is some of the most incredible music I have heard in years. Every aspect of this album is superb and played to perfection. I especially enjoy the African percussion, fiddle, guitar,and vocals. You will find this music to be extremely uplifting. A masterpiece!

More of what you've come to expect from Baka Beyond with a few interesting twists. The vocals are brought more into the foreground than in earlier albums but they don't drown out the rhythm or detract from the overall experience. The Gaelic influence in tracks 3, 4, and 5 remind me a lot of Afro Celt Sound System - another one of my favourite artists.

Although my personal Baka Beyond favourite is The Meeting Pool this album is great and was well worth the wait. Highly recommended!

This glitzy mix of West African, Celtic, Asian and North American folk is the type of world-beat fusion goulash that stirs its fans into joyful conniptions and drives world music purists up the wall. This is their fifth album, showing a continuing refinement of the eclectic approach that brough them widesread fame back in the 1990s. At times, particularly on the more Irish-flavored numbers, UK-based vocalist Su Hart drifts in Enya-esque territory... however, I'm sure that won't be much of a problem for already-devoted Baka fans. If you liked their earlier albums, this one will not disappoint.