The Best of Ellipsis Arts - Africa: Never Stand Still

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ellipsis Arts
• ASIN: B0000059T5
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #500,615 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ndiri Bofu - Oliver Mtukdzi

2. Mhondoro - Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited

3. Za Ayi Neyi - Les Tetes Brulees

4. Wed Today Divorce Tomorrow - Gabriel Omolo And His Apollo Komesha

5. Ah Ndiya - Oumou Sangare

6. Refined Fuji Garbage [Excerpt] - Chief Doctor Sikiru Ayinde Barrister & Africa's International Music Ambassadors

7. Ngingenwe Emoyeni - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

8. Bassama - Abdel Gadir Salim All-Stars

9. M'Fono Yami - Papa Wemba

10. Sawura Wako - Stella Chiweshe & The Earthquake

11. Eh Zalahy - Tarika Sammy

12. Milouda - Bellemou/Gana El Maghnaoui

13. Allah Ma Diana - Le Zagazougou

14. Six Mabone - Lulu Masilela

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music That Moves You, January 29, 2003

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Best of Ellipsis Arts - Africa: Never Stand Still (Audio CD)

What a find this is: A joyous, textured, absolutely rocking collection of pan-African music featuring groups from Zimbabwe, Zaire, South Africa, Mali, Madagascar, the Ivory Coast, Sudan, Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria and Kenya. There are a variety of musical styles, including tuku, "bikitsu rock," soukous, rai, and "benga beats." In addition to tradition Western instruments such as the sax, trumpet, bass, accordion, and electric guitar, there are the goombay (large drum), mbira (thumb piano), valihu (bamboo zither), the oud, and an assortment of percussive instruments.

Even if you've never heard much African music, I think you'll enjoy this immensely. If you like jazz, polyrhythmic music, percussion, or even rock, there is much to enjoy.

The first few songs are outstanding both as listening and dance music: They're energetic pieces from Zimbabwe and Cameroon that are simply electrifying! Oliver Mtukdzi's "Ndiri Bofu" features bopping bass playing; "Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited" moves with virtuoso thumb piano and compelling call and response vocals; and the percussion of "Za Ayi Neyi" by "Les Tetes Brulees" is riveting. Other highlights include the soulful vocals of South Africa's "Ladysmith Black Mamzabo," the infectious "M'Fono Yami" by Zaire's Papa Wembar; the intricate playing and joyful whoops on Tarika Sammy's valihu piece, "Eh Zalahy (Madagascar), and Lulu Masilela' sax rocking over a background of accordion, guitars, and drums on "Six Mabone" (Six Lights, named after the headlights on big American autos of the 1950's)

The intensity and joy will wash over you. Please give this a try, one of my favorite albums in a collection of mostly Western music. The accompanying 22-page booklet gives brief bios of each group, photos, albums on which the songs originally appeared, and--for some songs--lyric samples, list of musicians and instruments. The recording quality is excellent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Africa Never Stand Still, February 16, 2009

By 

V. Baham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of Ellipsis Arts - Africa: Never Stand Still (Audio CD)

I bought this CD because I have the 3 cassettes. The CD does not have all of the songs that the total 3 cassettes have. I have been searching for a CD with all of the songs. In the meantime I'm enjoying the songs on the CD.