Customer Reviews

Ok-Oyot System

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

 

 

I like this band. I like even more this album. This is the last album that features all the original band members, and they honor their fallen percussionist quite nicely with this. I recommend to people looking for new music.

I have eclectic tastes, and at a conceptual level, I am interested any time I hear about a musician or group trying to fuse disparate musical styles. Unfortunately, when most people try to fuse American styles with music from other cultures, more often than not, the results are just kitsch. There is nothing kitsch about this strong album blending the sounds of Kenyan Benga music and classic rock. Some tracks are closer to Benga, and some are closer to classic rock, but they all blend styles. In fact, the title track sounds almost Cuban, and reminiscent of Marc Ribot y los Cubanos Postizos. The important thing, though, is that the album maintains a consistent groove, never too fast, and never too slow, built around strong but not flashy guitar work. Fans of Toubab Krewe, Tinariwen, Nigerian juju music (like King Sunny Ade), the Ry Cooder/Ali Farka Toure album, etc., will find much to enjoy here, as will any fan of classic rock with open ears.

In fact, albums like this should not be surprising. Rock is based on blues, which is directly descended from African folk music. That explains why Ali Farka Toure sounded so much like John Lee Hooker without any conscious influence. That is why we hear such a strong blues thread in the music of Boubacar Traore. As American music has spread its influence around the world, African musicians have incorporated it into their own, and one cannot listen to juju music without hearing strong American influences. So, perhaps this type of project was inevitable. Hopefully, future American-African collaborations will be as successful. Previously, the best of those collaborations have been acoustic, like those of Bob Brozman, but hopefully groups like Extra Golden will convince other musicians that rock and African music can be blended effectively.

This is one unique album, for sure. The first time I heard it, I thought it was great. Then I bought it and it quickly became one of my favorite CDs ever. It's elbowed its way onto my 'desert island' list. When it's on, you find yourself transported to a warm + dark African night, hanging out at the bar with a few friends and a bunch of friendly locals while the band plays in the dim light of a bunch of lanterns. It's that good. It is SO good. I wish there were 5 more albums just like it, and if there are I hope I find them. The chillness of this album is comparable to that of Kind of Blue and the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas album. It's the kind of album that just makes you relax and enjoy every second of the music. I'm telling you, this album is freaking awesome. The African-sounding songs are interspersed with more down-tempo, laid-back rock stuff that is reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords. I recommend this album feverishly! You will love it!

Right, so it's not Afro-American, but American-Afro. Or? Cool thing mixing american musicians with musicians from Kenya. It works fine as long as we keep it on the kenyan game plan with an american touch, but when it comes to these american songs, it doesn't really carry all the way. They fall heavily and uninspired as rather unprofessional platitudes. Fusion music of any kind, should take the best ingredients from different genres or cultures or what ever and make something special of this. It happens all the time and makes the music world more exciting, but this record manage it only half of the time. On the other hand, it manages it well at those occasions. Try to keep still when You here the title song Ok-Oyot System! I'll bet You can't. So I'll give this record three stars of five. If I could cut out two maybe three songs, I would give it at least four stars.