Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Africa [ENHANCED]

Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 5, 2006)
• Original Release Date: September 5, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B000GKZN92
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,823 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #8 in

  Music > World Music > Africa

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This flowingly well-sequenced collection of semi-acoustic tracks, some of which have a smoothly mainstream FM-radio feeling while others are more roots-oriented, is just the thing to unwind after a stressful workday or get the weekend off to an effervescent yet relaxed start. South African troubadour Vusi Mahlasela and Senegalese pop icon Diogal are heard to great effect, as are Congolese stars Faya Tess and Lokua Kanza, entwined in a lusciously Cuban-rumba-influenced duet. A lesser-known Cape Verdean songstress named Gabriela Mendes swings her way through a typically dance-like ditty and Dobet Gnahoré of Ivory Coast makes a similarly strong impression. A previously unreleased tune by Angelique Kidjo of Benin rounds the set out; every compilation should ideally offer something new, not just retreads, so this is definitely a good thing. Another important selling point: a portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Mercy Corps in support of their efforts to help victims of AIDS and the civil war in Darfur, and to Oxfam America and Oxfam Novib's "Make Trade Fair." --Christina Roden

More from Putumayo

Africa

Oliver Mtukudzi Collection

Koite & Bamada, Habib

Product Description
On Acoustic Africa, you’ll discover gentle folk songs from Senegal, a protest song from South Africa, blues-tinged ballads from Mali and much more. The performers on this album are social activists, building awareness of the current conditions in Africa that affect the region and the world. They sing of love and faith, pain and oppression, and their ability to unite people.

Vusi Mahlasela is an active social commentator who often addresses issues of social and political significance in his homeland. His gripping lyrics and lovely melodies on "Basimanyana" demonstrate why Mahlasela is also a leading figure in the contemporary South African music scene.

One of Africa’s most world-renowned performers, Habib Koité has shared the stage with some of the world’s best-known artists. On the track "Baro," Koité’s wistful vocals with swirling rhythms and intertwined harmonies demonstrate his distinctive sound. Koité’s music video for "Wari" is a bonus enhancement on the CD, as well as one of Koité’s best-loved songs.

Other artists of note include Diogal Sakho, Laye Sow, Angelique Kidjo, and Eneida Marta.

Later this fall Putumayo will translate the experience of the Acoustic Africa collection into a live performance setting, bringing together three of the African continent’s most gifted singer-songwriters on one stage. The Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Africa Concert Tour featuring Acoustic Africa artists Habib Koité from Mali, Vusi Mahlasela from South Africa and Dobet Gnahoré from Ivory Coast will travel to more than 40 cities in North America and Europe, giving audiences a rare and unique opportunity to experience first-hand the dynamic performances of these truly enigmatic musicians.

A portion of Putumayo’s proceeds from the sale of this CD will be donated to Mercy Corps in support of their efforts to help AIDS victims and the victims of the civil war in Darfur.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent compilation , January 20, 2007

By	And You May Find Yourself (Greece) - See all my reviews

I picked this up on a whim at my local CD shop. Not all Putumayo compilations are as good - this one has a consistent feel and excellent tracks. What made it really worth it for me was the discovery of artists I didn't know. Alongside big names like Angelique Kidjo and Faya Tess, there was the beautiful voice of Dobet Gnahore from the Cote d'Ivoire, Gabriela Mendes from Cabo Verde and two artists from Guinea-Bissau I'd like to hear more from.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Listening, November 4, 2006

By	K. Hall - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This disc will appeal not only to the dedicated world music afficianado, but will serve as a splendid introduction for the novice. I cannot recommend this highly enough.....in a collection of CDs that numbers in the thousands, this is truly a gem. Enjoy!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great on the cd and even more so in person, November 1, 2006

By	derring dodette (Orlando) - See all my reviews

This new Putumayo release is an excellent introduction to the smooth and haunting melodies of the acoustic African sound. As with so many of their collections, buy this CD, pick your favorites, and follow their careers through other musical selections. Or better yet, if you still have time, catch the Acoustic Africa tour, and see Habib Koite, Vusi Mahlasela and Dobet Gnahore live!

We were lucky enough to catch this concert this past weekend in Boulder, and what an amazing experience. This was a fairly intimate venue (approximately 1000 in the full-looking event), and we were only 5 rows back from these wonderfully talented international performers.

Several songs began with a performer beginning to strum backstage, only to stroll out onto the stage singing, perhaps unaccompanied. Amazing!

This is Gnahore's introduction to American audiences, and she happily found a large number of French-speakers in the audience for her attempts at conversation. Though a woman small in stature, she belts out a huge sound, and while you can enjoy her song, "Palea" on the CD you will miss her awe-inspiring dancing if you do not see her in person.

Seeing Koite and Mahlasela in person was a huge treat, and hearing several of our favorite songs, sung by both artists was truly worth the trip. We heard "Red Song," Emtini Wababe," "Basimanyana," and the evening ended with "Pata Pata" from Vusi Mahlasela. "Cigarette Abana," "Baro," (I think) and several others from Koite were worth the trip in themselves.

The most exciting part of this concert proved to be the format - this was not structured with 3 sets, one for each artist. We got to hear each of the performers alone at least once, but generally they played together, sometimes in pairs, but frequently all three at once. The energy and talent exploding off that stage (with Bamada and other performers also playing backup) was truly mind-blowing.

Mahlasela and Koite, both amazingly talented, also proved to be funny and conversational with the crowd (happily in English for those of us limited to that language). After a rollicking performance of Koite's "Wassiye" which had the entire crowd on its feet, Mahlasela managed to quiet the crowd (quite an effort) by simply standing at the mic with his guitar, his eyes closed, and snoring. It took almost a full minute, but the crowd finally figured it out, and shut up, waiting for his next song, a much calmer one.

The program stepped up and down in intensity with the types of songs, but always at the same level of performance, and it is something I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys the acoustic African sound. Buy the CD, find some favorites, and enjoy!