Customer Reviews

Rough Guide to Music of the Indian Ocean

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Well the Rough Guide compilers have done it again...for those of you familiar with the Rough Guide series and who are devoted fans, I don't have to convince you of the incomparable quality of these compilations.

For all the rest of you, this CD will prove my point. It captures forms of music from the Indian Ocean which are little known in the West, and is real treat, combining lilting and highly distinctive melodies with wonderful rocking rhythms evoking the Indian Ocean waves, steeped in history (as the jacket notes point out) from thousands of years of ships and cultures crisscrossing its waters.

On this CD, you'll find the sweet melodies of Malagasy country music, soulful subtle blues of the Reunion Islands, Arabic spice from Zanzibar, Mauritian reggae, Seychelles polkas and folk/electronica fusion from the Comoros Islands. Sounds intriguing? Just wait until you hear it.

Personal favorites include the magnificent opening track "Koba" from Madagascar, "Sak la Point" from La Reunion, "Sense" from Mauritius and the pounding upbeat closing track "Mamandrako".

If you're a jaded world music listener who thinks they've heard it all, then this CD is an absolute must to revive your faith in the beauty of music; really, it's a must for just about anyone.

i didn't really know what to expect from this cd when i bought it, except that i really like the rough guide series, and i could be reimbursed for it (i work in a travel store). an easy risk. what a shock when i listened to it! from the first track i knew it was going to be special. the influences are just fantastic, there doesn't seem to be any one major category to place it in. Warm, jazzy, afro-cuban, bold, all across the board. i would definitely recommend this. needless to say it never made it to my work, this one's a keeper...