Spirit [Import]

Geoffrey Oryema | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sonod
• ASIN: B00004RG0N
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,393 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > World Music > Africa > Uganda

Track Listings

1. Rwot Obwolo Wan

2. Spirits of My Father

3. Listening Wind

4. Mara

5. Omera John

6. Save Me

7. No Ballads Ballad

8. See Me Lakayana

9. Magical Stone

10. I Struck the Wall

11. John Mon Frere

12. Lapin au Sesame

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oryema's best since Beat the Border, April 18, 2000

By 

Clayton W. Hibbert (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spirit (Audio CD)

I was a bit wary when I learned that Geoffrey Oryema had left the Real World label, but fortunately he has lost nothing in the transition.

This disc is a pleasure to listen to -- more polished than 1997's "Night to Night", if not as uniquely memorable as 1993's "Beat the Border" -- "Spirit" is perhaps the most accessible of Oryema's music to date. It's one of those albums that your friends will borrow and then buy for themselves.

From the almost anthemic-sounding tribute to his late brother ("Omera John") to the wryly-named and beautiful "No Ballads Ballad" to his own take on the Talking Head's "Listening Wind", Oryema has created an album of varied and eclectic textures. He further refines his unique style, yet remains comfortably familiar to a growing base of fans.

Recommended.

(Hopefully this album will make its way to the United States, saving U.S. Oryema fans the nuisance of ordering this as a French import.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What "World" Music Should Be., May 27, 2000

By 

Jason Stein (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spirit (Audio CD)

I have been listening to Geoffrey Oryema since 1996. I have all four of his cds. His new release "Spirit" is a remarkable blend of Ugandan, French, and western sounds. With the help of Rupert Hine on production, Oryema seems to have created his most polished work to date. Singing about what he knows and what is dearest to him, Oryema continues to infuse his music with passion and thoughtfulness. He also perfectly adapts a Talking Heads classic, "Listening Wind", and makes it his own. It almost seems as if he wrote the song and not David Byrne. This is the type of cd that gets better with each listen, and I'd recommend it to Oryema fans and non-fans. Hopefully, like the review before me said, this album will be released in America instead of remaining an import. Also, I have to thank Peter Gabriel for finding Oryema and signing him to his Real World record label. Without Peter Gabriel, and his dedication to world music, I might not have had the privelege of hearing Geoffrey's music.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His best since "Exile", September 21, 2000

By 

Robert Potter (Lansing, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spirit (Audio CD)

Although I've loved all of Geoffrey's albums, I've liked each one progressively just a little bit less. But I believe this is the most developed and inspired work he's done yet. Whereas "Night to Night" felt a bit wandering and shallow to me at times (despite some songs I really like), "Spirit" simply feels driven and emotionally focused from start to finish. It's got the best songwriting he's done, and the songs just keep getting better with each listen--especially after reading his brief descriptions in the liner notes. They really add great atmosphere to songs that are already full of it. The sound is modern without sounding too slick, and the engineering is particularly excellent. I'm not sure why he didn't do this album with Real World, and it's really a shame that the album has been released so obscurely (over here, anyway), but I assure you that it is his biggest musical step forward yet. I just hope that lots more people get to hear it!