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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic worldbeat, November 25, 2001
Here's a one-of-a-kind album--an Ethiopian woman singer backed by incredible musicians from around the world. Singing in her native Amharic language, Gigi varies her songs, mixing jazz, folk, and electronica in equal measures to create a truly memorable music experience.In addition to the great jazz names of Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Pharoah Sanders, also on hand are Henry Threadgill (sadly underestimated American jazz performer and composer) on alto sax, the always interesting Graham Haynes on cornet, Nicky Skopelitis on guitar, Bill Laswell on bass (who also produced and arranged the album), Indian Karsh Kale on drums and tabla, and Senegalese Aiyb Dieng on African percussion, as well as many of Gigi's fellow Ethiopians on backing vocals, percussion, and Ethiopian instruments masinko and kerare. With Laswell's innovative production and Threadgill's creative horn arrangements, this is one worldbeat album that can be listened to repeatedly. Gigi's voice is clear, lyrical and emotional; she can belt, reach for high notes, plead, or sing softly, and all of these are captivating. This is a unique album, definitely a huge plus in your worldbeat library.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"A" List Musicians, Beautiful voice, outstanding engineering, March 29, 2002
First impressions: It's a very layered album with lots of echo and overlapping vocals. The lyrics are soothingly melodic and the back ground vocals are just as nice. The arranger, Henry Threadgill, who did the horns, should get a Grammy or something for tying everything together so wonderfully. It has an African vibe of course but the music behind it has a western influence. The liner notes have the lyrics in both English and Ethiopian which I appreciated a lot. Also, pictures of GIGI inside and some African artwork and lettering are featured within the liner notes. You have Herbie Hancock on piano/syntheizer, Wayne shorter on the soprano sax, and many other famous jazz professionals/icons contributing here. Seriously, how can you go wrong when you have Grammy award winning profesionals providing the music? For the "world beat" purist, this album may be a little over the top since the talents of many accomplished musicians from several different discliplines contributed here. Note, synthesizers and an electric piano were used on this CD with plenty of echo and fades. In other words, it could be a little too electronic for those that prefer a minimalist or more "earthy" approach. The purist may even consider this CD moving a bit towards "New Age". Conclusion: It's a very, very good album but I feel that it does not truly fit into the "world beat" classification. Bye.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Princess of World Music, February 28, 2002
This CD is exciting and uplifting. Gigi - a young Ethiopian singer - composed the Ethiopian melodies and Amharic lyrics, and the all-star team of Herbie Hancock, Waine Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, producer Bill Laswell and other top musicians transformed them into a captivating blend of musical styles - Ethiopian (Bale Washinto), Indian (Guramyle), African and Jazz fusion. Despite the mixing of influences, the result is cohesive and attractive.
The CD quickly became popular among Ethiopian youth worldwide who were looking for a breakthrough from traditional Ethiopian pop to a more contemporary sound.
Gigi's personality is positive and charismatic as can clearly be heard on every track of this CD. Her voice is very Ethiopian and at the same time very universal, and her optimism shines through. She is proud of her Ethiopian origins near the Blue Nile falls, and confident in her ability to create substantial music.
I recommend the CD to ALL human beings.
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