Kelenia

Oran Etkin

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 9, 2009)
• Original Release Date: June 9, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Motema Music
• ASIN: B0027WNOG6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #140,931 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

New York Times

"His version of a Malian jazz hybrid includes traces of Middle Eastern modality as well as ebullient swing rhythm ... Mr. Etkin has no trouble keeping his stylistic bearings."

Product Description

As featured on PRI's Afropop Worldwide. Special guests Lionel Loueke, Abdoulaye Diabate, and John Benitez.

Clarinetist and saxophonist Oran Etkin and his group Kelenia have crafted an extraordinary blend of modern jazz, African, klezmer, and Israeli music that honors tradition while forging a completely distinct path.

"Dazzling vocal and guitar patterns over a rhythm section that is like a perfect system." -- New York Times

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zounds!, June 19, 2009

By	greg taylor (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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Let's face it. The world is weird. There seems to be all this economic pressure to conform. In music that basically means taking on the sound de jour. It seems as if indigenous musics all over the world are disappearing as we speak. And while that is undoubtably true, another truth is that the constant mixtures of different cultural traditions can result in some weird new beauty.
All of which is my way of starting to talk about Oran Etkin. I believe he is American and of Jewish heritage. He grew up obsessed with Louis Armstrong, listening to Isreali and Jewish musics. He started to study saxophone with George Garzone at age 14 and at age 19 he started studying the music of Mali. He lived in Mali for awhile as part of that study. Since coming back to the US, he has played continuously with Balla Kouyate (a balafon player) and Makane Kouyate (calabash and singer). That core trio expanded into a quartet with the addition of Joe Sanders on bass. Some variation of those four are on all the compositions on this CD but the final one which is a short clarinet piece with overdubs by Etkin.
In addition to the core quartet, they are joined by Lional Louke on compositions 3,4 and 5. John Benitez plays bass on 2,4,and 6. Abdoulaye diabate provides vocals on tracks 1 and 3. Mohamed "Joh" Sidi Camara plays an assortment of instruments on several tracks. Most interesting to my ears was the cello of Jessie Marino and the violin of Sara Caswell overdubbed to provide a string quartet for track New Dwelling.
A pretty interesting instrumentation, yes?
What is so interesting about musicians like Etkin is that his compositions go far beyond a facile mix of styles. Etkin hears his music as being put together out of many seperate traditions yet still being deeply sunk in each tradition. The resulting compositions are fascinating. His bass clarinet solo on Nina has roots in klezmer, in American blues and floats naturally on top of what his Malian friends are providing as context. Etkin's jazz background is obvious on Not a Waltz and Brink. On Brink, by the way he plays tenor sax and displays a very nice rounded tone.
Listen to the sound samples. Purchase some of the MP3s if you must. But listen to this guy. What we are hearing is the result of a long apprenticeship of musical investigation and imagination. Etkin and his associates display their learning with ease and grace. Balafon and tenor! Who knew?