Candied Pop

If you have been reading this site for a while you might have realized I’m a bit of a pontificating ass that while not an expert in anything deeply wishes I played on on TV and now I’m turning my attention on Africa. Recently, there has been an upswing in the number of groups that are mining the sounds of Africa from the Seventies, with groups like Akoya, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (also credited as simply Antibalas), Kokolo, and Afrodizz all paying homage to Afrobeat, Zimbabwean, and South African sounds by drawing upon the influence of Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, and Thomas Mapfumo. So it is with great eagerness that I snapped up the re-issue of Mapfumo’s work with Hallelujah Chicken Run Band released by Alula Records.

Take One is a compilation of the band’s hits between 1974 and 1979 and features some of the most infectious rhythms and melodies I’ve heard in a longtime. The guitar work is the most distinct aspect of the album featuring blistering passages played in a spritely staccato manner with a voicing transcribed from the scale of the mbira–Alula points out that this is the first appearance of this tuning and technique and has gone on to define the sound of much of Zimbabwe’s pop music. Combined with brain twisting time signatures, a bass line that dances just as quickly, and Mapfumo’s crisp drum work the music is timeless, intoxicating, and joyful.

In contrast to that joy is the fact that the music was, at the time, an open act of rebellion and highly political in nature. Singing in Shona as a form of protest against the then Rhodesian government, details the struggles of the poor and disenfranchised in themes of love, loss, and overarching political themes. Taurai Maduna of Kubatana writes that Mapfumo, himself, became an icon of the liberation movement because of his work during this period including still composing music while jailed. All About Jazz has an excellent write up about the birth and history of the band as well as providing some additional groups to look into.

I cannot recommend the album enough. If you have been caught up in the resurgence of African Pop than do yourself a favor and grab this album to hear the roots of the music, you will not regret it. Definitely one of the best releases this year.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 10th, 2006 at 9:22 am and is filed under 2006, Album, Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.