Fanfare Ciocarlia are new to me and I’m left scratching my head wonder why in the hell I have not heard of this band before. They are billed as a Romanian Gypsy Brass Band but their music has wider roots that tap into many different cultures from Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and even hint at elements of Bollywood and pop standards from the US. To date they have released five albums all of which make use of blistering horn lines and tricky rhythms. Queens and Kings is no exception.

This is one of those albums that explodes in the opening notes, giving you little time to catch your breath or gather your wits as the band kicks up the dust and begins to spin you about. It is a beautiful album filled with an energy that is at once aggressive yet filled with joy and a pleasure of being alive. “Sandala” features some of the tightest brass playing I have ever heard with a tuba line that nimble dances about light as a feather. “Ibrahim” follows in suit matching staccato rhythms to a husky yet strangely enchanting vocals of Esma Redzepova but cool things down a little on “Ma Maren Ma” eventually turning that into a slow burning number with “Nakelavishe” where Redzepova makes a moving reprise.

To give you a little taste of their energy here’s a video from this year’s tour, shot in Berlin.

Since picking up this album the wife and I have been unable to put it down, giving it a spin nearly every day, just getting drunk on its intoxicating melodies and rhythms. You can find out more about the band on their page over at Asphalt Tango or over at Wikipedia which has a nice write up about the band and their music. Easily makes my Best of 2007 list. Very highly recommended.

All Is Fair is a meditative album. It slowly stretches, winding its way through folk forms from nearly every continent while managing to fold in elements of Jazz, Rock, and the Western Classical tradition all of which results in a fine example of Fusion. If you are a fan of Kronos Quartet, and in particular their trance-like work Night Prayers, then you might find yourself drawn to the work on here as it possesses many of the same qualities though approaching them from different angle as Gojogo blend together upright bass, violin, tablas, with various brass and woodwinds to create a sometimes dark yet warm tapestry of sound.

“All Is Fair In Love and War”, nestled near the middle of the album and by far one of my favorite songs on the album, shows the group shaking loose the somnolent work of the prior tracks in the opening bars with a rhythm section built upon an angular tabla line and flanked by a very aggressive staccato violin and bass. Layered on top of it is a slightly restrained guitar line that growls and paces like a caged cat growing more pensive as the piece moves forward. At the midpoint it all crashes, falling on top of itself, and out of it emerges a plaintive melody on trumpet carried by soft woodwinds. Gojogo, in this track, demonstrates a keen ability to construct a narrative through the composition and choices in arrangement. Conversely, “Taal Mama”, which you can stream over at Myspace, is likely one of their more Trance-like pieces as it built around a cluster of simple rhythms and melodies that ensemble makes use of to hang variations on themes. It is understated but very enjoyable at the same.

All Is Fair is a breath of fresh air as it seamlessly blends together so many disparate musical traditions capturing the Trance elements of Modal Jazz and Abstract Electronic with Folk forms of Africa, Europe, and the Americas while maintaining a sense of urgency often found in Rock. It makes for a compelling listen and I highly recommend it. All Is Fair is one of my picks for Best of 2006.

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.