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Fulani Journey
Afrissippi
Fulani Journey
Genres: Blues, International Music, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (10) - Disc #1

Afrissippi's debut album, FULANI JOURNEY, tells the story of GUELEL KUMBA, a singer-songwriter from the delta of Senegal, West Africa. Kumba moved to Oxford, Mississippi, in 2001 where he jammed with ERIC DEATON, appren...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Afrissippi
Title: Fulani Journey
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Knockdown South
Release Date: 5/23/2006
Album Type: Enhanced
Genres: Blues, International Music, Pop
Style: Africa
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 733792633124

Synopsis

Album Description
Afrissippi's debut album, FULANI JOURNEY, tells the story of GUELEL KUMBA, a singer-songwriter from the delta of Senegal, West Africa. Kumba moved to Oxford, Mississippi, in 2001 where he jammed with ERIC DEATON, apprentice to the late R.L. Burnside. The two discovered the similarities between the hill country blues of North Mississippi and Kumba's traditional Senegalese melodies, and the nucleus of Afrissippi was born. On FULANI JOURNEY they enlist the region's finest including drummers Cedric Burnside & Kinney Kimbrough, wildman Jimbo Mathus, sax legend Herman Green, and the Taylor Grocery Band. Recorded in two nights with no overdubs at Mathus's Delta Recording Service in Clarksdale, Mississippi, FULANI JOURNEY shows the head-on collision between Kumba's music and the full-throttle drive of its descendant, the hill country blues of North Mississippi. This enhanced cd also includes a special behind-the-scenes film shot & directed by Scotty Glahn, director of BEANLAND: RISING FROM THE RIVERBED as a bonus track. The film features a rap by Afrissippi's high priest poet, the legendary JOHN SINCLAIR, as the band channels the "future primitive" vibe of Mathus's studio.

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CD Reviews

Excellent Fulani-Blues fusion
"Ian Herrick" | San Jose, CA | 11/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Afrissippi is a band whose core members are Guelel Kumba, Justin Showah, Eric Deaton, and Kenny Kimbrough. The latter three are all musicians from North Mississippi and have excellent blues "pedigrees:" Kimbrough, for instance is the son of the late Junior Kimbrough, while Deaton is an apprentice of the late RL Burnside. Guelel Kumba comes from the Macina Toro region of Senegal, where he comes from a long line of musicians. Other North Mississippi musicians contribute their talents on certain tracks.



Kumba's music is the basis of the music on "Fulani Journey," and is very similar to the music of other great musicians from Macina Toro such as Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck: long, fluid and occasionally gritty vocal lines with sparse, bouncy guitar backing. With the steady drumming of Kenny Kimbrough and Cedric Burnside, the powerful guitar of Deaton, and the unstoppable trance-inducing blues bass of Showah, it seems like the music was always meant to be together. And yet Kumba is perfectly capable of shining on his own, as he does on the track "Bambangel."



The only problem I have with this CD is the title track, which features John Sinclair speaking about Fulani history while the band jams in the background. This has the potential to be interesting, if Sinclair didn't speak....so....slowly....about....the....Fulani....journey....across....the...African...continent.



But despite this one flaw, the album has wonderful music. I look forward to more releases (and perhaps collaboration with?) from Afrissippi."