Search - Hugh Masekela :: Sixty

	Hugh Masekela Sixty Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop The legendary South African flugelhornist had a great idea to celebrate his 60th birthday: put together a great crew of fellow countrymen and women musicians and singers, and lead them in colorful, powerfully rhythmic perf... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Hugh Masekela
Title: Sixty
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Shanachie
Original Release Date: 6/13/2000
Release Date: 6/13/2000
Genres: International Music, Jazz, Pop
Styles: Africa, Jazz Fusion
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 016351507020, 5099749522725, 669910127360, 016351507020

Synopsis

Amazon.com

The legendary South African flugelhornist had a great idea to celebrate his 60th birthday: put together a great crew of fellow countrymen and women musicians and singers, and lead them in colorful, powerfully rhythmic performances of some of the nation's most beloved songs. In showcasing so many fine singers and supporting players, though, it's Masekela's horn that occasionally gets lost in the mix. There it is over the rolling guitar and vocal choir explosions of "Mgewundini," taking a peppy solo that alternates staccato and smooth segments. And the disc opens with his horn as part of a brass section as well as taking a quick solo on "Fela," where Masekela's still relegated to weaving through the vocal inflections. On the gentle caressing ballad "Bo Masekela," he finally takes center stage with a moody performance that evolves into a percussive improvisation. He repeats the favor on the soulful, retro-funk-driven arrangement of "Ziphi'Nkomo," creating a balance for all the early fire with a simple, smoky statement. Many of the early songs on the disc feature that ever zippy rolling guitar line South African music is known for, but later tracks, like the tropical-flavored, steel-pan-inflected "Tamati So So," are a bit more easygoing, even seductive. As much fun as all the music here are the colorful liner notes, in which Masekela relates clever anecdotes about the history of these tunes. Some, like "Fela," are from his own catalog, while others ("Thanayi," "Mbombela") date back to the 1950s and earlier. --Jonathan Widran

CD Reviews

Sixty Years Young -- no "Grazin' in the Grass"

David (david-smedley@usa.net) | USA | 06/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Masekela's new recording, "Sixty", celebrates his sixtieth birthday with an interesting mix of South African rhythms, particularly in the form of various tribal love/marriage songs, and the organization of the recording revolves around music that has influenced Masekela's life. This is especially so in his warm liner note words for this fellow South African composer, Caiphus Semenya, songs of which Masekela has recorded many (in addition to having played with him on some recordings as well). The Semenya-penned track, "Ziphi'nkomo" is an instrumental recording of the song -- a beautiful recording that is actually part of a three-song instrumental set on the cd. The first is "Bo Masekela", a re-recording of a tune Masekela did on his album, "The Americanization of Ooga Booga", a very cheery, upbeat tribal love/marriage song entitled, "Tamati so so" (with what sounds like marimbas in the background, somewhat unusual for Masekela -- at least in my experience of his music), and "Ziphi'nkomo".If you are looking for a cd that mirrors the musical culture of South Africa, this certainly fits the bill. It's without a doubt the best Hugh Masekela non-live recording since "Uptownship" (1989). His singing is getting a little more gravely with age, but the strength of this recording is clearly the straight instrumental tracks, which are played with deep feeling and emotion.If there is a weakness, it is in the printing of the liner notes, which contain some egregious spelling mistakes of words and performer/composer names -- something that maybe Shanachie, his label, should immediately rectify."