Search - Maika Munan :: African Swinger

African Swinger

Elliot Morshead | San Anselmo, CA United States | 04/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so you like African music, and you have a thing for soukous. Soukous is by nature repetitive. But when youre dancing, who cares?! Listen carefully and you realize that Munan is thru composed. Each song is worked out in detail. But best of all, the SOUND is awesome, balanced, rich, and melodic. You can BLAST this album and the louder the better. Maika Munan is a treasure. He's played in the background for many other artists, but went out on his own to cut an album, and as of this review, most unfortunately, African Swinger is the only one to be found. Perhaps, by playing as a support musician for so long, he felt more comfortable enjoining some of the most famous names in uptodate west African rhythm rock, such as Papa Wemba, Ray Lema, and Faya Tess to accompany his debut. You get the punching bass, rich drum rhythm, bright horns, blinding guitar, marimba, vocal harmonies and classic yet ever so refined keyboard you know from other African styles, but best of all - VARIETY!. Not all songs are his, but the whole album is consistent, straight ahead melodic ethnic root rock, yet each song is unique and remarkably accessible, enjoyable and body twitching intoxicating. The SOUND is what drives this disc. The totally tight musicianship is what astonishes. You are instantly transported to a West African coastal disco or pub, sipping forget-the-world concoctions, leaving your chair and participating physically in the intricate, emotional harmonies, and setting the disc to play again, and again, and again. Someone tell me why has Mungan not blessed us with another pressing of his magical talent so present in this collaboration. Someone please email me the moment you hear of Maika Mungan's next gift to our ears!"