Search - Travelogue :: Musical Journey Through Africa

A journey south

artemis | 04/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is the sixth in a series of introductions to the world's great musical traditions. Each volume is built around a geographical theme and produced by an acknowledged expert in that area.The African journey commences in Algeria and then heads South, stopping off in Cape Verde, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar, before terminating in South Africa. The 14 tracks are representative but slightly atypical of their regions; most share a semi-acoustic yet modern and edgy esthetic. While a single CD cannot possibly showcase the music of an entire continent, these examples are a good way to get acquainted - or reacquainted - with Africa's stunning musical diversity. The set culminates in a moving rendition of the South African national hymn "Nkosi Sikilele I'Afrika," as performed by the Imilonji Kantu Choral Society, who sang it at former President Nelson Mandela's inauguration."