Search - Bela Fleck :: Throw Down Your Heart, Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3: Africa Sessions

Bela Fleck jams with musicians across Africa

Scott Williams | Oakland, CA United States | 03/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Overview:



Bela Fleck took his banjo and traveled across Africa including visits to Uganda, Mali, Tanzania, and South Africa. At each location Bela jammed and recorded with the local stars, including kora master Toumani Diabate, guitarist D'Gary, vocalists Oumani Sangare and Baba Maal, ngoni player Baekou Kouyate, djembe player Madou Sanogo. This brief list of African stars only scratches the surface of what probably amounts to about 100 different African musicians that play on the various tracks on this album. Each track features a different group of musicians and is recorded in a different locale. The end result is a magnificent fusion of the banjo and traditional African music. There is just an enormous amount of material here with a total of 18 tracks. With so much diversity of material you are likely to find a track two that disagree with your tastes, but overall its hard to imagine any fans of Bela Fleck and/or traditional African music not loving this CD. My only criticism is it is too bad that legendary kora master Toumani Diabate only plays on one track. However, the two are currently touring the together, so if your lucky and they come to your town, you can see more of their amazing chemistry in concert.



Song Highlights:



D'Gary Jam - this is track features an all-star cast included Toumani Diabate and his Malian band, D'Gary on guiar, plus great vocals.



Throw Down Your Heart - Written by Bela Fleck on his way to Africa during a layover in Amsterdam, this is the best song writing on the CD. A great new Bela Fleck tune played with a small group of musicians from Mali.



Ah Ndiya - This track is highlighted by the gorgeous vocals of Oumani Sangare. Pretty and moving.

"

Another brilliant offering from Bela Fleck

William L. Nienaber | Cincinnati, OH, USA | 03/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whenever I see a new Bela Fleck album is being released, I order it immediately. Bela is one of maybe 3 artists whose work I can always count on loving at first hearing, no matter what style of music it is. (And Bela has always been an eclectic and adventurous musician, exploring a wide range of musical genres.) This album is certainly no exception. The music contained on this CD is among the most soulful and hypnotic I've ever heard, and does an excellent job of illustrating the journey Bela undertook, to explore the African roots of the banjo. Also, I literally wept when I read the liner note explaining the album's title... then I wept again when I explained it to my wife! I am a huge fan of all Bela's diverse body of work, but the acoustic planet series is especially satisfying. Now I can't wait to see the documentary!"

A Cultural Handshake

S. Finefrock | Raleigh, NC | 03/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On THROW DOWN YOUR HEART, banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck travels to Africa to trace the origins of his main instrument and play with local musicians. In doing this, he has created a beautiful album affirms his role in the banjo continuum and highlights some wonderful performances by his African host musicians. This album is a five star tour of the wonders of African music that uncovers one stunning performance after another. Working in several countries and with different musicians on each track, the album is packed start to finish with strong performances that will keep the adventurous music fan coming back again and again to enjoy. Also be aware that a film version of Fleck's journey will soon be released."