The latest instalment of CD reviews from the M&G
El Gran Fellove: Mango Mangue (VampiSoul)
This compilation pulls together the late 1950s and early 1960s recordings of Cuba’s El Gran Fellove, a contemporary of Perez Prado, Cachao López and Mongo Santamaria. Fellove was a child prodigy, roaming the streets of Havana with a drum while scatting in the 1930s.
Then, at 16, he composed the title track of this compilation, which has been sung by everyone from Tito Puente to Miguelito Valdes. Fellove is also credited with creating a new musical style, the chua-chua, a Cuban style of scatting, in the mid-1950s. All up, you get 21 tracks on this album, some in the style of chua-chua, some in the style of quarachera and others in a ska/mambo crossover.
Also included are some classic Mexican songs and one or two Puerto Rican standards. The music is raw and visceral and has great percussion work throughout. If Cuban music speaks to you, this is a great compilation that doesn’t just sound like Buena Vista Social Club remade. — Lloyd Gedye
Balam Acab: See Birds EP (Tri Angle)
Psychtronica poster boy, Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, needs to watch out — there is a challenger to his throne and he goes by the name Balam Acab. Acab is 19-year-old college student Alec Koone and the See Birds EP is his debut release.
His music is reminiscent of the work of Panda Bear and has also been lumped alongside the work of White Ring, Creep and oOoOO in a genre that is tentatively being called “witch-house” or “ghost-house” for the moment. What this equates to is druggie, slow-moving electro-pop that draws influences from hip-hop, dub, goth, electro and ambient music.
The album’s highlight, Big Boy, begins with a rhythm created from sampled water, with some distant guitar, as though played in an adjoining room. Then the bass drops in all drowsy, with some stoned drums and a rather alien-sounding keyboard riff. It’s otherworldly, yet completely of this Earth. The children’s harmonies, all twisted and distorted, that pour out over the top of this psychedelic masterpiece give the track a feeling of lost innocence. The rest of the EP is similar in style, a dark psychedelic whirlpool that is reminiscent of Burial, Flying Lotus, Portishead, the Cocteau Twins and Fever Ray at times. So while everyone is waiting for that new Panda Bear album, which is expected later this year, Acab may have just released one of this year’s electro highlights. — LG
Luciano:United States of Africa (USA) (VP Records)
Jah’s messenger is back with a danceable meditation on pan-Africanism, the socioeconomic climate and his religious beliefs. United States of Africa (USA), his new album, is a radical departure from the preachy albums he has been releasing of late. A few tracks have already become dancehall favourites. On Hosanna, laid over a remake of the Creation Rebel Riddim, originally done by Burning Spear, Luciano’s vocals ride above the insistent horns.
One of my favourite songs on the CD is the track Another Terrorist Attack, a tune he did with DJ Fanton Mojah in which Luciano is more melodious and restrained, allowing Mojah to come in with his rather boisterous chanting style. Another great hit is Nubian Queen, a tribute to the woman “Jah” sent his way. Understated, in clear romantic accents, Luciano shows why he’s one of the best lovers’ rock artists in contemporary reggae. This CD is typical of the beloved crooner we knew so well in the 1990s. — Percy Zvomuya
Madonna: Sticky and Sweet Tour (Warner Bros Records)
Filmed in Buenos Aires over four days to a crowd of more than 256 000 fans, Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet Tour on DVD and CD is electric. Not only does Madonna look amazing at 52 — she doesn’t look a day past 25 — her energy is also contagious. I was never really much of a Madonna fan. Sure, I was fond of Like a Virgin and Papa Don’t Preach, but watching the Sticky and Sweet Tour DVD, I have to say there are very few performers who have quite as much energy as Madonna. Outstanding choreography and sheer coolness mark the show. It’s no surprise that she has kept her throne as the queen of pop. — Karabo Keepile