''African Fantasy'' is an album by the Indian musician
Trilok Gurtu
Trilok Gurtu (born 30 October 1951) is an Indian percussionist and composer whose work has blended the music of India with jazz fusion and world music.
He has worked with Terje Rypdal, Gary Moore, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, M ...
, released in 2000. The album was an attempt to meld Indian musical backing to African styles of vocalizing. Gurtu was also inspired, in part, to create a "danceable" album. Gurtu supported the album with a North American tour.
Production
Oumou Sangare and
Angelique Kidjo
Angelique or Angélique may refer to:
* Angélique (given name), a French feminine name
Arts and entertainment Music
* Angélique (instrument), a string instrument of the lute family
* ''Angélique'', a 1927 opéra bouffe by Jacques Ibert
* ...
sang on the album, as did
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Mam ...
's Sabine Kabongo and Gurtu's mother.
[ Gurtu wrote nine of the album's 11 songs.
]
Critical reception
The ''Washington City Paper
The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...
'' called the album "a seamless but mostly not-too-slick meld of African and Indian traditional and pop styles, with a bit of jazz and a splash of circa-1978 Steve Reich." The ''Birmingham Post
The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...
'' stated that "traditional instruments like the sitar, harmonium and tablas are blended with synthesizer and the bouncy bass of Kai Eckhardt de Camargo—ancient and modern as one."
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' concluded that "the stronger tracks have a rhythmic propulsion and melodic flair reminiscent of the Zawinul Syndicate, while the worst sound like a bid for crossover radio-play appeal."[ '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' determined that the songs "easily juggle multiple systems of rhythm, melody, structure and timbre... Those systems don't melt down to find some innocuous common denominator; instead, various approaches move in and out of the music's foreground, overlapping when it's possible and taking turns when it's not."AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
wrote that there are "striking juxtapositions, and there is some wonderful playing... But the concept of an Indian/African fusion remains a fantasy, at least in this execution of it."
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
Trilok Gurtu albums
2000 albums
Blue Thumb Records albums