Suso [Import]

Product Description
Debut album for this female singer, with a good melodic voice & winner of the indie festival of Mantova. Sony. 2005.

Tracks:

Mother Nozipo
I'm Happy
Sunset
First Movement
Waterwheel
Our Beginning
White Man Sleeps: I.
White Man Sleeps: II.
White Man Sleeps: III.
White Man Sleeps: IV.
White Man Sleeps: V.
Spreading

Customer Reviews:

Commercial and disappointing.......2000-12-19

If this CD has made this fantastic quartet known to a larger number of people, then, it's fine. But what a desappointment in terms of music ! A few interresting songs, but i can't feel any great inspiration in this commercial CD poorly surfing on the ethnic wave. A shame.

Interesting and Infectious Rhythms.......2000-10-31

When this recording was first released, it remained a best-selling classical CD for some time, even though it is not "classical music" in the strict sense of that term. But it is a grabber. It presents some very interesting compositions by contemporary African composers, that while different, are also listenable. Unless one's mind is totally closed to new sounds and new ideas, this is quite an enjoyable collection.

In addition to the African composers, which this CD brings to our attention, it has also served as an introduction for many of us to the Kronos Quartet, a talented group of musicians, who perform a varied repertoire. They are quite good and never boring, as these performances amply demonstrate.

Pieces that fit together a continent.......2000-08-29

More than just a compilation of great music by noted African composers, the album is a repository for the emotional richness of Africa. Each piece is lively, intricate and accessible. There is much joy here; the tracks are full of happiness, heat and nightfall. Also sorrow, but that's Africa, too. A friend gave this to me when I happened to be writing a book about Africa, and it became my soundtrack. I have given dozens of CDs to friends who love Africa. From "Sunset" by Foday Musa Suso to "Waterwheel" by Hamza El Din, "Pieces of Africa" is one of the great musical adventures of the past decade.

Buy this CD!.......2000-03-02

I largely consider myself an alternative rock fan and to describe my knowledge of classical music as "limited" would be kind. I first got to know Kronos when they covered Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and had a video (which I saw once) on either VH1 or MTV. I was fascinated, so when they came to perform at my college (back in 1992) I went to see them. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. They didn't play, they didn't perform in the sense that most classical artists I've seen perform. It has one-half recital, one-half performance art.

So, I rushed out and bought a CD--fortunately it was "Pieces of Africa." I have since bought about half of Kronos's CDs, and all of their releases since, but this one ranks as my favorite. Why? It is joyful, uplifiting, and spiritual without being sentimental. It is a beautiful CD, rich in texture and melody. The quartet is often accompanied by vocalists, drummers, and other African musicians in a way that doesn't simply "feature" them, but integrates them. You can feel the collaboration among the artists.

Above all, this CD offers an accessible, non-threatening introduction to Kronos and their work. If you never explore beyond this CD, never buy Tan Dun or Night Prayers, your life will still be better for having heard this wonderful music.

inventive and lively.......1999-11-11

I especially like the quartet by Volans and waterwheel. But there are no bad pieces here and most are sprightly and inventive, with a few really beuatiful ones.

Average customer rating:

....blurp...blurp...blurp....
The very best of the genre.

Earth Island
Steve Roach , Jorge Reyes , and Suso Saiz
Manufacturer: Hearts of Space
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Structures from Silence
Early Man
Desert Solitaire
Spirit Dome
Body Electric

ASIN: B000000X6I
Release Date: 1994-05-31

Tracks:

The Sky Opens
Earth Island
Curandera
Melting World
First Man (Watakame)
Places Inbetween
First Blessing
El Mitote

Product Description

1. Sky Opens, The
2. Earth Island
3. Curandera
4. Melting World
5. First Man (Watakame)
6. Places Inbetween
7. First Blessing
8. El Mitote

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

....blurp...blurp...blurp...........2004-04-06

The sounds on this CD will melt your brain. If that sounds like a good thing to you - it does to me - then by all means buy it. It's one of the greatest recordings in the "contemporary instrumental" genre, a beautifully cut jewel laying in a field of boring stones. I would love to hear more from this trio.

The very best of the genre........2000-02-18

I am a huge fan of the tribal/ethno/ambient genre, and this is the cream of the crop. A completely entrancing mix of primitive ethnic instrumentation (didgeridoos, frame drums, even clay pots) with drifting electronic soundworlds.

Average customer rating:

Very Powerful music
Glass on a vacation from glass
Delicate and ephemeral
Doesn't come together quite as well
Breathtaking

Music From the Screens

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Aguas da Amazonia
Back to Black

ASIN: B0000040UP
Release Date: 1992-03-10

Tracks:

The Mad Cadi's Court
Leila Dies
Said And His Shadow Dance
Decorating The Dummies
Warda's Whorehouse
The French Lieutenant Dreams
The Arab Women Lament
Land Of The Dead
Ansatou
19th Century France
Said's Treason
The Orchard
The Village
Prison Song
Suso's Song
France
Night On The Balcony
North Africa - 1962

Customer Reviews:

Very Powerful music.......2003-08-03

French Lt.'s Woman is the best piece on the cd the rest is disjointed at best.

The French Lt.'sWomen is very slow and very powerful. If you don't get

a choked feeling in your throat.....you probably voted for Bush.

This one selection is worth the entire CD

Glass on a vacation from glass.......2002-05-19

Foday Musa Suso, esteemed African composer, had a great role in co-composing this music. What he & Glass did was literally work on each line of music together, writing a note or a few notes before the other had his turn at it. The result is something they were both very pleased with & which neither could have composed on his own. The work is brimming with Glass's repeated figures, but it's not music you might expect from him. Exotic, dry, often ethereal, it'll coat your dreams at night with a fine white sand.

Delicate and ephemeral.......2000-09-29

This score composed by Glass and Suso was written for a production of The Screens at the Guthrie theater in Minneapolis in 1989. The play takes place in 1960s Algeria during a struggle for independence from France. This is an excellent collaboration for Glass, but there are a couple of Suso's contributions I could live without. For me Glass's The French Lieutenant's Dream is the highlight of the CD. Like most of the composition it is delicate and ephemeral. Good quality headphones are recommended here, as should be with most of Glass's work now that I think of it. The Screens is Jean Genet's finest stage work and was first seen in Paris in 1966.

Doesn't come together quite as well.......2000-08-25

I enjoy every one of my 15 or so PG cds, but this one didn't quite come together as well as I would have expected. There seems to be a separation between the different styles. Perhaps I just need to give it another chance. I do prefer, however the Kundun sdtk, Dracula, Koyaanisquattsi and Akhenaten first. Heroes is cool too.

Breathtaking.......1999-09-06

I am so glad that I have found this CD again. It is one of the most beautiful collaborations Glass has ever composed. The music floats with amazing richness and the images it conjures are deep and powerful. Truly touching.

Average customer rating:

only two men
Excellent and refreshing music
MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT !
Music: The Universal Language
They are Masters

Music from the Hearts of the Masters
Jack DeJohnette , and Foday Musa Suso
Manufacturer: Kindred Rhythm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Music in the Key of Om
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Savane

ASIN: B0007WQGUO
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Ocean Wave
Ancient Techno
Rose Garden
Worldwide Funk
Kaira
Mountain Love Dance
Party
Voice of the Kudrus
Sunjatta Keita

Album Description

Deep, mesmeric grooves and melodic wonder arise from the meeting of these two musical forces.

Foday Musa Suso, the innovative Griot and Kora master, is a tireless ambassador of African culture whose solo work and collaborations with the likes of Philip Glass and Herbie Hancock are now considered classics. Jack DeJohnette, one of Jazz music's greatest drummers, has been a part of countless musical milestones from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew to last year's Grammy Nominated Out Of Towners with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock. These two undisputed masters of their instruments create a sublime interplay and sound that encompasses world beat, global chill, and contemporary improvised music. DeJohnette's melodic approach to the drums wonderfully complements Suso's virtuosic kora playing, creating an inspired dialogue and a thrilling listening experience.

Customer Reviews:

only two men.......2007-03-02

who love playing music could make music that sounds this good. What is amazing is that there are only two instruments here, drums and the kora, a West African 21-stringed contraption that sounds sometimes like a guitar, sometimes like a harp. The music is unique, beginning with laying down a rhythm and then improvising off of it. It evolves from (deceptively) simple to extremely complex. Jack DeJohnette has always been one of my favorite drummers, and there is no disappointment on this CD. Suso is a master at his craft, as well.

Excellent and refreshing music.......2005-11-05

I have to strongly disagree with the person below who criticised this CD as being too repetitive and having too many "repeating cascades". This is a failed attempt to sound like a professional music critic, if this person truly new anything about tribal rhythms of Africa they would know that a strong part of the tradition is based in repetition of percussion and melody as this leads to the inducement of trance-like states for many tribal rituals.

This album actual succeeds in my opinion to bring this beautiful chracteristic of that tradition together with the powerful ability of improvisation that these two "Masters" achieve as naturally as they breath.

If you are looking for traditional Jazz this CD is not for you, but if you love African-Jazz I highly recommend it. I guess the best comparison I could make in terms of how this music made me feel was to the famous Ali Farka Toure/Ry Cooder Duet.

MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT !.......2005-10-20

IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THESE GUYS IN ACTION,YOU ARE MISSING A TREAT! ON THIS CD YOU WILL EXPERIENCE VARIETY OF EMOTIONS. ALLOW THESE MASTER MUSICIANS TO TAKE YOU ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!

Music: The Universal Language.......2005-10-06

There's a timeless quality in music that stretches from the earliest humans to the present, and around the world with a fine-tooth comb. Everyone is affected, and that's why music is oftentimes referred to as the Universal Language.

Jack DeJohnette and Foday Musa Suso experiment with native rhythms and primitive melodies that could come from any region of the globe. Their instruments, as well, can be found just about anywhere. A congenial stringed instrument alongside underlying percussive patterns allow these two veteran artists to draw from common ancestral influences as they improvise.

Pleasant in all aspects, their collaborative performance mesmerizes, soothes, and reflects a kindred spirit. However, they rely on repetitive phrases, repeating cascades, and like rhythms to express each idea, resulting in a session with little variation. Again and again, they roll out similar refrains that lull the audience toward a sleepy afternoon's pleasures.

DeJohnette's drum kit follows the norm, as he emphasizes snare drum, tom-tom and bass drum textures. His crisp articulation and supportive rhythms give the session an underlying current of thunder. Suso's harp-like lyrical catchphrases rebound against a soft layer of "warm fuzzies," giving the session its gentle perspective. Together, they drone for an hour, repeating themes that portray the becalming quality of their music.

It's one of the fundamental purposes for the creation of music: to soothe. DeJohnette and Suso achieve their goal, while the listener is left wanting a little variety.

They are Masters.......2005-08-09

Just listen - suso is on point and de johnette is plain and simply sick on the percussion

Average customer rating:

The Dreamtime
Foday Musa Suso
Manufacturer: Creative Music Prod.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Senegal & Gambia | Africa | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000008CCN
Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

Futula Mussoli
Morning Light
Mba Ndin Seedy
Under The Tree
Kana Boori
Early Walk
Finger Work
Moving Shadow
Dunia Sound
Bunfa Silence
Fulada

Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa & Beyond

Average customer rating:

relaxing, beautiful, exotic
Jali Kunda
3.7 stars but I rounded up

Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa & Beyond
Foday Musa Suso and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Ellipsis Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Senegal & Gambia | Africa | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000059TL
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

Allah l'aake (Koda, Senegal) - F. Kuyateh
Sunjata (Tabato, Ginea-Bissau) - O. Jobarteh
Sinyaro (Brikama, The Gambia) - B. Suso
Mariama (Kolda, Senegal) - M.S. Baldeh
Spring Waterfall - F. M. Suso
Jula Faso (Brikama, The Gambia) - B. Suso
Sunjata (Kolda, Senegal) - O. Jobarteh
Lanmbasy Dub - F. M. Suso
Jula Jekereh (Brikama, The Gambia) - M. Suso
Lambango (Gabu, Ginea-Bissau) - A. Kuyateh
Samma - F. M. Suso
Sorrie (Brikama, The Gambia) - M. Suso
Yata Kaya (Kolda, Senegal) - M. A. Baldeh
Lambango (Tabato, Ginea-Bissau) - A. Kuyateh
Allah l'aake (Brikama, The Gambia) - A. Kuyateh

Amazon.com

Griots are the musicians and storytellers, the ones who keep history alive in song and story. The art of the griot is something that's global, whatever name it goes by. People like Bill Laswell, Philip Glass, and Pharoah Sanders recognize that, which is why you'll find them contributing alongside real griots like Foday Musa Suso, founder of the groundbreaking Mandingo Griot Society, a band that worked to break down the barriers between world music and jazz. All of this makes Jali Kunda part travelogue, part entertainment, and part education. Since it's all wrapped up so beautifully, it makes the perfect present. Anyone with good ears and an open mind will thank you. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

relaxing, beautiful, exotic.......2003-03-12

I couldn't believe that this got as low a customer review as it did, so I had to put in my two cents worth. this album has some incredible music on it--both the traditional pieces and the modern ones--if your a world music purist then you probably have a love hate relationship with bill laswell--but I love the guy--granted, he may put his touch on a few tracks of every album, but name another guy who has brought more international artists to an american audience--and not all of his tracks are techno--the track done with phillip glass is so beautiful it brings tears to one's eyes--african music is full of heart and passion--the most beautiful human emotions--when they sing, it isn't for money, its because this wide wonderful beautiful tragic place we live fills them so full that they have to sing it out--the instruments are beautiful, the rhythms are beautiful--an album that I listen to routinely

Jali Kunda.......2001-12-18

This cd had a very good rhythm to it but it just didnt work out. It has parts that it could improve on.

3.7 stars but I rounded up.......2001-06-02

The strengths of this cd are its traditional tracks. I'm not sure why Bill Laswell felt the need to add the techno touches. They don't work and at points they are almost embarassing. Most particularly during Lanmbasy Dub. This cd is 4 years old and that track is already boring and dated. The collaboration between Foday and Philip Glass is equally uninteresting. Thankfully there are only a couple of these dull "modern" tracks.

The majority of this cd is field-recordings of various West African musicians playing their local traditional musics. These tracks are where this cd shines brightly and it never shines more brightly than on the balafon tracks. The balafon is a wood-keyed xylophone with gourd resonators that has a very distinctive and incredibly cool sound. Plus, it's not just the sound of this instrument, it's the people playing it! Absolutely brilliant balafon players on this cd! I would love to hear some great free-jazz musicians utilize one of these balafon players. It would be extremely cool to hear someone like David S. Ware delve into some rootsy, deeply West African-inspired music with one of these guys. Which brings us to another moment on this cd... the one "modern" or "Western collaborative" track that does work.. the duo track with Pharoah Sanders and Foday (track 11). This thing is beautiful. I'm not sure why, but every time I listen to it I think of Sonny Sharrock. Not that it's like his style of playing or music, but something about it always makes me feel as if it is some sort of tribute or goodbye to Sonny.

All in all, and Laswell's bonehead electronica decisions aside, this is a great cd. The feeling of village life and spirit is really present. All the recordings were made outside so you not only hear the music, you hear the everyday sounds of life present in the background and between tracks. The main instrumentation is kora, singers, and percussion, although it does vary from track to track. Sometimes it's just singers, sometimes it's balafon and singers, and there are also a couple nyanyer one-string violin tunes. Although I don't know exactly what the nyanyer looks like, it sounds like a rougher or granier version of the njarka one-string violin. Maybe they are more-or-less the exact same instrument and this difference in tone can be solely attributed to a difference in string material. Either way, it will certainly be familiar to any of you who have heard more well-known greats like Afel Bocoum and/or Ali Farka Toure.

Tracks:

Moon/Light
Ndan Ndan Nyaria
Early Warning
Kanatente

Average customer rating:

A classic must-have for Africa and Mandinko fans

Art of Kora
Jali Nyama Suso
Manufacturer: Ocora France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Senegal & Gambia | Africa | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000027I0U
Release Date: 1996-07-10

Tracks:

Jimbasengo
Kuruntu Kelefa et Kelefabaa
Kura
Alifa Yaya
Fanta
Yundum Nko
Cheddo
Tabara

Customer Reviews:

A classic must-have for Africa and Mandinko fans.......1999-11-15

Jali Nyama Suso was one of the great masters of the unique Mande kora (21-stringed harp-lute), and few since him have equalled the richness of his improvisation and singing. I spent half of last year studying the kora in Senegal and Gambia, and I was sad to see that this tradition is rarely represented today in its truly classic and vibrant form. Roderic Knight has done an excellent job ensuring both high sound quality and variety of pieces presented.

Average customer rating:

relaxing, beautiful, exotic
Jali Kunda
3.7 stars but I rounded up

Jali Kunda: Griots of West Africa & Beyond
Foday Musa Suso and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Ellipsis Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Senegal & Gambia | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Africa | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000059TM
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks: