Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Monoswezi: The Village (Riverboat Records/World Music Network)



Mozambique, Norway, Sweden and Zimbabwe, those are the countries which contribute with musicians to Monoswezi. The music is re-arranged melodies from Zimbabwe.  As we heard on the album from 2010 the African music is at the center. Right beneath the surface elements from jazz and Nordic music is heard.

Saxophone player Hallvard Godall, bass player Putte Johander and drummer Erik Nylander are the Nordic contribution while Hope Masike from Zimbabwe sings and plays mbira – a kind of thumb piano. Calu Tsemane from Mozambique sings and plays percussion.
Norwegian Godall lived a year in Maputo in Mozambique in 2008 and here he really got the music under his skin.

It is easy recognizable rhythms from Africa that dominate the album. The quintet works mostly with repetitive elements, but the minimalistic thoughts of Steve Reich and Philip Glass are also present. Hope Masike has a warm and tender voice. Together with the saxophone of Halvard Godall’s they are the attractions from Monoswezi. There’s world music in this meeting. It’s world music in action and it sounds good.

Review: Niels Overgård. Translation: DSI Swinging Europe.

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