To record his new CD, 'Mktutano' (Swahili for 'meeting'), Taj Mahal travelled to Zanzibar to record with the 'Culture Music Club'. In a ramshackle abode in the capital Stone Town, hounded by electricity cuts and tropical showers, Taj recorded with this most African of Arabic orchestras. On two tracks he was even joined by Bi Kidude, the 90-something singer/percussionist who shocked and delighted her fans when she returned from Egypt in the 1940s as a smoking, drinking, shaven-headed singer who liked nothing more than flirting and dancing with her public.
More Information
2320
'Innuendo Out The Other'
Philip DeGruy
Degruy-Gruy Music
NYC 6013 2 (US Import)
Philip DeGruy, "Innuendo Out The Other"
15 seconds (excerpt)
(solo 17-string elec guitar, fingerstyle; v quirky, virtuosic & humorous, more or less a bent-boogie)
2322
CD Cut 1 - "Dhow Countries"
Taj Mahal/Taarab String Arrangements Kesi Juma Mukame
Big Toots tunes (BMI)/Jahazi Media (GEMA)
Tradition & Moderne T & M 031 (( www.didgerecords.com )or available direct from: www.tradition-moderne.com )
Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Club of Zanzibar - "Mkutano"
7:47
(Taj sings and plays guitar with his trio - Bill Rich on bass and Kester Smith on drums, with vocals and violins from Zanzibar ensemble 'Culture Club of Zanzibar,' in minor blues that describes Zanzibar, with Taj soloing on electric guitar)
Segue
2329
CD Cut 1, "The Calypsonians"
Taj Mahal
Sony Tunes Inc., Prankee Music (ASCAP)
T & M 009 Import, email:petra@is-bremen.de )
"Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues"
6:28 (check)
(Slinky minor song with hints of reggae and Hawaiian music by Taj and his Hawaiian band)
2338
CD Cut 5 - "Pakistani"
Trad
Pub Not Spec
Piranha PIR 22 CD PIR1895 ( In Australia, through MGM / Planet Imports
email: planet@thegroovemerchants.com
website: www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide: www.piranha.de )
Various - "Orient de Luxe"
6:04
(All star group from Zanzibar with octogenarian female singer from Zanzibar, Bi Kidude, sings 'she will come back to your arms someday' during her first visit to Europe and to a recording studio in 1989)
Segue
2344
CD Cut 2 - "Muhogo wa Jang'ombe"
Maalim Shaaban
Jahazi Media(GEMA)
Tradition & Moderne T & M 031 (( www.didgerecords.com )or available direct from: www.tradition-moderne.com )
Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Club of Zanzibar - "Mkutano"
6:10
(Bouncy major key song with hand drums violin melodies, Kesi Juma's violin solo, Bi Kidude's vocals, male chorus response and Taj Mahal's noodling banjo)
2352
CD Cut 4 - "Tzena Tzena"
Chagiz/Meron
Pub Not Spec
Jazzgroove JGR 022 ( www.jazzgroove.com
available online via Birdland: www.birdland.com.au )
Leonie Cohen Plus - "Jerusalem"
6:40
(Austral arr and perf: Piano trio plus soprano sax in jazz version of Israeli song, ending in drum solo )
"The Nightly Planet"
0006
Theme:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations
Ketama - "Nuevos Medios Coleccion". - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
In Australia, through Session Records. www.sessiongroup.com
worldwide: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm
&
"Jarabi - "the best of Toumani Diabate". Hannibal 334352 )
CD Cut 1, "Jarabi"
Trad, Arr Toumani Diabate
Hamilcar Music Ltd
Hannibal HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp
Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
Ketama, Toumani Diabate, Danny Thompson - "Songhai"
Thirty Seconds (Excerpt)
(retains a stately-Manding Air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements & beautiful double bass. Toumani Diabate's kora, Danny Thompson's bass & Ketama's flamenco guitars)
0007
CD Cut 6 - "Mkutano"
Taj Mahal/Rajab Suleiman
Big Toots Tunes (BMI)/Jahazi Media (GEMA)
Tradition & Moderne T & M 031 (( www.didgerecords.com )or available direct from: www.tradition-moderne.com )
Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Club of Zanzibar - "Mkutano"
3:51
(Pretty instrumental duo for Taj's chorused electric guitar and Rajab Suleiman's qanun)
Segue
0011
CD Cut 3 - "Taxim in the Fourth Plagal"
Petros Tabouris
Pub Not Spec
FM Records FM 690 (Import From Greece. Better Greek Emporia/ Specialist Importers Can Probably Provide)
Petro Tabouris-Shankar Chattergee - "Modes And Talas"
2:45
(Subtle solo improvisation on the zither known as the canonaki in Greece)
0015
CD Cut 8 - "M'Banjo"
Taj Mahal
Big Toots Tunes (BMI)
Tradition & Moderne T & M 031 (( www.didgerecords.com )or available direct from: www.tradition-moderne.com )
Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Club of Zanzibar - "Mkutano"
3:28
(One chord bluesy groove led by Taj's banjo, with solo on qanun, hand drumming and riffing on violins )
Segue
0019
CD Cut 6, "Down By The Riverbed"
Dom Turner
Pub Unspec
Backsliders, BS 1 [Distributed By Shock)
The Backsliders, "Wide Open"
5'06"
(Australian Composition And Performance.............Gentle Ballad, With Slide Guitar, Acoustic Harmonica, Tex-Mex Accordion, Australian Male And Female Singing In Harmony)
0025
CD 1, Cut 5 - "Bide Manke"
Trad, Arr Monsieur Camembert
(Presumably, Resp) Public Domain/ APRA
CAM 004
(website: www.monsieurcamembert.com
Email: info@monsieurcamembert.com)
Monsieur Camembert - "Monsiuer Camembert" (A Double-Cd Cf Otherwise-Unissued "Live" Performances And Studio Demos)
6:39
(Austral Perf & Arr: Quiet a tempo intro with accordion and plucked violin into slow, accelerating rhythm underpinning Andras Racs' dramatic vocals )
Segue
0032
CD Cut 10, "Svonija Svonija"
Ljiljana Buttler (Aka "Ljiljana Petrovic")
Pub Not Spec
Self-Issued. No Catalog Number
(available via band's site: www.doch.com.au )
Doch - "This Drink, This Moon..Featuring The Doch Gypsy Orchestra With Zulya"
5' 37-
(AUSTRAL PERF & ARR: "Live" & v lively version of a song by the Belgrade-born "mother of gypsy soul". Zulya is the singer here. Featured soloists are Michael Rogers on trumpet, violinist Shenton Gregory & trombonist Mikael Strand - with a Brisbane-based Balkan-style orchestra.
GIG ALERT:
MONSIEUR CAMEMBERT
Sat April 23rd - The Palais, Hepburn Springs
NSW
Thur 19th May - Lewisham Hotel, Leichhardt
Frid 20th May - Brass Monkey, Cronulla
Sat 21st May - The Heritage, Bulli
Sun 22nd May - The Basement, Circular Quay
WA
Frid 27th May - The Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
0039
CD Cut 9 - "Mpunga"
Chimbeni Kheri
Jahazi Media (GEMA)
Tradition & Moderne T & M 031 (( www.didgerecords.com )or available direct from: www.tradition-moderne.com )
Taj Mahal Meets the Culture Club of Zanzibar - "Mkutano"
6:04
(Rukia Ramadhani's fine female vocals, with drums, violins in section and Taj Mahal's electric guitar )
Segue
0045
CD Cut 3, "Subira" (Patience)
Said Nassor
Zanzibar Pub GEMA
Dizim Records 4509 (Pf 10, 79672 Tottnauberg, Tel. (07671) 8119, Fax
(07671) 8100, e-mail: dizim@t-online.de )
Culture Music Club (Mila na Utamaduni), "Bashraf: Taarab Instrumentals from
Zanzibar"
6'52"
(Solo accordion, then full band, with prominent percussive sound of
snapping oud strings, violin solos, then rhythm ups @ 5'00" and oud does
brief feature. Last minute or so is a tempo)
first words at 20 seconds
0053
CD Cut 10 - "Long Way Home"
Lyrics: Tina Harrod, Music: Tina Harrod & Jackie Orszaczky
Jump Back Jack Pty Ltd.
Black Yak Records BYOA32 ( through MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com )
Tina Harrod - "Shacked Up In Paradise"
5:29
(Austral comp & perf: Soft soul about a 'pretty little brown girl', with keyboards, stop/start drums and electric bass