 Babatunde Olatunji "Rhythm is the soul of life. The whole universe revolves in rhythm. Everything and every human action revolves in rhythm." – Babatunde Olatunji This CD is joy in a jewelcase. I purchased it after meeting Baba at a convention where he performed a concert of many traditional Nigerian songs and several of his own compositions, which is the material which makes up Drums of Passion – The Beat. A master at Ngoma drums (tall cylindrical drums which can produce a variety of pitches), Baba is also a skilled vocalist. The first track, "The Beat of My Drum" is an original composition that showcases Baba's amazing drum technique. Backed by a variety of world musicians, including Sikiru Adepoju on talking drum, Sanga Francis on djembe, Airto Moreira on caxixi, and Carlos Santana on guitar, Baba produces a joyful groove. The lyrics remind us that we all experience many of the same things, from the sun and the rain to the moon and the stars. Tracks 2 ("Loyin Loyin") and 3 ("Ife L'oju L'aiye") both set up wonderful grooves between the traditional African drums and guitar. "Loyin Loyin" is a traditional prayer for the people of Nigeria. Set in the call-and-response style of much traditional African music, this piece dares you to not dance to it. "Ife L'oju L'aiye" features the amazing talking drum work of Sikiru Adepoju. Talking drum is actually used in the melody of this piece. The intonation is right on, which is a pretty tough task. Track 4 is an a cappella piece called "Akiwowo" (Chant to the Trainman). Akiwowo was a legendary conductor on the first trains in Nigeria. He made sure that his passengers never missed their train. The song is a "thank you" from those countless travelers. The rich harmonies of this piece are traditional Nigerian harmonies used with the typical call and response. I think this is one of the most beautiful pieces on the CD. Track 5 is "Akiwowo" with instrumental accompaniment, especially some wonderful guitar work by Carlos Santana. Once again, a fabulous groove drives this track. "Se Eni A Fe L'amo-Kere Kere" reminds us of the old Yoruba proverb that we are the only one who knows who we love, but we don't always know the one who loves us. Featuring more Santana and slightly less percussion, this track has a slight Latin feel. Latin and African rhythms are very similar in construction, so the piece works well. Drums of Passion – The Beat is one of the best discs I have purchased. The recording quality is phenomenal. The engineers were able to capture the unique and delicate pitches of the drums. The problem with many drum oriented world music recordings is that the timbre and tone of drums ends up not being close to the true sound. This recording is the exception.
Review by SIL |
