March 24, 2011

jon hassell / farafina - flash of the spirit


-----allow me to add this one to Bolomakoté

Jon Hassel -trumpet, keyboards
Soungalo Coulibaly- flute, percussion
Baba Diarra- percussion, balafon
Tiawara Keira -drums
Mahama Konaté -balafon
Ben Palm -drums
Seydou Quattara- drums
Souleyname Sanou -percussion
Paco Yé- drums, djembe
Mahama Konté- balafon
Dan Schwartz -bass

I knew Farafina before I got to know Jon Hassell
and coming from the  "African perception" and concentrating in the drum works 
 I think that this was one of the weakest  recorded moments for Farafina
but one of the strongest for Hassell
maybe its the  production of Eno/Lanois  that leaves little room for organic music

*
but everyone says that is a masterpiece
who  I'm I to disagree? thebadone?
check for your self...
it's not that bad
actually you can have a nice trip but not in Africa


a different rip from the one in circulation


maybe they where better on stage



but they are good in Bolomakoté (Bobo Dioulasso)


:)

3 comments:

  1. Thank you Nauma, I wouldn't call it bad, they done more than a fair job. Ambient reminds me a lot of Nils Petter Molvær work, although Hassel started to combine electronics and trumpet some years earlier. Anyway those artists who were into world music had a great contribution in popularisation ethnic and "root" music, and for a lot of pepole this was an entrance into deeper spititual dimention that "primitive music"is all about. Bah, just philosophising a little, don't mind.

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  2. no I don't mind at all,I always enjoy your thoughts kokolo. my objections are for those "avant" artists /producers that didn't understand then,during the boom of the so called world music, the(you said it:deep spiritual dimension) essence of ethnic traditions and used it according their will-.the result of flash of the spirit is very decent and with all good will and stands out from the rest.

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  3. I think Hassell has done better with Indian music, which he has been studying for some years.

    Back when I was writing music reviews, many albums like this one were being released. If the African musicians had been running the sessions, those albums would have been much better. : )

    (And yes... I don't like "cultural tourism" very much, though at times, I think I'm a cultural tourist myself.)

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