Pieces of Africa

by Kronos Quartet

Overview

When released, Pieces of Africa was subject to some of the same "cultural imperialist" criticism that had been more successfully leveled at performers like David Byrne and Paul Simon. The album consists of commissions from African composers working at varying distances from European conventions. But whereas Byrne and Simon arguably used the music of Brazil or South Africa as backgrounds over which to display their own egos, the Kronos Quartet's members managed to sublimate themselves in service to the compositions, never giving the listener any sense of condescension. All of which is to say that Pieces of Africa is a very beautiful recording with several superb individual works. Zimbabwe's Dumisani Maraire's opening piece, "Mai Nozipo," with the composer accompanying the quartet on drums, is a rousing, triumphant anthem with a resonant melodic line that will long linger. Thematically, most of the pieces draw on African sources, very clearly in the case of the Arabic-infused songs of Hassan Hakmoun and the great Sudanese composer Hamza el Din. Unsurprisingly, South African Kevin Volan's "White Man Sleeps" comes closest to European traditions, though even this piece, which is gorgeous and inspired throughout, draws inspiration from native environmental sounds. The disc closes with another composition by Maraire, with an accompanying gospel choir making explicit the link between Africa's music and that of the American South. Pieces of Africa teems with beguiling melodies, making it one of this quartet's more accessible projects and also one of its best. ~ Brian Olewnick

Product Details

Release Date:	09/23/2016
Label:	Nonesuch
UPC:	0075597944952
Rank:	69770

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Mai Nozipo
2. Saade
3. Tilliboyo
4. Ekitundu Ekisooka
5. Escalay

Disc 2

6. Wawshishijay
7. Kutambarara
8. White Man Sleeps, Pt. 1
9. White Man Sleeps, Pt. 2
10. White Man Sleeps, Pt. 3
11. White Man Sleeps, Pt. 4
12. White Man Sleeps, Pt. 5

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kronos Quartet   Primary Artist,Akete,Vocals,Ensemble,String Quartet
Hassan Hakmoun   Sitar,Vocals,Sintir
Obo Addy   Percussion,Gidi,Akete,Donno,Pretia,Vocals,Brekete
Dumisani Maraire   Percussion,Hosho,Mbiri,Ngoma,Vocals,Maracas Mbira
Joan Jeanrenaud   Cello,Akete,Vocals
Hank Dutt   Viola,Akete,Vocals
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir   Ensemble,Choir/Chorus
John Sherba   Violin,Akete,Vocals
David Harrington   Violin,Akete,Vocals
Foday Musa Suso   Kora
Hamza el Din   Taragat
Ephat Mujuru   Vocals,Maracas Mbira
Said Hakmoun   Bendir,Vocals,Bandero
Dan Pauli   Hosho
Radouane Laktib   Oud,Vocals
Terrence Kelly   Director,Conductor

Technical Credits

Paul Zinman   Engineer
Obo Addy   Composer
Bob Edwards   Engineer
Itaal Shur   Producer,Realization
Dumisani Maraire   Composer,Unknown Contributor Role
Foday Musa Suso   Composer
Richard Horowitz   Producer,Realization
Hamza el Din   Composer
Kronos Quartet   Producer
Hassan Hakmoun   Composer
Robert Hurwitz   Executive Producer
Judith Sherman   Engineer,Producer
Chris Baum   Producer,Realization
Kevin Volans   Composer
Tony Eckert   Assistant Engineer
Justinian Tamusuza   Composer
M.T. Silvia   Assistant Engineer
Tohru Ueda   Producer,Realization
Ken Hunt   Interviewer,Liner Notes
Nelson Wong   Assistant Engineer
M.T. Silva   Assistant Engineer
Margaret Courtney-Clarke   Photography