Not to be confused with Toto's "Africa"
Part 12 of my 1000+ part series.
(For info on that, clickety-click-click)
In which I listen to EVEN MORE Afro-Cuban jazz-pop-fusion from the 1950s!
...that is a sentence I never thought I'd construct.
TL;DR:
More after The Cut>>>
TL;DR:
When this...
...is the guy making the music, you know it's gonna be good.
More after The Cut>>>
1.) Wild Jungle
THE FIRST FEW NOTES REMINDED ME OF THIS, YOU GUYS!
The title doesn't help with that association either.
This is so upbeat and fast! I love a good Latin brass section. The intro alone makes this song A+ in my book.
OH MY GOD IT'S GETTING SO FAST. WHEN WILL IT STOP? I can feel my own eyes crossing from this high velocity.
Oh hey there, brass section, I missed you.
And out with a blare of horns! Excellent start to this album.
2.) Congo Mulence
Now taking it down a few notches, but with no less energy. I love the upright bass and piano addition in this.
I see you, sexy sax. At the 1-minute mark, he graces us with his oh-so-sultry presence.
Actual video footage of the recording session of this album
Aw, it's OVER?! That went by so quickly.
3.) Kenya
Shit got real. Talk about a tidal wave of an opening.
Ooh, it's gotten all kinds of smoooooth now. I love the changes in dynamics – there will be moments where the music sweeeeEEEELLLLSSsss...only to quieten down again (I see you, sax). Delicious.
WHAT. WHAAAT. THIS TEMPO CHANGE AT 2:30 HAS MADE MY BRAIN MELT IN MY SKULL. WHAAAT.
Don't mind me, just casually freaking out over here.
And ANOTHER TEMPO CHANGE? Guys, this song has me so emotionally vulnerable.
4.) Oyeme
So the title means "listen to me" in Spanish, and after the glorious rapture that was "Kenya," MACHITO, I WILL LISTEN TO YOU WHEREVER YOU TAKE ME SONICALLY.
Wood blocks! Wood blocks EVERYWHERE!
This is very "I Love Lucy" theme meets 1950s night club.
GET IT, SAX. I'm going to have "I Love Sax" shirts made. I'm sure that will only be taken in the correct context by the general public.
TRUMPET. I'm swimming in a sea of happy, happy wind instrumentation.
...another sentence I never thought I'd construct.
5.) Holiday
Not quite that kind of Holiday.
Getting warmer...
Pretty much what it says on the package. This is the sonic equivalent of every adorably quaint 1950s holiday romance movie. Mid-tempo, nothing too crazy. Just pleasantly mild Latin-tinged instrumentals. Solid.
6.) Cannonology
I cannot even begin to parse that title, so let's just dive right in!
Picking up the tempo from "Holiday" and adding a heck of a lot more drum and percussion. The trumpet melody is really catchy.
What, it's over? These songs go by so quickly...
7.) Frenzy
Talk about a frenzy! What a fine frenzy it is!
I may or may not have shoehorned this joke in here. #sorryneversorry
Starts with a bit of a bait and switch with the tempo. I like the bass in here as well. You know what you've got 'til it's gone, right? I missed you, bass.
The percussion is really PUSHING this song forward – it's yelling, "AIN'T GOT ALL DAY HERE, FELLAS!" Sheesh, settle down, will ya?! The percussion just does it because it wants the best for all of them, you know?
On this album called "Kenya," this is so far the most 'African' sounding song.
Machito, noooo, don't be blue! I need your insane energy!
Nah, but this is actually pretty swank. It has a swagger to it. Clearly his claims of 'blues' are but a facade.
I love the trumpet line around 1:30, 1:45 or so. I have no idea how this guy is playing so high. Like, he's in a register only dogs can hear. It's beautiful insanity.
9.) Conversation
I wanna know who these people are conversatin', because they sound real interestin'.
This is that stereotypical conga beat, with 'chatty' brass going back and forth. I'm imagining two peacocks having a walk-off.
So basically, this.
10.) Tin Tin Deo
I feel like this should be the soundtrack for every 1960s James Bond poolside scene (with Sean Connery, obvi).
Meh, close enough
I'm all about that trumpet solo starting around 1:15ish. And the blaring trumpets around 1:45? C'mon, that is SO Bond.
Don't deny me this, Connery
11.) Minor Rama
Not to be confused with 80s British pop sensation Bananarama
Another solid track. In the interests of honest disclosure, the trumpets here remind me of happy jumping dolphins. Legit, like dolphins leaping in the air in a lovely choreographed number, but hey, I don't have to explain myself to you on my blog.
Do they look like they give a fuck? No, no they don't...because they are m-fing dolphins, that's why
12.) Tururato
Last track on the album, and it opens with solid drums.
Ok, slightly discordant and minor chords here. That's nifty.
HI, SAX, I MISSED YOU! I mean you were there before, but not really there as much as I needed you. Don't worry, I still have my fan shirt.
Cymbal solo? That's cool, too.
OK, around 2:15 and it's building up. BUILDING UP!
Saaaaaax, you're making me cry, I needed you so badly.
This ends so abruptly, I can't eve–
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Compared to the similarly-themed "Palo Congo," I much preferred this one. It had more diverse instrumentation, was more upbeat, and just flat out kept my interest more. That's not to say that the other album was bad, per se. These two albums just seek to do different things. Whereas "Palo Congo" is more 'tribal' with its heavy reliance on percussion, "Kenya" is much more a fusion of the era's jazz scene with Cuban musical trends. Both are cool, but "Kenya" is more my jam.
Personal standout tracks:
"Wild Jungle", "Congo Mulence", "Kenya" (probably my favorite on the album), "Oyeme", "Tin Tin Deo"
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