UMALALI - The Garifuna Women's Project (Cumbanch)
The Garinagu people are an ethnic group that live mostly in Central America and this is a collection of Garifuna women singing in their language. While there are obvious central and south American sounds in the music I hear a distinct west African sound. A lot of these songs are usually sung without music and in some cases like the first track had never been sung with instruments before. The guitars and percussion mix south American sounds, African (how far away is track 4 from high life?) sounds along some rhumba, calypso, soco and a few others. But the centerpiece are the vocals and I wish they hadn't added music to most of these.
**1. Wow. Beautiful vocals. Slow, sad, and music that takes a back seat to the vocals. Just guitar and simple percussion (a segunda). The melody line kills me.
2. Male and female trade off vocals, sax, electric guitar. Light African funk feel.
**3. Guitar, drums and wonderful female vocals. Central American/Spanish guitar sounds that remind me of morna and fado sounds.
4. Afropop/light high life sound. Dance-y and upbeat.
5. Jazzy, upbeat, with group singing.
**6. Recorded in a home in Honduras and a great recording. Slow, simple guitar and percussion. Sad sounding.
7. Starts with multiple vocalists and percussion. Bluesy electric guitar later in the track give it a rock sound.
8. Faster, upbeat dance track. Busy percussion towards the end of the track. A type of rhythm known as Punta from Punta Gorda, Belize.
**9. One of the fastest tracks with speedy percussion. A mix of north African sounds and flamenco sounds even if the guitar is electric and simple.
10. Quiet beginning, patient, minimal music, multiple vocalists including men.
11. Upbeat dance groove that really does sound like a merger of some north African sounds and Latin dance sounds.
12. Distant recording style. Amazing sad vocals and simple guitar.
Excellent stuff! -mph