Hugh Masekela Presents The Chisa Years 1965-1975

[coll]: Hugh Masekela Presents
Reviewed by Sadie O., 7/13/07
African-American music recorded with and by Hugh Masekela from 1965-1975. Running a gamut from funk and jazz/rock to very traditional African popular music (notable Township Jive), often with quite a few aspects combined in each song. Absolutely brilliant stuff, as you can imagine – and unmarketable in the US back in those rather unworldly days.
No FCCs. You can understand each track to have at least two invisible stars, or I’d run out of room. I thought track 1 was killer, then I met track 2 and track 7…
1. 6:47 ***a bit downtempo superfly 70’s funk. Sung in English. There’s one bridge in the whole song, about a minute from the end…
2. 4:28 ****wow! Amazing choral harmonies, sort of free-formy-jazz. Then midtempo somewhat funky Afro-rock with female lead and mixed response vocals, sung in an African language. Fantastic energy, and that lady can SING.
3. 4:10 **trap kit, then other percussion, then band, then pretty call and response vocals in African and English. Rather uptempo bounce with Township Jive elements. Great off-key guitar solo.
4. 2:02 ***starts with solo vocals, then mid-tempo Township Jive with a bit of funky shuffle. Manic male lead vocals, pretty choral harmonies.
5. 3:33 **guitar intro, midtempo jazz/rock/Township Jive with great female vocals in African.
6. 4:59 *uptempo rocking Township Jive with many voices. Wailin’ guitar solo.
7. 3:07 ****big hand drums, even bigger male chorus, very traditional harmonies, but with more drums than you often hear in this sort of music.
8. 6:29 ***hey, it’s Reggae! Midtempo roots skank with a bit of rather jazzy guitar and keyboard. Pretty female vocals in African and English. Fuzz guitar solo near end.
9. 4:25 **bass guitar, beautiful female vocals, bit of drums. Throw on some chorus and other instruments, makes a very lush downbeat relaxed swing, like a rather loud lullaby.
10. 6:26 **sort of a round between two strong female vocalists, with fairly relaxed and sparse instrumentation. Turns into uptempo jazzy gallop with whistles and choral vocals.
11. 3:05 ***female lead and response vocals. big drums come in slowly, build and get funky. Halfway through there’s guitar and suddenly it turns into a big, joyous Township Jive celebration.
12. 4:35 **sweet and relaxed midtempo guitar-driven shuffle with seriously pretty vocals, female lead in African and English. Oh, man, that’s PRETTY… Oh, here comes the signature Baranta fuzz guitar solo!
13. 3:13 **a bit of honky tonk piano, then a mess of other instruments, midtempo and with more than a hint of Pata Pata, but in a sort of Dixieland rendition.
14. 3:17 ***relaxed hand drums and guitar, midtempo, extremely swingy, female vocals. Very familiar sounding, somehow…