Putumayo Presents: Women of Africa

Amazon.com
Women have always been at the center of sub-Saharan music, as they were the keepers of the hearth, intimately involved in the life-sustaining mysteries of agriculture, food preparation, birth, and death. However, Africa, like the rest the world, is in the throes of social change. Female roles are evolving and the artists heard here represent a confident, worldly sensibility. The roster encompasses Dorothy Masuka's comfortable, gospel-flavored South African jazz, Maria de Barrios' sensual Cape Verdean morna, and a liltingly tonal ballad from Paris-based Algerian refugee Souad Massi. But a major reason to purchase this album is the track by Khadja Nin of Burundi; her deep-toned, knowing, unpolished voice transforms a Stevie Wonder tune into an ecstatic anthem of empowerment. Despite the occasional overuse of easy-fix electric keyboards, each singer emerges as a force to be reckoned with as, one by one, their voices salute the earth and soar into the heavens. --Christina Roden

Putumayo Presents: Women of Africa,Various Artists,Putumayo World Music,Africa,Afro-Pop,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Regional Mexican,South African Folk,South African Pop,Worldbeat

Average customer rating:

Beautiful music

another putumayo winner...

Really good

An Accessibly Exotic Treat

makes me smile

Putumayo Presents: Women of Africa
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Putumayo World Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0001DD0DU
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

Le Tshephile Mang (South Africa) - Judith Sephuma
Bahia (Benin) - Angelique Kidjo
Mi Nada Um Ca Tem (Cape Verde) - Maria De Barros
Mayihlome (South Africa) - Sibongile Khumalo
Retany (Radio Edit) (Madagascar) - Tarika
To Ndje (Cameroon) - Kaissa
Mfan' Omncane (Zimbabwe/South Africa) - Dorothy Masuka
Hima (Comoros) - Nawal
Abiani (Ivory Coast) - Dobet Gnahore
Raoui (Algeria) - Souad Massi
Sina Mali, Sina Deni (Free) (Burundi) - Khadja Nin
Vimba (South Africa) - Women Of Mambazo

Amazon.com

Women have always been at the center of sub-Saharan music, as they were the keepers of the hearth, intimately involved in the life-sustaining mysteries of agriculture, food preparation, birth, and death. However, Africa, like the rest the world, is in the throes of social change. Female roles are evolving and the artists heard here represent a confident, worldly sensibility. The roster encompasses Dorothy Masuka's comfortable, gospel-flavored South African jazz, Maria de Barrios' sensual Cape Verdean morna, and a liltingly tonal ballad from Paris-based Algerian refugee Souad Massi. But a major reason to purchase this album is the track by Khadja Nin of Burundi; her deep-toned, knowing, unpolished voice transforms a Stevie Wonder tune into an ecstatic anthem of empowerment. Despite the occasional overuse of easy-fix electric keyboards, each singer emerges as a force to be reckoned with as, one by one, their voices salute the earth and soar into the heavens. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music.......2007-07-18

Elegant, melodic, rhythmic, and contemporary. An awesome collection
of songs, from relaxed ballads to more rhythmically motivated #s. A nice
spice of high life, but much more diverse than that. Toe tappers that keeps your life picture bright. Refreshing.

another putumayo winner..........2007-03-31

the music is rhythmic and pleasing to the ear. i enjoy the cd and use it in my pilates classes. i have many putumayo cds and like them alot. my only complaint is that like some of the other putumayo cds i wish it had 2-3 more songs.

Really good.......2006-06-14

this cd is really good. It is almost astonishing what people can do with their voices and instruments.
mesmerizing...

An Accessibly Exotic Treat.......2006-06-07

Another primo collection from the "Putumayo Presents" series, "Women of Africa" is a treasure. Unless you're tone deaf or otherwise severely Music Appreciation-Challenged, you're going to love this CD; and in fact, so will your kids and so will your parents. Even your co-workers! There's nothing not to like, and I mean that only in the best possible way, not in a bland "one-size-fits-all" way. There are a variety of sounds and styles, but they follow one another well; this assortment isn't all over the map in a jarring, staccato way. It's suitable for all occasions, from lightening up your commute, to the workplace itself, or as a social lubricant at picnics and parties and other gatherings. Go ahead; conduct an experiment by playing this CD (at a mid-level volume), and watch your formerly uptight friends and colleagues start to loosen up and enjoy themselves.

I'm describing the effect of the music more than the music itself, because that is a visceral experience which you must take part in yourself. But I've already done the weeding; I sample and screen music all the time in search of recordings such as this one, and it involves suffering through a lot of turkeys, believe me. But I've done the work for you, so you don't have to.

But for the record, I will mention that Dorothy Masuka's selection here sounds like the kind of smooth jazz vocal piece one might hear from a Nat Cole or Natalie Cole or Diana Krall ensemble. That's one example only; this collection features a whole potpourri of tuneful sounds and they're all delightful (hard as that might be to believe).

makes me smile.......2005-10-26

I just got this CD recently and I've put it on every morning. The calm, purely happy, energy just makes me start the day on the right foot!

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