Music from Aluku: Maroon Sounds of Struggle, Solace, and Survival CD

THE ALUKU (ALSO KNOWN AS THE BONI) ARE SURVIVORS. Roughly 8,000 strong, the Aluku are an African American Maroon people whose territory lies on the borderlands of French Guiana and Suriname, in a part of the Amazon basin that extends to the north-eastern coast of South America and belongs culturally as much to the Caribbean as to Amazonia. Born out of resistance to slavery some three centuries ago, the Aluku have endured to the present in the face of formidable odds. Today, their survival is threatened once again, as they cope with the assimilationist policies of the French state (of which most Aluku are now citizens), as well as ever-escalating incursions into their territory by multinational corporations and independent gold miners. The fate of their Amazonian rain forest environment—not to mention their cultural and political autonomy—hangs precariously in the balance.

Tracks:
1. MATO: "Amígole saté, pínta balúba" - 2:12    
2. MATO: "Kidéndele, kidéndele, sani taampu-oo" - 1:32    
3. SUSA (Drumming with Vocals) - 3:16    
4. SUSA (Drumming) - 2:01    
5. SONGE: "Pe lobi de, mma?" (Where is the love, mama?) - 1:13    
6. SONGE (Extended Drumming with Vocals) - 9:55    
7. AWASA (Drumming with Vocals) - 1:10    
8. AWASA: "Ma Senuwe" - 2:09    
9. AWASA (Extended Drumming with Vocals) - 3:23    
10. TUKA (Old Style): "Dede, dede namo, yee" - 2:33    
11. TUKA (New Style) - 2:48    
12. TUKA (Dondowen): "Tonkoli Suku Maite, Molí Mawá" - 1:32    
13. KUMANTI (Song Accompanied by Agwado): "Mi dasi-oo, Nana-oo, yee" - 0:58    
14. KUMANTI (Drumming) - 0:36    
15. KUMANTI: "Tide ontuo e piki-oo, kugulu man alali" - 0:53    
16. KUMANTI (Song Accompanied by Agwado): "Suku a sole bamban, obia, pe fu a piki, a piiti nou" - 0:49    
17. TUTU (Solo Flute) - 1:06    
18. AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Basi Agwado, odi, odi, odi-oo" - 1:26    
19. ALEKE: "Mabula (Mabuya) go na Ndyuka" - 0:57    
20. ALEKE: "Na so, mi mama, yee, fa wi e begi (alt., kali) a golon wenti, mi mama, yee" - 4:37    
21. ALEKE: "Di mi na a moni, fa mi o du-ee? Mi o go koti baana-oo, fu mi go seli a bilo" - 2:52    
22. AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Basia Lomi, yu mu kali Kwaku gi mi" - 2:11    
23. BOTOO TUTU (Flute Language) - 0:26    
24. FON KEN (Work Song, for Pounding Sugarcane) - 3:00    
25. KWADYO (Solo Song): "Asa-oo, papa ngúlinya, ngúlinya" - 0:27    
26. KWADYO (Drumming with Vocals): "Adyaini-oo, mi na man" - 1:13    
27. AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Alabi, sipi e booko genti e kon" - 2:17    
28. PAPA (VODU) (Drumming) - 0:32    
29. PAPA (VODU) (Chanting) - 4:55    
30. PAPA (VODU) (Drumming with Vocals) - 5:50    
31. UMAN DAGUWE - 1:43    
32. SONGE (Full Ensemble) - 2:41