Zanzibara 2: Golden Years of Mombasa Taarab 1965-1975 CD

The new Zanzibara series, which presents Swahili popular music through archive recordings from the 1920s-1980s, has received early press accolades from Songlines, fRoots, Afropop Worldwide and more. As in the Ethiopiques series, all titles are accompanied by a well-produced booklet and plenty of photos!
Curated by Werner Graebner, one of the foremost authorities on this music who has been documenting it for decades – including a series of work for Globestyle and releases on his own short-lived Dizim imprint. Volume Two, 1965-1975: Golden Years of Mombara Taarab, features Mzuri's '60s and '70s recordings

"Buda Records, the superb French label responsible for the life-altering Ethiopiques series, seems set to blow minds all over again with a new series called Zanzibara... there's nothing else in the world like this phenomenal stuff." - Worldly Disorientation

"Evocative, popular taarab recordings made by M.J. Sha's Mzuri label... here, electric guitars, bass, organs and kit drums were gradually replacing the orchestral instruments in slimmer units, and one particular trademark was an amplified version of a Japanese instrument... used in Indian film music. Sound restoration is excellent... and along with excellent notes this really bodes well for the series to come." - fROOTS

"High on the triumph of the Ethiopiques series, Buda Musique heads south to soak up the sounds of Africa's predominantly Muslim east coast. The first two volumes of the new Zanzibara series tell wildly different parts of the story. Volume 1 consists entirely of modern, hi-fi recordings by the Ikhwani Safaa Musical Club, a taraab orchestra with a 100-year history in Zanzibar. The 20-member ensemble combines swirling strings and accordion with propulsive rhythms beaten out on traditional drums. The members of the four-strong vocal choir take turns at the lead, but it's really the otherworldly harmonies and group chants that are most arresting. Volume 2 heads back to the "golden age of Mombasa taarab." Like Zanzibar, Mombasa is an island trading center just off the eastern coast of Africa, and today it's Kenya's largest port. In the late 1960s and early 70s, the city had a distinctive scene built around a fusion of Arab-derived taraab and Indian film music, and several small production companies documented it. This disc collects tracks from M.J. Shah's Mzuri label, and the sound is remarkably good considering that he was recording fairly large bands with a single microphone and tape recorder. The music is excellent, if a bit sonically uniform, but with voices like Zuhura Swaleh and Matano Juma leading the way, the inherent similarities between songs melt away under the distinctiveness of the performers." - Pitchfork

Tracks:
1. Dada
2. Ndege Kaa Ufikiri
3. Ya Zamani
4. Masikini Macho Yangu
5. Musiwe Na Mshangao
6. Risala
7. Yaatika
8. Mpenzi Azizi
9. Nalikuwa Na Mpenzi
10. Mpelekee Muhibu
11. Kuratu Ayini
12. Ni Wewe
13. Moyo Lia Lia
14. Hasidi
15. Nimechoka Kulima
16. Sheria Yatukataza