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South Africa's ever cheerful militants, the Mahotella Queens, are alive and kicking. Mahotella Queens - Sebai Bai Label: Indigo, Label Bleu During the darkest hours of apartheid, three queens of the ghetto sang side-by-side with Mahlathini, fondly nicknamed the Lion of Soweto for his proud bearing and growling voice. His association with the Mahotella Queens and legendary saxophonist/producer West Nkosi began in 1965 and gave birth to a new style of music, mbanqanga, which was to shine out far over the borders of its country of origin. Mbanqanga - South Africa's signature sound - literally means "dumpling," implying the homemade quality of this music's origins. This township music is a mixture of traditional and urban styles, combining gospel-pop with lively guitar trios and a rumbling, independent bass line, over which these motherly voices fan out with enough strength to fortify even the weakest souls. The Mahotella Queens retired in the mid-70s to raise families, but reunited with Mahlathini in 1986 to tour the mushrooming world music circuit. In recent years, South Africa's musical legends have seen many sad passings, including the death of both West Nkosi and 1998 and Mahlathini in 1999. The Mahotella Queens are now in their late - 50s, but eh Queens are singing and swinging as strong as ever. "We outlived our men," a brightly smiling Hilda Tloubatla said upon accepting the WOMEX award, who, joined by the other two Queens Mildred Mangxola and Nobesuthu, then delivered a high energy performance with tight, buoyant choreography, soulful vocals, and a now-younger bouncy backing band. The Mahotella Queens represent so much of the best in South African music: the finely honed art of passionate singing, the lattice work of funky rhythms, and the breathtaking art of spectacular live performance. Now a new generation can join legions of fans in appreciating a powerful trio who enabled an entire oppressed people to continue dancing, resisting, and dreaming. Back to top	Planet Chant brings together the world's most acclaimed voices. Various Artists - Planet Chant Label: Triloka Before electronica, and MTV, before the guitar, and even before two hands clapping, there was the human voice and chant: one of the world's oldest and most universal forms of spiritual practice. That is the focus of Planet Chant, the latest release from Triloka Records, which brings together some of the most acclaimed voices in the world's singing traditions. The disc is the first in a planned series of chant collections. Chant has been practiced as a spiritual tradition for centuries - more than likely since the dawn of time - and virtually every culture, past and present, has chanted in some form or another. Its legacy is as long as it is rich and varied. Planet Chant includes a number of chant traditions: Tebetan Buddhist, Qawwali, Hindu, Zulu, Bhakti Yoga, the peyote songs of The Native American Church, early music of the Russian Orthodox Church and 14th century Spanish Catalonia, as well as contemporary interpretations of chant. Than chants on this CD are performed by some of the most gifted proponents of the form including the late Qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Pakistan, a cappella legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo from South Africa, contemporary Native American singers Primeaux and Mike, Indian chanteuse Sheila Chandra, the Orthodox Bulgarian choir Angelite and the east-west stylings of Krishna Das. Back to top	"This is not the sound of the Asian underground. This is music." - from the song Tacadin Joi - We Are Three Label: Realworld We Are Three, by the original Asian breakbeat fusionists Joi, follows on the heels of their critically-acclaimed 1999 release, One And One Is One. Recorded in just thirty-two days, it's title, taken from a verse by the Sufi poet Rumi, is a reference to Joi's spiritual belief in the powers that surround us. Originally consisting of brothers Farook and Haroon Shamsher, Joi issues the new album as a tribute to Haroon, who tragically died of a heartattack in July 1999 at the age of 34. Indeed, Haroon had completed much of the album's preparatory work earlier that year, when he traveled to their parents' native Bangladesh to record with local musicians. Says younger brother Farook, "Haroon's vibe is not only still there, it's there on every single track. It's his legacy. His tribute gig last summer was to benefit the Community Center and get other Bengali kids into mixing up traditional music with Western electronica - and this record is a testament to that." We Are Three once again fuses East and West, taking the form of a journey; the opening track immerses the listener in the sounds of the Bengali village, and subsequent tracks take in Asian vocals, dub ragga, funky riffs, tabla rhythms and mellow, melodic vibes. This fusion of all sounds east and west became the boys' trademark. In 1983 they conceived a collective called Joi Bangla - shortened from the "League of Joi Bangla Youth Organisation," which was set up to promote Bengali culture to local kids in London. Regularly mixing up traditional Bengali music with James Brown riffs and funky breakbeats at underground parties, they quickly established themselves as the best DJ's and party organizers in London's East End. Back to top
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