I was particularly struck by the immense amount of work he put in when 'mixing' all the tapes he had before him. He adjusted, changed, added and re-evaluated constantly, until the result was as near perfect as he could make it. A true musical craftsman. I also found it very interesting to listen to his explanations of how he wrote his lyrics, and again changed and added to them, always striving for the most evocative and effective words or phrases. And none of this showed any arrogance or self-acclaim at all. He was merely explaining in a humble and earnest way how he'd gone about it. If I sound a bit of a fan, well I am! Have to say too, Black Mambazo are just fabulous. My husband hadn't come across them as he's from W Africa, (different musical traditions with the 'cora' and 'bala' a wooden xylophone mounted on a gourd, plus drums called 'konkoni' and 'djembe'). Like me he was blown away by their beautiful voice-blending and harmonies.
|