Limitless Sky Records: Press & Reviews

"...Tyabji set out to accomplish the impossible: the creation of a score and soundtrack for a feature-length film worthy of the subject matter, without a budget. Yet this very hindrance proved to be the project’s strength. “The most affirming thing about this project was that it attracted certain types of people,” Tyabji notes, recalling how artists came out of the cyberspace woodwork wanting to advance the Dalai Lama’s message..."

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...Fortunately the Dalai Lama is disciplined enough to stay within his field and domain, which is the place of the individual- and his happiness… or not- in the world. His social message is fairly simple, similar to the Four Noble Truths themselves, and can be summarized as such: 1) change is constant, 2) man’s nature is essentially good, 3) bad things happen, 4) society can become corrupt, 5) change it.

Best of all, you can dance to it, or just listen in contented bliss. What Kasyar Darvich has accomplished cinematically, Michael Tyabji has seconded musically, pulling together a group as diverse as it is accomplished. This includes guitarist Larry Mitchell, composer Medicine Bear, The Yoginis, Heyraneh, and… the list goes on. Though incorporating many different instruments and sounds of Nature, too, the soundtrack leans heavily on classical sitar and the voice of the Dalai Lama himself, offering choice helpings of Buddhist wisdom mixed with good ol’ common sense. When the music starts to drift off into trance, the Dalai Lama’s voice brings it right back down to Earth. And if that’s not enough, you can hear Harrison Ford apparently teaching William Shatner how to rap in ‘Drops of Gold’: “words, words, words are mere bubbles of water… but deeds are drops of gold… you, yourself, must make the effort… the Buddhas are only teachers.” Cost of the soundtrack album: not so much; value of hearing Harrison Ford do Buddhist spoken word with the Dalai Lama: priceless. The release is timed to coincide with the Dalai Lama’s speaking tour of the US May 12-23. Is there Tibetan politics behind all this? Probably so, and that’s where it’ll stay. Hardie K says check it out.

Posted by Hardie K at

There's a sanctuary where the pulse of cumbia moves to Tibetan notions of eternal time, where Native American and Indian sonics transform the voice of a female Sufi from Iran. A retreat where one of the planet's most revered teachers' words become a melody, and the message dances in the medium.

This place, created in a cozy home studio in the L.A. hills, is the home of the striking soundtrack to the documentary film Dalai Lama Renaissance (White Swan; May 11, 2010). The film follows the journey of some of the world's most distinctive thinkers - from nuclear physicists to self-help experts, with narration by actor Harrison Ford - to see the Dalai Lama at his Indian home-in-exile and discuss a way to freedom for Tibet and humanity. The release is timed with the Dalai Lama's May 12-23 speaking tour of the United States. The soundtrack flows from the voluntary contribution of a diverse yet serendipitously harmonious group of musical fellow travelers brought together by percussionist and producer Michel Tyabji.

Tyabji set out to accomplish the impossible: the creation of a score and soundtrack for a feature-length film worthy of the subject matter, without a budget. Yet this very hindrance proved to be the project's strength. “The most affirming thing about this project was that it attracted certain types of people," Tyabji notes, recalling how artists came out of the cyberspace woodwork wanting to advance the Dalai Lama's message. “No one had any money but we didn't have a firm schedule, either. We had time."

With that time, musicians could come and linger in Tyabji's home studio over cup after cup of tea, letting their inspiration carry them. Or Tyabji could meet them wherever they happened to be in the L.A. area, as he did with Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Mitchell. They connected at a nearby hotel where, on the fly, Mitchell effortlessly laid down a solo on Tyabji's thumbdrive.

The musicians drawn to the project were a seemingly motley crew: Composer Medicine Bear, who provided large portions of original score; a group of brothers cum classical Indian musicians recruited by an American keyboard player (The Yoginis) and recorded at a rented New Delhi TV station; Heyraneh, a rare female Sufi vocalist from Tehran; and the multitalented Techung, a Tibetan born in exile and trained in traditional Tibetan lhamo opera.

Despite the great spread of sounds and cultures, as Tyabji worked on the tracks and unified them to support the film, he was pleasantly surprised. “I was actually shocked how easily things gelled: traditional Indian, underneath or on top of Afro-Cuban beats, blended with a Tibetan song on the computer," Tyabji reflects. “We didn't have to do any fancy stuff. It just came together in a perfect match up of tracks."

Pieces like “Yar," where the original plan to record Heyraneh singing a Zoroastrian prayer passed down through Tyabji's Parsi family turned a magical corner when the singer burst into a Sufi invocation, transforming the track. Or the unexpected “Om Cumbia Om," where Techungs expansive recitation of a Buddhist mantra with its own sense of time ended up meshing with an intense Afro-Latin rhythm whipped up by two Colombian percussionist friends.

Even older projects - like a recording Tyabji and his wife and frequent collaborator Rosa had made of the last living teacher of Tibetan chod chants - worked seamlessly with the material his new-found friends were laying down in the studio. “Rosa and I had recorded Lama Wangdu Rinpoche at an ashram near Portland, Oregon," recalls Tyabji. “It became an album for use by his students, with really limited distribution. But then it took on a new life as I brought it into the mix."

Yet the lucky accidents channeling the eclecticism of Dalai Lama Renaissance had deep roots: the calls for peace, freedom, and compassion of the Dalai Lama himself. Though of a different faith, Tyabji felt a profound resonance with His Holiness' teachings. Descended from a distinguished family including a vocalist favored by Gandhi and a dedicated politician who shaped India's constitution, Tyabji's elders instilled a love of wise teachers and the non-violent path to liberation.

He soon learned for himself how music could play a part in that liberation. Tyabji came of age traveling the world with his parents, UN workers who took on some of the world's most difficult assignments. One of these challenging postings took the family to Somalia, where a teenage Tyabji watched the desperately poor country slip into a devastating civil war.

“I saw that music and poetry held together whatever semblance of society was left," he muses. “Just having a battery-powered walkman saved us. There was something that made a little bit of sense. There was certainty in the beat, the lyrics. That's when I got into music, in Africa, and understood its power."

This power to move, encourage, and heal, Tyabji feels, also lies in the words and voice of the Dalai Lama, which he interwove throughout the soundtrack album. The task of picking and choosing the words seemed daunting at first - until he began to hear the music in His Holiness message. After spending years trying to find the right fit with the music, Tyabji discovered to his surprise that the passages that he felt most strongly were the ones where the tone and cadence meshed best.

“For me, his most powerful message, the one that repeats on the album like a mantra, is that each of us is personally responsible to think about humanity, other human beings," Tyabji states. “For someone who has lived in so many different countries, who's lived through wars, who was fortunate to be born into a family that cares, I know this is what we all need to think about: each other."

The accidental meetings and fortunate breaks involved in the making of the album are still bearing fruit. Tyabji has teamed up with Techung and their tours have taken them as far away as European Russia's oft-overlooked Buddhist region, Kalmykia. Heyraneh's participation in the project has moved her out of the margins, where she was relegated due to her gender, and into the local spotlight, as the L.A. Persian community embraces her artistry.

Tyabji senses that this joint effort based on a mutual love for the Dalai Lama's message is like one of the Tibetan songs Techung brought to the project, “Lhasang." The singer calls out to the mountains, hoping to hear what the echoes may bring. “That song embodies what we were doing with this album," Tyabji smiles. “We were singing out to a stone wall and just waiting to hear what happens."

We received the disk today and I've been listening to it on the big system. It sounds absolutely stunning. Flawless audio. And a beautiful production. It takes one through an entire journey via a series of upliftments, like gentle waves in the ocean but without any hint of the undercurrents of fear which arise from one's respect for the might and depth of the sea. Instead, the music, rhythms, sounds and voices wash over, around and through me like pleasant electromagnetic undulations.

Michel, every minute devoted to the production of this album has been worth it.

Adil, the jacket design and artwork are brilliant, perfectly complementing the treasure they enclose.

Congratulations guys, you have a winner.

"Everyone wants to change humanity, but no one wants to change themselves." These are the first words of Dalai Lama Renaissance , the soundtrack of the film narrated by Harrison Ford. The CD is a holy trek through many shorter pieces of music, all of it captivating. Ancient and contemporary music of Tibet, India, Iran, and the Americas comprise the soundtrack, an enlightening journey ranging from Indian classical and Sufi poetry to jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The words of the Dalai Lama interspersed throughout are true pearls of wisdom. This is a high-quality, interesting project, connecting the listener to the Dalai Lama's deep humility and passion for understanding.

This is not just an audio CD, it is not only for listening, it is going on a journey that adds to your experience of life. It can inspire and calm you. It can take you to a meditative state. Be with it...do not miss this rare journey..

Febuary 15, 2010

This important album was assembled and produced by Michel Tyabji and Rosa Costanza Tyabji as part of a documentary titled Dalai Lama Renaissance. The soundtrack album consists of twenty-six tracks of Tibetan-influenced chants and pieces of music that work as a perfect audio accompaniment to the visual images of the Dalai Lama. Each offering on this album is part of a collective providing a narrative that is overwhelmingly beautiful, compassionate and enlightened. There are numerous amazing artists on this collection and if you are a devotee, or just a supporter of the Dalai Lama’s journey, this album is a must-have.

Producer, music director and performer on many pieces, Tyabji has appeared playing drums and percussion throughout the world and is known for his work with legendary African artists including Ndala Kasheba and Garikayi Trikoti. Tyabiji is only one of many exceptional artists here, in the company of Larry Mitchell, Ralph “Kito” Rodriguez and composer, keyboardist and arranger Henry Medicine Bear Reid, all of whom produce music worth a listen. Tibetan singer/songwriter Techung plays traditional Tibetan instruments and prayers for the Dalai Lama on instrumental tracks and Roop Verma offers an inspired “Alap,” along with other gorgeous tracks. In “Bassant Blue,” and “Jog Jazz,” the New Delhi-based ensemble called Yoginis’ deep thoughtful drones were produced by Seattle-based composer Yogi McCaw. Also noteworthy, Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche had me in tears with his delivery of “Lady of Great Bliss.”

Along with many of the musical tracks offered on this special CD, the listener can also enjoy hearing the words of His Holiness which helps to bring his message of “hope” home. I highly recommend this album for anyone interested in world music and a follower of the Dalai Lama’s journey throughout the world and hopefully back into his homeland someday soon. whiteswanrecords.com .

The universal language of music is most beautifully presented in the soundtrack to the documentary film Dalai Lama Renaissance.

I love the way different genres of music have been brought together and flow from the soothing sounds of nature, to the words of the Dalai Lama and back into the music. Traditional instruments blend with modern and though each musical experience is unique on its own, together the Tibetan, Indian, Sufi, Jazz and Afro- Cuban take one on an introspective journey evoking a soothing, calming and wholly delightful listening experience.

I will be looking out for other productions by Limitless Sky Records.

A documentary film soundtrack, produced by Michel Tyabji and Rosa Costanza Tyabji. This is much more than a soundtrack of the film reviewed above. It is an eclectic remix of quotations by the Dalai Lama and narrations by Harrison Ford interspersed with a dynamic fusion of Tibetan, Indian, Sufi, Jazz and Afro- Cuban music. Featured musicians include Michel Tyabji, Tibetan recording artist Techung, Henry Medicine Bear Reid, Roop Verma, Persian vocalist Heyraneh, Lama Tsering Wangdu Rinpoche, Ralph “Kito” Rodriguez and several others. As with the film, this soundtrack is a unique journey that embodies the universal wisdom His Holiness personifies.

The theme of the DLR film "to open our hearts" is expanded upon with CD in the language of music that accompanies one on the single most important and personally difficult journey of our life experience... it creates an atmosphere of relaxation without and within the space that we occupy in time and encourages each heart to unfold at its own pace as gold nuggets of ancient wisdom are echoed in perfect placement and pitch. Music for hearts in search of insight and inner peace will absorb much from this
CD and in turn will reflect the beauty of a peaceful heart to the world outside.

Some of the best mixture of transcendental Tibetan tracks with funky bass driven tunes and a soulful narration by Harrison Ford.

CD REVIEW: ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ captures cultural flavor, teachings of spiritual leader

The music is exotic but the words are universal on the soundtrack “Dalai Lama Renaissance.”

This collection of music by various Eastern artists, the words of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and narration by Harrison Ford is taken from the documentary film of the same name. It requires thoughtful listening and lasts about 66 minutes, so it seems well suited for a discussion group, road-trip or even an afternoon of casual contemplation.

It begins with a short prayer for the venerated patron saint of Tibet, sung by Techung, followed by the Ford’s rich voice saying, “Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” That simple, powerful statement leads into lovely, reflective instrumental music that evokes the exiled Dalai Lama’s Tibetan homeland.

“Each human being has the responsibility, or moral responsibility, to think about humanity and to think about the future of human beings,” he says, before the music continues.

News reports provide historical context for the life he has led after fleeing Chinese persecution in 1959 to live in India, where he can speak freely and teach his followers or anyone open to his messages of striving to live in harmony.

You certainly don’t have to be Buddhist to appreciate the teachings of this man, now 74, who at age 2, was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama. These teachers are believed to be enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana to be reborn and serve humanity. (For more information, go to www.dalailama.com)

The music that weaves through the spoken words is sometimes mysterious and often joyous. Styles vary from monastic chants to one track that sounds like an American country music instrumental.

Especially engaging is the longest track, “Snow Lion of Peace,” by Techung, which lasts 7 minutes and 33 seconds.

One quick blip in “Drops of Gold” even has a hip-hop flavor, when Ford speaks the ancient Chinese proverb, “Words are mere bubbles of water, but deeds are drops of gold.” He continues that thought saying, “But you, yourself, must make the effort. The Buddhas are only teachers.”

That leads into another passage in which the Dalai Lama, says: “Through the birth, we have every right to have happy life.”

This soundtrack vividly captures the rich culture and messages from this man who continues his tireless pursuits for peace in his homeland and beyond.

There he was at the front of the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. A small figure draped in marigold and burnished cardamom colored swaths of fabric. He laughed a bit before putting on a visor to shade his eyes, “It’s too bright! I cannot see anyone!” The crowd of thousands chuckled ever so softly, unsure if it was polite to laugh. For the two-hour speech that followed, a collective focus remained on this man, this icon, this symbol.

That was back in 2007; the last time I saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Three years later, I encounter his spirit and message again in Renaissance, the provocative soundtrack of the eponymous documentary about his humanitarian impact and inspirational affect.

Created in the intimate Los Angeles home studio of producer/percussionist Michel Tyabji, Renaissance is an original composition of compassion and respect; a collection of voluntary efforts propelled by the Dalai Lama’s message. “The most affirming thing about this project was that it attracted certain types of people,” Tyabji notes. “No one had any money but we didn’t have a firm schedule, either. We had time.”

Development of the soundtrack unfolded at a pace atypical of music production. With a bottomless tea kettle, musicians gathered at Tyabji’s home to steep in deep discussions about the project and the message. Contributors came from far flung corners: Heyraneh, a female Sufi vocalist from Tehran; The Yoginis, a group of brothers trained in classical Indian music; Techung, an exiled Tibetan trained in traditional Tibetan lhamo opera; and Grammy-award winning guitarist Larry Mitchell.

The results of this natural collaboration are 26 tracks that seamlessly flow from one to the next. Hypnotic vocals float a river of singing bowls, rhythm guitars, narrative snippets by Harrison Ford, and powerful percussions.”I was actually shocked how easily things gelled: traditional Indian, underneath or on top of Afro-Cuban beats, blended with a Tibetan song on the computer,” said Tyabji. “We didn’t have to do any fancy stuff. It just came together in a perfect match up of tracks.” Renaissance opens with the Dalai Lama’s contemplative words, repeated throughout the soundtrack, connecting each track like a cosmic string of prayer beads, “Every human activities whether in economy, whether in politics, or in medical science, or science, or any field, any activities; suppose all these different human activities helped humanity to achieve human desire. But some cases, human activities create more additional unnecessary problem. Why suffer? Why pain? Why unhealthy motivation? Why more unnecessary suffering?”

Meditative by nature, Renaissance the soundtrack is aural proof that there are shared elements within us, harmonious and true. Reflecting upon the lessons shared, Tyabji said, “For me, his most powerful message, the one that repeats on the album like a mantra, is that each of us is personally responsible to think about humanity, other human beings.”

Issue Date: December 5 - 11, 2003

The spiritually charged music of Zimbabwe’s Shona people has inspired a worldwide cult following. Recordings of the mbira, a 22-iron-pronged hand piano, circulate among the faithful but rarely make it into record stores. This one, coming from a new label specializing in Tanzanian music, stands out from the pack. Tirikoti is a phenomenon, in part because he uses a range of mbiras in different tunings to expand the instrument’s sonic range and in part because he plays with amazing speed and precision. Not that this is chops music — the magic comes from a hypnotic alchemy of interaction among musicians. On these seven tracks, Tirikoti and his nephew create a virtual village using overdubbing to build a complex mesh of mbira lines and rich choral passages of call-and-response with independent voices cutting across the harmonies. On "Usaore Moyo (Don’t Lose Heart)," the effect is joyous and bubbly; "Chinembiri Chii (What Is Popular?)" has a pulsing downbeat and mournful vocals. The layering results in occasional rhythmic looseness, but for the most part, the sound is natural, and crisply recorded to do justice to details. Another plus is the lyrics (well translated in the notes), which provide genuine insight into Shona culture.

The worldwide mbira community--those tuned into the lore of the sacred, Shona hand piano--have been buzzing for years about this prodigal musician. But it took a visit to Tanzania with his nephew to actually get Garikayi Tirikoti on record for the general public. Garikayi has a full ensemble in Harare, which we will someday hear from. In the meantime, this session he made for Limitless Sky in Tanzania is a tantalizing introduction.

Garikayi is a phenomenon, in part because he uses a range of mbiras in different tunings to expand the instrument's sonic range, and in part because he plays with amazing speed and precision. Not that this is chops music. Rather, the magic comes from a hypnotic alchemy of interaction among musicians. On these seven tracks, Tirikoti and his nephew create a virtual village using overdubbing to build a complex mesh of mbira lines and rich choral passages of call-and-response with independent voices cutting across the harmonies.

On "Usaore Moyo (Don't Lose Heart)" the effect is joyous and bubbly; on "Chinembiri Chii (What is Popular?)," a pulsing downbeat and achingly mournful vocals. "Kugara Hunzwara (Stay Together in Understanding)" features an unusual, broken rhythm on the hosho (shaker percussion). "Maidei," a love song, has a sweet hook and may be the catchiest track here. The layering technique results in occasional rhythmic looseness, but for the most part, the sound is surprisingly natural, and crisply recorded to do justice to details. Another plus is the lyrics, well translated in the notes, which provide genuine insight into Shona culture.

Maidei - Garikayi Tirikoti
Mbira/Kalimba music from the heart of Africa - Tirikoti is genius

Pros
Amazing instrumentation, passionate spiritual flow - not to be missed

Cons
None I am aware of

The Bottom Line
The music of priests and wizards, Tirikoti has been captured playing the Zebra keys, and crossing over as well.

Full Review

Magic in the aire

When Heart sang about a magic man, they probably did not have Garikayi Tirikoti in mind, but they should have. A small part of the volume that is Africa has been captured for the world to hear, and it is with finger harps/pianos.

Sparks fly from his fingertips

What is the Mbira, the Kalimbra? It is a finely tuned piano, formed of well-worked metal rods laid into woodwork. Sometimes they use gourds to give resonance and volume (home made amps). The Mbira is the base for a spiritual body of music from Zimbabwe – specifically that of the Shona people. Tirikoti has broken ground and crossed barriers within the sometimes-eerie world of this music. The music carries with it spiritual power, some say that there can be a very fine line between musician and wizard – maybe that is true everywhere.

In a recent interview with his producer Michele Tyabji, he explained that Tirikoti’s family is responsible for the care and nurturing of what they call the Zebra tuning of the Mbira. Tirikoti further stepped into new musical worlds by making Mbira that are tuned to bridge the gaps between the Mbira and Kalimbra of varying African tribes and clans. He has written music for an orchestra of finger piano, unlike anything ever attempted.

Maybe there is a lot of magic involved in joining people together musically, of crossing boundaries and life long feelings. The music will make you relax, it will make your heart rejoice.

Feel the Flow

The music flows, typically starting with a gentle finger pattern – played with many fingers and thumbs. Then slowly many kinds of percussion add along, differing drums and shakers and bells. The music begins to form itself into a chant, or a dance – and then the voices layer in.

The percussion patterns are incredibly complex, with movements and changes that sometimes repeat and sometimes don’t. The Mbira is a constant flow under and around the percussion.

Some high, some low – much of Tirikoti’s chant is his own voice. The finger harps make such happy rhythm. And then a chorus is joined in, making the chant – staying always within the powerfully loose confines of the flow. The music can feel chaotic if you thrive on pattern-based songs and strict form. Then as you discern the patterns, you can feel the fact that this music is very formal within’ it’s properly defined quadrants. The strictures being that you flow, that you make the noise joyful, that you play from your spirit.

The Songs Themselves

1 - Usaore Moyo
2 - Kugara Hunzwara
3 - Chinembiri Chii?
4 – Mai Dei
5 – Chavechinyakare
6 – Sarirambi
7 - Chengeto

And In the End

Listen with the ears of your spirit, this is not music for the faint hearted. You have to be ready to move with the currents of the water, to float with the leaves as they sail about and to burn inside. This is the music of Mother Africa, and it has been designed to reach into your very spirit and inspire you to feel God flowing through the sounds. As you listen, you become a part of the consciousness, of the flow – of all that life has for us… one series of notes at a time.

Consumer Guide
by Robert Christgau
Eating Again
June 2nd, 2003 2:30

NDALA KASHEBA Yellow Card
(Limitless Sky)

Congo-born in Tanzania, he's what guitar paradise is made of even though that heavenly collection passed him by. Definitive is the 12-string acoustic he cradles in both photos. Sustaining is gentle singer Baziano Bweti, who died in 2002 preaching AIDS education. Of good cheer are King Malou's perky alto themes on "Massamba" and the super-collectible "Kokolay." Also nice are the clicks, the claps, the coro. You believe in staying positive? East African soukous is still writing the book. A MINUS

Congo
Congolese rumba, one of Africa's most immediately beguiling and longest-lived styles, repatriates Afro-Cuban rumba back to Africa, smoothing out the vocals and layering on the guitar lines. Sam Mangwana, who has been performing for 40 years, goes international on "Cantos de Esperança" (Sono/Next Music), a largely acoustic album that juxtaposes modern soukous with more old-fashioned Cuban music and songs that draw on the Afro-Portuguese Angolan semba.

Ndala Kasheba, a Congolese guitarist who settled in Tanzania, is nowhere near as slick as Mr. Mangwana. But the band he leads on "Yellow Card" (Limitless Sky/Stern's) is bursting with life. His 12-string guitar and an infusion of East African rhythms give Mr. Kasheba's soukous a special heft that doesn't make it any less luminous.

The music of 'Yellow Card' is a collection of Ndala Kasheba's classic songs from throughout his music career. The title track is a reference to the AIDS epidemic. In the '80s, Kasheba had a lull in his musical career, and people began to say, "Oh, he's finished. The man is finished." He was actually pronounced dead by the media of Tanzania, twice. They said he died of AIDS, and really, all he had done was take a trip back to the Congo to see his family. He came back, and he's sitting at a bar and hears on the radio that he's dead. This really affected him, because if he's hearing that, his family, his children, his best friends --everybody is hearing this. So he wrote this song saying, "God has issued the world a yellow card (a warning in a soccer match). AIDS is a warning to the world. We must take our lives seriously now."

Ndala Kasheba
Yellow Card
Limitless Sky Records, 2002

Ndala Kasheba, Yellow Card

Yellow Card, is the first album released by Tanzanian guitarist/songwriter, Ndala Kasheba, in the United States. Released by Limitless Sky Records in 2002, Yellow Card is a great introduction to East African popular music. A veteran of the East African music scene, Ndala Kasheba has been an important force in Tanzania since the 1970's when he first immigrated to Dar Es Salaam from the Congo. He is known for his flashiness, very much a Congolese trait. For example, he dons a Mexican sombrero hat both on stage and off. The East African rumba is smooth and best known for the soaring paired guitars that ride on top of virtually every song. Yellow Card works in this style, the perfect album for upbeat dancing and having fun.

One aspect of this music which immediately strikes you is the sense of happiness and joy conveyed through the lyrical guitar and bouncy bass lines. Like most popular music, Kasheba takes his music from the language of his people. Since the days of revered socialist president, Julius Nyerere, the common language spoken throughout Tanzania is Kiswahili. As this reviewer can attest from personal experience, Kiswahili is a beautifully lyrical language, which is bright and sunny, very much a reflection of the climate of East Africa. In addition to Kiswahili, Kasheba speaks numerous other African languages, English and French. His repertoire includes many diverse influences, spanning through both African and Western genres. [This is most clearly reflected in his songs like "Kadi Ya Njano" (which means Yellow Card) and in "Kokolay," the first track of the album.] Ndala is accompanied by his big band consisting of lead, electric and rhythm guitars, alto and tenor saxes, ranging from two to four vocalists, drum set and conga's.

"Kokolay" is a driving introduction to the album. It starts with an acoustic guitar strumming chords which are reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan, then segways into a joyful bass line accompanied by the tenor and alto horns. Kasheba's lead vocals are backed by the rich vocal triads who respond in the common African call and response dialogue. The second track, "Marinella" is similar in style to "Kokolay," with the intertwined three part harmonies backing two lead singers singing the same falsetto line. "Kadi ya Njano" (or Yellow Card) is the third track which involves a bit of controversy. In his long lived career, Ndala has become a celebrity of sorts in Tanzania. He is the sponsor of several daily household items like laundry detergent. Part of the success that he has achieved has led him to be the subject of occaisional slanderous and false rumors which have spread through the Tanzanian press. One particularly fraudulent rumor mentioned that Ndala had died, many of his friends thought it was true, and he had to work hard to convince everybody that he, in fact, was still alive. "Yellow Card" refers to the warning card a soccer player gets in a match when he has committed a foul. Here Ndala is warning the press and anyone who might want to slander him again.

All of the tracks on this album are well crafted and lively. With the exception of "Yellow Card", they all are upbeat and joyful in the dancing style. The groove moves quickly,a trademark of the 4/4 rhythmic cycle, and you get the sense that you are walking along with a bounce in your step. Check out tracks "Mpaka Manga" and "Sung'ula Weba," for their flowing vocal passages. "Massamba" and "Umbeya" are great for their bass lines and horn sections. If you want to get a flavor for Ndala's masterful guitar playing, check out "Dezo Dezo," and "Nimlilie Nani?" Both of these songs feature the high register guitar solo so familiar to East Africa.

When visiting one of the countries of East Africa, you will hear music like Ndala Kasheba's in nightclubs, bars, but also on a daily basis walking through the marketplace and business districts. Store owners will often place stereo speakers outside their stores playing music from Eastern and Southern Africa to attract customers. This is one feature of marketplaces which add to the excitement and delirium already so present amidst the endless transactions taking place. Whatever state you may find yourself in the marketplace, the sounds of the lead guitar soaring through the high register make a unique and lasting impression. In its wide range of distribution throughout region, Ndala's music is an ideal way to become familiar with a very popular East African sensibility.

Contributed by: Andrew Harms for www.afropop.org

Ndala Kasheba
Yellow Card

Limitless Sky

Yellow Card is the perfect panacea for all that ails ya. Congolese guitar "Maestro," Ndala Kasheba serves up a perfectly delicious serving of soukous that will leave a gulf-wide grin on your face. The swirling guitar melodies leave you mesmerized; the creeping bass lines claw into your hip bones and will not let go until everyone is dancing; and the vocals feel like pure joy (only because I don't understand the lyrics). Soukous is one of those rare forms of music that will always leave you smiling. It showers even the darkest room with an infectious joy that, like Mobutu, is damned near impossible to resist. Kasheba is the perfect example to the pure bliss this music spreads. His music is captivating and so full of verve and spirit, one can easily get lost within his beautiful sound. This disc lifts the spirit and leaves it floating in the enriching ether of optimism and promise.

Limitless Sky Records: http://www.limitlesssky.net

Bill Campbell

INK 19 – March 19

REVIEWS

NDALA KASHEBA Yellow Card
Limitless Sky

Famous in Tanzania for his voice and 12-string guitar, expatriate Congolese musician Kasheba, brings a touch of the rumba to East Africa, letting the sounds mix and create and very spicy stew. Backed by a full band, with several singers, and horns on some tracks, the sound is full, and quite joyous. A very adept guitarist, Kasheba might be one of the very few African 12-string players, his Congolese leads (often on 6-string) fluent over the East African rhythms, making for a marvelous pan-African collaboration that works well.

Ndala Kasheba is best known for his joyful soukous inflected music, that is, the bouncy, rippling dance music of Congo, his original home. What sets him apart is his delightful twelve string guitar playing, which quite literally doubles the pleasure. His music is well known in Africa, and word has it that if one journeys through a Tanzanian market, one¹s ears will be filled with the maestro¹s music. But in "Refugees" we find Kasheba in a more reflective mood, musing on the hardships of dislocation, and the need for a better future. He passed away in 2004, so this video has used scraps of performances woven into a collage to convey this lovely song.

The Maestro Ndala Kasheba is considered to be amongst the greatest guitarists and composers. This work features his unique 12 string acoustic guitar performance of fantastically lush African world fusion music.

Various Artists
New African Composers Limitless Sky

It's always great to hear African music recorded in Africa, rather than Paris, London or North America. This is the result of three years worth of work at a studio in Dar Es Salaam set up by an American couple, Michel & Rose Tyabji, with the help of the Tanzanian Ministry of Culture. And this is a community-oriented studio, recording established musicians and up and comers of the Dar Es Salaam scene made possible by the cooperation of the government. There is a balance between clear, subtly effected production and booty shaking rhythms that only a few African artists have been able to achieve since the onslaught of synths in the ’80s. There has been a conscious decision to go with a natural sound and feel throughout these recordings, but also to create modern music using the full capabilities of multi-tracked recording. While individual parts of songs may sound a little hesitant, the grooves are never in doubt. Bands like Yekete Beat and Achigo are time-tested, rumba-spiked crowd pleasers and each of their outstanding tracks feature funky, insistent drumming. Other songs feature instrumental virtuosi — acoustic guitar ace Ndala Kasheba (who has a full-length CD of his own out on the same label) and mbira master Garikayi Tirikoti both showcase considerable talents. Tirikoti's eight-mbira orchestra is a wonder to listen to — nothing but the characteristic metallic rods producing a wide range of frequencies, harmonies and kick-ass rhythms. This is a fine sampler of artists that undoubtedly will each release solid discs of their own. Watch out for this label in the months to come!