TRILOK GURTU - African Fantasy (2000) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

There are theories about the way the continents were once joined together in prehistoric times, but Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu is attempting a new connection between land masses in a musical sense with his eighth album African Fantasy, which probably should have been called "Indo-A frican Fantasy" to make things clear to potential buyers. As an Indian musician, Gurtu is steeped in the music of his homeland, with its tablas and sitars, but as a percussionist he must be fascinated by the various rhythms coming out of Africa. Here, he has indulged that interest writing music that fuses both traditions, which he plays with his usual band, but he brings in several African vocalists: Sabine Kabongo (of the European-based group Zap Mama), Esmeralda Sciascia, Angelique Kidjo, and Oumou Sangare. The results are interesting, if tentative. Maybe if Gurtu had collaborated with African musicians, especially drummers, he might have gotten more of the continent into his music. As it is, there is a surface texture, especially in the vocals, of the continent's many musics, but the core of the sound remains Indian. That still makes for striking juxtapositions, and there is some wonderful playing. But the concept of an Indian/African fusion remains a fantasy, at least in this execution of it. by William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
1    Rajasthan 5'54
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Sarangi – Dhruba Ghosh
2    DJ Didgeridoo 4'54
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Didgeridoo – Richard Walley
3    African Fantasy 4'05
Composed By – Angélique Kidjo, Lakshmi Shankar, Trilok Gurtu
Vocals – Angélique Kidjo
4    You Remember This 3'39
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Vocals – Jaya Deva, Shobha Gurtu
5    Big Brother 4'33
Backing Vocals – Alima Toure, Nabintou Diabate
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Lute [Kamelen N'goni] – Kassim Sidibe
Vocals – Oumou Sangare
6    Folded Hands 7'43
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Sarangi – Dhruba Ghosh
7    Old African 6'10
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
8    Lisa 6'20
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
9    Dinki Puriya 3'02
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
10    Africa Con India 4'30
Composed By – Angélique Kidjo, Trilok Gurtu
Vocals – Angélique Kidjo
11    Big Brother Reprise 4'20
Composed By – Trilok Gurtu
Credits :
Bass – Kai Eckhardt De Camargo
Bass, Guitar, Synthesizer – Nicolas Fiszman
Drums, Tabla, Timpani, Percussion [Clay Pot] – Trilok Gurtu
Percussion [Gimbri] – Jaya Deva
Sitar, Harmonium – Ravi Chary
Vocals – Esmeralda Sciascia, Sabine Kabongo