Contemporary Jazz & Fusion
Ivan Mazuze: Penuka
(Global Sonics / July 12, 2024)
Ivan Mazuze is a virtuoso saxophone and wind player, and a composer with a distinctive and assured voice. Penuka, his latest album, is a rich and imaginative kaleidoscopic intersection of global sounds and modern jazz.
On Penuka, he dives deeply into his roots in Afrojazz and the kind of edgy contemporary music beloved particularly in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, where he now makes his home. Specifically for this album, and new to his compositional palette, is an appreciation for the influence of Arab and Indian cultures on the music of the African continent. Through centuries old trade routes, the regions have longstanding cultural connections.
He's assembled an impressive band for the recording. The core group includes Olav Torget (guitar, and ngoni on two tracks), Raciel Torres (drums), Per Mathisen (bass), and Jørn Øien (piano & keyboards)
Rhythmic complexity is a strong feature throughout the album.
Guest musicians from Zimbabwe, Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, Pakistan and India add to the musical mix, including the Shona, Urdu, Wolof, Rajasthani and Sargam languages.
In short, he's built a global collective of musicians that contribute to Penuka's soundscape
The Songs
Bongile, the opening track, is a Xhosa word that means "we are grateful" or "we are thankful". The music of the Rajasthani Indian nomadic gypsy peoples, known for their dance traditions, infuses the piece from the outset.
The threads of shared histories blend into the flow of modern music.
Penuka, the title track, plays with the sax against complex and multilayered rhythms. It's a highlight of the album, and illustrates the concept behind it: the interplay of cultures.
Put another way, it blends different ways of thinking about melody and rhythm into a seamless dance. The song and album's title means "to expose" in Xichangana, a Mozambican language.
Mamidje finds inspiration in African spiritual and religious practices; more specifically, spirit possession rituals common to Southern Africa. It's a belief around connecting with our ancestors. Mamidje is the name of Ivan's late older brother, and the song honours his life.
Maxwell Vidima's vocals embody the song's spiritual centre in sound. Around it, the instruments dance a kind of enveloping rhythm. Particularly striking is a dense passage that layers flute, various percussion, voice and more.
Vidima is Zimbabwean, and the Bira practice from that country uses dance and music to invite the spirits to communicate.
Soukous and kwasa kwasa mix with a Latin flair in M & S. The song has an irresistible groove.
Ayaan, from a word that means God, is a standout track. Inspired by northern Indian classical music, tablas, saxophone and jazz quartet seamlessly layer in and out of vocals by Pakistani singer Reshail Mansoor and sitar played by Rohini Sahajpal.
Each of the songs offers a different dive into the rich mix of musical traditions and idioms. Kanawa uses the hypnotic rhythms of Moroccan Gnawa to acknowledge the influence of Arab music and culture on Subsaharan Africa.
Through the often busy instrumentation and polyrhythms, all of the musicians make their contributions felt. Modou Mbaye Tama talking drums were a notable element in five of the tracks.
There is a superb rapport between the core musicians that creates a solid base for the ensemble to play.
It's imaginative global jazz for those who want to think and groove.
The song Belonging:
From Ivan's bio:
Ivan Mazuze is a Norway-based composer, award-winning saxophonist and world jazz artist of Mozambique origin. Mazuze initiated his studies in music in 1987 at the National Music School in his home country Mozambique.
Piano was his first instrument and after seven years of classical piano training, he joined the woodwind section with a jazz study approach and a focus on improvisation. Mazuze continued his studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa in the Department of Jazz and Musicology.
He holds an honours degree in jazz and composition studies and is a master's graduate in ethnomusicology. He writes ethnomusicological articles about music and trance in ritual practices which have been released in the educational magazine The Talking Drum.
He's been based in Norway since 2009.
Album Details
All music composed and arranged by Ivan Mazuze. Lyrics written in collaboration with Maxwell Vidima for the track Mamidje, and with Khaleed Laaouam for the track Kanawa.
Recorded at Newtone Studios, Oslo, Norway (2024)
Sound engineering: Leif Johanssen
Additional recordings: Ivan Mazuze at Imazuze Music Studios Editing, mixing and mastering: Leif Johanssen
Producer: Ivan Mazuze
Executive Producers: Global Sonics and Ivan Mazuze
Musicians
- Ivan Mazuze: Vocals, Saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor), flute, mbira, shakers
- Sikander Langa: Vocals
- Minuddin Khan: Vocals
- Rahis Barthi: Vocals, tablas
- Maxwell Vidima: Vocals
- Reshail Mansoor: Vocals
- Jai Shankar: Vocals, tablas
- Khaleed Laaouam: Vocals, guembri, krakreb
- Mariama Ndure: Vocals
- Olav Torget: Guitar, ngoni
- Rohini Sahajpal: Sitar
- Jørn Øien: Keyboards, synths, piano
- Per Mathisen: Bass
- Papa Asane Samb: Sabar Percussion
- Modou Mbaye Tama: Talking drums
- Raciel Torres: Drums
Track List
Bongile (4:35); ; Penuka (6:09); Mamidje (5:20); M & S (4:36); Belonging (4:22); Ayaan (6:00); Adufo (4:50); Kanawa (4:39); Nhaka (4:57); Yangulanu (5:48)
Mamidje - from the album Penuka:
Comments
Post a Comment