Various musicians from Africa have made an impact on the European scene, but it is safe to say none have been quite like South Africa's Abel Selaocoe (se-LAU-chay), who made his way from a township near Johannesburg to the Royal Northern College of Music. Selaocoe and his cello play pieces from various African traditions, featuring improvisation, body percussion, group singing in religious pieces that somehow seem at the heart of the whole thing. Many of these are inflected in a European direction, not only by the presence ...
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Various musicians from Africa have made an impact on the European scene, but it is safe to say none have been quite like South Africa's Abel Selaocoe (se-LAU-chay), who made his way from a township near Johannesburg to the Royal Northern College of Music. Selaocoe and his cello play pieces from various African traditions, featuring improvisation, body percussion, group singing in religious pieces that somehow seem at the heart of the whole thing. Many of these are inflected in a European direction, not only by the presence of the cello. Yo-Yo Ma, no stranger to cultural fusions, adds a beautiful line to the opening Ibuvile, but most interesting perhaps are the European classical pieces, which are inflected toward Africa. A cello sonata by Giovanni Benedetto Platti features a continuo group enlivened by the presence of a Malian kora. Best of all may be the Sarabande from Bach's Suite No. 3 for solo cello in C major, BWV 1009, which melts into an African song, and then back into Bach. The ensemble pieces feature members of Selaocoe's cohort from Manchester, and although there are solo pieces, the whole thing has a very collaborative African aspect. This is not only an engaging piece of music-making but one that people will be studying in decades to come. It's marred only by over-intimate sound. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
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