Ghorwane
Majurugenta
Real World, 1993
Big bands are one of the glories of Southern Africa. Despite wonky horn sections and crusty productions, classic tracks from South Africa and the "frontline" states exude a jazz-informed richness missing from much of today's leaner, slicker Afropop. This young band from war-torn Mozambique have bucked the tide of imitating American disco and Zairean soukous to keep alive local rhythms with names like Xigubu, Mapiko, Tufu, and Marabanta. Exotic names, but the sound here is friendly and familiar, based around a swinging horn section, lilting percussion, and strong vocal harmonies. Singing the terrors of an ongoing civil war, Ghorwane maintain a feeling of hope and uplift, one that barely conceals passionate longing and sorrow. The grooves draw upon rootsy 6/8 feels, Cuban-tinged rumba, reggae, and even soul, but always with inventiveness and nuance. Sweet vocal hooks and organic horn arranging--both solo and sectional playing--build on clean, solid drumming and limber bass lines. Horn stabs and an insistent catchy vocal refrain lift "Matarlatanta," a playful song about womens' fashion, to spiritual heights. Another standout, "Sathuma," with its waterfall horn lines and melancholy rumba feel, voices a poignant plea to a poor, ravaged society not to feed on itself. Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio justifies its existence every time it gives a band like this a chance to show what they can do.
Contributed by: Banning Eyre
Originally published in: Boston Phoenix
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