Michael Spiro & Mark Lamson - Bata Ketu

 

In the ebb and flow of life, things come together and things fall apart. This constant rhythm is observed in everyday life, as well as in historical summaries of past centuries. Bata Ketu is an Inter-musical game consisting of six acts. It tells the story of Yoruba music, uprooted from Mother Africa, transplanted in Cuba and Brazil, evolving separately in time, to later come together in the present day. In this meeting of two long separated "brothers", the differences and similarities to create a new form, dynamic art through performance and celebration.

During the long years of slavery in which the Yorubas and their descendants suffered in Cuba and Brazil, their ancestral deities, the Orishas, ​​would appear in the physical world through the possession of the initiates. Through a living art of song, drumming and dance, the orishas have lived as far as the shores of Africa. It could be said that whenever the rhythms of the orisha are played or their songs sung, they exist in our physical world.

Listening to this recording, you will hear the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion instruments that accompany the call and response to the songs dedicated to the orishas. These spiritual songs invoke beauty and power that communicate directly to the inner being of each person. The songs come from both Cubans (lucumí) and Brazilians (candombe). In some cases, Cuban drums accompany Brazilian songs, while Brazilian drums and rhythms accompany Cuban songs. In other cases, two versions of the same song, one from each country, are sung back to back.

Although both versions are clearly the same song, the difference between the Brazilian and Cuban flavors delights the senses. On the other hand, there is a wonderful sense of balance in Bata Ketu, as Cuban songs are sung by a woman, and Brazilian songs are sung by a man. These arrangements not only demonstrate a deep understanding of both lineages, but also the variety and ingenuity of the groupings in creating new and original musical textures that can be appreciated by beginner and aficionado alike.

The extraordinary music heard at Bata Ketu is the work of two visionary American percussionists, Michael Spiro and Mark Lamson. They are accompanied by Brazilian Percussion Master Jorge Alabe, Cuban singer and musicologist Bobi Céspedes, and Regino Jiménez considered one of the greatest olú -batá (percussionist) from Cuba.

Fuente: http://www.bembe.com/bataketu/