Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali is a studio album released by Africa Express, a UK-based non-profit organisation. The album is a recording of Terry Riley's minimalist composition In C, with Malian and Western musicians playing on it. It was released through Transgressive Records on 24 November 2014.
| Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 24 November 2014 |
| Recorded | 2013 (Bamako, Mali) |
| Genre | Minimalism |
| Label | Transgressive |
Background and music
editIn C is a classical piece in the style of minimalism, composed by Terry Riley in 1964.[1] It was inspired by modal jazz and the repetition found in African music.[2] The piece begins with a droning pulse played on the note C.[3] Then, an unspecified amount of performers select from one of 53 melodic segments, which they repeat for as long as they choose.[3] This causes the phrases to interfere aleatorically, creating complex harmony and rhythms.[1]
There have been many recordings of In C since the first in 1968, but In C Mali is the first African one.[4] In C Mali was first initiated by the German conductor André de Ridder.[5] It was recorded in Bamako, Mali, in 2013.[5] The album was released in 2014, the fiftieth anniversary of In C's composition.[6] It was released physically via Transgressive Records in 2015.[7] Africa Express' rendition runs for 41 minutes.[3] It keeps the same key elements of the original, but adds extra details, for example, flutes, strings, and a spoken word soliloquy (during which, the pulse stops).[8] 17 musicians play on the album, consisting of both Malian and Western musicians (including Damon Albarn, Nick Zinner, and Brian Eno).[9] The pulse is played on the balafon.[10] Ridder served as the conductor.[3]
Reception
editPaul Mardles of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, and praised the "new details" that give the recording its charm.[11] Joe Tangari of Pitchfork rated the album 8.1 out of 10 points, praising its distinction from other In C recordings, and the ensemble's "dynamic interplay".[3] The album received three-and-a-half out of five stars from Andy Beta of Rolling Stone.[2] Mark Kidel of The Arts Desk gave the recording a perfect score, and wrote it may be the most "exciting version" of In C.[10]
Personnel
editAdapted from Tangari 2015.
- Adama Koita – kamel n’goni
- Alou Coulibaly – percussion
- Andi Toma – percussion
- André de Ridder – multi-instrumentalist, conductor
- Badou Mbaye – percussion
- Bijou – vocals
- Brian Eno – vocals
- Cheick Diallo – flute
- Damon Albarn – melodica
- Defily Sako – kora
- Guindo Sala – imzad
- Jeff Wootton – guitar
- Kalifa Koné – balafon
- Modibo Diawara – kora
- Mémé Koné – balafon
- Nick Zinner – guitar
- Olugbenga – vocals
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Clark 2015; Tangari 2015.
- ^ a b Beta 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Tangari 2015.
- ^ Clark 2015; Mardles 2014.
- ^ a b Clark 2015.
- ^ Mardles 2014; Tangari 2015.
- ^ Fact writers 2015.
- ^ Clark 2015; Mardles 2014; Tangari 2015.
- ^ Fact writers 2015; Clark 2015.
- ^ a b Kidel 2015.
- ^ Mardles 2014.
Sources
edit- Beta, Andy (26 January 2015). "Africa Express 'Presents...Terry Riley's In C Mali' Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- Clark, Philip (June 2015). "Riley In C". Gramophone. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- Fact writers (26 January 2015). "Watch Damon Albarn and Brian Eno's 40-minute tribute to Terry Riley's 'In C' with Africa Express". Fact Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- Kidel, Mark (21 January 2015). "CD: Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- Mardles, Paul (7 December 2014). "Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley's In C Mali review – conceptual masterpiece gets a charming update". The Observer. The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- Tangari, Joe (6 February 2015). "Africa Express: Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 July 2024.