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CD Review
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Allmusicguide.com, CD Review >>
Ugandan-born multi-instrumentalist Samite has a rare talent for creating memorable melodies that sound as if you've known them for years. On this disc "Nalubale," for example, seems achingly familiar, its name just out of reach, while "Nawe Okiwulira" sounds tantalizingly like one of those Afro-funk fusions Talking Heads attempted, only with far more polish and finesse. Gorgeously produced, the music and rhythm work perfectly together to build the songs, segueing easily and naturally from one track to the next. There's a strong imagination at work here, too. The African feel of the whole album is subtly muted with a Western flavor — not a criticism, but a way of helping it find a wider audience. The vocals, all pitched seductively low in volume and tone, are like lovely poignant whispers, but with a positive message, as on "We Can Do Better." With its smoothness, it would be easy to dismiss Embalasasa as a new age disc, with all the shallowness implied in the tag. But it's not. There's a real depth of arrangement, technique, and passion here, with a sense of both roots and travel. In his own small way Samite is a magician, and Embalasasa is his most complete work yet.
-Chris Nickson 03/10/06 >> go there
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