The Wesleyan Argus, Review >>
The members of Baka Beyond were early pioneers in the world fusion scene with their now oft-imitated blend of African rhythms and songs accompanied by Celtic instrumentation. Five albums later, their unique and distinct but often imitated Afro-Celtic sound remains strong through subtle explorations and consistently energetic performances.
Baka Beyond’s approach mainly involves setting a foundation of guitar, bass and percussion grooves and then building on it with solo and group vocals (including Pygmy chants) interspersed with instrumental interludes. The beats hop, skip and jump along playfully and although the music is heavily layered it always suggests a quality of childlike innocence and simplicity that is joyful in its naïveté.
East to West, Baka Beyond’s latest work, accurately reflects the diverse makeup of its members: a fiddler from Breton who used to play in a popular medieval French folk-rock revival group (Malicorne); a British singer who sings in a hybrid Afro-Celtic style; a bassist from Cameroon; and percussionists from Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
“An Gwirder” shows off a hypnotic chorus of balafons; while the djembe preludes the instrumental entrances with powerful fills. This leads into the driving melody of guitar and uillean or Irish bagpipes that forms the central theme of the track. Finally, both guitar and pipes alternate on dizzying and rollicking solos to round out the tune. The interplay of a jigging fiddle and a grooving bass lends “Ra-Li-O” some bluegrassy attitude. The closer, “Silver Whistle,” brings some terrific kora playing into the spotlight as a counterpoint to Su Hart’s uniquely enchanting vocal style.
The band’s leader and guitarist, Martin Cradick, was a founding member of the influential Australian folk group Outback in the 1980s. After the breakup of Outback, Cradick traveled to Africa where he wound up spending quite a long time hanging out with the Baka forest people of Cameroon, also known as the Central African Pygmies (for more info check out: www.baka.co.uk). His musical and cultural experiences with the Baka became the cornerstone of Baka Beyond.
While the addition of the uillean pipes ups the overall Celtic feel to the group, Baka Beyond’s sound and musical philosophy still rest strongly on the rhythmic magic that so inspired Cradick on his first visit to the Central African forests.
--Jesse Brenner 11/15/02 >> go there
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