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Ethiopia
is in the house on this release by a 27-year-old who sings with
the fluttering, traditional authenticity and power of her
country's most celebrated diva, Aster Aweke, and also the
vibratoless pure tones and international accessibility of
Afropop stars like Oumou Sangare. With Bill Laswell producing
and such eminent guest artists as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter,
Pharaoh Sanders, David Gilmore, Henry Threadgill, and Tony
Cedras on hand, Gigi's international debut is a genre-bending
Afropop landmark. The pumping opener, "Gud Fella,"
finds her voice clear and strong as she declares anxious
infatuation with a dangerous man - indeed, impossible and
inappropriate love is the overriding theme in these 13 very
different tracks. Some, like "Gud Fella," put a classy
sheen on what is essentially dance pop. More-traditional
elements emerge on "Bale Washintu," with its quickly
tripping rhythm and rich flute melodies. The jazz players here
mostly add subtle richness; Shorter's contributions are
particularly satisfying, his tenor sax commenting wryly on
"Mengedegna" ( "Always on the Road" ) as
Gigi sings, "In love with a hawk, I'm a hawk myself,"
and echoing Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" on the set's
slow, blissful closer, "Adwa."
--Banning
Eyre, The
Phoenix Sun
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