Putumayo presents World Hits

Elly Roberts reviews

Putumayo presents World HitsDistributed by
Putumayo

• August 2007
• Rating: 8/10

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Careful selection of tracklisting since its inception in 1993 has made Putumayo a resounding success in terms of promoting World Music.

This is no exception, as Putumayo lives up to its motto, “guaranteed to makeyou feel good.”

One of the major highlights (for me anyway) was the brilliant Youssou N’Doursinging 7 Seconds at Live 8 on July 2, 2005. It peaked at 3 in the UK,German and Swedish charts, but topped the French chart. Another personalfavourite appears – Oye Como Va (loosely translated as Hi How Are You)by Santana, was originally done by Latin jazz legend Tito Puente in 1963.

It appeared as track 3 on Santana’s breakthrough album Abraxas that hitnumber 3 in 1970. Lyrically there’s nothing to it, but the Latin rhythms,repeated like the original make it a sonic delight with Carlos’ guitar andGregg Rolie’s keyboards being it’s main feature. It was never released as asingle in the UK, but we all know it.

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Senagal’s all-brother band Toure Kunda (elephant family) was formed in 1979by siblings Amadon, Ismaila, and Sixu Tidiane. They moved to Paris, experimentedwith new instruments and expanded the band, but it’s just Ismalia and Sixu now.Their reggae fuelled MOR signature tune and first single E’mma was lifted fromtheir 1980 album E’mma Africa. Other well known ‘hits’ are Watermelon Manby jazz’s post-bop architect and member of Miles Davis ‘ second great quintet’Herbie Hancock,though Cubam musician Mongo Sanatamaria’s ‘crossover’ hit getsthe nod here, losing none of the original’s verve.

Others include Bamboleo, a UK entry included on 1994’s Hits Medley hit forFrench mass ensemble the Gipsy Kings. Hailing from Arles and Montpelier insouthern France, who were born to Spanish parents, the music of five Reyesand three Baliardo brothers is a brisk derivative of Rumba Catalana, a sort ofpop orientated version of traditional flamenco known as Rumba Flamenca.

It remains a party favourite across the UK with glorious happy go lucky chorusand flashes of Spanish guitars. Jamaican James Chambers aka Jimmy Cliff isregarded as the finest reggae pop crossover artist after Bob Marley. Despitenever making it in the UK, The Harder They Come was released in the USAin 1975. It was part of the film soundtrack of the same name in 1972 whichhelped popularise reggae across the globe.

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Lambada hit Britain like awhirlwind in 1989, with everyone doing the saucy moves provided by Frenchoutfit Kaoma.Less well known songs like Miriam Makeba’s Pata Pata, wasan apparent international hit in 1967, though her danceable version wasrecorded in 1977.

If funky jazz rgythms are your thing then look no further than Manu Dibango’sSoul Makossa. Makossa is style of music from the urbam areas of Cameroon.It’s similar to Soukous, except it includes strong bass rhythm and prominenthorn section which began in the late ’50s, but Dibango popularised it to theworld with this song, which was apparently sampled by Michael Jackson on Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.

The most interesting inclusion is that of rock legend Mick Jagger andex-Wailer Peter Tosh who paired up in the studio after meeting at the 1978One Love Peace Concert in Kingston. They had a minor UK hit with a cover ofthe Temptations’ (You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back.

Weblink:putumayo.com

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The full list of tracks included are :

1. (You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back – Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger (Jamaica / UK)
2. E’mma – Toure Kunda (Senegal)
3. 7 Seconds – Youssou N’Dour & Neneh Cherry (Senegal / UK)
4. Watermelon Man – Mongo Santamaria (Cuba)
5. Oye Como Va – Santana (USA)
6. The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff (Jamaica)
7. Lambada – Kaoma (Brazil / France)
8. Pata Pata – Miriam Makeba (South Africa)
9. Scatterlings Of Africa – Johnny Clegg & Savuka (South Africa)
10. Soul Makossa – Manu Dibango (Cameroon)
11. Bambolero – Gypsy Kings (France)

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