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 | Otha Turner/The Afrossippi... - Senegal To Senatobia |
 | "Trance music Alan Lomax would love!" | 2005-08-04 |
When I lived in the Mississippi Delta, I discovered Otha Turner and his fife and drum band. In a freakish coincidence, I have lived in both Senatobia, MS and Senegal. Otha's music definitely has its roots in West African music and you can hear the ancient tones. Yet this music, like another reviewer said, is definitley trance music. It's like no other you've heard. If you are interested in Alan Lomax's recordings from the South, you'll love Otha Turner. The recording is raw and flawed but this lends to the music's authenticity and makes you feel like you're at one of Otha's barbecues listening to the music live. Turner, who died a couple of years ago, had several members of his family in the band. Let's hope they carry the tradition on.
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 | Daara J - Boomerang |
| "An amazing collection from Senegal" | 2005-01-15 |
I heard this CD on the NPR show "The World" (a fabulous source for new world music) and was immediately interested (http://www.theworld.org/globalhits/2004/12/10.shtml). This has turned out to be one of my favorite W. African music collections. The beats are fabulous and catchy (even 14-year olds in rural Vermont were impressed with the music even though they couldn't understand a single word!). They sing in French, Woolof (a Senegalese dialect) and English and even though you might not understand the lyrics (the liner notes contain only selected verses from the songs) it's still an incredible CD. The speed with which the singers rap in any language is extremely impressive (especially on the track "Boomerang") and it had me captured in the first 30 seconds. He flies with his lyrics and you can't help but find yourself bopping your head and tapping your foot (I know, sounds cheezy!). I also love the song "Esperanza," which is very different because of its jazzier sound (and some lyrics in Spanish). Although Daara J sounds like and looks like your typical American rappers, the values and messages in their lyrics are not just about babes and bling. In their song "Paris-Dakar" they say that Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is more boubou than bling-bling, making reference to the traditional loose-fitting outfit, the boubou, that most Senegalese wear. It's hard to articulate precisely what I love most about this album, but it will forever remain as a playlist on my iPod. If you are interested in either rap/hip-hop or world music, this is a must-have in your collection. I will be looking for more music from Daara J and will keep up with them from now on.
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 | BELKIN Tunedock Ipod Mini Car Holder FBE485 |
 | "Good concept, poor execution" | 2005-01-15 |
The idea behind this product is good, but the actual product is less than ideal. The appearance is cheap and the configuration of pieces that I had to use with my particular car made it look homemade. If your cup holders are shallow (an inch deep or so) and of a certain diameter you must use the base with an adapter cup that makes the setup look silly. This configuration also sticks up too far. If you have a manual shift car with cup holders near the gear shift, be warned that you may find yourself hitting your iPod with the gearshift/your hand. Also the color is a dishwater grey -- not exactly appealing. Overall, a disappointment in looks and performance.
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