‘Rock & Roll’ was slang for f*ckin, as was ‘jazz’ and only after Jerry Lee Lewis ‘cleaned’ it up for white America did the stuff take off commercially (jazz remained an underground ‘jungle’ music until it was repackaged as ‘swing’). Now the roots of our music make themselves known in this latest installment from the Six Degree Records’ Traveler Series, bringing together remixes from some of the finest stars of Afrobeat and Electronica.

I used to think African music was all about oooga boooga thanks to PBS and National Geographic’s tribal vignettes I was growing up with, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The ‘Dark Continent’ is home to possibly the richest blend of ‘vintage’ jazz, blues, soul, funk, R&B, gospel, and rock you’ll ever hear this side of the Atlantic.

In 1994 I worked a concert by Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, legends of South Africa not only for their music but also for their political activism against apartheid. It was a total awakening for me and I’ve been hooked ever since, diversifying my listening to other incredible musicians and artists such as Baaba Olatunji, Hassan Hakmoun, Fela & Femi Kuti, Ali Farka Toure, King Sunny Ade, Papa Wembe, Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, and a host of others.

Their music isn’t static. It moves, it grooves, it bops, it pops, it twists, it kicks, it thumps, it pumps. I’d contemplated giving a track by track review here, but will instead advise you to give this album a serious listen and use it as a compass to discover the true roots of much of what we consider today to be ‘Western’ music.
AAAH-FREE-KAAH!

This summer will be seeing even more compilations squeezed into the narrow “pan-asian” box, and this is one you may want to spend your hard-earned flow on since it features cuts and remixes that you won’t find elsewhere for at least ten months (give or take a week).

Opening with Banco de Gaia’s mix of Karsh’s “Distance,”Asian Travels 2 journeys on to deliver sublime hits such as the Mantra mix of Makyo’s classic “Devadasi” and the PunditZ’ “Aaja re,” along with exclusive tracks from Karsh Kale (a sweet downbeat version of “Deepest Blue”), Govinda and Jairamji.

This compilation marks the PundtZ’ US debut, with a full album to be released in September. Big Ups Gaurav and Tapan, it’s about time… and speaking of shouts, this comp is dedicated by the 6D crew to George Harrison….All in all, Asian Travels 2 may not be as groundbreaking as the original, but the it proves the art of Indotronic Vibology™ is as refined as ever.

…So, please, stop calling it a “concept.”

The first track “Ja Sha Taan,” features fine qawwali vocals by Nawish Ali Khan (whose resemblance to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is uncanny) with wonderful dancehall beats. Each and every subsequent track features the talents and interpretations of the individual artists and groups as they meld the sounds of South Asia with Y2K DJ technology. Banco de Gaia uses a nice sample of male voices reciting tabla bols or syllables representing specific strokes on the drums.

The closing track by famed violinist L. Shankar is somewhat irritating in the use of the harmonizing saxophone…I’ve always preferred his violin in a solo context where it really shines. All in all though a great showcase and introduction to this unique genre of music.