Review Jazz World music

Ray Stephen Oche And His Matumbo

(Interpretation Of The Original Rhythms)

Favorite • 2011

The fact that this nigerian multi-instrumentalist has been waiting for his well-deserved worldwide reception, is definitely due to his never settling in the US. If he had done so, this record would probably have been released on Groove Merchant or Mainstream Records. The song »Odeiyolaoo« is virtually asking to be released on a »Pulp Fusion«-Compilation. And this is why the praise of renown artists is so massive. Be it Laurent Garnier, Robert Luis or Honest Jon – Masters of Electro as well as Rare Groove-Gurus approve of the work alike. It is the consistently pushing rhythm on this album, which is in line with the productions of the above named artists. It is no surprise, then, that the drummer and the percussionists were assembled from places like Togo, Guinea, Congo and Namibia – places where music and dance play such an elementary role in education as learning to read and write. Building on the harmonious scheme of modal Jazz, minute-long scales and solos are being modeled on the ever same riff, but this is never boring – because the percussion elements are so diverse and entangled so beautifully that they never seem in your face.