simple farmer

1. Parago 00:00:00
2. Akom 00:05:33
3. Adova 1 00:11:06
4. Adova 2 00:15:30
5. Atokwe 1 00:17:38
6. Atokwe 2 00:23:25
7. Atokwe 3 00:26:20

These field recordings, captured by Mark Seidenfeld in November of 1996 during a Vaudou (Voodoo) funeral in the African village of Sogakope, Ghana, does a great service to the western world by bringing the intensity, anger, joy and pure passion of the ceremony to western culture. The emotions conjured by these recordings is difficult to express, suffice it to say that the somber tone of a European funeral or even the joyous wail of a New Orleans jazz funeral are indeed worlds away. Seidenfeld was only permitted to record these wonderful performances on the condition that he participate in the ceremony, and the results are perhaps the best of the tribal field recordings that I’ve encountered. A row of seven drummers are complimented by the village women who join in on wooden clappers, poignantly augmented by the angry wails of their native death songs. The large main drum is the source of improvisation and is played by tow men; one on the skin and the other beating sticks on the drum’s wooden body. A treasure for those interested in the ways and origins of Voodoo, or for anyone with the desire to explore the brilliant music of other cultures.