Search - Babatunde Olatunji :: Drums of Passion

An exotica masterpiece

S. Gustafson | New Albany, IN USA | 06/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the most entertaining recordings ever made. Now, in a historical sense, it probably is an important document for the dissemination of knowledge of world music. And it is also true that Babatunde Olatunji went on to have a quite distinguished and prolific career after making this recording, and that his later recordings may be more authentic in an academic sense.



There is another way of approaching this record, though. Though "world music" the way *we* understand it was somewhat hard to find in the USA in 1959, "exotica" was not. Exotica was a sort of lounge pop jazz that mixed Afro-Cuban rhythms with "Polynesian" style melodies to create tropical atmosphere and mood music for the tiki-bar era. It's a genre associated with Esquivel, Yma Sumac, Arthur Lyman, Martin Denny, Les Baxter, and many more artists from the period. Some of these exotica performances are still campy and entertaining, but the string and pedal steel guitar arrangements can become cloying and embarrassing after a while.



Placed in this context, this record stands head and shoulders above its contemporaries. Afro-Cuban rhythms, of course, come from Nigeria and West Africa. Babatunde Olatunji was well prepared to meet that demand. For the contemporary listener, this recording is obviously better because Olatunji strips out all of the sappy strings and corny arrangements that make 1950s exotica so cringe-worthy.



And leaving aside issues of ever-elusive "authenticity", Babatunde Olatunji was a first class showman and entertainer, and that's the side that makes this recording one of his best known and best liked. Again, with the very basic presentation of his large drum ensemble, his virile and overstated presentation turns up the energy. This is not music to evoke images of lounging in a hammock while hula girls sway. This is for dancing around the sacrificial fire with the witch doctor from a Tarzan movie.



Yes, it sits on the point where exotica ends and world music begins. It's a fine entertainment. The epic track "Shango" is easily worth the price of admission; download it if you get nothing else. It is also one of the best car albums for city driving ever made. Break out the tiki torches and the rum punch, and have a blast."

The Hit of My Safari Party

Nikita M. Haysbert | Maryland | 02/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album was great I used it to provide theme music for my safari birthday party and it was a big hit. The people came the event perfectly set for the mood of the event"

Both of my copies won't play!

moxieann | 09/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought two copies, one for a friend and we can't get either to work. I think I waited too long to return them also. It says it's for Super Audio CD Players Only. What does that mean? It won't play on my mac or my headset. I've never heard of such a thing Please explain, no one else has mentioned this. Did they change formats since the last reviews?"