‘Jali Kunda’ Takes Journey Through African Tradition

Ellipsis Arts, a New York-based company, has produced some of the most consistently rewarding world music albums. Virtually every release is given careful consideration, not just in terms of the music, but in the packaging too.

The latest album, “Jali Kunda: Griot Music of West Africa and Beyond,” is a fascinating, combined book/CD box surveying the role of the Griots--perhaps best described as minstrel-historians--in African music. (“Jali” is another term for Griot, and the title literally means “home of the Griot.”)

The heart of the project is a memoir by Foday Musa Suso, a Gambian Griot who has lived in the United States for the past two decades. In the Griot tradition, a social caste of musicians retains and transmits a region’s history through music and song. An analogy with American blues singers is obvious, and many Griots are as itinerant and mysterious as the traveling blues singers of the ‘20s and ‘30s in this country.

But there are differences too. For one, Griots are obliged to learn a vast amount of historical material, usually in a disciple relationship with a father or uncle. Still, the resonance between Griots and American blues performers is interesting, and clearly in need of further examination.

The Suso package includes a beautifully produced book filled with gorgeous, full-color photos and his thoughts about African life and the role of the Griot. The CD is equally intriguing, including traditional Griot music--rich with the sound of the music’s primary instrument, the multi-stringed kora--and contemporary takes on the music using electronic instruments. On one track, Suso reveals yet another view of Griot music, written and performed with composer-pianist Philip Glass. On another, he plays an atmospheric improvisation with avant-garde jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders. Information: (800) 788-6670.

Cyberspace World Music: The World Wide Web has a constantly expanding number of sites dealing with world music. The best entrance is through Yahoo--a popular access site to the Web. A quick way to link up with the world music destination is to bypass the main Yahoo page and go directly, via https://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Genres/World Music/.

One of the most appealing specific sites is “The Brasil Page,” a superbly designed presentation that provides extensive coverage of Brazilian life, from culture and education to politics, media and entertainment. The extensive music section includes information about artists, musical styles and instruments, with available music files, art and links to a multiplicity of other Brazil-related sites. Find it at https://charlotte.acns.hwv.edu/rio/brindex.html.

Another attractive location features information about “Music From Africa and the African Diaspora” in an extremely thorough, highly colorful display of performers, music and instruments. It’s at https://matisse.net/ ~jplanet/afmx/ahome.htm.

*

Around Town: The Israeli band Esta accurately describes its music as “a multicultural cross of organic world music beats.” The group’s debut U.S. album, “Mediterranean Crossroads,” tosses in bits and pieces of jazz, Middle Eastern rhythms, feedback guitar, bagpipes and bouzouki. But the band is best seen in its dynamic live performances. It makes its West Coast debut Tuesday at the House of Blues on a bill that includes another pop-oriented Jewish band, Rebbesoul. . . .

If you were entranced by the spinners at Grateful Dead performances, you’ll love the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey. The whirling is in fact a kind of meditation associated with Sufi religion. Accompanying the Mevlevi, or Dervishes, in their Veterans Wadsworth concert on Jan. 24 will be the Mevlevi Ensemble playing traditional instruments such as the ney (flute), oud (lute), kemenche (violin) and percussion, as well as singer (and Koran reciter) Kani Karaca. . . .

Expect the seismometers to start jiggling around the Wiltern Theatre when Japanese drum masters Kodo play four concerts at the venue Jan. 30-Feb. 2. For this year’s visit, titled “Kodo One Earth Tour ‘97,” the ensemble includes four new female drummers and three new compositions. As always, the climactic point in the program will be the thundering rhythms of the massive, 900-pound o-daiko drum. . . .

LunaPark world music events include Yeska’s Afro-Cuban salsa and Jimmy Fotso and his Afropop from Cameroon Saturday night, Bombay Rain’s Indo-European acoustic ambient music on Jan. 11 and Raks Majnoun--Turkish belly dancers--on Jan. 18. . . . The Malagasy group, Tarika Sammy, is at McCabe’s Jan. 31. . . .

It’s not exactly world music, but the appearance of Rodger Fox and his big band at the Jazz Bakery Sunday (at 4 and 8 p.m.) affords an opportunity to hear some jazz sounds from New Zealand.