HARUNA ISHOLA
Apala Messenger (Indigedisc)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

---

My knowledge of traditional African music is fairly shallow, even though I have a passing familiarity with several flavors of Afro-pop. That is likely to become less and less true, though, if future installments in the new Indigedisc series from Label M are as generally intriguing and excellent as this one.

Apala is a style favored by Nigeria's Yoruba people, featuring call and response style vocals over a network of percussion. One of the foremost practitioners of the style was Haruna Ishola, who is still revered in his homeland two decades after his death. This disc is a compilation of tracks recorded for Decca and his own STAR label between 1967 and 1971. The music is truly timeless, though, and, to my western ears, absorbingly hypnotic.

The pieces are primarily praise songs, composed to honor the artist's patrons and performed by an ensemble of singers and drummers under the guidance of Ishola. The resulting blend of voice and percussion could be quite complex, utilizing over a dozen members to create a sound that has been described as "organic trance music." Indeed, these sounds would be ideal fair for the cool out room at your favorite rave venue, and are likely to be sampled in short order by perceptive DJs. Don't wait for the dilution, though. This is the real deal, straight up, and as valuable musically as it is educationally.

Track List:

Late Matthew Toye * Oma Tito Ni Koko * Kise Tenu * Soyoyo Sisi Awelorum * Kafowo Komo Niwe * Ewure Ile Komonlyi * Erin Onihun Se Nile * Late Owo-Ni-Fari * Kosi Ninu Eiye * Ganiyu Ajimobi * Abanije Koni Gboyi * Ladi Iwalewa * Egbe Ghobaniyi (Odogbolu)/Oluwa Sore Owa Re Fun Wa/Sokoyodoto Maturi Bgorin Didun De/Late Alhaja Muniratu Atopo/Majidi Ejo(Alyepe)/Awa Kani Bawan Gbodie To Fawa Ra'Wo

© 2001 - Shaun Dale