Among Brothers - Sound Recording Review

New Internationalist, August, 2003

by Abdelli

When the Algerian singer Abdelli and the Belgian guitarist Thierry van Roy thought about a follow-up to their 1995 album, New Moon, their thoughts were drawn to the idea of borderlands. Accordingly, they packed their bags. Among Brothers belongs to Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Azerbaijan, to small recording sites in apartments and on hillsides. On one song you can hear the distant bleating of a goat.

Covering these kinds of distances was not in lip-service to some form of exotica. Rather, Among Brothers is built on the notion of shared information, the idea that music traverses continents. The two main musicians travelled with recordings of only Abdelli's vocals and a cursory rhythm track. That way, all contributing musicians--from the drums of Burkina Faso's Farafina to the lilting fado moods of the Cape Verdeans--could work unhindered. Such an ambitious project could have been messy but the result is arm immensely clean-cut affair.

Thematically, Abdelli's songs may seem sombre--separation rooms large--but this is counterbalanced by a musical tone that suggests the ability to rise above adversity. 'Asiram' (Hope} is carried forward by Abdelli's light vocals and a clatter of accordions, djembe, violins. If the message is one of interdependence and kinship, then it's not to be sniffed at.

Rating **** LG

STAR RATING

EXCELLENT    *****
VERY GOOD    ****
GOOD         ***
FAIR         **
POOR         *