New Omar Sosa CD: Afreecanos

Worldwide Release: February 2008

Omar Sosa's musical trajectory has taken him from Camagüey and Havana to touring in Angola, the Congo, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua in the 1980s; to a sojourn in the African-descent communities of Ecuador in the early 1990s; to an extended presence on the San Francisco Bay Area Latin jazz scene; to his current engagement with artists from France, Cuba, Brazil, and several North, West, and East African nations. His career embodies the expansive outlook of a visionary artist who has taken Monk's uncompromising spirit to heart, while working ceaselessly to craft and project a unique, cosmopolitan voice.

"Afreecanos is an ode to Africa," Omar says. "It continues on the path back to the roots, looking for parallels between various traditions, including Cuba, Brazil, Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, and Mozambique. This work expresses that we are all children of the same Mother, and even though our sounds come from many different places, we are all close in essence, conception, and origin. Because of this, it has not been difficult to unite the many artists who have contributed with their own musical languages... manifestations of the grand and living Africa."

Drawing upon his Afro-Cuban roots, Omar weaves his own artistry with traditional elements from across Africa and the Americas, producing a thoroughly contemporary jazz idiom that blends and celebrates the many and diverse voices heard here.

-Michael Stone, Princeton University





Omar Sosa Afreecanos (OTA1019)

Contributing Artists:

Julio Barreto (Cuba), drums Childo Tomas (Mozambique), electric bass Stephane Belmondo (France), flugelhorn Leandro Saint-Hill (Cuba), flute, alto saxophone Mola Sylla (Senegal), vocals, percussion Baba Sissoko (Mali), talking drum, ngoni Mamani Keita (Mali), vocals Jorge Alabe (Brazil), rum, rumpi, agogo, vocals Graca Onasile (Brazil), vocals Lázaro Galarraga (Cuba), vocals, batá Fanta Cissoko (Senegal), vocals Orestes Vilató (Cuba), timbales Lionel Belmondo (France), bamboo flute Ali Wague (Guinea), tambin Ali Boulo Santo (Senegal), kora Mohamed Soulimane (Morocco), violin Christophe "Disco" Minck (France), ngoni, kamalengoni, guitar-sitar Ousseynou Piagne Epa (Senegal), piano drum, zabar Michael Spiro (U.S.A.), batá Bill Ortiz (U.S.A.), trumpet

Cover photo and design by tom@tom14.com





Afreecanos Track List

1. Prologo 2. Ollú 3. Nene La Kanou 4. Yeye Moro 5. Babalada 6. Light In The Sky 7. D'Son 8. Tres Negros 9. Mon Yalala 10. Tumborum 11. Why Angá?

For more information, please visit www.melodia.com, or email music@melodia.com, or call +510-339-3389 in California.