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| For Your Consideration: Amina Figarova & Matsiko World Orphan Choir "Suite for Africa"  Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Suite for AfricaBest Jazz Performance: Suite for Africa PART I "Spirit Africa, Spirit Liberia" Best Engineered Album: Suite for Afric Best Instrumental Composition: Dancing Clouds Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: Suite for Africa PART I, II and III Pianist/composer Amina Figarova pairs her stellar sextet with a choir of orphaned and at-risk children from Liberia on her masterful new album, featuring Wayne Escoffery, Bart Platteau, Alex Pope Norris, Yasushi Nakamura and Rudy Royston, joined by West Africa's Matsiko World Orphan Choir Azerbaijani-born, New York-based pianist and composer Amina Figarova was inspired to write her new "Suite for Africa" by her experiences meeting students during her travels to South Africa. But it was a chance encounter in the air that brought the stirring piece fully to life, as a travel mishap placed Figarova and her husband on the same flight as the Matsiko World Orphan Choir, an ensemble of orphaned and at risk children from war-ravaged Liberia. The masterpiece that ensued forms the core of Figarova's breathtaking new album, Suite for Africa, a three-movement suite is bracketed by five complementary Figarova originals inspired by African rhythms and the folk music traditions of the composer's native Azerbaijan. Suite for Africa represents Figarova's most dazzling and ambitious work to date, overflowing with the exuberant spirit of the young choir, the vibrant and dynamic interaction of her superb sextet, and the deft tapestry of global traditions that she so elegantly melds in these stunning compositions. It may be a suite penned for Africa, but it offers a wealth of rewards to listeners around the world. FORGOTTEN CHILDREN The Matsiko World Orphan Choir comprises some of the poorest children in the world. They are orphaned and at-risk children from Liberia, West Africa, the 4th poorest country in the world. There are 650 million vulnerable children in the world today. If they held hands, they would circle the earth 12 times. The children of The Matisko World Orphan Choir give the voiceless a voice. They don't want pity; they just wish for education, empowerment and the chance to dream of a future and change the cycle of poverty. Many children are willingly sold to child traffickers by uneducated parents who believe they are giving them a better future. When children go to school, they educate their parents and communities and prevent future trafficking. These talented children, some street kids, are changing perceptions of child poverty and using their voices for change, singing for freedom and their future. Despite how they live, they are the happiest children you will ever meet, savouring every moment and using music to create a positive change. Hear the voices of the forgotten children. The lyrics were written by Mark Lee Hegarty, from Cardiff, Wales in the UK. He has spent over three years working with the children in Liberia and the USA as they travelled across 40 states, singing to educational sponsors that allow other impoverished children to go to school in their own countries. The beauty of this collaboration with Amina Figarova is that they are singing complex vocal parts that professional elite choirs would find challenging. To see and hear them singing in their own accents about how they want to use music to create change is a statement to the world about what is possible. They refuse to be forgotten, now is the time, now is their time. The "Suite For Africa" feature the 24-voice choir. The joy and innocence, the youthful exuberance and the obvious zest for the task at hand are up front, bubbling with an embrace of life, despite the less-than-optimum life circumstances. Combined with Figarova's sextet and the adventuresome playing all around, the music exhibits a joyous and spellbinding listening experience. ***** By Dan McClenaghan for https://www.allaboutjazz.com/suite-for-africa-amina-figarova-and-matsiko-world-orphan-choir-amfi-records Suite for Africa represents Figarova's most dazzling and ambitious work to date, brimming with the exuberant spirit of the young choir, the vibrant and dynamic interaction of her superb sextet, and the delicate tapestry of world traditions that she so elegantly fuses in these stunning compositions. It may be a suite written for Africa, but it offers a multitude of rewards to listeners worldwide. By Thierry De Clemensat for Paris Move Some albums you fall in love with the moment you put them on. For me, Amina Figarova's newly released Suite for Africa(AmFi) was one of them. …...and Suite for Africa is a must-own and Grammy-worthy. By Marc Myers for JazzWax.com write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |