You normally don't associate intimacy with world music. Most world music is on a different level, incorporating exotic native rhythms to produce a body of work that, to the outsider, reaches for the stars. However, intimate is the best description I could provide to "Soul Affirmationz" from the delightfully named Afia Walking Tree (http://www.spiritdrumz.org). This percussion-heavy release is obviously a labor of love, one that is born from the heart as a gift to Mother Nature herself.
There are times when Tree reminds me of Laurie Anderson, especially during the hypnotic spoken-word moments of "Mama Souljourn" and "GourdSong." However, that comparison is probably more due to my affection for pop culture than a precise interpretation of Tree's creative influences. Certainly Tree operates from a different level here. She is less interested in traditional musical structure than expressing her spiritual beliefs through her instruments. In "Mama Souljourn," Tree uses the drum to honor a higher power - which could be her God; her mother; or the Earth itself. You are free to interpret it as you will. No matter how you understand it, the emotional punch of her percussion, knocking deliriously on both speakers, will not be diminished. Brindle's flute makes it glide even more smoothly.
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The musicianship on "Soul Affirmationz" is a major key to its success. Even those who are not familiar with world music will be awestruck by the beauty of the instrumentation - and the instruments themselves - on display. The tribal percussion of "Djembe Fiyah!" and the pulsating beats of "Take Me Back" create a hypnotic, almost seductive effect. Played on large speakers, you can really hear the mastery behind every note.
Even if you can't understand everything on the album, the idea of music being a universal language is given more validity. There is much hope, pride, and deep-seated love on this record. It's a celebration of the goodness of life and the sweetness of home.
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