The long lost 3rd volume of recordings from GlobeStyle's '88 trip to the island of Zanzibar finally sees the light of day and it has been well worth the wait. Apart from two tracks from the already familiar lkhwani Safaa, the material on this edition is performed by some of the smaller clubs on the island who have not as yet been represented on our series.
It opens with the first of two tracks by Ghazzy Musical Club, with a much more down home sound than the larger orchestras represented so far. Kikundi Cha Sanaa Za Maonesho Zanzibar are a musical and theatrical group who also gave a delighful performance of dance for the Wazunga (honkies) of the recording team. Sahib El Arry, the wonderfully named Royal Air Force Musical Club (the Royal Navy Musical Club seem to have disbanded before our arrival - seriously!) and Kikosi Cha Taarab Cha Muungano Wa Wanawaka Zanzibar are all women's Taarab, though the instruments are still played by male hired hands. Sahib El Arry also served the intrepid sound recordists with a remarkable picnic at one stage and singer Bi KiDude (Mrs Knick Knacks) from the club has a history going back to the famous Siti Binti Saad group of the '30s. Lastly the Four Brothers track is from an impromptu session recorded with some of the backing musicians after one of the major sessions. The other three volumes were received well by the extremly influencial American Journal Of Ethnomusicology recently - we hope that volume 3 is received with the same enthusiasm by everyone fortunate enough to hear this music..
