Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra - AHEO

The Guardian 60

(Glitterbeat)

This energetic, sometimes chaotic fusion set results from a visit that Africa’s finest percussionist – the Afrobeat hero Tony Allen – made to Haiti to perform in the main square of Port Au Prince alongside Haitian and western musicians. It wasn’t an easy gig – the band had just five days to rehearse, and the concert was not recorded as planned. These recordings were made at rehearsals, with overdubs added later, and are dominated by chanting Haitian vocals and massed percussion, driven on by Allen’s subtle, always understated playing. The band includes leading Haitian singers Erol Josué and Sanba Zao, from the new band Lakou Mizik, and traditional songs such as Bade Zile are now dressed with synth effects. The fusion is at its best on Poze, which eases from chanting vocals to a blues-rock guitar riff, and Pa Bat Kòw, which includes a rousing percussion workout.