Babatunde Olatunji’s «Drums of Passion» album is considered by many to be the first world music album recorded in the United States. It has gone on to sell over 5 Million copies in the United States alone and is cited as being a major influence on many jazz, blues, latin and rock artists over the years including Coltrane, Randy Weston, Cannonball Adderley, Santana, Herbie Hancock, Mongo Santamaria, Herbie Mann, Weather Report and the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart.
Sony Music’s Columbia record label has remastered and remixed the album for release as a Single Layer Multichannel SACD. The mastering and stereo and 5.1 remix of the album was done by Mark Wilder at Sony Music Studios. Wilder was also involved in the album’s remastering and reissue on Stereo CD last year. As a Single Layer Multichannel SACD, the new disc has both Multichannel SACD and Stereo SACD versions of the music on the album and is playable only on SACD equipment.
In addition to the 8 tracks on the original album, this Multichannel SACD version of Drums of Passion also includes a bonus track entitled «Menu Di Ye Jewe (Who Is This?)». Played back in Multichannel, the new 5.1 SACD mix surrounds the listener in African rhythms from all directions.
According to the liner notes of the new SACD: «Recorded at CBS/Columbia Records studios in the summer and fall of 1959, Drums of Passion is most definitely the first album of unadulterated African music to be produced in this hemisphere. What makes it a modern contemporary music watershed are Olatunji’s bluesy-jazzy-tinged re-arrangements of Nigerian and Afro-American players and singers.»
Album Selections
1. Akiwowo (Chant to the Trainman)
2. Oya (Primitive Fire)
3. Odun De! Odun De! (Happy New Year)
4. Jin-Go-Lo-Ba (Drums of Passion)
5. Kiyakiya (Why Do You Run Away?)
6. Baba Jinde (Flirtation Dance)
7. Oyin Momo Ado (Sweet as Honey)
8. Shango (Chant to the God of Thunder)
9. Menu Di Ye Jewe (Who Is This?) (Bonus Track)
Availability
Drums of Passion by Babatunde Olatunji was released on February 18th and is now in stock and available for purchase at Tower Records and Best Buy as well as the Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct and Red Trumpet web sites. It will be available at other retail and web stores that carry SACDs shortly.
Drums of Passion by Babatunde Olatunji (Columbia CS 66011)