December 8, 2002

There shall be war

Until the philosophy that holds one superior and another inferior is finally and permanently dismantled and abandoned; There shall be war!”

This is what greets you when you take the new Fun’Da’Mental CD, There shall be love out of its jacket, imprinted behind the plastic that keeps the disc in place. But one doesn’t expect anything less from the agent provocateurs/standard bearers of enlightened, inflammatory noise. They are punkers in attitude with a Sufi soul and a sound that combines the raucous political rants of Public Enemy with the electro-magnetic disco pulses of Afrikaa Bambaata and the Soulsonic Force. They are Fun’Da’Mental and this is what they have to say.

The Last Gospel opens with an atmospheric gospel vocal, working its way into the swirling wall of sound that has become the trademark of Fun’Da’Mental. It is a Mankabut for the modern age. Rizwan Muazzam Qawwal layers his rich vocals over manic violins and thick bass. Fire Water brings together the tribal chanting of Sud Afrikaner Zamo Mbuto and his comrades with the rhythmic firepower of bhangra. It’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo meets Ministry in the fields of Punjab.

Pollution drinks equally from the deep pool of knowledge that is Sufi music and Indo-Pak filmi tunes. Magnificent alaaps and a masterful delivery of raags come together with choice breaks of tabla and beat-box rhythms on Spy Cat. More than a Hundred Times is a haunting marriage of cybernetics and soul. Bizarre throat singing is interspersed with a female android’s socio-political commentary.

A ferocious tribal rhythm and equally tenacious bass drop kick the senses as Tagai Soul kicks in. The track takes you back to the blood-drenched streets of Apartheid Sud Afrikaa. This was when the war songs of Soweto stoked the fires of resistance in black South African township youth against the white man who exercised complete control from Pretoria. All Seeing Heart is a true gem. The orchestral manoeuvres work remarkably well with Ustad Hassan Shaggan’s transcending vocals. Truly the album’s masterstroke. Human Waves closes the record with Twiceborne’s mystical robotic outro — “My powerful weapon is a seven, eight and a six.”

Aki Nawaz and company have provided another set of stellar protest songs that defy all genres and basically flip the bird at the system and the industry with utmost style and ‘get stuffed’ punk ethos. Aki is very quiet on the record, as unlike on Erotic Terrorism, he doesn’t render his vocals to any track. Instead, he brings together the voices and vibrations of the world to create a spiritual, dogged and sonically intense record that translates into world music with bite. —QAM

Latin fever

Colombian native and Latin phenomenon Shakira may seem new to North America and Asia, but she is one of those Ricky Martin like singers who made it big in the world of Latin music several years ago. After receiving the 2001 Grammy Award for best Latin pop album Donde Estan los Ladrones?, she had set her goal to release her first English album Laundry Service.

The singer is one of those talented individuals who has written, sung and produced the material doing full justice to the work. Though the album isn’t outstanding, there are a few pleasant moments on it and the record can be termed as a fine amalgamation of songs, which makes it interesting to listen to.

Towards the end of the album it’s good to hear some Spanish tracks which remind us of what she had been up to previously. The album starts with Objection (tango) — not such a good start because the better tracks come later. This starter surprises with a French intro, and its combination of pop makes the track listener-friendly. But the pick of the lot is undoubtedly Whenever, wherever which is Shakira’s first single. With its flute-like sounds, the song has managed to win accolades from many music buffs and it’s no surprise that it has topped the charts. The video of the single is equally alluring.

Underneath your clothing is a track that will give you a taste of Shakira’s romantic balladry. It also proves that she is capable of making slow and soothing songs in contrast to the fast-paced shaky numbers. Some songs are Spanish-influenced, catchy dance tracks with a disco flair while others have guitar riffs. Fool is another outstanding track with interesting lyrics. The singer also adds four Spanish tunes to the album.

The low points of the album are tracks such as The one, Ready for the good times and Poem to a horse. While the track Rules is okay, the former are not listener friendly at all.

Shakira is often compared to Britney Spears, but after listening to Laundry Service you will find that she has much more potential than Britney. Though all the songs cannot be appreciated, one must keep in mind that it is Shakira’s first attempt as an English singer. Overall, Laundry Service has some songs for all moods, and you wouldn’t regret spending your money on this album. —Azeem Haider