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  Samputu
Testimony From Rwanda (Multicultural Media MCM 4003, 2004)
It's been a decade since the genocide in Rwanda, a massive tragedy that the
United States and other world superpowers did absolutely nothing to stop. Jean
Paul
Samputu's parents and four siblings perished in that horror, yet his music
looks back not in anger but with a sense of healing.
Songs like "Ten Years Remembering" and "Mana Wari Uri He?" ("God, Where Were
You?") directly address the genocide and its aftermath, others speak of
spiritual steadfastness, the beauty of simple things and everyday concerns. What
makes the album a winner is the way Samputu casts the delicate wail of his vocal
style into a melting pot that doesn't adhere too closely to any signature
African style and as a result contains hints of many. The balladeer vibe of
artists like
Oliver Mtukudzi and
Ismael Lo is a constant, while individual tracks may carry the feel of palm
wine, rumba or marrabenta in their vocal or instrumental structuring.
The perfectly attuned backing is provided by only two musicians- Aron
Niyitunga on guitars, keyboards and bass and Jordan Mensah on an array of
percussion. This, then, is a small-scale affair that allows Samputu's
songwriting and singing skills (his high register warble is strong throughout)
to shine. Though recorded in Vermont (!), this is African to the core. It
embraces you with undaunted grace and subtle power, succeeding admirably in its
only readily apparent goal of presenting, beautiful, heartfelt music [buy
the CD].
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