By Esther Callens
May 20th marks the release date of an invigorating new CD. From 5Passion Music is New Throned King, the exciting new debut from Yosvany Terry and his group Ye-De-Gbe. It is thoroughly groundbreaking!
Yosvany Terry has embarked on a journey that explores a new arena in Afro-Cuban jazz. Although the music is steeped in the Arara traditions which consists of sacred ritual music, Terry takes it a bit further by recording this ambitious project while at the same time keeping the contents as close to possible to its native sound. He states, “At the center of New Throned King is a desire to preserve the music of the endangered Dahomeyan culture of Cuba, known as Arara. But though the heart of it is traditional, I’m a composer, and I’m trying to portray the individual aesthetics of the different Arara deities, with my personal style and with twenty-first-century audio.”
New Throned Kings is all about rhythm. It offers a 10 track collection. The album is based upon chants and drums. Yosvany Terry is ingenious as he has given new life to some sacred ceremonial music.
Track listings: Reuniendo La Nacion; New Throned King; Walking Over Wave; Laroko; Ojun Degara; Mase Nadodo; Thunderous Passage; Healing Power; Dance Transformation; IIere.
Album Personnel: Yosany Terry “Sobo Jain”-saxes, chekere, wewe (5), Coro; Osmany Paredes-piano; Yunior Terry “Afra Jun”-bass, Coro; Pedro Martinez “Eshi Ni”-lead vocalist, apitli; Sandt Perez “Oya Ladde”-yonofo, Akoto (1,2,3,7,9,10); Roman Diaz “Asia Ana Bi”-wewe, coro; Dominick Kanza-guitar, Justin Brown-drumset (2,3,5,6,8,9,10). Guest artist: Jason Moran-piano (1); Val Jeanty-sound design, DJ (1,8); Gema Corredera caro (4,5,6,8); Iahmael Reed-poetry (6).
