| Pieces of Africa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Kronos Quartet | ||||
| Released | February 1992 (1992-02) | |||
| Genre | Contemporary classical | |||
| Label | Nonesuch (#79275) | |||
| Kronos Quartet chronology | ||||
| ||||
Pieces of Africa is a 1992 studio album by the Kronos Quartet, containing works commissioned by the quartet, written by seven African composers.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mai Nozipo" ("Mother Nozipo") | Dumisani Maraire (Shona, Zimbabwe) | 6:58 |
| 2. | "Saade" ("I'm Happy") | Hassan Hakmoun (Moroccan) | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Tilliboyo" ("Sunset") | Foday Musa Suso (Mandinka, Gambia) | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Ekitundu ekisooka" ("First Movement") | Justinian Tamusuza (Uganda) | 5:41 |
| 5. | "Escalay" ("Waterwheel") | Hamza El Din (Nubia, Egypt) | 12:20 |
| 6. | "Wawshishijay" ("Our Beginning") | Obo Addy (Ghana) | 4:56 |
| 7. | "White Man Sleeps, Mvt. I" (original, unrevised) | Kevin Volans (South Africa) | 4:02 |
| 8. | "White Man Sleeps, Mvt. II" | 5:05 | |
| 9. | "White Man Sleeps, Mvt. III" | 3:24 | |
| 10. | "White Man Sleeps, Mvt. IV" | 6:17 | |
| 11. | "White Man Sleeps, Mvt. V" | 3:22 | |
| 12. | "Kutambarara" ("Spreading") | Dumisani Maraire | 7:09 |
Reception and legacy
According to AllMusic, the Quartet avoids cultural imperialism or appropriation and, "Pieces of Africa teems with beguiling melodies, making it one of this quartet's more accessible projects and also one of its best." A review in Gramophone argues that only Escalay and White Man Sleeps are successful compositions for string quartet.
It was inducted into the National Recording Registry on April 16, 2024 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress.
Personnel
Musicians
- David Harrington – violin, akete
- John Sherba – violin, akete
- Hank Dutt – viola, akete
- Joan Jeanrenaud – cello, akete
- Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Terrence Kelly – conductor
- Hassan Hakmoun, Said Hakmoun, Radouane Laktib, Dumisani Maraire – voice
- Obo Addy – drums
- Hamza El Din – tar
- Radouane Laktib – oud
- Foday Musa Suso – kora
- Said Hakmoun – bendir
- Ephat Mujuru – mbira
- Dan Pauli – hosho
Production
- Bob Edwards, Judith Sherman, Paul Zinman – Engineers
- Judith Sherman – Producer
See also
Sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | 85,000 |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 300,000 |
References
- Pieces of Africa at AllMusic.
- "Kronos Quartet: Piece of Africa", Gramophone.Co.UK.
- "National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of ABBA, Blondie, The Cars, The Chicks, Juan Gabriel, Green Day, The Notorious B.I.G. and Lily Tomlin". LOC.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- Bambarger, Bradley (23 December 1995). "Kronos Surveyed on Nonesuch". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- Bambarger, Bradley (31 October 1998). "Classical Keeping Score". Billboard. Retrieved 29 October 2018.