Sacred sounds

Soul Jazz launches World Audio Foundation: a new series of sacred and spiritual recordings starting with music from Georgia and Eastern Cuba.

The Soul Jazz shop in Soho is a treasure trove packed to the rafters with eclectic music. Along with their own releases there are racks of dubstep alongside, hip hop 12s, classic R&B & funk CDs, reggae, twisted Nigerian afrobeat and obscure jazz gems like Mary Lou Williams’ ‘Black Christ Of The Andes’. There are books on Vodoun, Santeria, Jazz Dance, Salsa, and Dancehall culture. In fact, I dare any music lover to enter this emporium and leave empty handed!

It was on such visit to the shop that I discovered their latest imprint: World Audio Foundation. Neatly packaged in pocket-sized, book-shaped CD cases, the first two releases in the series feature sacred, spiritually based music from Cuba and Georgia and come complete with an explanatory booklet, postcards or poster.

Back in 1996, Soul Jazz released ‘Faith’- a double album of sacred music recorded in Haiti, Cuba, Georgia and Tibet. Curious as to whether the World Audio Foundation recordings are intended to further the spirit of ‘Faith’, I seek out Soul Jazz boss Stuart Baker.

“Completely - I do want to carry on doing that,” confirms Stuart. “The music in the World Audio Foundation series is just music I’m interested in. In my own head I don’t differentiate between Cuban religious music and Blacksploitation film soundtracks. What I’m trying to do is present music that I’m drawn to, that I like, but not confuse people. That’s the reason it’s on a different label from Soul Jazz.”

There’s also a healthy dose of pragmatism at work with World Audio Foundation, the distinct label identity is a way of doing small runs and still looking good. Stuart maintains it is a pleasing solution in changing times.

“I’ve been to Cuba three times and during those visits we recorded a bunch of stuff with a mind to release them as a set. We’ve already released the ‘Tumba Francesa - la Caridad de Oriente’ a 140-year old institution in Cuba which originated from mutual aid societies for the ex-slaves who had fled the neighbouring Haitian Revolution. The World Audio Foundation album we’ve just released is from Conga De Los Hoyos. They were founded in 1902 and are one of the best-known carnival groups in Santiago. When we went to their rehearsals there was a power cut. The space was lit by candles. There were over 50 drummers playing everything from car brake drums, hub caps to frying pans. So you couldn’t hear the vocals at all. What a racket! It was so-o-o-o good. We recorded in one of the state studios. It was the size of a football pitch. We mic’d up all the drummers and recorded them first and then we had to spend time on the vocals because they had never been able to hear themselves sing before.”

The final result is to be swept up in a mind blowing groundswell of percussion over which soars the distinctive eastern sound of the Chinese trumpet - think Ornette Coleman meets The Master Musicians of Jajouka - and the powerful collective vocals. This recording of ‘Carnival Music of Eastern Cuba’ is a genuine triumph.

Conga de Los Hoyos at Santiago’s Carnival Del Caribe

Tapping into a totally different energy and sacred tradition is ‘Polyphonic Voices Of Georgia’ which is recorded in Tbilisi and showcases The Anchiskhati Choir - the world’s leading exponent of this unique music.

“We went to Georgia and recorded the choir in the studio. Normally they sing in monasteries and other places. I can’t explain what I like about this music, it’s very interesting, I can’t put a finger on what makes it connect but it does.” reflects Stuart and listening to the album it’s easy to understand why Unesco designates Georgian polyphonic singing, which originates at a meeting point between eastern and western civilizations, as one of the Oral and Intangible Masterpieces of Humanity.

Future World Audio Foundation recordings depend on windows of opportunity amid a mass of daily commitments but according to Stuart, numerous places are calling. He laughs as he reflects on the prospect of future recordings in Afro-Nicaragua, Venezuela and Colombia before touching down in Angola and then Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Paul Bradshaw / Straight No Chaser

Conga De Los Hoyos
Carnival Music of Eastern Cuba

The Anchiskhati Choir
Polyphonic Voices Of Georgia

www.souljazzrecords.co.uk

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