A Ma Zone | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1999 | |||
Label | Luaka Bop [1] | |||
Producer | Marie Daulne | |||
Zap Mama chronology | ||||
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A Ma Zone is an album by the group Zap Mama, released in 1999. [2] [3] The group supported the album with a North American tour. [4] The first single was "Rafiki". [5]
Produced by frontwoman Marie Daulne, the album was recorded in part in the United States; Daulne was influenced by techno. [6] [7] [8] The group, which included Daulne's sister, Anita, sang in Swahili and French, among other languages. [9] [10]
Manu Dibango played saxophone on "'Allo 'Allo". [11] Black Thought rapped on "Rafiki". [12] Speech also appeared on the album. [13]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Calgary Herald | [15] |
Robert Christgau | [16] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [17] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [18] |
Spin | 7/10 [19] |
The Washington Post noted that "actual drums and bass ... now underpin the group's sound, but this album shifts the emphasis back toward interwoven female voices." [20] Entertainment Weekly praised the "strong central voice—main Mama Marie Daulne—anchoring a rare album that’s both global and personal." [18] The Chicago Tribune thought that A Ma Zone "taps into electronica, funk and folk with an inspired, gimmick-free dexterity." [21]
Spin determined that "at points, the gorgeously arranged vocal interplay suggests pan-rap paradise." [19] The Calgary Herald concluded that "Zap Mama has lost a little of its originality, a little of its uniqueness—or perhaps its funky sound is simply more familiar in the global musical melting pot." [15] Newsday stated that the "sound is an ethereal tumble of synthesizers and other instruments, anchored by muscular, percussive beats." [22]
AllMusic wrote that "breakbeats, jazzy upright bass, and turntable manipulation are now a part of the mix—a mix that was already rich with European and West African influences." [14]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Rafiki" | |
2. | "W'Happy Mama" | |
3. | "Call Waiting" | |
4. | "Gissié" | |
5. | "Songe" | |
6. | "Kemake" | |
7. | "Comment Ça Va?" | |
8. | "Ya Solo" | |
9. | "My Own Zero" | |
10. | "M'Toto" | |
11. | "Gbo Mata (Station)" | |
12. | "'Allo 'Allo" |
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