Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Mapou - Haitian Drums and Northern Wind (2020) [Hi-Res]

Mapou is the name of a holy tree in the voodoo religion of Haiti. My album Mapou results from 50 years of working with and being fascinated by the ritual drum music of Haiti and Nordic folk music. This album pays tribute to these two unique traditions that I have tried to link throughout all those years. By letting melodies and rhythms meet, new music emerges without the loss of identity or originality. I have played waltzes and polskas on my saxophone all my life and have now invited my friend and colleague the legendary drummer Sanba Zao of Haiti, his musician children and several of my wind colleagues in Sweden to play with me.
– Sten Källman, August 2020 (more from Sten below)
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Pyebwa mapou se yon pyebwa sakre paske li la depi epòk Taino e li se yon reposwa pou espri yo. Pou vodouyizan, lè yo salye espri nan pyebwa Mapou, yo jwenn kontak avèk Lafrik kote zanzèt yo te soti. Espesyalman nan Lakou Souvenans moun yo santi yo pitit peyi Dawomen. Sa vle di peyi Benin. Se pou tèt sa yo sèvi lwa-yo avèk rit Dawomen tankou Kase Dawomen, Vodou Double Nago…

English translation from Kreol:

The Mapou tree is a sacred tree, since it has stood there since the Taino epoch and is also a place where the spirits rest. When the vodou people greet the spirits in the Mapou tree they come into contact with Africa, where their forefathers came from. The people of Lakou Souvenans in particular feel that they are children of the country of Dahomey, now Benin. Thus they serve their spirits with Dahomey rhythms such as Kase Dawomen, Vodou Double Nago…

Recorded and mixed at Studio Baxx, Port-au-Prince and Studio Epidemin, Gothenburg.

Tracklist:
01. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Vals Azounke (4:09)
02. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Beautiful waltz (5:10)
03. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Love halling (2:53)
04. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Dance of darkness (5:19)
05. Sten Kallman - Sleipner (3:41)
06. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Nan fon bwa (3:58)
07. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Un soir / Twilight (6:07)
08. Sten Kallman - Kitchen spirit / Den blåkledde (2:54)
09. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Kanaval & Jubilation (5:10)
10. Sten Kallman, Sanba Zao - Magdalenapolskan (4:33)