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Rejoice (Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela album)

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Rejoice
Studio album by
Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela
Released20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
Recorded2010, 2019
StudioLivingston Recording Studios, London
GenreJazz, Afrobeat[1]
Length38:13
LabelWorld Circuit
ProducerNick Gold, Tony Allen, Hugh Masekela
Tony Allen chronology
Merrie Land
(2018) 		Rejoice
(2020)
Hugh Masekela chronology
No Borders
(2016) 		Rejoice
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
All About Jazz[4]
Evening Standard[5]
Jazz Journal[6]
The Line of Best Fit7.5/10[7]
Mojo[8]
Pitchfork8/10[1]
PopMatters8/10[9]
Q[10]
Uncut[11]

Rejoice is a collaborative jazz/afrobeat album by Nigerian drummer Tony Allen and South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela.[1][12] World Circuit released the album on 20 March 2020 (2020-03-20).

Background

[edit]

The original sessions were recorded in London in 2010 by World Circuit's Nick Gold, who was eager to document the first recorded meeting of the two African music legends when their touring schedules coincided.[13] After Masekela's death in 2018, additional tracks were recorded, again in London's Livingston Studios, in summer 2019. The album was released on 20 March 2020.[14] In addition to serving as the final studio album for Masekela, it also became Tony Allen's final studio album before his death on 30 April 2020.[15] The album contains eight tracks written by Allen and Masekela.

The track "Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same)" is a tribute to Fela Kuti, through whom Allen and Masekela first met in the 1970s.[16][17]

Critical reception

[edit]

Rejoice was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 82, based on eight reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[2] Album of the Year assessed the critical consensus as 81 out of 100 based on four reviews.[18]

In reviewing the album, Nigel Williamson for Uncut wrote: "Warm, uplifting and fizzing with both passion and virtuosity, Rejoice is not only a fitting last will and testament from Masekela, but a glorious affirmation of music at its most potent and universal."[11] Jazz Journal's Bruce Lindsay commented: "Ten years in the making, Rejoice was worth the wait. It's a celebratory, groove-laden, thoughtful, danceable, collection from two of the great figures in music."[6] Joel Campbell of The Voice wrote: "'Rejoice' can be seen as the long-overdue confluence of two mighty African musical rivers – a union of two free-flowing souls for whom borders, whether physical or stylistic, are things to pass through or ignore completely."[19] In his review for PopMatters, George De Stefano noted: "If you need something to get your socially isolated ass off the couch and up and shaking, Rejoice is the album. Even if you have to dance alone, some polyrhythmic pleasure during a pandemic is no little thing. With its deep grooves and virtuosic playing, the pairing of Allen and Masekela—overdue and sadly not to be repeated—Rejoice is a posthumous reminder of what Hugh Masekela at his best could deliver and of the now 80-year-old Allen's amazing vitality."[9]

Track listing

[edit]
Rejoice track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Robbers, Thugs and Muggers"
4:35
2."Agbada Bougou"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
5:26
3."Coconut Jam"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
3:31
4."Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same)"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
3:53
5."Slow Bones"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
5:49
6."Jabulani (Rejoice, Here Comes Tony)"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
5:41
7."Obama Shuffle Strut Blues"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
4:40
8."We've Landed"
  • Allen
  • Masekela
4:38
Total length:38:13

Charts

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Chart performance for Rejoice
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] 145
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 39

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Ismael Ruiz, Michael (24 March 2020). "Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  3. ^ Jurek, Thom. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  4. ^ May, Chris (12 June 2020). "Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela: Rejoice album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. ^ Broughton, Simon (20 March 2020). "Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela conjure fresh spontaneity on Rejoice". Evening Standard. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b Lindsay, Bruce (25 June 2020). "Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela: Rejoice". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. ^ Oinonen, Janne (16 March 2020). "Rejoice in the long overdue collaboration from two African music legends". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Rejoice". Mojo. 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  9. ^ a b De Stefano, George (27 April 2020). "'Rejoice' with Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Rejoice". Q. 2020.
  11. ^ a b Williamson, Nigel (23 April 2020). "Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela – Rejoice". Uncut. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  12. ^ Rugoff, Lazlo (23 January 2020). "Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela release collaborative album, Rejoice". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  13. ^ "World Circuit Records - Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela - Rejoice (CD)". World Circuit Records. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. ^ Hussey, Allison (23 January 2020). "Tony Allen Announces New Album With the Late Hugh Masekela". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  15. ^ Minsker, Evan (1 May 2020). "Tony Allen, Iconic Afrobeat Drummer, Dead at 79". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  16. ^ Denselow, Robin (19 March 2020). "Tony Allen: Afrobeat's master on Hugh Masekela, Damon Albarn and friction with Fela Kuti". The Guardian.
  17. ^ Music News. "Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela Pay Tribute to Fela In 'Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be The Same)'". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Album of the Year Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  19. ^ Campbell, Joel (25 January 2020). "Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela come together for new album 'Rejoice'". The Voice. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tony Allen / Hugh Masekela – Rejoice" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Tony Allen / Hugh Masekela – Rejoice". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 May 2020.


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