AFRICA

In 1972 Piero Umiliani was above all the man of a thousand soundtracks and the
first Italian jazz experiments; from his later career we’ll soon learn that wasn’t
enough for him, showing just a tiny part of a more complex picture. Closed within
the walls of his Sound Work Shop Studio, the Maestro was weaving much more
complicated and satisfying plots, incorporating dozens of influences from a life
spent experimenting and discovering new sounds.
Among the most fascinating ones, those who came from a continent like Africa,
as much fabled as actually little known, but enchanting to the point that Umiliani
dedicated to it the entire Africa - which is paired with its twin-record Continente
Nero - and released it as M. Zalla, pseudonym used when it came to tidying up
uncompromising and avant-garde music textures, as will later happen with masterpieces
such as Suspense, Problemi D’Oggi or Mondo Inquieto.
Always keep in mind when this album had been released, in January 1972, before
approaching its content: here the prog-tinged black rhythm of Africa To-Day,
the ‘fourth world’ inspiration coming from Jon Hassell’s Green Dawn, the ‘exotic’
references in Martin Denny’s style (Lonely Village, Echos), the electronic new
wave (hearing is believing!) of Sortilège, the folk music (Rite, Folk-Tune). Many
years in advance, in Africa Piero Umiliani summarizes sounds and styles that will
make the fortune of much more celebrated and popular musicians and artists.