ALBUM BY PIERO UMILIANI – DIALOGO
Released in 1975, three years after Africa, Continente Nero represents the perfect counterbalance to that earlier album—an exploration that had already significantly expanded the creative horizons of the Tuscan musician and composer.
BUY
With Africa, Umiliani began incorporating rhythmic variations he had only partially explored in works like Percussioni ed Effetti Speciali and To-day’s Sound, while also venturing into uncharted territory drawn from a then little-known musical heritage: the vast and diverse soundscape of Africa.
This time, Umiliani forgoes his usual pseudonym M. Zalla and proudly signs the record with his real name, marking his second deep dive into a continent he honors not only through inspiration but through understanding.
Continente Nero pays homage to Africa by drawing on both legendary and obscure sources—from the divine energy of Fela Kuti to amateur recordings and field research conducted by ethnomusicologists like David Toop, whose invaluable documentation continues to defy full comprehension due to the sheer complexity of Africa’s musical legacy.
But Umiliani also channels the pulse of African-American jazz history—the spiritual and revolutionary lineage of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, John Coltrane, Max Roach, and countless others. This confluence of influences becomes evident in tracks like Nuovi Fermenti, Rivoluzionari, Riscossa, and Ultimo Stregone—masterful compositions that showcase Umiliani’s rare ability to distill the essence of a tradition far removed from his own and reimagine it within a unique and thrilling sonic universe that stands shoulder to shoulder with the original.
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TRRMÀ
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