For almost 15 years now, Fra Fra Sound have been constantly and prominently present on the Dutch and European music scene. Operating from their home base in Amsterdam, their tours have taken them to neighbouring countries and further abroad, to their country of origin Suriname and to the Dutch Antilles, to name but a few.
Their musical vision is expressed in the Surinam phrase ‘fra fra’ in the band’s name. It translates roughly as ‘balance’, in this case the bslance between a wide range of cultural and musical influences: from the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the USA.
The band have achieved a quite natural cohesion between these various influences, creating their own, truly original style. In keeping with jazz tradition and partly due to the appeal Fra Fra Sound have for young, promising soloists, they are able to introduce new talents to the jazz scene on a regular basis. So, changes in the line-up are no exception, completing the nucleus of the band.
From the tome of their tenth anniversary in 1990, the maturing of their talents, as composers and as performers, enabled them to fully express the basic strength of their musical views. Their skillful and passionate renditions of original compositions, both on CD and during performances, have convinced music lovers of the power and grace, the groove and drive of their music.
This CD, Worship Mother Earth, is once more a clear reflection of the balance they achieve within their music: between roots and contemporary music, love and sorrow, joy and pain, serious reflection and carefree enjoyment. The CD is dedicated to ‘Mana Aisa’, Mother Earth. With this originally Afro-Surinam chant, Fra Fra Sound wish to salute those who labour to preserve the earth and all their sentient an non-sentient children. Think about it, but don’t let it keep you from enjoying life in general, and this Cd in particular. Keep your balance, stay ‘fra fra’!
credits
released April 1, 1994
Fra Fra Sound
Michael Varekamp: trumpet, fluegelhorn
Efraïm Trujillo: tenor saxophone
Sterling Peterson: guitar
Robin van Geerke: piano, keyboards
Carlo Ulrichi; conga’s, percussion, bells, timbales, djembé, sabar
Guno Kramer: drums
Vincent Henar: bass, lead vocals
Guest artists
Andro Biswane: guitar on Langadang and Little Giant.
Ponda O’Bryan: djembé, oprenteng, sabar and various percussion on Worship Mother Earth and Poem for Rosa.
Fra Fra Sound wish to thank:
Stichting Welsuria an the Prins Bernhard Fonds:
Bob Stewart, Doug Lucas, Tom Nicholas, Ronald Snijders, Peter Riebeek, Effie van Kessel, Micky, Heleen van Dorst and Anil Ramdas; the office staff at Boudisque and Joost Smiers of the Utrecht Centre For Arts & Media Management; Charles Green, Kenneth Helberg and Patrick Sedoc for their partnership and musical contributions over the past years.
‘Blakawatra’ is inspired by all those great musicians from Gambia, Mali, Senegal and Guinea: Youssou N’Dour, Xalam, Orchestra Bembeya Jazz, Salif Keita, Ifang Bondi to name but a few.
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 recorded at: Studio 150, Amsterdam
Recording engineer: Peer Riebeek
Tracks 7, 8, 9 recorded during live performance ant the Haarlem Jazz Club. Recorded by: Eurosound Mobile. Recording engineers: Peter Vincent & René Suydendo. Live sound engineers: Chris Weeda & Chris Everts.
All tracks mixed at Studio 150, Amsterdam. Mixed by: Ab de Jong
Engineered by: Peter Riebeek.
Edited at: The Valkieser Group, Hilversum on dar Sigma digital editor.
Edited by: Jack-O
Produced by: Vincent Henar
Executive producer: Ab de Jong
Mastered at: The Masters, Soest
Illustration by: Joost Swarte
Graphic design by: Jacques Overtoom
Photo Ponda O'Bryan by: Jean van LIngen
All other photos by: Marloes Lambriex