Art Ensemble of Soweto is a 1990 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Amabutho Male Chorus released on the Japanese DIW label. It features performances by Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors Maghostut, and Don Moye with vocals by Elliot Ngubane, Kay Ngwazene, Welcome "Max" Bhe Bhe, Zacheuus Nyoni and Joe Leguabe.
Reception The AllMusic review by Brian Olewnick describes the album as " very enjoyable recording, possibly the last all-around excellent Art Ensemble release before the group's retrenching after the departure of Joseph Jarman and the untimely death of Lester Bowie".Olewnick. B. [ AllMusic review] accessed 16 February 2009.
Bill Shoemaker reviewed the album for DownBeat and assigned it 4 stars. He wrote, "The simultaneous stylistic diversity and programmatic cohesion on Soweto is impressive".
Track listing "Coming Soon" (Bowie) – 1:31 "African Woman" (Ngubone) – 13:55 "Fundamental Destiny" (Jarman) – 9:14 "Fresh Start" (Mitchell) – 6:42 "Khauleza" (Amabutho Male Chorus) – 2:44 "The Bottom Line" (Art Ensemble of Chicago) – 5:33 "Black Man" (Amabutho Male Chorus) – 9:18 Recorded December 1989 & January 1990 at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY
Personnel Lester Bowie: trumpet, fluegelhorn, percussion Malachi Favors Maghostut: bass, balafon, percussion instruments Joseph Jarman: saxophones, clarinets, percussion instruments Roscoe Mitchell: saxophones, clarinets, flute, percussion instruments Don Moye: drums, percussion Elliot Ngubane: lead vocals, percussion, keyboards Kay Ngwazene: vocals Welcome "Max" Bhe Bhe: vocals Zacheuus Nyoni: vocals Joe Leguabe: vocals, percussion
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