It's more than a bit ironic that
Tak Shindo
's most "exotic" album, the superb
Mganga!
, boasts no connection to his own Japanese heritage, instead focusing on the primal rhythms and tribal chants of Africa. Rooted largely in the arranger's experience on the
Latin jazz
circuit, its Afro-Cuban rhythms, sampled animal sounds, and chants capture an African musical culture based far more in fantasy than reality, much as rival
exotica
maestros like
Martin Denny
and
Les Baxter
conjured interpretations of the Far East driven by suppositions and daydreams.
Shindo
documents an Africa informed by libraries and dancehalls, not first-hand experience. That said,
is vibrant and intoxicating, with a rhythmic intensity quite uncommon for its era. For an artificial experience, it packs a genuine wallop. ~ Jason Ankeny