Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley’s In C

This Riley work is unbelievable! In C has been performed by so many, more than thirty recordings — including Quebec’s own L’Infonie, the second ensemble to record it, in 1971. In this case, it’s a group that brings together a few Britons, including Damon Albarn of Blur on melodica and none other than Brian Eno on vocals, but more importantly a bunch of Malian musicians playing kora, kalimba, balafon, calabash, kamel n’goni, djembe and the like. All these wonderful instruments, you can well imagine, give it a distinctly African flavour, but also and even more so, a lift, a lightness, a joyfulness even, and a glorious, infectious freshness. Perhaps the best version ever recorded. Irresistible!