Reviewed by Andrew Rolfe

"It's all about you, it's all about you Jesus." So goes one of the songs in these compilations, but at first glance I can't see what these collections have to do with Africa apart from the lion (Vol 1) and elephant (Vol 2) on the CD covers. Then I realise it's South Africa (SA), and I think I'm safe in saying, white South Africa represented here. A bunch of five talented and popular SA singers/musicians, including Shelley Grewar and Julius Magan, provide first class, mainly solo with backing vocal, renditions of popular songs from composrs such as Richards, Redman and Doerksen. The instrumentation is really good: undulating flute, guitar, piano, deep drum and bongo drum sounds. Many choruses feature a black-African choir resonating something in an African language. But this African-ness seems quite simulated, contrived, mechanical. The same 1.5 second sample is repeated at regular intervals (say, in place of a crash cymbal) ad nauseam and adds little to the song. One has the feeling that the samples could easily be swapped for whistles and bagpipes and two ‘Celtic Worship’ CDs would be instantly birthed. Volume 1 has songs like Zschech’s “All Things Are Possible”, Prosch’s “Show Your Power” and finishes with three Delirious? oldies. How African is that?

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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