Search - Albert Pla, Mo'Horizons, Toure Kunda :: Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits

Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits
Albert Pla, Mo'Horizons, Toure Kunda
Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits
Genres: Blues, International Music, Pop, Latin Music
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

This album offers 12 enlightening cover versions of Western pop tunes, as performed by artists from places like France, Spain, South Africa, Germany, and Mali. It's always instructive to glimpse how one culture's music is ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Albert Pla, Mo'Horizons, Toure Kunda, Tukuleur, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Chris Ardoi, Les Go, Angelique Kidjo, Fatal Mambo, Nenes Yannick
Title: Cover the World: World Music Versions of Classic Pop Hits
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Putumayo World Music
Original Release Date: 1/1/2003
Re-Release Date: 2/25/2003
Genres: Blues, International Music, Pop, Latin Music
Styles: Regional Blues, Cajun & Zydeco, South & Central America, Brazil, Latin Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 790248020822

Synopsis

Amazon.com
This album offers 12 enlightening cover versions of Western pop tunes, as performed by artists from places like France, Spain, South Africa, Germany, and Mali. It's always instructive to glimpse how one culture's music is perceived by another, whether through a funhouse mirror, from under a microscope, or even face-to-face. The performances gathered here range from misguided (Albert Pla's bizarre Spanish language take on Lou Reed's "Take A Walk On The Wild Side") to hilarious (Fatal Mambo's salsa interpretation of Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime") to a delightful breath of fresh air (Malian girl group Les Go's version of Hall & Oates' "I Can¹t Go For That"). Nenes' earnest Japanese-language rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" is laced with plangent plucked samisens and is somehow extremely touching. Other attempts are less effective, but at least none of them come across as cynical and all are worth a listen. --Christina Roden

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CD Reviews

What a hoot!
m_noland | Washington, DC United States | 04/06/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)

"As with most compilations, there is a certain amount of unevenness to the selections. Highpoints: Catalan Albert Pla's absolutely hysterical lisping flamenco version of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side;" Beninois Angelique Kidjo's nearly guitar-less version of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" (though nothing can match the absolutely ferocious version she does live in which she sings the lead guitar part); and the female Okinawan band Nenes' sanshin-driven version of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" (which, when you think about it, a female sanshin-driven version sung in Okinawan is pretty good evidence for the case that Bob Marley is indeed the world's best loved musician). Some of the covers are less successful to my ears, at least in part because I don't like the originals. One exception is the Ivorian trio Les Go's version of Hall and Oates' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" - for me, having successfully repressed the original in my consciousness, their cover is simply a pretty good dance track, typical of Les Go."
Good Idea but ....
Cpt Simba | Australia | 05/18/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)

"This could have been a good CD but there are just too many tracks that are too close to the originals eg Toto, Phil Collins to make it worthwhile. Hit the Road Jack swings and No Woman No cry is a good interpretation of the Marley song but other than that it plods along. There is just so much more interesting 'world' music out there to explore than this."
Gets old PDQ!
KiKi | North Central, Florida United States | 07/21/2006
(1 out of 5 stars)

"I used to work at a store in the mall, that often circulated several putumayo titles on our sound system which we also sold. We had Cuba, Samba Bossa Nova, Asian Groove, Arabic Groove, Zydeco, World Lounge, African Groove, Euro Lounge, Global Soul, just to name a few! I loved them all, even after listening to them every time I worked for almost a year...except one! Cover the world, drove me up the wall the first few times I heard it. Now, there are a few good songs on here ("Ain't no sunshine", is my fav) but overall, not for long term listening in my opinion. Hearing Asian women sing "No woman no cry" gets flat out annoying after awhile! Would recommend the titles I stated above, over this one."