Juju
In Trance
Release Date: Jun 13, 2011
Genre(s): International
Record label: Real World Records
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Album Review: In Trance by Juju
Excellent, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Juju is the more psychedelic variant on the raw African groove Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara have explored on their duo albums. Very electric, and with bass and drums -- kit, more than percussion -- this is the hard-edged cousin to what's made the pair renowned in world music circles. With time to stretch out (the shortest track is six and a half minutes long), they can really explore sound and take it all on a trip.
Based on rating 4/5
JuJu may be a new band, but it's dominated by a well-established duo. The British guitarist Justin Adams has spent four years touring and recording with Juldeh Camara, the Gambian griot and exponent of the one-stringed ritti, and they have rightly won awards for their furious, improvised fusion of African styles, blues and rock. They have added percussion for recent recordings, including last year's exhilarating Trance Sessions EP, and have now expanded into a four-piece band with the addition of a full-time bass player and drummer.
Opinion: Excellent
A fiery musical crossroads, and an original fusion. Jon Lusk 2011 In 2007, British guitarist Justin Adams and Gambian griot Juldeh Camara released their debut collaborative album Soul Science. Camara had approached Adams after being sent a copy of his debut solo album Desert Road (2000) and thought he heard a kindred spirit. Adams’ work with the likes of Tinariwen and on Mali’s renowned Festival in the Desert had given him enough insights to start forging his own hybrid take on desert blues and those of the Mississippi delta, while Camara is steeped in Gambia’s griot tradition, having inherited the profession of music from his father (a marabout, or spiritual healer).
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