Naturally after Renegades Of Jazz’s full-length afro-funky Moyo Wangu outing last year, Moyo Zaidi was only to be expected. However, where Moyo Wangu (a.k.a ‘My Heart’) found producer David Hanke re-connecting with his early childhood in Tanzania, Moyo Zaidi (a.k.a. ‘Oi mate – let us have a go with your stems, I’ve got some ideas’) finds twelve remixers get in on the act with – well – twelve remixes – though as perhaps expected, some of the original tracks get remixed more than once (Zebra Talk and Jamboree) while others – Harambee and Karibu Tena didn’t get a look-in.
Remix approaches vary from the light touch – Chris Read’s re-reub of Afro Cookie being a case in point – to the major transformation such as KidGusto’s dub reggae makeover of Moto Moto, Paradise Hippies’ throbbing comedown take on Beneath This African Blue, Igor Jadranin’s Balearic Majirani Yako Kelele and Al Zanders ambient techno re-make of Jamboree. Best reworks have to be the aforementioned KidGusto and Chris Read efforts along with Anatoly Ice’s funky jazz club refix of Jazz Makossa.
(Out now on Agogo Records)