America – South Africa is a 1991 album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago

Art Ensemble of Chicago

The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz ensemble that grew out of Chicago's AACM in the late 1960s. The group continues to tour and record through 2006, despite the deaths of two of the founding members....

 and the Amabutho Male Chorus released on the Japanese DIW

DIW Records

DIW Records is a Japanese record label. It is a subsidiary label of Disc Union and specializes in jazz and avant garde music. Kazunori Sugiyama was an executive producer for the label before starting Tzadik Records with John Zorn.-Discography:...

 label in association with Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

. It features performances by Lester Bowie

Lester Bowie

Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the AACM, and cofounded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Biography:...

, Joseph Jarman

Joseph Jarman

Joseph Jarman , is a jazz musician, composer and Shinshu Buddhist priest. He is perhaps best known as one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Early life:Jarman grew up in Chicago, Illinois...

, Roscoe Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell

Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past...

, Malachi Favors Maghostut and Don Moye

Don Moye

Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percussion instruments and rhythmic techniques.- Early life and Detroit Free Jazz :Moye was born in...

 with vocals by Elliot Ngubane, Kay Ngwazene, Welcome "Max" Bhe Bhe, Zacheuus Nyoni and Joe Leguabe.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Ron Wynn

Ron Wynn

Ron Wynn is a music critic, author, and allmusic editor. Wynn was the editor of the first edition of The All Music Guide to Jazz , and from 1993 to 1994 served as the jazz and rap editor of the All Music Guide. Wynn is the former editor of New Memphis Star and the former chief jazz and pop music...

 describes the album as a mix of "African rhythms, township melodies, and the Ensemble's usual array of blistering solos, vocal effects, percussive colors, and furious collective improvisations".

Track listing

1. "U.S. Of A. - U. Of S.A." (Art Ensemble of Chicago, Leguwabe) - 17:56
2. "Colors One" (Art Ensemble of Chicago) - 3:52
3. "Eric T" (Jarman) - 3:11
4. "You Got It" (Art Ensemble of Chicago) - 14:12
5. "America" (Amabutho Male Chorus) - 5:12
6. "Zola's Smile" (Art Ensemble of Chicago) - 3:52
   • Recorded December 1989 & January 1990 at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY

Personnel

• Lester Bowie
  Lester Bowie
  Lester Bowie was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the AACM, and cofounded the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Biography:...
  
  : trumpet, fluegelhorn, percussion
• Malachi Favors Maghostut: bass, belafon, percussion instruments
• Joseph Jarman
  Joseph Jarman
  Joseph Jarman , is a jazz musician, composer and Shinshu Buddhist priest. He is perhaps best known as one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.-Early life:Jarman grew up in Chicago, Illinois...
  
  : saxophones, clarinets, percussion instruments
• Roscoe Mitchell
  Roscoe Mitchell
  Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past...
  
  : saxophones, clarinets, flute, percussion instruments
• Don Moye
  Don Moye
  Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percussion instruments and rhythmic techniques.- Early life and Detroit Free Jazz :Moye was born in...
  
  : drums, percussion
• Elliot Ngubane: lead vocals, percussion, keyboards
• Kay Ngwazene: vocals
• Welcome "Max" Bhe Bhe: vocals
• Zacheuus Nyoni: vocals
• Joe Leguabe: vocals, percussion