ZAP MAMA / “Bandy, Bandy”
I am not here to fight for war. I am here to fight for peace. I grew up in a country where there were mostly white people and they always pointed out that I was different, that I was black. We shouldn't ignore the problems. But always shouting, 'There is a problem! There is a problem!' will not help us to arrive at a solution. I think about what I can do to bring an end to it, then I face the problem and attack it one step at a time. —Marie DaulneZap Mama, started by Marie Daulne as a five-member female acapella group, is now a feature vehicle for Marie plus backing vocalists and guests. Bandy, Bandy is from Ancestry In Progress, their fifth album, the first since 1999’s A Ma Zone. Using vocal techniques from her native Zaire in Central Africa, which include melodic yodeling and over-lapping cross-rhythms, Marie sings in an extremely flexible and expressive alto that often soars into the soprano range, and much as I love her voice, there is no single Zap Mama album that is great all the way through. ZM's eclectic albums tend to lack focus, and with the last three releases, part of the problem is the variety of guest artists. Which brings us to Ms. Badu, who is actually the guts of Bandy, Bandy.
When Daulne does her vocal thing, Badu lays back in the cut almost like she’s retiring from the duet, but it’s a rope-a-dope. Badu knows she can’t out high note Daulne and doesn’t even try. Erykah merely does what Erykah do so well: she brings the funk and a black-woman-dimple-deep groove. None of ZM’s other 14 tracks bump like Bandy drops.
What makes me ascribe the enticing aroma to Erykah’s presence? Simple. Check back to Bump, the second track of Erykah’s 2003 CD, Worldwide Underground. Go to the liner notes and check the notation “additional vocals by: Zap Mama and Karon Wheeler.” Bump is an 8:49 workout that includes extended scatting and interlocking vocal gymnastics. See, Erykah peeped the possibility in hooking up female chants (no doubt influenced by Zap Mama), the difference being nobody, not no single singer, can consistently do that mid-tempo head-noddin’, hip-swaying shit better than Erykah. So what I’m saying is that Erykah adds a flavor to the pepper pot that takes Zap Mama from tasty to hot.
I believe Erykah has bigger ears than your average singer, and is always checking out what’s happening, plus, she is willing to experiment her ass off, willing to try some weird shit if that’s what she’s feeling, and in so doing, can find diamond and gold when others don’t see nothing but sand and rocks.
Laignappe: a Carl Craig remix of Bandy, Bandy that pushes the strings up front and adds a thumping house vibe. (Mtume turned me on to this version.)
Kalamu ya Salaam
Mtume’s response
I agree with most of this—Bandy Bandy is a hip track, and although I haven't heard the entire Ancestry In Progress album, I've heard four other tracks from the album and while I don't dislike them, they didn't make me run out and buy the album either. (And that's coming from somebody who digs all of the other Zap Mama albums, including the early acapella releases.)
My only disagreement is this: unless we get a chance to ask the sisters themselves, it's impossible to know how much involvement Erykah had in Bandy Bandy and it's just as impossible to know how much involvement Marie had in "Bump." No, Marie isn't the funk-goddess that Erykah is but Marie does have funky moments on her own. Bottom line: when they passed out the Erykah Kool-Aid, I took a couple sips. Kalamu chugged down the whole cup and wants to know where can he get more. ;-)
On another note, on this week's jukebox there's a brief audio-clip (from KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic) of Marie talking about "Bandy Bandy," Erykah and Common. Don't miss the line about how Common ended up on the album. If you read between the lines, it's pretty damn funny.
Mtume ya Salaam
Drink Up, It's Good For You
I'ma start off by quoting Bob (Marley): in an abundance of water, the fool is thirsty.
Second, let me rhetorically ask: of all the singers on the block, who make the best red Kool-Aid with the lemon slices in it? Ms. Badu, thas who. And you know it. Given all the guest appearances she has done and uplifted other people's shit, it should be apparent by now she is not just some pretty eyes; her lips are made for more than kissing. She be adding to the mix everywhere she go.
I agree with you that Zap Mama Marie is a better singer, and for sure a better composer, but when you want the funk, who you gon call?
Bandy, Bandy is a much better song than Bump, no question. Bandy was composed, Bump sounds like a joint they did til the smoke was exhausted. Yet and still, even though I prefer Bandy to Bump, I also prefer Bandy to anything else on Zap Mama's new CD (and conversely, of all the tracks on Eryka's Worldwide Underground, Bump is one of my least favorites—perhaps had it been 4, maybe 5 minutes long instead of 8 minutes, then maybe it would have worked better; or like they used to say back in the... Enuf is enuf, and too much stinks).
You are right, we can not know their intentions. In fact, we don't even know how the thing was recorded. Erykah might have phoned her vocals in -- with modern technology, you never know. What we can do is trust our ears to tell us what's funky and what's not.
Maybe you ain't thirsty, but, tell you what, when you do be fiending for some red Kool-Aid w/the real lemon slices (not none of that lemon-flavor mess, but the real deal, seeds and all), well you betta head over to Ms. Badu's house.
Kalamu ya Salaam
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14 Responses to “ZAP MAMA / “Bandy, Bandy””
June 21st, 2005 at 12:13 pm
Kalamu/Mtume,
I’m feeling your comments about Zap Mama. Bandy Bandy is hip. I’ve got the CD — well, I’ve got the digital info from the CD thanks to iTunes — but at the moment, I can’t think of anything other than Bandy Bandy that really rocked me.
I also agree with you on Erykah’s experimentation. Years ago I was sitting next to Steve Jones, music writer for USA Today. He was telling me that he was watching Erykah for the 5th time and he had never seen her do the same show twice. In fact, when we were watching her “Mama’s Gun” had come out and she did her show without relying on the safety of the hits from “Baduizm.” Risky. But when she climbed down off the stage and joined the audience and had ’em all saying ” ‘Cuz I’m alright with me / Said I’m alright with me” it was clear to everybody that she had won the crowd over nonetheless.
The next time didn’t go over so well. 2003. She came out on stage and played songs nobody had ever heard before. Granted, my friend Colette and I were jamming because we appreciated hearing something fresh. But folks wanted to hear Tyrone. They also wanted to hear Stevie — who was following her. “Don’t do this to Stevie,” she said to the nonresponsive crowd as she left the stage.
Okay, this was supposed to be about Zap Mama. Sorry. I’ll listen to it again and compare the Erykah-less moments against those where she appears. – JQD
June 21st, 2005 at 12:14 pm
By the way, the two shows I reference were Essence Music Festivals. Sorry for the ommission. – JQD
June 21st, 2005 at 6:40 pm
I just checked out Breath of Life and read your Zap Mama/Badu piece which is great. I adore them both, and agree with you that Zap Mama’s albums rarely make it all the way. But when I saw them live in New York for the first time, I was in tears the entire time, as all of the voices were so exquisite. The second time was when they opened for Badu at the Hollywood Bowl in LA, and neither set was good, I was disappointed. This was three or so years ago. Anyway, I’ll tell all my record biz friends about this site. It’s beautifully designed as well.
June 23rd, 2005 at 8:49 am
Ok, once again I am really feeling this dialogue. Like Mtume, I didn’t wake up on Bandy, Bandy until Ms. Badu started singing/sanging. She pushed this song to the head nodding, press repeat level for me.
I saw Zap Mama once, actually hosted a show that they headined, and I too was disappointed.
Oh well.
* * * Mtume says: You’ve got us backwards, Ekere. Kalamu is the Badu fanatic. 😉 I like “Bandy Bandy” from first note to last. And, the one time I saw Zap Mama (at HOB N.O. in support of their 1997 album “7”), the show was fantastic. * * *
June 23rd, 2005 at 6:12 pm
haven’t heard the whole album but…. You forgot to mention “yelling away.” That’s definitely one of the tighter songs on the album.
* * * Mtume says: I agree. Don’t care much for Kweli’s rap on “Yelling Away,” but the song itself is nice. * * *
June 24th, 2005 at 9:40 am
oh, true!! My bad :). Yes, The Cyber Baba and I are in full agreement that Mz Badu is the one who brings the lemons to this kool-aid.
June 24th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
“bandy bandy” is probably one of my favorite songs…and this just became one of my favorite music sites.
July 22nd, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Its never about just one song on an album for Zap Mama. While Bandy/Bandy is certainly one of the one’s that got most of the airplay – its definately not my favorite on the album. One of the best things about Zap Mama is their ability to step into almost every genre of music and do that shit WELL. Caribbean, African, Latin, Ragga, Hiphop stlyess area all represented here. Her live shows are ridiculous! I’m a fan however of her writing and improvisational abilites! The album is really a great representation of all of these.
January 20th, 2006 at 1:29 am
OK.. Late to the discussion but I could not let it pass… I love Erykah and I love Marie on this…
Did anyone else get out of their western-american centric trip enough to LISTEN to it… No no… really think about it – Erykah Badu’s sound is always moving towards the sort of improv that is Zap Mama’s cultural heritage… I am talking about those of us in the diaspora wishing we had a mama who could teach us how to travel out in sound – and YET making sound according to our corner of the diaspora….
If y’all saw it as something to compare and not to celebrate as a woman from the continent meeting a woman from the diapora and linking it up in a ‘ pleased to meet you sister-in-song’ …well!
Flame… a woman from the Caribbean… enjoying the hook up…
August 19th, 2006 at 1:41 am
Since BandyBandy shakes it so nice, and since it is my last name, I am looking for it’s origin…
Zap Mama, you make my name ring so good. what does the word bandy mean? anyone?…
August 27th, 2006 at 11:37 pm
I would like to hear anyones opinion on what the y feel the message in this song is…anyone?
Ciao!
February 26th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
bandy
ban·dy (băn’dē)
tr.v., -died, -dy·ing, -dies.
To toss or throw back and forth.
To hit (a ball, for example) back and forth.
To give and receive (words, for example); exchange: The old friends bandied compliments when they met.
To discuss in a casual or frivolous manner: bandy an idea about.
adj.
verb
To give and receive: exchange, interchange. See give/take/reciprocity.
To speak together and exchange ideas and opinions about. discuss, moot, talk over, thrash out (or over), thresh out (or over), toss around. Informal hash (over), kick around, knock about (or around). Slang rap. Idioms: go into a huddle. See words.
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