Considered a luck number since there were seven seas, seven heavenly bodies, seven metals, seven parts of a musical scale, and so forth.
Don't forget Seventh heaven.

Artist: Zap Mama
Label: Luaka Bop
Released: 1997

7, released in 1997 on Luaka Bop Records, is considered to be Zap Mama's first attempt at pop music. It does, indeed, tackle many pop music styles: reggae, funk, hip-hop, r n' b, and jazz. It melds these with the a cappela sound Zap Mama had been known for on their previous two albums, Adventures in Afropea, Vol. 1, and Sabsylma.

Instead of using a core band of musicians, Marie Daulne employed a good number of musicians, and used a shifting line-up, accounting for the wide variety of styles found on the album. This would make this album more of a "project album," but who's counting? The line up for this album, then, is:

Zap Mama (Marie Dualne): lead vocals
U-Roy: vocals
Marie Dualne: percussion, vocals, didgeridoo, guimbri, kashishi
Jean-Louis Daulne: bass, vocal trumpet, vocal breath, sound effects (telephone sound)
Michael Franti: vocals
Charlie Hunter: harmonica
David James: guitar
Sabine Kabongo: vocals
Yannick Fonderie: hammond organ, emu
Carl Young: bass, keyboards
Anthony Gröger: cello, piano
Anita Daulne: cello, vocals
Angelique Willkie: vocals
Bilou Doneux: drums
Stéphane Galland: percussion, drums, vocals
Michel Hatzidjordju: bass, guimbri
Watanga Rema: vocals
Hans Francken: piano
Michael Hatzidjordju: bass
Sidiki: kashishi
Vincent Pierens: double bass
Otti Van der Werf: guimbri
Quental Késïa: vocals
Chander Sardjoe: tabla
Bruno Meeus: drums
Luk Michiels: bass
Mama Camberlin: vocals
Fatimata Wallett: vocals
Bachir: rap
Amanou: guitar
Tom Van Stiphour: guitar
Bernadette Aningi: vocals
The songs:
  1. Belgo Zaîroise - (M. Dualne)
  2. Nostalgie Amoureuse - (M. Dualne/A. Willkie)
  3. African Sunset - (A. Mnyandu)
  4. Poetry Man - (P. Snow)
  5. Téléphone - (M. Dualne/C. Kankonda)
  6. New World - (M. Yusuf/U-Roy/M. Dualne)
  7. Baba Hooker - (M. Dualne/M. Franti)
  8. Illoï - (M. Dualne)
  9. Jogging À Tombouctou - (M. Dualne/M. Yusuf/S. Kabango/M. Camberlin/F. Wallett)
  10. Timidity - (M. Dualne/S. Kabongo/A Horse, A Bucket, and a Spoon)
  11. Elie Buma - (M. Dualne/M. Yusuf)
  12. Warmth - (M. Dualne/A. Willkie)
  13. Damn Your Eyes - (B. Wyrick/S. Bogard)

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.