Apocalypse Across the Sky

AMG Review of Apocalypse Across the Sky

Alex Henderson
All Music Guide

The Master Musicians of Jajouka are an ensemble of full-time Moroccan musicians who live in the small rural village of Jajouka, which is in the Jibala hills south of Tangier. For them, music isn't a part-time interest or a mere hobby; it's an integral part of their day-to-day lives. Their passionate music was documented in 1991, when Apocalypse Across the Sky was recorded using a digital 12-track recorder. Some of the songs on this CD favor chanting vocals and use of the call-and-response technique, while the instrumentals make extensive use of percussion and the ghaita, an African wind instrument with a high pitch and an oboe-ish quality. The ghaita has been heard as a solo instrument on many African recordings, but on Sky (for which ghaita player/singer Bachir Attar serves as leader), listeners are given the chance to hear several ghaitas in unison. This is enriching music that shouldn't be overlooked.