Music from Aluku: Maroon Sounds of Struggle, Solace, and Survival

The Aluku (also known as the Boni) are survivors. Roughly 8,000 strong, the Aluku are an African American Maroon people whose territory lies on the borderlands of French Guiana and Suriname, in a part of the Amazon basin that extends to the northeastern coast of South America and belongs culturally as much to the Caribbean as to Amazonia. Born out of resistance to slavery some three centuries ago, the Aluku have endured to the present in the face of formidable odds. Today, their survival is threatened once again, as they cope with the assimilationist policies of the French state (of which most Aluku are now citizens), as well as ever-escalating incursions into their territory by multinational corporations and independent gold miners. The fate of their Amazonian rain forest environment—not to mention their cultural and political autonomy—hangs precariously in the balance.

Track Listing

101	MATO: "Amígole saté, pínta balúba"	n/a	02:12
102	MATO: "Kidéndele, kidéndele, sani taampu-oo"	Sa Buki, et. al.	01:32
103	SUSA (Drumming with Vocals)	n/a	03:16
104	SUSA (Drumming)	n/a	02:01
105	SONGE: "Pe lobi de, mma?" (Where is the love, mama?)	Ba Aluwa	01:13
106	SONGE (Extended Drumming with Vocals)	n/a	09:55
107	AWASA (Drumming with Vocals)	n/a	01:10
108	AWASA: "Ma Senuwe"	Ba Aluwa	02:09
109	AWASA (Extended Drumming with Vocals)	n/a	03:23
110	TUKA (Old Style): "Dede, dede namo, yee"	Papa Bantifo, et. al.	02:33
111	TUKA (New Style)	n/a	02:48
112	TUKA (Dondowen): "Tonkoli Suku Maite, Molí Mawá"	n/a	01:32
113	KUMANTI (Song Accompanied by Agwado): "Mi dasi-oo, Nana-oo, yee"	Ba Dakan	00:58
114	KUMANTI (Drumming)	n/a	00:36
115	KUMANTI: "Tide ontuo e piki-oo, kugulu man alali"	Ba Aluwa	00:53
116	KUMANTI (Song Accompanied by Agwado): "Suku a sole bamban, obia, pe fu a piki, a piiti nou"	Ba Dakan	00:49
117	TUTU (Solo Flute)	Papa Tobu	01:06
118	AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Basi Agwado, odi, odi, odi-oo"	Ba Dakan	01:26
119	ALEKE: "Mabula (Mabuya) go na Ndyuka"	n/a	00:57
120	ALEKE: "Na so, mi mama, yee, fa wi e begi (alt., kali) a golon wenti, mi mama, yee"	A Sa Yeepi	04:37
121	ALEKE: "Di mi na a moni, fa mi o du-ee? Mi o go koti baana-oo, fu mi go seli a bilo"	Ba Lome	02:52
122	AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Basia Lomi, yu mu kali Kwaku gi mi"	Papa Tobu	02:11
123	BOTOO TUTU (Flute Language)	Papa Tobu	00:26
124	FON KEN (Work Song, for Pounding Sugarcane)	n/a	03:00
125	KWADYO (Solo Song): "Asa-oo, papa ngúlinya, ngúlinya"	Papa Aneli	00:27
126	KWADYO (Drumming with Vocals): "Adyaini-oo, mi na man"	Ba Peson, et. al.	01:13
127	AGWADO (Solo Song with Agwado Accompaniment): "Alabi, sipi e booko genti e kon"	Papa Aneli	02:17
128	PAPA (VODU) (Drumming)	Pap Pwen, et. al.	00:32
129	PAPA (VODU) (Chanting)	Ma Bwi	04:55
130	PAPA (VODU) (Drumming with Vocals)	Ma Yakoba, et. al.	05:50
131	UMAN DAGUWE	Ma Maidon, et. al.	01:43
132	SONGE (Full Ensemble)	Ba Aluwa	02:41