Zen Rant
CD Review
Vacca Rants, By Josh Shear, Editor of The Journal Bravo
"A glimmer of light, my lost and sacred soul, a long dark night to make the wounded whole. A call, a cry, a sorrow so deep that I pray to God my soul to keep from dying."
Easthampton percussionist and poet Tony Vacca gives us a look deep into his soul with his new CD project, Zen Rant.
Vacca has acted as a vehicle for introducing Americans to traditional African music and musicians, and has helped bridge some of the gaps in language and culture between the traditions of Americans and Africans.
In the late 1970s, Vacca met Massamba Diop, who is perhaps the greatest tama drum player in the world. The tama drum, also known as the "talking" drum, has strings or ropes between the instrument's two heads. Adding or removing pressure on the strings changes the pitch of the drum.
Since then, Vacca has taken several trips to Diop's native Dakar, Senegal, and has met some amazing musicians. He has also worked with some fantastic Americans, from hip-hop pioneer Abiodun Oyewule (Last Poets) to Ludlow bassist Joe Sallins.
Vacca heads up the World Rhythms ensemble, a project of American and African (mostly Senegalese) musicians which performs in many different lineups and many different styles. Typical of a World Rhythms project is lots of percussion, some bass, and Tim Moran's saxophone pieces. The music is jazz, rumba, samba, reggae, hip hop, traditional storytelling (guirot) the all encompassing "world beat."
Vacca adds something new to Zen Rant: his own poetry. Oyewule, Diop, Sallins, Moran and other friends Gokh-bi System, Barou Sall, Omar all help out, and above all the sounds, Vacca speaks his mind in free-form poetry and essays.
The disc provides a look into the soul of a man who often comes across as strictly business. His concentration on stage is intense, his presence in public is humble, and his words on Zen Rant give us another look at Vacca.
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