ARTS The Michigan Daily Tuesday, April 5, 1988 Page 5 Makeba, Masekela bring message back home By Todd Shanker As a child, nearly everyone won- ders what it would be like to live in a distant land or be a part of a mysteri- ous culture. Sunday evening, Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela proved that nothing on earth can tell you more about the soul of a people than the indigenous music of their respective culture.. Through their beautiful and deeply spiritual music, Makeba and Masekela communicated, at a very visceral, basic, subcon- scious level, exactly what it means to be a Black South African. Masekela heated up the gor- geously-lit Power Center stage first, floating through a lush instrumental and hypnotizing the near-capacity crowd with his free-swinging African horn arrangements. Makeba then joined Masekela on stage and per- formed a lilting rendition of her in- ternational hit, "Pata, Pata," com- plete with locked-groove, hip- swiveling female background vocal- ists. This far-out, Third World Supremes dance excursion continued for a few more songs, ending with the cool, flowing "Meet Me at the River." Masekela followed with a dramatic staging of a song called "Coal Train." Prefacing the tune with barbed-wire political statements about South Africa's apartheid regime, Masekela then let the band ooze into some purple-flamed solo work while his gravelly growl seeped slowly into the piece. The song's surging momentum ended in a flurry of exquisite trumpet solos, emotion- ally saturated vocals, and an early standing ovation for Masekela. Makeba then returned with her background singers, each of them adorned with bright African tapestries and traditional headdress. Performing a set of songs from her latest album, Sangoma, the "Empress of African Song" was definitely at her most majestic. Makeba's elegant vocals soared from her lips in kaleidoscopic haikus while her undulating word rhythms kissed the thrilled audience softly on its cheek. Next it was Masekela, raising his fist triumphantly during the blood- tingling "Bring Him Back Home," a song calling for the release of imprisoned African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela. The crowd of all ages and races danced ec- statically in the aisles, including a balding, elderly man seated a couple rows in front of me, who performed one of the grittiest African squat- dances I've seen in quite a while. Masekela kept 'em dancing, continu- ing with a movingly soulful, yet tension filled cover of Fela Kuti's "Lady." By this time, the sheer emo- tion of the performance was simmer- ing in the veins of nearly everyone present. As the show continued its "alternating performer" schema, Makeba took over the microphone yet another time. After a sky-high African parable called "Third World Convention," Makeba sang the Masekela penned "Soweto Blues." Dedicated to the thousands of children murdered and jailed by Botha's Afrikaaner police, "Soweto Blues" crackled like a smoking gun. Makeba's imaginatively elastic phrasing bordered on miraculous, while her dynamic vocals had the impact of a bullet against soft flesh. Finally, after a thundering standing ovation, Makeba and Masekela re- turned one last time to perform a colossal cultural sing-a-long called Records Elvis Hitler Disgraceland Wang Head (With Lips) Records "We're not tryin' to convey some dark image (we're too fuckin' goofy for that)." This quote from Len Puch, Snake-Out's guitarist, neatly summarizes the philosophy of the metro area's burgeoning new wax purveyors, Wang Head (With Lips) Records. Wang Head's release of a few months ago, Elvis Hitler's Dis- graceland, remains true to this spirit. Elvis Hitler plays short, speedy, psychotic, power-chord rockabilly songs about Hot Rods and Cadillacs in Memphis, as well as more eso- teric tunes like "Battle Cry of 1,000 Men" and "Ten Wheels For Jesus." A standard rock critic phrase, coined by my roommate, would describe .them as "kind of like the Stray Cats on acid." Disgraceland owes a lot to Elvis Hitler's label mates Snake-Out. Puch produced the record, while an- other member supplied the beer for the sessions. Elvis Hitler alsocovers "Green Acres," a Snake-Out fave, breeding it with "Purple Haze" to create "Green Haze." Elvis Hitler's forays into rocka- billy dementia work quite well, but he is not exactly on an unexplored road. Hasil Adkins is still waiting farther up this road, but this leg- endary gentlemen isn't exactly a reg- ular live attraction, while Wang Head's "stars" do appear regularly at rock bottom cover prices. To sum up, another quote from Puch is in order: "We just set up and play and have a good damn time." What could be better? -Brian Jarvinen ELVIS HITLER and SNAKE- OUT will appear tonight at the Blind Pig. Doors open at 9 p.m., cover is affordable, so check out the show. The Damned The Light at the End of the Tunnel MCA Records The light at the end of the tunnel they are, but they're also the light at the beginning - releasing both a single and an album before the Sex Pistols, who later elbowed their way into the scene to expand and eventually exploit it. Ironically,the Sex Pistols broke up just as The Damned began to snowball, ulti- mately evolving intotoday's world renowned, and highly respected, foremost English punk band. Light, a double album, follows our heroes through the long journey from garage band to the present death-dance, pop-punk misfits, be- coming an audial journal of their progress. It's not only a collection of some of The Damned's best, but also serves to show their uncanny ability to stretch their talents past the confining stereotypes of "punk rock." With nine albums and over ten years of great talent to choose from, Light, a veritable smor- gasbord, shines throughout with choice cuts. Exemplifying their expansive range, the LP contains everything from the machine-gun rapidity of garagey "New Rose" and "Neat, Neat, Neat" to the sugar- sweet "Trojans" and "Eloise." From that May day in 1976 to present, from Damned, Damned, Damned to 1986's Anything, The Damned have been doing it right, releasing cut after cut of sizzling musical genii. And Light, MCA's tribute to over a decade of great rock, though a fine album, barely does these boys justice. -Robert Flaggert Jerry Harrison Casual Gods Sire Records Eclectic pop rhythms from former Modem Lover and foundingrmember of the Talking Heads. More com- mercial than his solo release, but at its best just as enjoyable. Appear- ances from guitarist Chris Spedding and P-Funk guru Bernie Worrell on keyboards add just the right spice and keep things interesting. A couple of toss-off tunes, but Heads fans should be well pleased with this guitar and rhythm gumbo. Startling cover and sleeve art is worth at least part of the price of admissions. - Marc S. Taras I VETERINARY MEDICINE: AN OPTION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCIENCE 9 MEDICINE * ANIMALS dJESERftN4R, QN ViNth 49 UTE .1r . j... .. ' A veterinarian can combine these interests to tailor a career selected from a wide range of opportunities that include biomedical research, private practice (including specialties), wildlife and zoo medicine, and more. TO LEARN MORE, MEET A REPRESENTATIVE FROM MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Thursday, April 7 --2-4 p.m. CAREER PLANNING AND PLACEMENT Preprofessional Division 3200 Student Activities Building "Set the Children Free." This splendid group of South African performers created an unfor- gettable evening of rhythmic ambi- ence and Xhosa magic. Sunday's rich cultural experience also proved that Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela are talented, dedicated per- formers, in whose incomparable voice and surging trumpet, African music has found its zenith. Y '.\ o Congratulations! The nominees for the 1988 University of Michigan Recognition Awards are... Firas Atchoo David Austin David Baum Beth Bernhaut Geoffrey Bissell Maria Buffington Kenneth Butler Shelley Chiesa John Coleman Paul Crystal Pamela Dunbrock Robert Earle Shelly Ebbert Debra Facktor Hillary Farber Christopher Fedewa Beth Fertig Jonathan Ford Patrick Gallagher N. Gail Gilliland Lilly Glancy Natalie Green Nancy Hecker Kurt Heyman Samara Heyward Jennifer Hoeting Steven Hovan Lily Hu John ifcher Mark Jaffe Dyan Jenkins Robb Johnson MarianKeidan Catherine Kel Seth Klukoff Anne Kubek, Scott Langenburg Taeku Lee Mary Leichliter Gardiner Leverett Jesse Levine Briane Long David Lubliner Stephen Lutz Arlene McFarlin Audrey Miller Jonathan Murray Tracy Oberg Patricia Payette Yvonne Perry Karen Pica Barbara Ransby Robin Rhein Patricia Riley Elizabeth Scamperle Paul Schneir Gail Silberman Tobin Smith James Speta John Strek Laura Stuckey Margrette Taylor Heidi Van't Hof Lisa Waggoner Marci Weis David Weismantel Michelle White John Yamamoto Group Nominees Alpha Phi Omega Amerian Medical Student Association- Arnold Air Society Black, Hispanic, and Native America Student Psycho- logical Associations Dental School Student Council Galens Medical Society Greeks for Peace Michigan Music Theory Society/in Theory Only Michigan Union Study Lounge Volunteers Michigan Image Task Force Michigan Video Yearbook NROTC Unit, University of Michigan Nursing Students Association, Breakthrough to Nursing Committee Peer Educators for Sexual Assault Prevention Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity/ Sigma Sweethearts Auxiliary Pi Delta Sorority Residence Hall Repertory Theatre A CENTER FOR W STERN EUROPEAN STUDIES Learn Swedish in Sweden at the Uppsala International Summer Session Earn 8 in-residence credits for 8 weeks of intensive Swedish (beginning, intermediate, or advanced). The program runs for 9 weeks, June 26 - August 19. This will be two four-week sessions with one week vacation between them. For more information, contact the Center for Western European Studies 764-4311 or visit the office at 5208 Angell Hall How to runyu xo tke >* The American Express' Card can play a starring role virtually anywhere you shop, from TIsa to Thailand. Whether you're buying a TV or a T-shirt. So during college and after, it's the perfect way to pay for just about everything you'll want. How to get the Card now College is the first sign of success. And because we believe 7 in your potential, we've made it easier to get the American Express Card right now. Whether you're a freshman, senior g 4or grad student, look into our new automatic approval offers. For details, pick up an application on campus. Or call 1-800-THE-CARL) and ask for a student application. The American Express Card. 11 1,