“Zandoo” by Exuma, from his sophomore album, Exuma II. The enterprising Bahamian had a great way of melding simple melody with the unobstructed immediacy of traditional African rhythm. Exuma holds a special place in black music because of the way he presents his post-diasporic music as a legitimate extension of West African poly rhythms and chants, as opposed to its use as an ‘exotic’ aesthetic, a charge leveled at Paul Simon and most modern performers. Above all of that, “Zandoo” is just a great, sweet song to play on a summer afternoon.
