music: emptyboat press
Empty Boat CD
Available now for purchase
New Internationalist January/February 2009
****The opening sounds of rainfall, the cascades of timbales from "Agua Pura" (Clean Water) or even a glimpse at the record label's name should give the listener a hint of the direction that the 15 musicians of Empty Boat are floating in. Sung in Portuguese and English, flavoured with Brazilian and African rhythms, Waitless is an album with a mission – to alleviate water poverty. As a recent issue of the New Internationalist showed, access to clean water and effective sanitation are fundamental issues in the developing world. With Poo Productions contributing £1 ($1.50) for every CD sold to Pump Aid's work in Africa, Waitless is an example of music making a direct difference.
Composer 'Captain' Dean Brodrick began work in Africa 15 years ago, when he took songs about sanitation to villages and townships: since then, he has built close ties to Mozambique, where empty Boat's Poo Tour went down a storm. With collaborators – who include Brazilian vocalist Monica Vasconcelos, Mozambique's Simao Ribeiro Fontes and percussionist Manuel Dihuaia – Waitless has capable rostrum to beat the drum for its cause. And best of all, even though Brodrick and friends are motivated by a serious message, there is nothing po-faced about Poo Productions' methods.
UK.Vibe
This release highlights the very worthy cause of the chronic lack of sanitation in Africa. This UK-based project is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Dean Brodrick and the music inspired by a trip to Mozambique. Calling in a number of guest musicians including Brazilian vocalist Monica Vasconcelos, themes are based around the concept of water. From a musical perspective the instrumentation is in large part Latin-tinged (though vocals are in Portugese) with the 1950s big band Cuban style of 'Agua pura' impressing. Jazzy mambo sounds permeate 'Eu vivo neste mundo' ('I live in this world')while catchy accordion playing is a highlight of 'Drinking water'. Clearly this is not exclusively a music project and its main purpose is to highlight the daily needs of millions of Africans. For every CD sold, one pound is donated to the campaign and equates to a lifetimes santation for an African citizen. Tim Stenhouse
Jungle Drums - January 2009
Waitless is the end result of a fusion of different musical elements, featuring vocals, wind instruments, percussion, natural sounds, musical experimentation and a range of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic components, all mixed together. The simple and beautiful compositions are surprisingly sung in English and Portuguese, and focus on themes such as water, solidarity and love. Alba Cabral
Financial Times, November 2008
Empty Boat/ Waitless ****
In support of World Toilet day on Wednesday, Empty Boat, a collective of English musicians here joined by Brazilian singer Monica Vasconcelos, campaign for clean water in Mozambique. Each copy sold donates £1 to Pump Aid, providing sanitation for one person for life. Waitless is sprightly, big and brassy, awash with Brazilian and Mozambiquan flavour. "Up, Up and Away" carries a beach-reggae rhythm on tuba. "River Boat" uses gospel piano and wonky Salvation Army brass to rejoice in social activism.
David Honigmann
The Independent, November 2008
Empty Boat/Waitless
The most challenging moral dilemma the music critic is ever likely to face is whether to give a good review to a mediocre product because it could save lives. Each copy of this CD sold raises £1 for Pump Aid which is enough money to provide sanitation for one African individual. But thankfully this multicultural collective has produced a fresh, edgy record which throws Sixties psychedelia, samba, tango, South African jazz, and much else besides into the pot with wholly satisfactory results. So, no moral dilemma. Howard Male
The Observer, October 2008
Empty Boat/ Waitless
What can a big band do about sanitation in the developing world? Quite a lot, apparently. This British-based collective have forged links with Mozambique, culminating in an album that takes water as its theme and a fusion of Brazilian and African elements for its modus operandi. Leader and keyboardist Dean Brodrick has an ear for an intriguing melody, while a classy line-up supplies exotic combinations of horns, tuba and female choruses, with an occasional touch of birdsong. Its shuffling sambas and aquatic references are organic and funky rather than worthy, and every album sold equals lifelong sanitation for one person.
Neil Spencer
CMU Music Network - October 2008
Empty Boat/Waitless
Apparently it's World Toilet Day on 19 Nov. I'm still unsure as to what this day actually entails (I may go to the toilet in some form of celebration that day, though), but I thank Empty Boat for bringing such an event to my attention. It's not the only toilet issue this collective of 15 musicians and vocalists from all over the planet want to bring to highlight though. Behind such comic trivialities and festive music, there's a very serious message about the inadequate sanitation in developing countries. Produced in collaboration with Pump Aid, a charity aiming to provide clean water in African communities, each copy of 'Waitless' sold will help such admirable efforts become a reality with sanitation being provided for one person for life. Musically, what's heard is just as exciting and welcome a project, combining elements and influences from the broadest of musical spectrums. Numerous voices are heard as a variety of languages sing out for joy and sorrow. African drums are prominent, too, as are eastern-European brass, Mediterranean jives and even jarringly modern dubstep can be found on this eclectically enthusiastic record. 'Eu Vivo Neste Mundo (I Live In This World)' is what Sufjan Stevens aspires to with when he tries to escape his western influences, and the use of children's vocals on 'Up Up And Away' and 'Mamae Iemanja (I Call The Stars)' are a sweet success. An admirable effort for a worthy cause, even if it won't quite appeal to the popular taste. TM
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