Songs:
After their critically acclaimed first album on the bootleg label ITM (New Strategies In Riding) , the group KAZDA came back with their second album "Finally".
For those who have never heard of the group:
It was founded in 1994 by bassist, composer Jan Kazda (who used to
lead the jazz/crossover group "Das Pferd" before this) as a funkgroup
with jazz and triphop-elements.
Other founding members include african-born singer Wale Bakaru,
drummer Kurt Bilker, keyboarder Hinrich Franck (a german cult star
for his work with funk-bop group Franck-Band) and guitarist Jörg
Lehnhardt.
With a lot of live concerts - including a great appearance on the
trip-hop evening of the Leverkusen jazzfestival 96 - the group has
built a huge cult following in Germany, with some people travelling
more then 100 miles to see one of the (by now) rare shows.
The music combines political, social and personal lyrics , real
drums and drum loops, a horn section and both rap and singing
vocals.It uses elements from hip-hop and trip-hop - but is extremely
strong live music without DJs and machines, since every musician in
the group is also an experienced jazz player.
It is sometimes reminiscend of the guy who called himself "Prince"
for a long time - but Kazda includes more funk and jazz elements,
while he has integrated more folk and rock recently. On the new album
there are two cover tunes - one is "Sign Of The Times" in a rougher
version then the studios recording of Prince and the other is a vocal
version of the acid-jazz/groove classic "Song For My Father" by
Horace Silver, arranged very funky and with original lyrics that fit
the mood very well.
Never Look Back
- Never look back, never look back ...never look back in time
- Running against windmills is a job that I know well
- Screen love in a screen world , full of dreams
- of nepal mountains - and all the bottles full of souls that tumbled and crashed on my stairs ..
- Tomorrows rain will wash them away
- No reason for slowing down, no reason to stop the train
- with the heartbeat of desire in my brain
- with all the visions in my heart
- No reason for slowing down when the aim is out of sight
- I don't only want to dip my toes in the pool . and have no swim there
- dreamtime should be lifetime in the cold, cold rain
- Keepin my mind on course - some say I'm lost
- aim's in focus , got no copper, owe no field
- no time for hocus pokus, the screen is love - love is the screen
- We're on -
- So give me room and let's carry on
- I've got a heartbeat thumpin' like a kickdrum - don't want to tip my toes
- I want to sip some of that love elevating my mind - dreamtime can be lifetime.
Finally
- Finally it comes into your life and you'll always remember
- Finally it opens up the doors
- Finally I saw those birds fly high - and they made my tomorrow
- Finally it comes into your life
- It's cause you knew that you know that it's unmistakable - on the rise some of our works
- Inexplicable - for they run , come with the inspiration - some of them hold up before they reveal in a song
- As we blow up herb , give praise out to shiva , playing with the muses, stickin' to the culture out of ideas - the birth of song state of mood"
- Finally .. ...
Like these , most of the other lyrics are also " stream of conciousness " singing and raps. In an age of information overload, this is probably the best form of lyrics - since it transports a mood rather then a overly simplistic lyrics. Personally, I am opposed to musicians trying to take the role of politicians (there are enough of these around and even though they sometimes seem stupid, they usually have a better background in history and social sciences then most politically interested musicians) or of preachers. (Alex Merck)