Djabe: Witchi Tai To 2015 edition

GR-111-5,  Deluxe Media book, 64 pages, LP size – 2CD, 2 DVD

The monstre re-release of the award-winning Djabe album of 1998, which is considered a milestone to jazz/world music has come out. The mediabook packed four discs with the remixed version of “Witchi Tai To” contains more than three hours of previously unreleased extra material like video clips, interviews, unreleased live audio and video recordings, hundreds of unseen photos and interesting articles about the award-winning album and the Djabe. All this contained in a luxurious LP-sized high-quality book, 64 pages long.

András Sipos, also known as “Sipi” an actor-musician man above the ordinary, met Novus Jam band led by Attila Égerházi in 1994, the band he also became a member of. Following two albums they started a new project in 1995 under the name “Djabe”. The original musicians of Novus Jam and new jazz musicians who later formed Djabe, played together on the debut album released in 1996. Following the success of the first album a huge need arose for the live introduction of Djabe’s music world - and for that a permanent line-up was also required. The formation with Attila Égerházi (guitar), András Sipos (vocal, percussion), Tamás Barabás (bass guitar) and Ferenc Muck (saxophone) started to perform in 1997, and this line-up considered to be the first classical formation.

The unique music has been accompanied by special visual world since the first gig. The high standard stage visuals were provided by the Vari*Lite lighting system. The ballet led by Gábor Bakó completed the show.

1998 was the year of completion of the second album – first as a complete line-up – christened Witchi Tai To after Jim Pepper’s never fading classic. This was the way Sipi and co. helped record stores position the band in genre and as a performer. Album special guest was Ferenc Snétberger, world-renowned guitar player, the legend from Trio Stendhal.

The second record of Djabe sports a well thought-out and mature concept. Characterizing the musical freedom of Djabe’s then on board members Witchi Tai To (and the following Ly-O-Lay Ale Loya) mixes repetitive tribal rhythms harmonizing with various continents’ folklore music and established forms of tunes with pop music and popular jazz and funk elements. The outcome is just awe-inspiring. Success was so exuberant it literally blasted the Hungarian pop market. Witchi Tai To today is considered a musical milestone and a fundamental work.

The album received the Hungarian Music Award in world music category as the “Hungarian Album of the Year”.

In 2015, 20 years after the founding of Djabe Witchi Tai To got re-released in the form of a Deluxe mediabook. The LP-sized 64-page hardcover book thoroughly introduces the whole era.

The first CD and DVD introduces the classic album remastered by Tamás Barabás, many hidden ear-candy brought forward on the surround DVD. The 2-side DVD (DVD10) was already published in 2014 with quality accustomed to Djabe: side one with real DVD-A (complete album in 5.1 MLP Surround and 2.0 MLP stereo 2bit/96kHz format), side two with standard DVD-Video (complete album with 5.1 DTS Surround, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and 2.0 PCM Stereo 24bit/48kHz format) and further interesting extras.

Djabe releases can be ordered from the new Djabe Webhop:
http://djabe.hu/en/uzlet/

Tracklist:

CD 1 - Witchi Tai To 1998 (2013 remaster):

1. Coffee Break
2. Ode
3. Island
4. Odyssey
5. Visions After The Rain
6. Early Morning Snow
7. Visions Coctail
8. Desert
9. Visions
10. Gallop
11. Last Vision
12. Witchi Tai To

bonus:

13. Visions 1999

CD 2 - Witchi Tai To Live 1997-1999:

Budai Parkszínpad - Westend Zenei Fesztivál 1997:

1. Djolé
2. Camel Run

Magyar Rádió - Jazz a Márványteremben 1998:

3. Ode
4. Desert
5. Sorcerer
6. Monsun
7. Márványterem
8. Witchi Tai To
9. Djabe

Thália Színház - Witchi Tai To Tour 1999:

10. Island

bonus:

11. Confidence (Enhanced 1998)
12. Studio Rehearsal 1998
a, Visions Coctail
b, Island
c, Distant Dance

DVD 1 - Witchi Tai To 1998 (2013 remaster):

Audio:

5.1 MLP Surround (24 bit / 96 kHz)
&
2.0 MLP Stereo (24 bit / 96 kHz)

1. Coffee Break
2. Ode
3. Island
4. Odyssey
5. Visions After The Rain
6. Early Morning Snow
7. Visions Coctail
8. Desert
9. Visions
10. Gallop
11. Last Vision
12. Witchi Tai To

bonus:

13. Visions 1999

5.1 DTS Surround (24 bit / 48 kHz)
&
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround (24 bit / 48 kHz)
&
2.0 LPCM Stereo (24 bit / 48 kHz)

1. Coffee Break
2. Ode
3. Island
4. Odyssey
5. Visions After The Rain
6. Early Morning Snow
7. Visions Coctail
8. Desert
9. Visions
10. Gallop
11. Last Vision
12. Witchi Tai To

bonus:

13. Visions 1999
14. Confidence (Enhanced 1998)

Video:

Djabe Live 1997:

1. Visions
2. Camel Run
3. Desert - Walk
4. Visions Coctail
5. Djabe
6. Confidence
7. Island
8. Passage
9. Gallop
10. Coffee Break part I.

bonus:

11. Djabe (video clip)
12. Coffee Break (video clip)

DVD 2 - Witchi Tai To Tour 1998:

Video:

5.1 DTS Surround (24 bit / 48 kHz)
&
2.0 LPCM Stereo (24 bit / 48 kHz)

1. Visions After The Rain
2. Ode
3. Visions
4. Distant Dance
5. Djabe
6. Sorcerer
7. Message From The Boat
8. Under Construction
9. Coffee Break
10. Desert
11. Witchi Tai To
12. Passage
13. Island

extras:

14. TV interviews 1998–1999
15. Reissue interviews 2014
16. Hungarian Music Award ceremony 2000
17. Coffee Break (Dance version) (video clip 2015)
18. Tour production rehearsal 1998
19. Photo Gallery

Audio:

2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo

1. Radio Interview (Hungarian only)

Total: 78:20

Musicians:

Barabás Tamás – basszusgitár, percussion
Égerházi Attila – gitár, percussion
Muck Ferenc – szaxofon, percussion
Sipos András – percussion, ének

Snétberger Ferenc – gitár
Szalóky Béla – szárnykürt
Herczeg Judit – vokál