Old African

\"Old African\" is a track by Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu, featured as the sixth composition on his 1999 studio album African Fantasy. Released on October 1, 1999, by ESC Records, the album adopted a fusion format that blended Indian classical rhythms with African percussion traditions, jazz improvisation and electronic textures. The label issued the recording primarily on CD, with no confirmed vinyl or digital-only editions from the original release period.

The track spans 6 minutes and 11 seconds, exemplifying Gurtu’s cross-cultural approach through layered polyrhythms and synthesized soundscapes. Instrumentation remains undocumented in primary sources, but Gurtu’s signature use of konnakol (South Indian vocal percussion), hand drums and electronic pads characterizes the album’s broader sonic palette. Collaborating musicians on African Fantasy included bassist Dominique Di Piazza and guitarist Nguyên Lê, though their specific contributions to \"Old African\" require verification from liner notes or session archives.

African Fantasy marked Gurtu’s tenth solo project and followed his 1998 live album The Beat of Love, recorded with pianist Joe Zawinul. The 1999 release expanded on Gurtu’s exploration of African musical forms, a direction he first pursued in his 1993 collaboration Crazy Saints with Senegalese drummer Doudou N’Diaye Rose. Critical reception of African Fantasy emphasized its rhythmic complexity, though commercial performance data and chart positions remain unarchived in publicly accessible sources.

No official music videos, remixes or alternate versions of \"Old African\" have been cataloged. The track’s live iterations, if performed, are not documented in Gurtu’s concert histories prior to 2005. The album’s production credits list Gurtu as the primary composer and arranger, with engineering by Gerhard „Gero“ Daum at Studio 22 in Germany. Mastering details and additional technical personnel are not specified in available release materials.