DESCRIPTION:
Brazilian percussionist, Airto Moreira, was playing his first ever gig in Africa with Flora Purim, guitarist José Neto and their band, Fourth World. After the show, Airto and Robert visited the bar to be greeted by the owner with wise and prophetic words: 'Nobody comes to South Africa without a mission'.

That night, Robert and Airto met the legendary bass player and founder of Sakhile, Sipho Gumede. The encounter, and others with such extraordinary musicians as Pops Mohamed, persuaded the pair that they had to return to South Africa. Gradually, it became clear that their mission was to offer their new musical friends an opportunity for a free exchange of culture and musical ideas; to facilitate the creative collaboration that had been denied to them throughout the cultural boycott. In October '94, this process began with a group of artists travelling to South Africa meeting up and jam with more than 50 local musicians under the banner, 'Outernational Meltdown'. The producer team for the series of recordings in Joburg and Cape Town included Airto, Jose Neto, Byron Wallen, Jose Neto, Andrew Missingham, Pops Mohamed and Sipho Gumede. Particpating artist a.o. were Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, Madala Kunene, Mabi thoejane, Shaluza Max, spiritual healers, gospel choirs, Amampondo and Dave Mayekana.
For Robert Trunz this adventure was a step into the unknown - with the help of Airto's creative direction he started to take a more global approach to the label's repertoire. This grew from Robert's view that a mixture of different cultural and ethnic styles both informs and enhances playing styles and works particularly effectively in a jazz-infused world music context. It was his firm belief that, as a purveyor of loudspeakers, which are only animated - given life and soul - by the music played through them, he must pay his dues to those who create the (soul) music.
M.E.L.T. 2000 releases a carefully selected choice of World Music-, Jazz- and Acoustic recordings of artists from the UK, Brazil, Cuba but mainly from Southern Africa. The site features well known names like Byron Wallen, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Fourth World, Madala Kunene, Bernard Mndaweni, Amampondo, Busi Mhlongo and Mabi Thobejane. Recent recordings and filming of new and exciting artists include L.A.P. (Live African Percussion), Castro B., Vivid Afrika, Greg Georgiades, Ashish Joshi, Della Tamin, Thabang Tabane, Syd Kitchen, Johnny Fourie, Carlo Mombelli, Ernest Mothle & Ntombe Thongo's African Band. ELECTRIC M.E.L.T. is undertaking several new projects in conjunction with local South African- and European remixers to be released under the Music With No Name series.