Entertainment For Lively Minds
African Music
Posted by jimmyshoes01 on 16 December 2011 - 1:31pm.
When I shuffle the iPod nothing makes me happier than a blast of African beats and so for the next couple of weeks I am going to fill up said pod with as much of the stuff as I can and leave everything else off.
I have around twenty or so albums by different artists as well as some compilations so there is plenty of scope for adding to them, I'm sure.
What should it be?
While you have a think, have a shot of this:
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If you fancy a bit of Tanzanian hip-hop...
... this is very good:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bongo-Flava-Swahili-Rap-Tanzania/dp/B001PIGRXA/r...
recommended
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Guide-Afric-Various-Artists/dp/B004QDN...
A few suggestions:
"Djam Leelii" - Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck. Hyponotic and still spellbinding. Two acoustic guitars, and voices which sound like they come from 1000 years ago.
The Bundhu Boys: "Shabini". Jit jive from Zimbabwe. One of the best live bands I ever saw - the whole place was jumping. Utterly joyful, and some of the best dancing music ever (even for me, who hates dancing). Album no longer available on its own, but is part of "The Shed Sessions" CD.
"The Indestructible Beat of Soweto". Still the classic South African township jive compilation.
Youssou N'Dour: "Immigrés". N'dour's first proper rootsy Senegalese records are the best. The title track of this album is one of my favourite African songs of all time.
Djelimandy Tounkara - "Sigui". This is more Malian magic. Apparently, it's Damon Albarn's favourite African album, and no wonder.
Cheikh Lô: "Ne la Thiass". originally from Burkina Faso. More of a Latin feel here. Super.
Kasse Mady: "Kela Tradition". Another outstanding Malian singer. Where do they find them all?
Salif Keïta: "Moffou". Salif returned to his roots here, after a few tedious french funk albums. Great stuff.
Ayub Ogada: "En mana kuoyo". From Kenya. The only album he ever made. But what an album. A big favourite of the late Joe Strummer.
And also:
Orchestra Baobab: "Pirates' Choice" and "Specialist in all Styles"
Bembeya Jazz National: "The Syliphone Years"
Toumani Diabate & Ballaké Sissoko: "New Anicent Strings"
That should get you started. basically, it's just a huge cornucopia of riches...
Another vote
for the Indestructible Beat of Soweto - brilliant compilation.
Pirates Choice
Seconded - it's mesmerisingly brilliant.
Four of my faves...
Wasis Diop - No Sant
Vieux Diop - Vieux Diop (Via Jo)
Ismael Lo - Iso
Baka Beyond -The Meeting Pool
All four have a strong Western influence though. Not for purists.
Fela Kuti.
Had a funny 70's habit of releasing of albums of two songs, one per side. The one with 'Colonial Mentality' was fantastic.
Mabulu
are a recent find. From Mocambique. A few cracking tracks on their album.
Fatou is the queen
of current African music
Indeed
Have got a ticket to see her live in February. Should be good.
Where?
Do tell please!!!
Södra Teatern, Stockholm, Sweden
10 February
Docteur Nico
That
is fantastic!
In your twenty
you MUST have Staff Benda Bilili - if not, make it twenty one asap.
I can also recommend the Fela Kuti boxed set - 26 albums of Afrobeat.
Would also recommend the Nigeria 70 series of compilations as well.
Once you've finished with Africa, head to the Balkans. A blast of parping brass is, I find, the next best thing for getting the blood pumping.
Seconded - all of them!
Far be it from me to point out that the Fela set is currently loitering, ripe for sampling before buying, in t*rrentland.
Golden Afrique vol. 1
"Highlights & rarities from the golden era of African pop music (1971 - 1983): Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Togo."
should get you dancing - if not go to your GP.
Also love
Jali Musa Jawara - "Direct from West Africa"
Kante Manfila "Tradition"
Kasse Mady - "Fode"
the Super Rail Band & the Ambassadeurs, both featuring Salif Keita
Kanda Bongo Man
would endorse above recommendations for Orchestre Baobab & the Baaba Maal, Mansour Seck album
You won't be able to fill up your iPod from it
but this blog should keep you busy for a while: Awesome Tapes from Africa.
I love that one
also I'd recommend these:
http://globalgroovers.blogspot.com/
http://likembe.blogspot.com/
http://francorestored.blogspot.com/
Unfortunately, the guy running the Franco blog died recently, lots of classics on there though.
Some more
Franco - 20th Anniversary 1956-76
King Sunny Ade - Juju Music
Jali Musa Jawara - Same
Salif Keita - Soro
S.E. Rogie - The 60s Sounds Of
Super Rail Band - New Dimensions In Rail Culture
Four Brothers - Makoroto
Hey, jimmy,
get in touch with Junior Wells if he ever surfaces again; he's got a hot line to some great African stuff. In the meantime, try to find these two, which are my favourites:
This one's really hard to find, but worth the effort:
(If you can find his earlier album Mando (on CBS France in 1983 - never issued on CD to my knowledge, it's even better!)
This one's recently seen a proper CD issue (my copy is an Earthworks vinyl LP) and is simply indispensable:
Cheers!
I'd forgotten about Thomas Mapfumo. I've got a couple of his lps stuck somewhere, along with a few by King Sunny Ade I got in Belfast 20 odd years ago with one track each side. Two of the albums had the same cover but different albums inside. Fantastic.
I was blown away by Bo Mbanda by Pablo 20 years ago which led to Sound d"Afrique and no looking back.
someone mention my name ?
I'd recommend going with compilations and then deciding on which style you like. Afica is after all a continent of many and varied styles so generalising about "african music" is fraught.
most of the recommendations here are on the money. For me the golden period of african music is 70s and 80s.
the earthworks compilations are excellent for southern africa and world circuit was always a reliable label as was globestyle
there are a couple of east african compilations featuring les wanyika / simba wanyike , maroon commandoes, orchestra mazembe / super mazembe , mlimani park orchestraet al
ghana -for mine the sweet talks are the epitome of highlife and eric agyeman's highlife safari
nigeria - well pick a fela any fela ( i really likethe collaboration with roy ayers)and for juju sunny ade the island albums are pretty good - ju ju music and synchro system .His latest double cd was a return to form too, ebenzer obey is also good juju- there was a compilation on hemisphere.
congolese- there is old school rumba see franco and rochereau plus zaiko langa langa, slicker faster beats in the forkm of soukous - diblo, kanda bongo man, les quatre etoiles
other areas covered
on Zimbabwe which is where I just come back from there are some compilations of mapfumo , the above mentioned shumba is a landmark album but if forced to nominate I'd go for ndangariro , mabasa or even his latest exile. For mtukudzi - I like a compilation where he rerecorded some of his best stuff in Germany- shoko
the bhundu-s I'd go for the shed singles double or if you can get it live at king tut's wah wah hut
The 4 brothers cired elsewhere on this thread are rougher harder but if you like jit you'll like them
for some sublime african township jazz get the early dollar brand landmark mannenberg - it's on a few compilations.
A few from me...
Ghana Sounds
African Scream Contest
The Very Best of Éthiopiques
Nigeria Special
These Two Tracks Always Fill Me With Joy
This is Papa Wemba
and this is Djeli Moussa Diawara.
Djeli Moussa Diawara was also known as Jali Musa Jawara - probably to help save Western tongues from getting tied over pronunciation.
Franco
20th anniversary thing seconded
It was the NME All Africa Radio cassette in the 80s that got me started and I've never looked back. The Youssou N'dour Immigres album and Thomas Mapfumo first then everything else followed. Pirates choice by Baobab is great.
If you want music to make you move
Apart from the above recommendations, you can't go wrong with the late Pepe Kalle who was massive in Africa in all senses of the word in the 1980s and 90s. Here is his tribute to the footballer Roger Milla:
Kalle's band Empire Bakuba was amazing he even had a troupe of dancing dwarves. There is some footage of them in action on youtube if you dig around.
In the same vein ANYTHING with the guitarist-for-hire Diblo Dibala is pretty cool (he played with everyone including Kalle) this is a solo release:
As to more modern stuff- I defy you not to move to this offering by Diva de nos jour Barbara Kanam:
All these people come out DRC.
If you don't want to dance
I thoroughly second the recommendation for New Ancient Strings by Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko. Two of the best Kora players produce a completely improvised acoustic album. Joanna Newsom must have this album!
Also The Kafala Brothers from Angola, who sound like a lusophone Simon and Garfunkel:
Well, I duuno about you guys,
but I'm going to crack another Tanzabeer and put on some more juju tunes from the Chief Commander and his Inter Reformers Band. It may be icy outside, but it's sweltering in here.
sorry couldn't resist recommending a few more
Mory Kante. Everyone knows Yeke Yeke, but I always like this one:
They are both on an album called Awkaba Beach.
Also a stalwart of the Super Rail Band, Kante Manfila (who died this year):
Oh...and Nahawa Doumbia from Mali:
Check out the last two locally made videos