Rolling afrobeats thread 2014

(and of course Castro is described as a "rapper", because, yeah…)

I forgot about Jack Sparrow! I love that one too lol.

Loving this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms5LgLvUoPg

Boj "Trips"

Yeah that's nice. He's also featured on this one, which I like a lot even though Naeto C is a bore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fy1zrXdSeE

Googling to see who is paying attention to this music:

So Jon Caramanica reviewed D'Banji & others for the NY Times at Irving Plaza in NYC in 2012 but nothing really since.

http://dailypost.ng/2014/09/25/africa-music-awards-2014-davido-tops-nominees-list/

Nigerian artist, Davido and South African musicians Mafikizolo and Uhuru received the highest number of nominations at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) according to a list released on Wednesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Davido and Mafikizolo got six nominations each while Uhuru got five nominations.

Mi Casa (South Africa) and TemiDollFace (NIGERIA) got four nominations each while Zahara (South Africa) and Wiyaala (Ghana) got three nominations each.

Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania), Amr Diab (Egypt), Angelique Kidjo (Benin Republic), Tiwa Savage (NIGERIA), Patoranking (Nigeria) and Noura Mint Seymale (Mauritania) all had two nominations each.

Other nominees were Fally Ipupa (DRC), Sakordie (Ghana) and Davina Green (Zimbabwe) who got one nomination each.

Nominees for the Producer of the Year were Don Jazzy (Nigeria) for the song ‘Eminado’; Robbie Malinga and Mojela Thebe (South Africa) for ‘Impilo’; Uhuru (South Africa) for ‘Tchelete’; Mikky Me (Nigeria) ‘Down’ and Del’B (Nigeria) for ‘Pull Over’.

Worth it for the guitar alone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eD7GcAJiR8

Runtown "Baby Answer"

Everybody seems to be going highlife these days...

Meanwhile, in Ghana dancehall is stronger than ever. This one is fun (and it has Parade-era Prince strings):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjaNEyADbhE

Kaakie "Ronaldo"

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs129/1112375229202/img/131.jpg

BRIAN ENO-CURATED FELA KUTI BOX SET IS OUT TODAY

ON KNITTING FACTORY RECORDS

FELEBRATION EVENTS SCHEDULED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR OCTOBER

WATCH: Brian Eno talking about his love of Fela via YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tABl5cVKJhM

LISTEN: Fela Kuti's "Colonial Mentality" off the Finding Fela soundtrack via Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/knittingfactoryrecords/16-finding-fela-colonial-mentality

WATCH: Trailer for Finding Fela, the recently-released documentary from Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney via YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=937SQ8-6RV4

Knitting Factory Records today releases the third installment of their Fela Kuti Box Set Series. The box was curated by long-time admirer Brian Eno and his album selections span the ten years in which Fela's afrobeat progressed from its formative stage to a rich maturation of the form. It begins with 1971's Shakara and ends with 1980's I.T.T.(International Thief Thief). It also includes London Scene (1972), Afrodisiac, Gentleman (both 1973) and Upside Down(1976). The penultimate selection is 1976's Zombie, which was a huge hit in Nigeria. There are only 2,000 copies of this limited edition box set: The albums are pressed on 180 gram vinyl, come with a poster reproduction from a Fela Kuti & Africa 70 show in Brussels, and a fourteen page booklet.

Says box set curator, Brian Eno, "Before about mid-September 1973 I didn't have much interest in polyrhythmic music. I didn't really get it. That all changed one autumn day when I walked into Stern's Record Shop off Tottenham Court Road. For reasons I've long forgotten, I left the store with an album that was to change my life dramatically. It was Afrodisiac by Fela Ransome-Kuti (as he was then known) and his band The Africa 70. I remember the first time I listened and how dazzled I was by the groove and the rhythmic complexity, and by the raw, harsh sounds of the brass, like Mack trucks hurtling across highways with their horns blaring. Everything I thought I knew about music at that point was up in the air again. The sheer force and drive of this wild Nigerian stuff blew my mind. My friend Robert Wyatt called it 'Jazz from another planet' - and suddenly I thought I understood the point of jazz, until then an almost alien music to me."

October marks the annual Felabration month. Felabrations are the annual celebrations that commemorate the life and music of the late Fela Anikulakpo Kuti. The original Felabrations date back to the early 1970's when Fela and his band took over The Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria and performed until the sun came up. Felabrations take place all over the world to coincide with Fela Kuti's birthday on October 15th.

This year also saw the release of Finding Fela, a documentary directed by Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney. The documentary follows the life of Fela Kuti and the creation of the Broadway musical, Fela! Many of the national and international Felabrations will be hosting screenings of Finding Fela - the full list of Felabrations are below.

Felebrations & Finding Fela Screenings:

Atlanta GA - 10/1 - 10/4 - Spreadlove ATL - multiple venues (w/ Finding Fela screening) - Tickets

Oakland CA - 10/11 - Juke! Felabration @ Somar Bar - Tickets

Washington DC - 10/15 - Lil SoSo @ Den of Thieves (w/ Finding Fela screening) - Tickets

Washington DC - 10/15 - DJ Underdog + Rich Medina @ Liv Nightclub - Tickets

New York NY - 10/15 - Chop & Quench (the Fela! Band), Debo Band, and ?uestlove @ Le Poisson Rouge - Tickets

Los Angeles CA - 10/17 - Jump N Fun w/Rich Medina @ The Echo - Tickets

Denver CO - 10/18 - Groove Productions @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom - Tickets

Oakland CA - 10/18 - Lagos Roots Afrobeat Ensemble @ The New Parish - Tickets

San Francisco - 10/18 - Jump N Funk w/ Rich Medina & The Lijadu Sisters @ Mighty - Tickets

Dallas TX - 10/24 - Sandaga 813 - Tickets

http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com/artists/fela/

http://findingfela.com/

https://www.facebook.com/felakuti

oh man. want. i have the ginger baker one.

How is that?? btw The Best Best of Fela Kuti is an awesome 2-CD of epic edits--my first FK, and a great start.

i love the one i have. a lot of it was stuff i wasn't already familiar w/. i tried to find the first one but it was sold out. this one has more material i've already heard, but that i'd love to have.

Um, Afrobeats vs afrobeat

The new Timaya album is p great. Tons of jams. Yemi Alade's album is a real disappointment though. It sounds like a potpourri of other people's styles, with her own personality drowned out. Too bad. Johnny remains one of the definitive songs of the year.

New Tiwa Savage:
http://my.notjustok.com/track/3033/tiwa-savage-my-darlin#.VDT9VYWXWoU.twitter

Guru's video for Keep Walking has dinosaurs in it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfNoiy4G7Oo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oewrIzf7Nw

Not actually afrobeats at all but have we all heard Busy Signal over the Khona beat yet?

Ball J samples Under The Boardwalk while Guru raps about Jackie Chan. Gold.

http://www.sharebeast.com/v27wnoqp0p0w

Did any of you ever buy music from Spinlet? It looks cheap but I'm worried about the bitrates.

Anyone know of clubs to hear afrobeats in Paris? Gonna be there next week.

Back to google then

fuse odg album is seriously, seriously great and one of my albums/the pop/afrobeats albums of the year. dont sleep...

Haven't heard it yet, but saw this mixed review in the Guardian. Compares it to Sean Paul, who I like

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/30/fuse-odg-tina-review

Thanks to a plethora of international guest stars and a liberal dose of Guettatronics, it doesn’t sound as distinctive as one might hope, however.

There are some really really good tracks on this thing.

i dont think that review really gets it. doesnt sound like hes even familiar with his past (BIG HIT) singles. but anyway, the albums not perfect, but there are so many good songs/memorable hooks, i dont see how you can begrudge it.

yeah macinnes is a mug. says first sentence fuse is "A south Londoner of Ghanaian extraction", diligently c&ps what the title stands for and what it means... and then has a go at him for being crossover and not the pure afro realness the guardian readership craves

cute if minor album anyway, esp like 'bucket full of sunshine' and 'over'

yeah, fuse isnt like a dizzee for afrobeats, hes more like, idk, sway (though better). but this is still an album with antenna, azonto, the sean paul duet, the title track (which youd think the guardian might like more), which makes it hard to fault.

Yeah, Bucket Full of Sunshine might be the song carrying me through this winter. Pure happiness.

This. THIS!!!!

https://soundcloud.com/onviberadio/wiser-flavour-ft-phyno-mi

also this
https://soundcloud.com/seyishay/murda-feat-patorankin-shaydee

Loving that last one!

The Fuse ODG album from a couple of years back (The Buzz) was quite a lot better than the album that ultimately emerged. I suspect it got removed from all the new places after he signed a major label deal but it's worth seeking out if you can, even if several of its best moments appear here*. A lot of the newer stuff isn't up to the same standard.

*Bucket Full Of Sunshine, Azonto, Antenna, Office Work, This Girl, maybe another one.

The new olamide album is pretty great!

Some hot dance tracks from Naija:

Oritse Femi feat. Davido - Sexy Ladies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6M-MEmNmE4

Omo Akin feat. Ice Prince - Surutete (aciiiiid! - but more about house later):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1X6_iKZ-vY

Slyde - Banana (this might have been posted before, but I couldn't find it - it's great):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYv9lPW5Agw

Anyway, there's a remix out now too: Slyde feat. Timaya - Banana (Remix):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwYkBBZu1Uk

W4 - Foreign Dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olf3nJYcKfI

Iyanya - Finito (he's never come close to "Kukere" again, but this is good):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6AL2Os9co

And then there's the brand new Davido, Owo Ni Koko:
https://soundcloud.com/africagroove/davido-owo-ni-koko

While we're on the Naija House tip: How is it even possible that Legendury Beatz & Wizkid's Oje (posted two months ago) has not blown up by now? Why did Wizkid give that track it away? It's better than all the new tracks on Ayo.
This has a similar vibe: 2Face Idibia & Wizkid - Dance Go:
https://soundcloud.com/cloud9tunees/2face-wizkid-dance-go-eau-de-vie

catching up a bit on these songs today...

don gorgon = ultimate jam

also love: jeje, johnny, show you the money, gallardo, shake body

'dance' been on repeat all year too

"banana" and "foreign dance" are ace.

that's basically my two favourite naija trends right there: uhuru/mafikizolo sounds on the one hand and freaky triplet shit on the other.

can someone identify this angolan song that starts at 00:50 ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=y_iIVH-azsY#t=49

Tee Blaq "Vasa Shiii"

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=tee%20blaq%20vasa%20shii

Produced by Jay Pizzle, the man behind "Shake Body" and "Banana".

I regret shelling out for the Brymo album without listening first. Way too coffeeshoppy for my tastes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTB4hZy4XNY

love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwDiH_KbfIA

Runtown and Uhuru unite for The Banger:

https://soundcloud.com/freemedigital/runtown-ft-uhuru-the-banger

And this is Uhuru feat. Speedy with the remix for "Ungowami", now also featuring Wizkid. True loverman anthem!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8C-LayMFJM

…and not to forget Donald...

Perfect!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5NUsylTVY