Rolling Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2014 Thread Formerly Known as World

u kno what belongs in here must we really quibble about genre catchalls? this is the thread for funky, bluesy, new + reissued music from lots of different places that may include ghana, congo, kenya, niger, mali, south africa, syria, lebanon, israel, iraq, iran, turkey, and other places that make cool music that doesn't always get enough press in the west. some labels that might be relevant here: sublime frequencies, honest jons, sahelsounds, light in the attic, voodoo funk, awesome tapes from africa, analog africa, kindred spirits, soundway

last year's thread: Rolling World Music Thread 2013

now listening to

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sOK%2BpsIBL._SY300_.jpg

That looks interesting

Lotsa acts coming to the US-- most doing this showcase event in NYC

globalFEST 2014 Webster Hall Schedule Sunday January 12. A number of them are coming to DC--Noura Mint Seymali, a Mauritanian singer who's a fan of Arab Idol, and whose husband guitarist likes Jimi Hendrix, will be at the Kennedy Center in DC this Sunday the 5th for free (and video-streamed and archived on the K. Ctr website)

The Studio
Brushy One-String – 7:00 – 8:00pm
Hassan Hakmoun – 8:20 – 9:20pm
Kuenta i Tambu (K i T) – 9:40 – 10:40pm
Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta – 11:00pm – 12:00am

The Marlin Room
Como Mamas – 7:00 – 7:50pm
The Wu Force – 8:10 – 9:00pm
Noura Mint Seymali – 9:20 – 10:10pm
Yasimine Hamdan – 10:30 – 11:20pm

The Ballroom
Bombay Royale – 7:30 – 8:15pm
DakhaBrakha – 8:35 – 9:20pm
Fanfare Ciocarlia – 9:40 – 10:25pm
Baloji – 10:45 – 11:30pm

Xchuckx likes Mississippi gospel act Como Mamas and I know folks who really dig Eastern European brass act Fanfare Ciocarlia.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2014/01/03/mauritanian-singer-noura-mint-seymali-on-her-band-playing-weddings-and-arab-idol/

Dimi Mint Aba, mentioned in that interview, is another one of those singers I saw way back when, when I was getting out more. Extremely powerful voice. The live experience was much more satisfying than the two recordings I bought later.

NOURA MINT SEYMALI - USA TOUR - JAN. 2014

5 Jan. 2014: The Kennedy Center, Millenium Stage - Washington, DC. 6pm -7pm. http://www.kennedy-center.org/

10 Jan. 2014: Barbes - Brooklyn, NY. 9:30pm. http://barbesbrooklyn.com/

11 Jan. 2014: The Painted Bride - Philadelphia, PA. 8pm. http://www.paintedbride.org/events/noura-mint-seymali/

12 Jan. 2014: Webster Hall / globalFEST - New York, NY. 9:20 - 10:10pm, the Marlin Room. http://www.globalfest-ny.com/

Fanfare Ciocarlia are predictably brilliant live.

Baloji is also excellent (particularly this: http://youtu.be/mRfUZuUW96Q)

That's a hell of a concert.

I read that The Bombay Royale are a Australia-based Bollywood funk group, but I haven't heard them yet myself.

Watched excerpts of videos by DakhaBrakha--they're a Ukrainian Portishead/new wavey outfit in the bits I saw though they bill themselves as "ethnic chaos"

I saw Aster Aweke in a late gig in DC last night/this morning. She was great--wide vocal range, charismatic, dancing around and backed by top DC Ethiopian old-school style outfit the Feedel Band. Other than a blonde woman I saw with an Ethiopian guy; and some Echostage club employees, I think my gf and I were the only non-Ethiopians there among the crowd of hundreds (400 maybe). Tickets were $40 in advance and $50 at the door. The last Ethiopian show I saw there (Mahmoud Ahmed with Teddy Afro) was even more crowded (with roughly the same ratio of Ethiopians & non-Ethiopians). The promoter of this one blamed the non-working heat in the cold cavernous building for discouraging walkups (texted by people already there not to come). Although this promoter also didn't seem to get postcards and flyers out to every Ethiopian restaurant in the DC/MD/VA region the way the prior gig's promoter did. It still surprises me that virtually no area non-Ethiopian resident attended. Despite the language barrier and the sometimes challenging to Westerners ululating Middle eastern like vocal techniques sometimes used, this was great music from arguably the most acclaimed vocalist from another country appearing in DC, home as well to former Peace Corps volunteers, State Department employees, and international non-profit & NGO types, World Bank staffers, whom one might think would be interested. But I guess the late start time, the price, the location (far from the subway in Northeast DC), the lack of crossover publicity (other than my Washington City Paper preview & my concert calendar email & blogpost) and the language & music barriers discouraged even those folks.

I blame the promoter. Have seen similar things with salsa events, where it looks like they weren't even trying to bring in a crossover, non-Latino audience. (Again, as I've suggested before, maybe the event would lose some of its community specific appeal if it is promoted to everybody? I don't know.)

Its complicated. I think the Ethiopian promoter might not think spending big bucks for Washington Post ads or selling tickets via ticketmaster would get him a crossover audience that he has never previously seen at Ethiopian gigs. DC has a huge Ethiopian community, and like with Latino audiences, they don't need a crossover crowd. Plus, Aster is a big star to those who know Ethiopian music, and is thus worth $35 to $50, but to those just into either old-school African music from elsewhere or Awesome tapes or whatever, spending that kind of money for a ticket is taking a big chance. Most folks won't do it (plus the language factor). Malians Amadou & Mariam can get that kind of covercharge money from crossover audiences because they also have indie folks guesting on their albums and Pitchfork, et. al. give them coverage; Aster like old salsa musicians doesn't get that crossover attention and doesn't put such guests on her music. But yes, if the Aster show and some salsa shows were priced reasonably at done an earlier time and at say Lincoln Center in NYC or Kennedy Center in DC, they might get a bigger crossover crowd (despite the lack of existing indie or mmainstream crossover attention).

Finished my weekend of African divas live by seeing Noura Mint Seymali and band tonight (an early free show at the Kennedy Center). Her Arabic sounding vocals are impressive, but I really really like her husband guitarist's sound--a pick attached to his thumb and his other fingers busily moving and strumming the strings as well in that West African Sahel desert manner w/ a touch of psychedelia and funk.

Those were 2 good shows to start the new year with. They both should have been asked to record NPR Tiny Desk Concerts here in DC, but I doubt that happened.

Sat. Jan. 11 NYC showcase show (the night before Globalfest)

Barbès & Electric Cowbell Takes Manhattan with Ethiopian keyboardist and band leader Hailu Mergia {of Awesome tapes reissue fame},
; D.C. based Malian Griot Check Hamala Diabate; DC based band with Ethiopiques member plus they backed Aster Aweke-- Feedel Band; PitchBlak Brass Band; DC-based band with Togo singer -Elikeh; Slavic Soul Party; Psychedelic Salsa outfit La Mecanica Popluar's; and Mexican cumbia band La Sabrosa Sabrosura. Also DJ sets all night from Sound Culture (Sound Culture Center For Global Arts)

Saturday December 11th
DROM
Doors open at 6:30pm
Admission $10
Free with APAP badges
Drom is located at 85 Ave. A in Manhattan

Rolling Chinese indie rock thread

APAP conference/GlobalFest weekend gigs in Brooklyn here at this cozy place I visited once

http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com/calendar.html

It's looking like (not surprisingly) that the new title of this thread is still not different enough to get ILX UK folks and others to post here. Whatever.

Is there an Afrobeatz 2014 thread yet?

xpost

Geez it's only January 7th. Most of the other rolling threads aren't rolling that hard yet. (I still am perplexed by your belief in the great importance of the thread title.)

Also, when you post a lot of event announcements, how are people supposed to really bounce off of that?

I don't know why I am wringing my hands over your hand wringing though.

I have come around to your way of thinking on the thread title. Regarding show announcements-- I just want to emphasize that some of this is great live music and these artists might be coming to your 'hood (ok maybe not yours); plus that these artists are worth listening to on their recordings as well. But yea, I probably need to stop hand wringing

I'm not saying show announcements are necessarily bad, just don't be surprised if they don't provoke discussion.

i hope npr streams globalfest again this year -- fatou at last years was def a high point

x-post

Anyway, things are just getting started. I don't think I've seen any kind of uk dance music thread or even a general house/techno thread for 2014.

for my part, with the ILM poll about to start, I almost don't want to hear anything new right now, so I'm kind of glad the rolling threads aren't really rolling (though I started the dancehall one already lol).

but yeah, I live in Oregon so I just ignore the East Coast tour stuff (it mostly makes me regret how many shows I missed when I lived in Chicago) apart from being generally pleased that those acts play the US. Does the visa situation seem at all improved these days? I remember during the Bush administration hearing constant stories about major intl acts being denied.

From what I have read the visa situation is better, but the artists and those who help them have to plan way in advance and still jump through countless hoops at both ends--the embassies in their home countries as well as with the official folks here.

http://www.afropop.org/wp/11332/john-collins-ghana-then-and-now-part-1/

he's the guy who released, among other things, this amazing palmwine collection: http://www.allmusic.com/album/vintage-palmwine-mw0000796847

Then I played with student bands (like the Deep Blues Feeling of Achimota School), more pop music. And I met and recorded with Koo Nimo [the great palm wine maestro of Kumasi]. And then I met E.T. Mensah, who was a dance-band musician, and I played with his second band, and he and I became very friendly and he took me around and introduced me to a lot of old-time musicians and I started interviewing people. This would be around about 1973. So around then, I began accumulating information about the background of highlife music. And I went to the university, and only one or two people at the university were interested in it. They were basically antagonistic to highlife. They said it was “a hybrid music,” and that the only genuine types of music were European classical music or African traditional music, and that nothing could exist in between. So I sort of fell out with these people for a while, although things are different now. The university actually teaches highlife. But that’s only since 5 or 6 years ago.

They had these groups in the ‘70s called cultural groups, which were basically highlife musicians going acoustic, going back to their roots. And a lot of Europeans actually, in recent years, when they see a cultural group, they think it is a forerunner to highlife, but it’s actually highlife gone back to its roots.For instance, there’s this borborbor music that we were recording today in the studio. If you see a borborbor group, like the one I was recording, it’s all drums, and all highlife rhythms. So you might think this is ancestral to highlife music, but it’s quite the reverse. It was a traditional Ewe music that was influenced by highlife, and incorporated highlife elements.

So these cultural groups were the Ga equivalent to borborbor groups, and they played music like kpanlogo, which, again, looks like traditional music, but it has been modernized with highlife elements, and even elements of rock and roll, there are elements of the twist in there that came in through Chubby Checker in the early ‘60s.

konkoma on soundway in 2012 had a "Kpanlgo" track + i was able to find a borborbor track on soundways too but there isn't a ton out there. i'm really excited to hear what he's recording now.

oh that bit was from the 93 interview now he's

[Fast forward twenty years. John’s Bokoor archive has withstood a devastating flood in 2012, caused in large part through bad land management by a neighboring saw mill. John is a senior professor at University of Ghana now, no longer involved in music production, he co-runs the Local Dimension highlife band (with Aaron Bebe Sukura) but is still a savvy observer of a scene that has completely transformed itself since our first meeting. Meanwhile, Ghana’s popular music has been reinvented in the era of “hiplife” (a blend of highlife and hip hop that has now diversified into several subgenres) and the Azonoto dance craze. We start by listening back to John’s 1993 comments about the voice “sinking into the mix.”

also i haven't watched this but i heard the radio segment on bbc today - it's about ebo taylor who we were just talking about on the highlife thread:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25657461

The northern Ghanaian Sahelean traditional culture is quite distinct from the southern forest culture in its singing, its instruments—everything. Even after independence, you don’t get any significant northern Ghanaian popular music until about 10 to, 15 years ago. There were just a few exceptions. But now, the big reconnect is happening. And it’s because Jerry Rawlings put electricity into the north 15 or 20 years ago, and you’ve now got the beginning of a northern Ghanaian popular music, industry, recording wise. You’re getting a massive flood of music from the north, artists like Atongo Zimba and King Ayisoba and, Sheriff Ghale. And this includes hip life, reggae, local music. Samini, the hiplife artist, for instance, is a northerner, as is the reggae star Rocky Dawuni.

didn't hear this until npr put it on their top 10 world album list but it's pretty great - at least atm:
http://bandamagda.bandcamp.com

I like the Ghanaian stuff more than Bandamagda, although some of it I recall liking. John Collins nicely explains the recent history of highlife and gospel highlife and more.

http://sahelsounds.com/2014/01/mariam_ahmed/

http://www.npr.org/event/music/260458710/kcrw-presents-rokia-traore?ft=1&f=10004

And it’s because Jerry Rawlings put electricity into the north 15 or 20 years ago

When I spoke with Jamie Carter, producer of Tal National from Niger, he was telling me how folks there still struggle with intermittent electricity and that bands have to deal with getting shocked on occasion onstage due to poor wiring & stuff, inadequate studios and unavailability of good portable recording equipment, and no Guitar Center stores that one can easily walk into and buy the latest gear

I wonder if Rudiph has heard the following singer. The press release email I got has me interested:

Called “Arabic music’s modern voice” by The New York Times, we are proud to announce Lebanese singer/songwriter Yasmine Hamdan’s debut album Ya Nass, which will be released in the US on March 25th via Crammed Discs

In addition to Ya Nass, Yasmine will be appearing as herself in the new Jim Jarmusch film Only Lovers Left Alive. She will be singing her song “Hal”, from Ya Nass, in the film featuring Tilda Swinton that will be released April 2014.

She's doing 3 gigs in NYC over the weekend, starting tonight.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/roads/2014/01/cambodia_punk_rockers_the_southeast_asian_country_is_home_to_a_new_hardcore.html

I don't know Yasmine Hamdan, curmudgeon. I have not checked in with Jim Jarmusch's films for a while, but that has my interest.

I watched some Youtube videos of her over the weekend. I liked the more trad-sounding ones better than the ones where she incorporated more Western pop, but I haven't seen and listened enough to make more informed comments.

Wish I could have made it to NYC for that APAC conference and associated events and seen her and many others

so did globalFest happen?

I assume so. I saw Facebook postings about events from the night before, and references to daytime panels.

Bombino · Nomad 10 19
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba · Jama Ko 10 8
Matana Roberts · Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile 10 8
Rachid Taha · Zoom 10 7

Tal National · Kaani 10 5
Rokia Traoré · Beautiful Africa 10 4

These albums received some Village Voice Critics poll votes-- the number on the right is the number of people who voted for these albums

votes for these tracks:
Bunji Garlin (ft. Nigel Rojas) · "Differentology" 3

Mafikizola (ft. Uhuru) · "Khona" 0

listening to this minimal (+ folky + electronic) Ukrainian pop record on ilxor dan m's tip: http://dakhabrakha.bandcamp.com/album/light

They were just at the Kennedy Center in DC (video of the 1 hour show is streaming there). Upthread I said Portishead/new wavey outfit in the bits I saw though they bill themselves as "ethnic chaos" Sounds like more your type of thing than mine

That's not meant to be snarky, just a difference in taste

heh no offense taken

the pretty tracks work way better than the hip-hop ones imo

http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2014/01/16/263070114/discoveries-from-globalfest-2014

some of the groups we've been mentioning.

Was i the only person to go to globalfest?

I always do a double-take when I see this:
http://sahelsounds.com

because it looks like my username

Maybe I'm behind the times, but did anyone listen to/pick up the vol. 2 of the saharan cell phones comp?

x-post --Forks you probably were. I've seen some of the acts here in DC and others I'm gonna check out videos(on Youtube, Kenn. Ctr. site & NPR)

I'm behind and haven't listened to Saharan Cellphones 2 comp either.

i heard that comp - it's not my fave of what they do (tho if you like it they did release a full-length pheno s. album last year)

http://sahelsounds.com/2014/01/rain-the-color-of-blue-with-a-little-red-in-it/

http://www.djrocard.com/tag/serge-beynaud/

I like the song (via video) on this site by this Sierra Leonian dance pop guy. He's gonna be in DC on Friday

that sahel kickstarter got funded btw

I can't stop listening to this old record of my Dad's - Ariel Raminez's 'Misa Criolla', an Argentinian folk chorale which is just incredible, a mix between Latin folk music and choir worship music.

the new tinariwen comes out soon - recorded in joshua tree bc of the conflict at home

Touring the US too

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M5714&type=A

The Bombay Royale's novelty Bollywood shtick is entertaining at times, but its mostly too cute for me

I couldnt deal with them at all honestly

Christgau likes African acts Tal National, Sidi Touré, Mariem Hassan, Tamikrest, & Bassekou Kouyate in year-end piece http://alturl.com/aj6o5

a better link to his essay which also contains the link to his list

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/The-Consensus-Has-Consequences/ba-p/12189

He likes Rachid Taha too, which I need to listen to. I wonder if its on Spotify?

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/The-2013-Dean-s-List/ba-p/12191

(English captions available.)

Hamza Namira - Wa Ollak Eh

http://obengerecordings.bandcamp.com

OBENGE RECORDINGS is a collection of field recordings by Roger Peet, recorded in the Congo in a now vanished village called “OBENGE”. It has since been burned to the ground by military. The village was very small, and unfortunately neighbor to a ruthless ivory warlord who terrorized them and put them in harms way. EWE OF NOW was fortunate enough to capture these songs on cassette for your listening enjoyment. They are full of life, from a place where life is more real than we are accustomed to. All proceeds from the sales of this cassette go to Roger’s relief work in the in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and hopefully this isn’t the last volume.

Plenty of listening to do. With Congo calming down a bit, hopefully we'll start hearing more music from there again.

x-post to myself
Spotify does have Rachid Taha's Zoom album plus I see he did songs for a movie Cheba Louisa, and that's on Spotify too.

Freaky Trigger's Pop World Cup has started: http://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/01/pwc-14-group-a-match-1-brazil-mexico-cameroon-croatia/

Looks more interesting than the Grammy winners

Reggae Album
“Ziggy Marley in Concert,” Ziggy Marley

World Music Album
“Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings
“Live: Singing for Peace Around the World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo (tie)

lol, I had no idea you could tie for a Grammy

Dunno if this is the thread where we talk about archival releases but the new Haiti Direct comp on Strut is a very good time.

this is def a thread for discussing archival releases!

x-post--I've seen Tabou Combo who are on that Strut comp, who I think are still together, and I have an album or 2 of theirs; so I bet this is great. Will have to check it out. They meshed together trad Haitian sounds with funk and more

They meshed together trad Haitian sounds with funk and more

yeah that description fits most of the comp

Haitian music (classical, folk etc. (guitar works preferred)) s/d

The Haitian thread never gets many posts

just heard this segment on npr and thought it was pretty brilliant (+ beautiful) - excuse me while i crosspost it to the 2014 china thread too:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/01/28/265468566/remaking-all-that-jazz-from-shanghais-lost-era

i love this track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LLMBJntfV8

oh, that's not the one i thought it was - it's this one:
http://open.spotify.com/track/04cPsJ4iXU5JHspgdwdXOc

Would love to get hold of this "electro chaabi" release but it's vinyl-only (and expensive!): http://thequietus.com/articles/14300-eek-islam-chipsy-dj-sardena-review

Short YouTube sample sounds absolutely banging:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Z7MegmZH4

wow no kidding

Ester Rada lp out!!!

http://esterrada.bandcamp.com/album/ester-rada

http://f0.bcbits.com/img/a2047931644_2.jpg

She was on my list of folks I should listen to, and I still haven't gotten to her yet. But I will.

I'm liking the new Angelique Kidjo album

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jan/30/ibrahima-sylla

RIP. 57 is too young. That's horrible. Dude was an awesome producer. I once wanted to interview him and it never happened and now never will.

A case in point was his nurturing of the collaboration between the Senegalese singer Thione Seck and Indian and Egyptian orchestras on the album Orientation (released in 2005, but recorded a few years earlier), an idea later taken up with equal success by N'Dour.

This was a great cd as were the Africando albums he worked on. He loved Latin clave sounds as well as West African ones and nicely made them work together.

And on the Thione Seck one showed he could work with Egyptian & Indian sounds as well

A couple of listing on my P&J Top Ten, perhaps right for this thread--from P&J comments archived inhttp://thefreelancementalists.blogspot.com/2014/01/ive-seen-bootage-pazz-jop-13-pt2.html
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou, Volume Three---The Skeletal Essences of Afro-Funk 1969-1980 is
Analog Africa's third collection of tracks from Benin's primo movers of "traditional Voudon rhythms to funk, sato, Latin, sakpata, psychedelia, and Afro-beat" includes reel-to-reel, one-or-two mic recordings in houses, and even outdoors: conditions which might have suggested the "Skeletal Essences" advisory. Still, the reel-to-reel was a Nagra, the outdoors settings were gardens, the sessions often nocturnal; the results are fully charged. They seem like a response to late-night Bay Area FM and UK pirate stations, who maybe turned on those trendy Voice of America and BBC World Service headz to Hendrix, Santana, Meters, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, then dialing in electric Miles, P-Funk, Stevie Wonder, the expanding Talking Heads: trace elements, as filtered/reduced by these gray rockhead American ears, of Cotonou's ricochet path around the encrusted periphery of textbook popular music history. Peripheral visions, flickering lightning, skeletal filaments: like Miles slipping in, stealing the scene on his own records, as the background becomes the foreground---not in a New Age sense, or anything rarefied; more like oops upside the head, as the searchlight and spotlight merge. Back in the day, these guys are still re-writing the books, the future----as now, Daddy-o. Keep 'em coming, Analog Africa! (Cotonou's founder passed in 2012, but think there have been some reunion shows in the fairly recent past?)

Jazz didn't make the list this year, in terms of obvious titles, but as usual (always?), it was a crucial ingredient of several selections---made a difference with Cotonou, the way I hear 'em, and Guerilla Toss even, as we shall see--but right now should mention the inclusively, still inadequately-titled Underground Sounds of Modern Brasil: Hip-Hop, Beats, Afro & Dub. The excursions that first swept me up were the penultimate-to-ultimate grooves cruising off Disc 1, both very reliably informed by kosmic Krauts and Miles Davis (most likely). And all of Disc 2 has something to do with various kinds of jazz, as only the Brasilians/Brazilians can iterate ( yes, getting essentalist with it, but there's your classy 2013 buzzword or meme or whatever it is, too).

This was in the Top Ten too:
Key point in the p.r. pitch for Rough Guide To African Disco: "Creative scenesters put their own spin on the disco sound, mashing together the rhythmic pulse of funk, soul and Latin with African grooves; soukous, Afrobeat, township jive and more." Yes! There are a few let-downs, like the very first track, I think, but mostly amazing. Some of my faves are ones I wouldn't have thought to tag as disco, but no prob.

That's all old stuff on that Rough Guide to African Disco, or recent stuff? I can google later but thought I'd ask since you like it. Either way, its of interest, just curious re more details.

It's all older, don't remember the cut-off date. Def check the two-disc version (on Spotify).And a couple of Right Hon. Mentions:

National Wake---Walk In Africa 1979-1980: Music made by young South Africans, of various RSA racial classifications: punk-funk-reggae-dub, reminding me of Australia's Us Mob, No Fixed Address, Coloured Stone, early live Police, some of Tom Robinson's combos, Bad Brains kinda. The finale, a dub workout, is over 17 min long, like over three times as long as any other, but despite my habitual editorial fantasies, wouldn't part with a particle so far. Would have Top Tenned this set, but already got all those reissues on there already….

Bombino---Nomad: None of Tinariwen's occasional late-night campfire acoustic ruminations, which is okay by me. Electric and maybe acoustic guitars, always plural, over and around bass, drums (usually a full kit), an organ, which is sometimes almost subliminal, but always at least flickering; I'd miss it. First few tracks have a distractingly buzzy, grainy midrange squeeze; whether it's the quality of the source, the stream, my usually okay headphones showing their limitations, I dunno. But then the mix of desert harshness times deftly. sometimes boldly applied fluidity kicks in, the latter taking over quickly enough, but never complacently. Some tracks seem a little, brief, ending abruptly; I'll have to check his concert links from this page too. Closes with maybe a little mellotron on the Garcia/Costello-ish voice, def hand drums and steel guitar, at times like uh T.Rex jamming on "Lively Up Yourself", ha comparisons. Wild set still here: http://www.npr.org/event/music/204500938/bombino-live-in-concert-newport-folk-2013

+1 on the bombino album

Oh yeah, and this for sure:
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba---Jama ko: Language proved not nearly as much of a barrier as it might have, mainly cos I can tell all the tracks apart right off, not a given to this non-ethnomusicologist, even w that Mali vibe. So, so far this is my guitar album of the year, even though it's generated by little ol' electrified lutes (which also provide sufficient bass), looking like something from the local produce market. Sharp-edged and fluid as wine, elegant yet never pissy, drawing rough-edged male and bold female vocals into further focus, landing and spinning on a dime, at times, but nothing too showy. Wonder if they ever work with drummers? Sneaky grooves anyway.

i was hoping jama ko or bombino or traore would show up in the ilx top albums thread

I'm getting the debut album by a Sarahawi singer named Aziza Brahim in the mail soon; can't wait to hear it. I'm totally obsessed with the only other Sarahawi singer I know, Mariem Hassan. Her voice is just phenomenal. Her last album, El Aaiun Egdat from 2012, was surprisingly jazzy at times; my favorite is still her debut, Deseos, from 2005.

x-post -I got swamped with stuff, and missed the Ilx deadline to vote. Wonder if my possible votes for African albums and tracks would have made a difference...

x-post to Wonder if they ever work with drummers

Kouyate had one when I saw he and his family band in a great DC gig last year

Mariem Hassan is another name I keep meaning to check out

this looks cool:
http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp?Item_id=107&cd=Radio-Niger

I should've voted in the ilx poll. Also hoping to receive the xpost Brahim album soon; here's the pitch:

Voiced with passion and grace, Aziza Brahim's music adeptly travels the expanse between her Western Saharan roots and Barcelona, the European cosmopolis where she now lives. Aziza is both a contemporary sonic poet and a prominent and eloquent spokesperson for the Saharawi people and their ongoing struggle for recognition and justice. Born and raised in the Saharawi refugee camps lining the frontier between Algeria and Western Sahara, Aziza's life has been marked by both daunting hardship and inspired will. Fleeing from these camps and the regime of political oppression that followed Morocco's 1975 invasion of Western Sahara, as a young teenager Aziza travelled to Cuba for her secondary school studies. There she experienced first-hand the deep Cuban economic crisis of the 1990s and the subsequent denial of her request to pursue a university degree in music. Music had been Aziza's passion since she was a small girl and despite this setback, she returned to the Saharawi camps in Algeria and began singing and playing in different musical ensembles, a process that continued when she moved to Spain in the year 2000. There she founded the eclectic Saharawi/Spanish band Gulili Mankoo with whom she released two acclaimed self-produced recordings: the EP Mi Canto (2008) and an album Mabruk (2012), both on Reaktion. In recent years Aziza has performed extensively, appearing at major festivals and venues including WOMAD Cáceres (2012) and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (2009). Aziza's album Soutak (trans. "Your Voice"), her debut for the Glitterbeat label, is her first recording to predominantly focus on the cadence of her majestic voice and the soulful critique of her lyrics. The album was produced by Chris Eckman (Tamikrest, Ben Zabo, Dirtmusic) and was recorded live and direct in Barcelona in June of 2013. In the liner notes to the album, Aziza describes her vision for Soutak: "Feeling the need to make an acoustic record, I imagined a somewhat modest musical outline, which would not involve too many instruments and in which the voices would take the expressive emotional lead. I wanted to further explore the range of possibilities found in the Haul, the Saharawi's traditional rhythmic sources, played on the tabal and a source of inspiration for the desert blues." The hand-picked band she assembled for the album consists of Spaniards Nico Roca (percussion) and Guillem Aguilar (bass), Malian Kalilou Sangare (acoustic lead guitar), Aziza's sister Badra Abdallahe (backing voice) and in addition to singing, Aziza contributes acoustic rhythm guitar and the tabal, the traditional Saharawi hand-drum. The music on Soutak is a powerful and nuanced mixture of musical cultures and features Malian, Spanish, Cuban and contemporary Anglo-European motifs all held together by Aziza's deeply rooted knowledge of traditional Saharawi song and sound. Though the songs on Soutak can be unsparing in their details of oppression, Aziza Brahim has delivered an empowered flight to freedom; an alternative world where hope is imminent and dancing is justified.

While I saw a few African dance songs and Bunji garlin on the ILM tracks list, I didn't see much non-Us non-European on the ILM album list...Omar Souleyman and ???

william onyeabor placed

oh yeah

Onyeabor at 49, Souleyman at 95, John Wizards at 186, Rokia Traoré at 231. Also some K- and J-Pop.

I was the only voter for Tal National :(

I knew I shoulda voted. That would have given Tal National 2 votes!

No se equivoquen, es COHUICH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M68vRJi-yY

cumbia!

I'be been listening to that psychedelic and meditative like Hailu Mergia reissue where he plays an electric Rhodes piano; accordion; and Yamaha DX7 synth with a Moog filter

Plus Angelique Kidjo's new one which is less crossover than I recall of a the last cd of hers that I heard (where she was trying for an r'n'b/funkier sound). This is a bit more West African

OMFG that EEK/Islam Chipsy upthread. I need to get myself a record player so I can buy that record.

http://africaindc.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/the-old-man-is-being-crazy-now-ned-democracy-fellow-thiat-on-hip-hop-and-activism-in-senegal/

Senegalese rapper Thiat is behind a desk for now as a think tank fellow in DC

I guess I haven't heard all of the Kidjo album--I liked the opening track with the Benin choir but I see she also has collaborations with Kronos Quartet, the Luxembourg Philharmonic and Dr. John. Haven't heard those tracks yet

http://www.npr.org/2014/01/25/265246056/ang-lique-kidjo-shares-the-shiver-of-hearing-a-beautiful-voice

plus a book

I've seen good reviews of this (from Strut news)

http://downloads.openimp.com/tid/1996970155e0d6510164b75e0cc30e20945ec04a/enercvo/cuwamkbtas/15212395650054.jpeg

Various Artists - Haiti Direct - Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978

"A fascinating document that swings like hell." Mojo ****

"The first in-depth survey of the Caribbean country’s unique and varied musical history... sure to make a huge impact." Vinyl Factory

Hugo Mendez from Sofrito presents the first ever retrospective of the golden era of Haitian music from the big band sound of compas direct in the mid-'50s to the inspired mini jazz scene of the '60s and '70s. The album covers influential bandleaders such as Nemours Jean-Baptiste and Webert Sicot and the wave of smaller bands that followed in their wake, many building ultra-loyal audiences from their local neighbourhoods. Tracks also cover the more folk-based and acoustic twoubadou style, popularised by artists like Coupe Cloue. Many bands would later make the move to the States and enjoy further success among the Haitian ex-pat communities including Tabou Combo, Shleu-Shleu and Ibo Combo. 'Haiti Direct' tells the full story.

Note: the 2LP vinyl version includes CDs containing all album tracks
Tracklisting
12" Vinyl Album (STRUT093LP)

Ibo Combo - Ti Garçon
Les Vikings - Choc Vikings
Les Animateurs - Ti Machine
Trio Select - Ensemble Select En Action
Les Loups Noirs - Pile Ou Face
Tabou Combo - Ce Pas
Les Fantaisistes De Carrefour - Panno Caye Nan Bois Chêne
Ti Paris - Cochon St. Antoine
Super Jazz Des Jeunes - Coté Moune Yo
Les Ambassadeurs - Homenaje A Los Ambajadores
Les Frères Déjean - L’Artibonite
Caribbean Sextet - Suspan’n
Les Pachas Du Canapé Vert - Désordre Musical
Bossa Combo - Line
Scorpio Universel - Ti Lu Lupe

CD Album (STRUT093CD)

Ibo Combo - Ti Garçon
Les Vikings - Choc Vikings
Les Animateurs - Ti Machine
Les Loups Noirs - Pile Ou Face
Rodrigue Milien Et Son Groupe Combite Creole - 6ème Leçon
Bossa Combo - Line
Les Fantaisistes De Carrefour - Panno Caye Nan Bois Chêne
Ti Paris - Cochon St. Antoine
Groupe Les Chleu-Chleu - Compas X
Râ Râ De Léogane - Gadé Moune Yo
Les Difficiles De Pétion-Ville - An Septième
Tabou Combo - Ce Pas
Les Pachas Du Canapé Vert - Désordre Musical
Scorpio Universel - Ti Lu Lupe
Raoul Guillaume Et Son Groupe - Mal Élevé
Super Jazz Des Jeunes - Coté Moune Yo
Pierre Blain Et Orchestre Murat Pierre - Jouc Li Jou
Ensemble Meridional Des Cayes - Calma Pèlerin
Ensemble Etoile Du Soir - Messe Quatre Heures
Nemours Jean-Baptiste - Ti Carole
Orchestre Septentrional - Baptême Ratt
Trio Select - Ensemble Select En Action
Les Ambassadeurs - Homenaje A Los Ambajadores
Les Frères Déjean - L’Artibonite
Caribbean Sextet - Suspan’n
Djet-X - Jive Turkey
Orchestre Webert Sicot - Ambiance Cadence
Orchestre Tropicana D’Haiti - Poun Paciance

Download Double Album (STRUT093D)

Ibo Combo - Ti Garçon
Les Vikings - Choc Vikings
Les Animateurs - Ti Machine
Les Loups Noirs - Pile Ou Face
Rodrigue Milien Et Son Groupe Combite Creole - 6ème Leçon
Bossa Combo - Line
Les Fantaisistes De Carrefour - Panno Caye Nan Bois Chêne
Ti Paris - Cochon St. Antoine
Groupe Les Chleu-Chleu - Compas X
Râ Râ De Léogane - Gadé Moune Yo
Les Difficiles De Pétion-Ville - An Septième
Tabou Combo - Ce Pas
Les Pachas Du Canapé Vert - Désordre Musical
Scorpio Universel - Ti Lu Lupe
Raoul Guillaume Et Son Groupe - Mal Élevé
Super Jazz Des Jeunes - Coté Moune Yo
Pierre Blain Et Orchestre Murat Pierre - Jouc Li Jou
Ensemble Meridional Des Cayes - Calma Pèlerin
Ensemble Etoile Du Soir - Messe Quatre Heures
Nemours Jean-Baptiste - Ti Carole
Orchestre Septentrional - Baptême Ratt
Trio Select - Ensemble Select En Action
Les Ambassadeurs - Homenaje A Los Ambajadores
Les Frères Déjean - L’Artibonite
Caribbean Sextet - Suspan’n
Djet-X - Jive Turkey
Orchestre Webert Sicot - Ambiance Cadence
Orchestre Tropicana D’Haiti - Poun Paciance

Yeah it's really good.

(with some Haiti Direct tracks)https://soundcloud.com/strut

Was briefly discussed upthread. Tabou Combo have a number of albums of their own that are worth checking out

http://www.afropop.org/wp/16464/benin-transforming-traditions-youtube-exclusive-music/

Was listening to that new Angelique Kidjo album again-- maybe I wasn't listening close enough as Dr. John was barely noticeable on the cut he is listed as being on; and the same for the Vampire Weekend guy Rostan Batmanglij. But she also has cuts with less known Benin singers. I am liking this. If she had a remix made by the right Afrobeatz producer she could a new audience I think.

http://newsandnoise.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/iran-vs-israel-an-interview-with-sahand-sahebdivani/

How does the music sound?

My proudest musical moment in this show is when we mix a Hebrew prayer with an Iranian partisan song. In rehearsals we realized that these songs, while completely different in feeling, have more or less the same rhythm and chord progression, so a new song was born. While Raffa and I play along, all music credit goes to our brilliant team of musicians Anastasis Sarakatsanos and Bas Kisjes.

How is the interaction with the music?

Anastasis professionally makes music for film, so he has a keen ear for when music should be there and when it should get out of the way. His interaction on Piano and Kanun is very subtle. The same goes for Bas, a jazz bassist who’s done a lot of storytelling shows with me. I also have a band with him, so as musicians we know each other very well. In fact, we met when we where the musicians for a show of two other actors.

He’s also the coolest guy I know, never says no to an idea. So when we ask him to open the show while singing a Leonard Cohen song he of course does it, even though he’s not a singer. At all.

Interesting. I have mentioned somewhere on ilx hearing Iranian (classic Persian style) vocals that reminded me of the male cantor davening at my synagogue high holy day services when I was in my teens

http://www.okayafrica.com/2014/02/03/elijah-wood-african-mixtape-earbuds/

Cool, he's got good taste. I like the tracklist:

TRACKLIST
Afro Express “Lahilah Ill-Allahu” [Nigeria (?)]
K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas “Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu” [Ghana]
Osakpamwan Ohenhen and His Feelings “Owman Ghe Ma Wme Ye Wmen” [Nigeria]
Cos-Ber-Zam “Né Noya” [Togo]
Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes “Ekassa 28 (Ebibi)” [Nigeria]
Thierry Boco “Divorce De Cecilia” [Benin]
Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies “Baby Let Me Go” [Nigeria]
Bella Bellow “O Segne” [Togo]
Sonny Okosun “Ozzidi” “Steady & Slow” [Nigeria]
Victory Uwaifo “Destiny” [Nigeria]

Tinariwen's new one recorded in the Joshua Tree desert is out and NPR has it on first listen, and the ILM Tinariwen thread is getting comments. I haven't heard it yet

elijah with the lijadu sisters shout out, who would thunk it

for some reason they took the ester rada lp down from bandcamp, but it's back up today fyi

http://museke.tumblr.com/

African dance music site

Was more excited about that (museke) before I noticed that it hasn't been updated in more than a year...

Try this one:

http://www.afribizcharts.com/top100.php

African club dance

x-post Oh, the museke guy is gonna tweet out links to stuff he sees, plus do some blogposting here--http://mightyafrican.blogspot.com/

I'm behind on checking out audio and podcasts and blogging at http://www.afropop.org/wp/

Fantastic mix of mostly-80s African pop/synth/funk
https://soundcloud.com/fadermedia/dj-gioumannes-afro-cosmic-club/

about one of my favorite reissues from last year:
http://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/272638152/before-he-joined-congress-a-south-african-janitors-disco-past

Need to listen to that some more. I liked my one quick listen last year. Was overdosing on Angelique Kidjo's Eve as I was writing a preview of her upcoming gig. The 10 African choirs on Eve are more prominent than the Dr. John piano on 1 track, the Kronos strings on another, and the Rostam from Vampire Weekend guitar on 1 track and keys on another...Bernie Worrell is also on a track plus jazz folks Christian Mcbride and guitarist (from Benin I think) Lionel Loueke (who is a big deal in jazz circles). That Benin brass & percussion band whose name I forget is on it also. I like it.

http://www.nowagainrecords.com/announcing-musi-o-tunya-give-love-to-your-children/

Funk, Psych-Rock, and Fuzz-Guitar-lead Afrobeat from Zambia’s groundbreaking band. Contains extensive booklet with liner notes, an exclusive interview with drummer Brian Chengala and guitarists Rikki Ilionga and Wayne Barnes, photos and ephemera. Limited deluxe edition LP contains bonus disc with rare 7” tracks, never reissued on vinyl. Out now!

Finally! The legendary Zamrock band’s second album and rare 7” tracks presented a an album. We can only describe Give Love To Your Children as a medley of Funk, Psych-Rock, and Fuzz-Guitar-lead Afrobeat from this groundbreaking Zambian band. As you’ll read in our extensive booklet this album follows Now-Again’s first foray into the Zamrock genre, Rikki Ililonga and Musi-O-Tuyna’s Dark Sunrise.

Dark Sunrise hadn’t even entered production when we became aware of Musi-O-Tunya’s post-Ililonga trajectory, and its uniqueness in the Zamrock landscape. It is the corollary to Ililonga’s story. And now, that story can be told, and the music can be heard, thanks to the participation of Ililonga, Chengala and Barnes, who color the creation and release of Give Love To Your Children. This album’s grooves hold the last, sustained shouts from one of the first Zamrock ensembles: Musi-O-Tunya exploded at the height of the Zamrock movement, scattering its members everywhere, with only this last, fiery artifact to remember them by.

On last years thread I was asking about steelpan music and a month ago someone told me that Jaco Pastorius has several albums that have a lot of the instrument. Othello Molineaux is his steelpan guy and supposed to be one of the world's best.

Really? I know nothing about jazz & jazz fusion steelpan music.

That little bio video on Hailu Mergia with footage of him playing his keyboard in his taxi cab backseat and hanging at his home is pretty entertaining.

here it is. Gonna see him at Kennedy Center Tuesday night for free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKiJhJQv-mQ&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB44JHu55Zs

also i heard this on npr this morning and it's gorgeous:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2014/02/11/274686955/monastic-life-at-the-top-of-the-charts

Hailu Mergia was good but more jazzy than psychedelic with a band live last night at the Kennedy Center

Congratulations!

Thanks to you and 535 other backers, Akounak: The feature film of a Tuareg guitarist in Agadez has been successfully funded.

Awesome. Have you seen "The Last Song Before the War," a doc about the Festival in the Desert? It's pretty good, and has shown in various film fests.

i haven't. i can't really get out to movies these days bc babbies but if it's available for home viewing i'm def there

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/17/277004752/ladysmith-black-mambazo-on-a-mission-to-preserve-culture?ft=1&f=1039

due to The 'Five Years Music Game' ILM Version thread i've been listening to albums from 1984 that i've never heard before and put together a little playlist of 'outernational' (african mostly) on spotify (nb there is non-world stuff on the playlist too): http://open.spotify.com/user/mordys/playlist/1E3vWYMvNmNgqIsw5BKRuX -- i used a few sources to compile this list and not all dates were consistent so i adopted a liberal approach. if anyone cited an album as being from 1984, i included it.

relevant albums i've never heard before but caught my attention (btw so many cool album covers from this year i thought ilx could use a thread on super cool african covers from the 80s):

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Zulu Rock (France/South Africa)
Sam Fan Thomas - Makassi (Cameroon)
Fela Kuti - Live in Amsterdam (Amsterdam/Nigeria)
Johnny Clegg & Juluka, Sipho Mchunu - Musa Ukungilandela (South Africa)
Alpha Blondy - Cocody Rock (Ivory Coast)
Ini Kamoze - Ini Kamoze (Jamaica)
Youssou N'Dour - Immigres (Senegal)
Samba Mapangala - Virunga Volcano (Congo)
Mbilia Bel - Ba Gerants Ya Mabala (Congo)
Toure Kunda - Casamance Au Clair De Lune (Senegal)
Souzy Kasseya - Le retour de l'As (Congo)
Johnny Dyani - Afrika (South Africa)
Ebenezer Obey - Solution (Nigeria)
Thomas Mapfumo - Mabasa (Zimbabwe)
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe - Osondi Owendi (Nigeria)
Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Titibitis - No Palava (Nigeria)
Nass El Ghiwane - Maroc Chants d'espoir (Morocco)
Bopol Mansiamina - Bopol (Congo)
Simaro Massiya Lutumba - Maya: L'Album des Albums (Congo)
Super Jamano De Dakar - Geedy Dayaan (Senegal)
4 Stars - Les quatre etoiles (Congo)
Super Diamono - Ndaxami (Senegal)

a few more that are not available on spotify:
Juluka - Stand Your Ground (South Africa)
King Sunny Ade - Aura (Nigeria)
Francis Bebey - Akwaaba (Cameroon)
Hugh Masekela - Techno-Bush (South Africa)

tons of great stuff on here that i'm really digging.

acc to http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1984.html "New Musical Express Compiled Other Lists This Year Including… African Albums" -- i'd be interested seeing that list!

will hunting for it, i did find this Vivien Goldman (i love "launderette") essay about fela kuti that NME ran originally that year:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QVjQ07b1GPAC&lpg=PP7&ots=yRZn9kZcOW&dq=%22Resurrection%20Shuffle%22%20New%20Musical%20Express%201984&pg=PA30#v=onepage&q&f=false

i guess it's not a surprise to me to find out that fela kuti was playing charity events in north london in 1984 - i know thru honest jon's really thorough compilations that the nigerian diaspora musical scene has always been pretty huge in london. the other major strand is all this african music in french which is obv a product of colonization as well (Congo particularly dramatic in this regard), but while there is some fela kuti music in english (or things that combine english along w/ other languages), nigerian artists don't seem to embrace english quite like the congolese embraced french (linguistically speaking more than musicologically). is this impression accurate, and what accounts for it? was english lingual intervention in nigeria not as impactful as french in the congo? and did paris ever have a large diaspora music scene like london did?

VA [2007] African Virtuoses - The Classic Guinean Guitar Group ----- Joyously beautiful music recorded mostly in the 70s yet utterly timeless
VA [2013] Angola Soundtrack 2 ------ mid 20th century martists recording music when it was outlawed top do so
VA [2014] From Another World A Tribute to Bob Dylan ---- the only Dylan covers album i've ever enjoyed
VA [2014] Longing for the Past; The 78rpm Era in SE Asia ---- Dust to Digital box, nuff said
VA [2013] Opika Pende: Africa at 78 RPM --- another beauty from D2D, not included on the 2013 list
VA [2013] Mirror to the Soul Caribbean Jump-Up, Mambo and Calypso Beat 1954-77 ---- Delightful; and it smells like summertime (not on 2013 list)
Lo, Ka Ping [2002] Lost Sounds of the Tao Chinese Masters of the Guqin in Historic Recordings ---- i feel smarter already
VA [2010] Noh-Biwa-Shakuhachi ---- Quite a document of traditional japanese music from 1941

Correction: this is not a VA album, it's a proper group

African Virtuoses [2007] The Classic Guinean Guitar Group

xps,

As far as i know English in Nigeria and French in Congo are in broadly similar positions - about 10-15% of people speak it fluently, another 20% or so speak a bit and the rest speak domestic languages. May be wrong, though.

France definitely had / has a big Congolese diaspora scene. I'd guess that someone like Papa Wemba was a bigger star in France than Fela was in the UK. Belgium, for obvious reasons, also has a big Congolese influence.

Re that 2013 National Wake reissue I was enthusing about upthread: more of them and a whole scene new to me:

Punk In Africa
Available on DVD on March 11th

Three chords, three countries, one revolution...

PUNK IN AFRICA is the story of the multi-racial punk movement within the recent political and social upheavals experienced in three Southern African countries: South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

In these societies, the punk subculture represented a genuinely radical political impulse, playing out against a backdrop of intense political struggle, economic hardship and even civil war.

PUNK IN AFRICA traces this until-now untold story from its roots in the underground rock music of early 1970s Johannesburg, the first multi-racial punk bands formed in the wake of the Soweto Uprising and the militant anti-apartheid hardcore and post-punk bands of the 1980s to the rise of celebratory African-inspired ska bands which sprang up from Cape Town to Maputo in the democratic era of the 1990s. Today, an emerging generation of bands continue to draw on this legacy to confront the political challenges of contemporary Zimbabwe and the uncertain identity issues of the Afrikaans minority in South Africa.

Featuring music, interviews and rare and unseen archive footage of Suck, Wild Youth, Safari Suits, Power Age, National Wake, KOOS, Kalahari Surfers, The Genuines, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Fuzigish, Sibling Rivalry, 340ml, Panzer, The Rudimentals, Evicted, Sticky Antlers, Freak, LYT, Jagwa Music, Fruits and Veggies, Swivel Foot and more...
http://www.punkinafrica.com/?utm_source=Punk+In+Africa+traces+multi-racial+punk+movement+within+political+and+social&utm_campaign=Punk+in+Africa&utm_medium=email Trailer for this doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DzadzH1Tc0

Select Press Quotes:

"Interesting companion piece to doc hit Searching for Sugar Man...this aptly raw, energetic survey of a very DIY scene should appeal to programmers looking for an arresting intersection of music, politics and underground culture."

- VARIETY

"...bursting with the heyday of the multiracial punk scene...with a loving emphasis on the surprising - and often overlooked - role that punk music played in Africa."

- NAT GEO MUSIC

National Wake had the punk spirit and para-genre appeal (they were into ska, dub etc.), rather than hardcore purism; hopefully that will prove true of these other bands, in their own way (though some hardcore purism can work too).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-_HIoEBE8

Misogeny, autotune and herb back in the saddle again.... oy vey

Autotune has been used internationally for a few years now. Misogyny and herb have always been around

x-post

France definitely had / has a big Congolese diaspora scene.

Yes, a big African diaspora in general, although there's a backlash now from some.

i thought it sounded very happy + upbeat and it's dreary here in philly - i did not anticipate its divisiveness!

That Haiti Direct comp mentioned upthread is fun,I'm hearing influences fela picked up plus even some garage rock in the organ sounds on some cuts

Angelique Kidjo had a great guitarist the other night live, Dominic James, who is NY-based but African-born I think and can play multiple styles like Congolese rumba/soukous, funk, and more in a non-flashy but very effective manner.

x-post- wished I had seen the reunited National Wake (with maybe 1 original member or 2) performing in DC followed by a showing of that Punk in Africa movie. Saw mixed reviews of the film but it still sounds interesting

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/travel/where-tanzania-taps-its-feet.html?_r=0

Long article with various bands mentioned I need to check out

wanted to share some recent additions to my 1984 playlist of outernational rock:

Sourakata Koite - Sourakata Koite: Kora music from Senegal
Woubeshet Feseha - 1976: swinging addis ababa music - 1976 in the Ethiopian calendar = 1984 in the gregorian one.
Alhaja Queen Salawa Abeni and her Waka Moderniser—India Waka: Nigerian fuji music waka waka
Mashina - Mashina 1: Israeli rock
Yehudit Ravitz - Deresh haMashi: Israel female singer-songwriter - cowrote 16th sheep which i think is a Hurting fave
Sezen Aksu - Sen Aglama: Turkish pop
Omar Khairat - Fatma: Egyptian film music
Klezmer Conservatory Band - Klez!: self-explanatory
WITCH - Kuomboka: we intend to cause havok was a fantastic multidisc comp that came out like last year or the previous - more tracks from this funky Zamrock band
Karantamba - Ndigal: Gambian shuffle
Arik Einstein - End of Time: Israeli rock
Dissidenten - Sahara Elektrik: german band records in tangiers w/ local sha'abi band Lem Chaheb
Mandingo - Watto Sitta: Gambian funky electric kora music from Foday Musa Suso
Sankomota - Sankomota: from the Kingdom of Lesotho
National Percussion Group of Kenya - Roots!! - African Drums
Dina Bell - Blow: Cameroonian Pop
Dr. Oliver de Coque & His Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super of Africa - Mbuluba Uwa: Nigerian "ogene" highlife
Foday Musa Suso - Hand Power: see Mandingo above
Chris Hinze Combination - Saliah
Nohkis - Nohkis
FRanco and Tabuley - Omona Wapi
Sonny Okosuns - Which Way Nigeria?: I love this LP so much, such a great sound
Bebe Manga - Amie: female Cameroonian makossa singer
Bonga - Marika: folk and semba singer and songwriter from Angola
Dimension Costena - De Que Suda Suda, Palo De Mayo: Nicaraguan supergroup
Franco and His All-Powerful O.K. Jazz - Sorcerer of the Guitar: Congolese jazz that transforms u into a frog
Ismael Lo - Xalat: Senegal harmonica music!
Mangunga Cley - Kazi Saza Amelia: congolese soukous
Mory Kante - A Paris: kora harpist from Guinea
Nyboma - Double Double: congolese soukous
Orlando Julius Ekemode - Dance Afro-Beat: nigerian highlife + afrobeat
Oku & AK7 - Pressure Drop: Jamaican dub poetry
VA - Viva! Zimbabwe: early comp after fall of rhodesia, including artists like The Four Brothers, Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, and especially Thomas Mapfumo. There also are treats from Nyami Nyami Sound, New Black Montana, James Chimombe, and Super Sounds
Zao - Ancien Combattant: http://www.musiques-afrique.com/frames/art_zao.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PfjqEY2c8IU/TNg1d28yqNI/AAAAAAAAAG4/OtGBQ7GSAgo/s400/Ancien+Combattant_C_A_1000A.jpg

in more contemporary news, new tamikrest vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku8j3jFN4NA

I was listening to some African music in 84. I can second

FRanco and Tabuley - Omona Wapi

Sonny Okosuns - Which Way Nigeria?: I love this LP so much, such a great sound

Bonga - Marika: folk and semba singer and songwriter from Angola
Ismael Lo and Mory Kante too

I was in my 20s when I liked that stuff. I hate when folks think only old folks burned out on popular stuff embrace African music with guitars

i'm in my 20s (barely) now! but there is something very refreshing about this kind of music idk.

I obviously agree, and that's not a dis of current programmed beat African stuff.

5 yr old article on international autotune - http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/pitch_perfect/

Just saw Kronos with Malian group Trio de Kali, and it was a great show (their first public show together). I liked Kronos better live than I did a year ago. They did 2 compositions themselves first-- a short impressive kinda noisy one and then a longer one that was dedicated to their friends in Ukraine. After the intermission they were joined by Trio de Kali- a great southern Mali female vocalist; a Malian balafon player, and a Malian bass ngoni player. They adapted Malian tradionals plus a Mahalia Jackson song. All very nice.

― curmudgeon, Sunday, February 23, 2014 9:09 PM (3 minute

Posted this on the Kronos quartet thread

Yeah, and their recording of "White Man Sleeps No. 1" got me into modern South African composer Kevin Volans. The two Orchestre Poly-Rythmo reissues I've heard topped my Pazz & Jops; hopeful about the current line-up's latest album, first in 20 years, with guests incl. A.Kidjo and a couple of Franz Ferdinands:
http://downloads.openimp.com/tid/d62c573341364d0153fabbbea6f9adc30fc350d4/eniqiwe/bgotvclhte/6801031430054.jpeg
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Cotonou Club

The greatest band in Benin's history, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, is back. After a year of illustrious comeback live dates including New York's Lincoln Center, WOMAD festival and Barbican London, the band releases its first studio album in over twenty years, 'Cotonou Club', on Strut / Sons D'Ailleurs in March 2011.
Produced in Paris entirely on vintage analogue studio equipment, this new album refreshes Poly-Rythmo classics such as 'Gbeti Madjro' (featuring Angelique Kidjo) alongside a firing selection of brand new compositions. The album also features a special bonus track, an exclusive collaboration between Poly Rythmo and Franz Ferdinand's musicians.
Tracklisting
CD Album (STRUT077CD)

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ne Te Fache Pas
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Pardon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Von Vo Nono
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Koumi Dede
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Gbeti Madjro feat. Angélique Kidjo
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Oce
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Tegbe
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Mariage / C’est Moi Ou C'est Lui feat. Fatoumata Diawara
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Holonon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ma Vie
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Lion Is Burning feat. Paul Thomson & Nick Mccarthy From Franz Ferdinand

12" Vinyl Double Album (STRUT077LP)

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ne Te Fache Pas
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Holonon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Von Vo Nono
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo featuring Angélique Kidjo - Gbeti Madjro feat. Angélique Kidjo
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Oce
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Koumi Dede
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Pardon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo featuring Fatoumata Diawara - Mariage / C’est Moi Ou C'est Lui feat. Fatoumata Diawara
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ma Vie
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo|Paul Thomson|Nick Mccarthy From Franz Ferdinand - Lion Is Burning feat. Paul Thomson & Nick Mccarthy From Franz Ferdinand
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Tegbe

Download Album (STRUT077CD)

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ne Te Fache Pas
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Pardon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Von Vo Nono
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Koumi Dede
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo feat. Angélique Kidjo - Gbeti Madjro feat. Angélique Kidjo
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Oce
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Tegbe
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo feat. Fatoumata Diawara - Mariage / C’est Moi Ou C'est Lui feat. Fatoumata Diawara
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Holonon
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Ma Vie
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo feat. Paul Thomson & Nick Mccarthy From Franz Ferdinand - Lion Is Burning feat. Paul Thomson & Nick Mccarthy From Franz Ferdinand

saw some early names for summerstage in nyc; some of y'all are gonna be pretty hyped

also: did we cover jeri-jeri last year? just found that album, so good.

Not sure if we did. Just checked 'em out on Youtube. Love those handheld Senegalese drums

I repped for Jeri-Jeri but I think it got lost in the flow of time.

Dunno if this is the thread where we talk about archival releases but the new Haiti Direct comp on Strut is a very good time.

― a man with legs made of sausages - that's not real! (seandalai)

This is really wonderful music; while it's Caribbean pedigree is certain, it definitely sets itself apart from the rest of the Antilles.

....and this vocal sounds like it could have come from Can's Damo Suzuki...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4umnxnMmQ1Q

great track!

i've never seen this doc, but this clip makes me want to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jl4IOSLX-o

Been enjoying Mamani Keita's Kanou album, especially the track Fanatan (Spotify link). Sent me back through her back catalogue, which contains some really fantastic stuff.

New album sounds nice. Wiki reminds me where I sorta vaguely remember her:

was a backup singer for Salif Keïta.[2] She is best known in English speaking countries for her album with Marc Minelli, Electro Bamako.

And I like both that relaxing Haitian track video and the thumb piano one with Bela Fleck (even though I'm not a fan of his)

I like the way Bela plays on that - he really tries to give himself over to the style and not overplay

True

i think he gets a lot of knee jerk "lol npr" hate, but bela is a helluva musician

dude, LIJADU SISTERS live in NYC doing the music of william onyeabor
http://nyc.redbullmusicacademy.com/#william-onyeabor
can't get too excited about the rest of that lineup but damn

Lijadu sisters live sounds like it would be great

Nigerian rapper Davido who Mordy posted a video of upthread is touring North America (some of it)

Tour Schedule (Part 1):
1, New York March 28th
2, Washington March 29th
3, Minneapolis March 30th
4, Dallas April 4th
5, Toronto, Canada April 5th

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/16/288687538/first-listen-yasmine-hamdan-ya-nass

Hamdan is the groundbreaking co-founder of the duo Soapkills, which was billed as the first indie electropop band in Lebanon, and certainly one of the first in the Middle East. Then, performing as Y.A.S., she collaborated with Mirwais Ahmadzaï (of Madonna's Music fame). Now performing under her own name, Hamdan has perfected a very particular kind of disaffected cool, like a less effortful Lana Del Rey, as you can see from the video we made with Hamdan at this year's edition of globalFEST in New York. It's no wonder that Jim Jarmusch cast this super-charismatic singer in his film Only Lovers Left Alive, starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, which is set to open in the U.S. next month.

She sings pop in Arabic

But:
Hamdan often proclaims her love for iconic Arab singers of the 1920s through the '60s, and her track "La Mouch" is a smart, dark reworking of "Laa Mech Ana Elli Abki," a classic tango by the Egyptian legend Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

Lucky for me-- more live Malian music coming to town

Imharhan Timbuktu (the guys who support the women performers in Tartit, have their own group) for only $5 at Bossa in DC tomorrow Wed. the 19th; and Tinariwen Sat. the 22nd. Current albums by both groups are growing on me, after I was initially underwhelmed by both (yea, yea yea desert nomad guitar...)

Speaking of Lebanon, this is a really good rock pop etc. comp from a few years ago

http://norient.com/files/2011/08/golden-beirut-xl-0.jpg

It was compiled by Thomas Burkhalter of norient, a fortifying musical resource, re Middle East and elsewhere :http://norient.com/blog/goldenbeirut/ This is released by norient and German label Outhere. I got it from Forced Exposure; it's also been on Amazon and iTunes.
The vibe made me think of Wanna Buy A Bridge? There's an expansiveness, wheeling out, but watchful as hell too, mindful of all the furor and collapse, implosion and explosion of the recent past.
1. Russian Roulette / Scrambled Eggs
2. Intikhabeit 2009 / Malikah feat. Zoog
3. Raksit Layla / Mashrou Leila
4. Ahwak / Shift Z feat. Hiba el Mansouri
5. Morr /Katibe 5
6. The New Government / The New Government
7. Don’t F*** with my Cat /Lumi
8. Herzan /Soap Kills
9. Rocket (Sarookh) /Praed
10. Keskonatten /Rayess Bek
11. Rawak / Ziyad Sahhab
12. Disposable Valentine /The Incompetents

I should check that out sometime. Plus all the youtube links just posted on the new Afrobeats 2014 thread.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2014/03/19/imarhan-timbuktu-and-tinariwen-talk-malian-desert-music-and-western-pop/

Was discussing with someone how, except for Tinariwen (who have guest rockers on their albums), most of these Malian guitar bands are kinda treated like avante-garde jazz---like its nice you like that weird stuff but its not mainstream in any fashion--but we both think its more accessible than that (not to dis avante-garde jazz).

Plus while old-school critics like Christgau and Pareles give it love, it seems to get less attention from Pitchfork

Pitchfork doesn't seem to cover anything African now that Tangari doesn't write for them regularly. Which is fine, I mostly respect that their genre coverage seems to be writer driven.

Desert Blues! https://play.spotify.com/user/glennpmcdonald/playlist/11Hb0CYKlvGFUA8yvDEJer

curm that seems as much like a marketing issue as anything, probably you need malian guitar bands on tour with american/british acts, some name-dropping by the right cool gatekeepers, spots backing up american/british artists on their records, etc.

Yea, that seems to be working for Tinariwen a bit-- Red Hot Chili P Josh on latest album, recording out in Joshua tree, rebel/refugees from war--

They have their own ilx thread too

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26654516

Cool. I need to check out some of the found vinyl that guy got reissed:

from album Pax Nicholas and the Nettey Family by artist Pax Nicholas, Daptone Records 2009

3. "Gbe Keke Wo Taoo" from album Psycho African Beat by artist Psychedelic Aliens, Academy LPs 2010

Noura Mint Seymali's drummer emailed me that he is using my interview with her as part of the presentation to get her a visa to again come tour the US this summer. She has been here before, but I guess each time someone coming to work here must prove why they should be allowed to visit and tour.

some name-dropping by the right cool gatekeepers

When Tabu Ley Rocheraeu passed on, New York Magazine pop critic Jody Rosen tweeted about it, but he never seems to write about either African club beat music or the kind of African guitar music we cover here. Sasha Frere-Jones and Ann Powers also never do. I think its too bad Pitchfork doesn't seem to have J. Tangari writing up any kinds of African sounds these days, because I think even token coverage there could encourage a little of their huge readership to open their ears to African sounds (kinda the way Christgau did in part for me in the Voice ).

I listened to/watched a handful of the many videos on the Afrobeats 2014 thread. But not closely enough to comment over there. Am liking Nigerian Davido's autotuned vocals. He's gonna be in Maryland this coming weekend.

I also listened to some of Habib Koite's new one. I think he has a new band on it. Interesting mix of upbeat and quiet acoustic tunes.

Ibibio Sound Machine - Let's Dance (Yak Inek Unek)

Thanks, will give 'em a listen . Just googled their bio from Soundways

A unique sound born out of the mixed up nature of London today, Ibibio Sound Machine was started by producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton. After first tracking all the bass and drum tracks they joined up with Ghanaian guitar legend Alfred 'Kari' Bannerman (from fellow Soundway signing Konkoma), before adding Brazilian Anselmo Netto on percussion and synth/horn men Tony Hayden & Scott Baylis to Eno Williams' lyrics. A dose of electronica with a forward-looking, refreshingly un-retro approach that's influenced by London as much as by West Africa,

Still need to get to that plus more afrobeats youtubes and another listen to Habib Koite's newest one

A couple of Forced Exposure's (many) National Record Store Day special editions on vinly. I still don't have a working turntable, but would like to get these prev. unknown-to-me releases in other formats; Sublime Frequencies outernational comps are always worth checking:

DESCRIPTION
Omar Souleyman: Jazeera Nights: Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria

RSD 2014 release. First time on vinyl. Brand-new limited edition LP version in a heavy tip-on jacket with liner-notes by compiler Mark Gergis. Sublime Frequencies is honored to present Omar Souleyman's third Western collection of tracks. This retrospective features live recordings spanning 15 years of Omar's tireless repertoire, and is rife with frenzied Syrian Dabke (a regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi Choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles, among others -- an amalgamation that exemplifies the musical essence of Northeastern Syria. Culled from cassettes recorded between 1995 and 2009, this collection offers a further rare glimpse into Syrian street-level Dabke folk-pop -- a phenomena seldom heard in the West, not previously deemed serious enough for export by the Syrians and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees. Over the years, Souleyman's popularity has risen steadily and the group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In 2006, Sublime Frequencies partnered with Omar to release Highway to Hassake, the first compilation of his works to be issued in the West. The success of this release and the video for the song "Leh Jani" helped see Souleyman and his group invited for their first Western tour in 2009 alongside label-mates Group Doueh from the Western Sahara. This successful tour quickly elevated Souleyman to the status of an international legend -- and deservedly so. The original CD release of this album coincided with the beginning of Omar's 2010 international tour.

TRACKLISTING

Disc 1

Side A

01. Hafer Gabrak Bidi (I Will Dig Your Grave With My Hands)2:00
02. Ala Il Hanash Madgouga (The Bedouin Tattoo)2:00
03. Hot Il Khanjar Bi Gleibi (Stab My Heart) 2:00
04. Labji Wa Bajji Il Hajar (My Tears Will Make the Stones Cry)2:00
05. Dazeitlak Dezzelli (I Signal, You Deny)2:00
06. Li Raja Behawakom (I Beg You, Baby) 2:00
07. Kell Il Banat Inkhatban (All the Girls Are Engaged) 2:00
08. Mandal (I Don't Know) 2:00
09. Eih Min Elemkom (From the Day That I Told You) 2:00

HIGHLIGHTS:
- The classic party sound of the Jazeera region in Northeast Syria.
- A magic combination of Syrian Dabke, Iraqi Choubi, and Turkish and Kurdish rhythms.
- Compiled from Omar Souleyman's super-rare cassettes by Mark Gergis.
-"Jazeera Nights: Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria is probably the most dynamic collection of Omar Souleyman's work that Sublime Frequencies has yet released." Pitchfork (7.8)

VA: Pop Yeh Yeh - Psychedelic Rock from Singapore and Malaysia 1964-1970: Vol. 1 2LP
SUBLIME FREQUENCIES (United States) / SF 079LP
release date: 4/19/2014

DESCRIPTION
2014 RSD release. Until now, for some unknown reason, the psychedelic rock movement in Singapore and Malaysia, aka Pop Yeh Yeh, has never been given the worldwide attention it deserves. This compilation is the first of its kind to focus solely on the Malay rock groups of this region. The Pop Yeh Yeh era, which took place roughly between the years of 1964 to 1970, coincided with the rapid modernization happening at the time in Singapore and Malaysia. Sublime Frequencies has already released many incredible compilations from neighboring Indonesia, so it's about time that the Malaysian groups got some attention! Pop Yeh Yeh artists instinctively cross-pollinated electric sounds of the West with Malay melodies, and added their own local poetic voice to the lyrics they wrote -- sung in Malay (and sometimes Bawean). The Pop Yeh Yeh musicians started out playing in styles inspired by Western groups like the Beatles and Cliff Richard, but they eventually succeeded in creating a sound all their own -- a sound that is not only accessible to the Western ear, but also retains an undeniable Malay personality. Nearly eight years in the making, this compilation was exhaustively researched and compiled by Carl Hamm and features 26 classic tracks of the very best bands and singers from Singapore and Malaysia's Pop Yeh Yeh era, including M. Osman, Orkes Nirwana, Adnan Othman, A. Halim, Roziah Latiff, and the Jayhawkers, J. Sham, Hasnah Haron, Zaleha Hamid, and many more. This 2LP deluxe edition comes in a gorgeous heavy-duty gatefold jacket with a full-size 12-page full-color booklet packed with insanely extensive liner-notes including band/artist bios, an overview of the era, translated lyrics, and plenty of rare photos taken from vintage magazines, album covers, and the artists' own personal collections.

TRACKLISTING

Disc 1

Side A

01. Adnan Othman & The Rythmn Boys--"Budi Bahasa" 2:51
02. M. Osman & Orkes Nirwana--"Kisah Disampang" 2:01
03. Roziah Latiff and The Jayhawkers--"Aku Kechewa" 3:18

04. Fatimah Amin & The Clans--"Oh Teruna" 2:57
05. Afida Es & The Siglap Boys--"Jangan Goda" 1:30
06. Raja Ahmad & Dendang Irama--"Oh Ya Ya" 2:46
07. M. Said & Les Remaja--"Temasha Ria" 2:03

Side B
08. Fabians Boys (feat. Halipah)--"Bersiar Siar" 3:01
09. M. Osman & Les Fentones--"Dara" 2:48
10. Azizah Mohamed & Orkes Nirwana--"Syurga Idaman" 2:55
11. Halim "Janda-Ku" Yatim & The Sangam Boys--"Jauh Pandangan" 3:29
12. Zaleha Hamid & the Black Cats--"Nelayan Bersampan" 2:22
13. A Ramlie & the Rythmn Boys--"Kasih Tak Sudah" 3:28

Disc 2

Side C

01. Salim I & The Wisma--"Bersiar di Taman Hiboran" 2:59
02. A. Rahman Hassan & Orkes Nirwana--"Bimbang" 3:04
03. M Rahmat & The Teruna--"Mula Bertemu" 1:50
04. Adnan Othman & the Wanderers--"Revolusi" 2:39
05. Nur Azilah & Desa Bersaudara--"Ayah? Kini ku Bercinta" 2:35
06. A. Halim & De'Fictions--"Kembali Lagi" 2:50
07. Siti Zaiton & The Twilite--"Rindu" 1:55

Side D

08. Zaleha Hamid & Orkes Zindegi--"Bertemasha" 3:24
09. Noor Hamza & Band Mesra--"Sidia Siapa" 3:08
10. J. Sham & The Wanderers--"Surat Ku Untuk Mu" 3:19
11. A. Halim & De'Fictions--"Kan Hilang Nanti" 2:27
12. A. Rahman Hassan & Orkes Nirwana--"Tak Mengapa" 2:53
13. Hasnah Haron & The Spiritual 70s--"Bintang Pujaan" 2:38

HIGHLIGHTS- Malaysian beat, pop, & psychedelic classics from 1964-1970.
- Features 1960s Malaysian music legends Adnan Othman, M. Osman, Zaleha Hamid, and many more.
- 2LP heavy gatefold jacket with gorgeous and informative full-size 12-page full-color booklet.
- Compiled & researched over an 8-year period by Carl Hamm.
- Featured in Spin Magazine's list of Best Box Sets and Expanded Editions of 2013!
- "The overall sound is light and breezy, as was the production of that time, ideal for transistor radios and a far cry from the bass-heavy sounds of today. Let me again stress that the magnificent booklets are full of great detail about the artists, history of the scene, wider economic context, record cover art, and photographs of the groups. They could easily form the basis of a lovely book." --PopMatters (7/10)

Didn't Sublime F's Gergis have a falling out with Souleyman after he signed with a bigger label and the Four Tet guy signed on to produce? So now they want to honor Souleyman with a limited release record collector geek vinyl issuance.

MG: I have heard Omar’s new record, and it’s not so compelling to me. Though some of the performances are decent, it’s missing a lot of the urgency and edge, in my opinion. I found this to be true of many of Omar’s previous studio recordings in Syria as well. He’s made dozens of studio albums back home, and in my opinion, with a few exceptions, he is best outside of the studio. It boils down to aesthetics and the choices made by the producer or management in the end. I haven’t managed or produced Omar and his group since 2011, and I’m not a spokesperson for his new direction.

http://thequietus.com/articles/13623-mark-gergis-interview-sublime-frequencies-dabke-syria

It's also available on CD and download, the former incl. translations of lyrics. MG compiled it from cassettes and wrote the notes. Cool cover:

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/images/SF055.jpg

But the Asian psych-pop-rock comp is what I'll get first; that's the kind of SF release I've so often found revelatory, or at least refreshing(hope young bands hear some of this stuff).

So much to listen too. Was just reading an Afropop.org email about Somalian music. Oh, afropop.org is trying to raise 10 grand to go to Madagascar and do lots of radio/online audio programming from there

this song, about to be reissued on a soul-jazz compilation disc, is such a blast.

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

He likes Rachid Taha too, which I need to listen to.

― curmudgeon, Friday, January 24, 2014

i can see why. this song from a few years ago, for instance, just burns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWM0V9fcolg

an old standard, i think, updated by taha.

That Haiti Direct comp mentioned upthread is fun,I'm hearing influences fela picked up plus even some garage rock in the organ sounds on some cuts

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, February 18, 2014

i got this from itunes and i think i did myself a big disservice by not getting the disc, since that had the accompanying booklet. that's kind of true with a lot of these reissues. half the enjoyment is learning something about the bands, the various local sounds that distinguish them, their impact at the time, and so forth.

Yep

*shame-faced*

I've got a new monthly playlist column starting on the Guardian today, picking out non-mainstream tracks, albums and mixes from MENA countries.

Middle Eastern & North African playlist for April

It features Black Metal from Saudi, Electro Chaabi from Egypt, Harsh Noise from The Lebanon, Ishumar from Niger and Ambient from Iran.

Congrats! Lots of cool stuff to check out. Had been reading about Koudede,the Tuareg/Tamashek musician who passed away in late 2012 but I haven't yet checked out his songs on on Guitars From Agadez Vol. 7 EP, from Sublime Frequencies

This sounds potentialy awesome:

In Agadez, Niger, the amazing Sahel Sounds Blog have been involved in a very unique kickstarter project: to shoot an homage to the Prince film Purple Rain, starring Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar. Filming on the world’s first Tuareg language fiction film Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai (which translates as Rain the Color of Blue with a little Red in it) has wrapped so hopefully there will be more news soon.

I love some of the youtubes of Mdou Moctar I've seen. He's on that Music From Saharan Cellphones series that Sahell Music/Mississippi put out as well.

There's also this: http://www.discogs.com/Mdou-Moctar-Afelan/release/4733166
It's awesome. Love the cover photo as well.

xpost. I saw the kickstarter trailer. Looks awesome. (apparently there's no word for purple in Tuareg?)

Made In Medina was my first xpost Taha. Songlines Magazine's reviewer said when he heard it, he understood what Page and Plant were trying to do when they recorded with North African musicians, that this is the realization of that. Coming from the other side of the map, that is; it's not just Arabic Zep. Amazing also the assimilation of New Orleans jazz-funk-rock jam circuiteers Galactic, times producer-guitarist Steve Hillage of Gong. "Just call me Rai Cooder," sez Rachid. Later albums take it further, at times, but this is quite a vision.

robertchristgau.com provides a pretty good run-down of Taha's albums.

Taha's Diwan 2 is a fantastic album

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival free event in Washington DC this summer will be featuring music and crafts people from Kenya and China. The Fest folks have posted links with music.

http://www.festival.si.edu/2014/Kenya/music_playlist.aspx

Taha's Diwan 2 is a fantastic album

― willem, Wednesday, April 16, 2014

it is! doran, your article is great. i dig this mumdance's mahraganat mixtape.

Lots of stuff linked in this thread I still need to check out

saw baloji for the third time in the past year
catch him if he plays near you; dude is a helluva showman and an intellectual

Will keep my eye out for that Congolese guy.

Relatives visiting plus too much going on, means I'm missing these gigs this weekend:

Fri. 4-25-Willie Colon at the Palace (salsa)

Sat. 4-26- Mavado (reggae) at The Loft Ballroom

Jacky Gosee (Ethiopian) at Echostage

had never heard of Gosee till I saw a poster up for his gig, and found a postcard for it in my grocery store parking lot! A young up and coming Ethiopian. He's playing at a big 1500 person hall

There's a ton of SummerStage free shows that meet the description but I'm busy grinding on them now. Will post a list soon.
http://summerstage.donyc.com/Music

XXXP: Thanks Daniel! Just so you know, I've asked my friends Cairo Liberation Front to do a new chaabi mix for the next column mid May.

This bangs hard imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIyIqo4qGXY

The whole Ana Tijoux album is a treat

And Karol Conka's Batuk Freak is streaming over here: http://www.rookiemag.com/2014/04/karol-conka-batuk-freak/

The lead single goes back to 2011, but it still sounds fresh; has the hunger of early Angel Haze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3soPwOLDI

Ana's on a cut on the new Jorge Drexler album too. She's the go-to rapper for the pop/rock en Espanol crowd it seems

Saw her do a few cuts live recently on a bill with all English-language rappers and funksters. Impressive flow (even if I don't understand it)

Tijoux is dope and a good live show.

Mordy,

Do you know anything about Zvuloon Dub System, a Jewish Ethiopian Israeli reggae band?

A pr guy was just recommending them to me, but I haven't listened to 'em yet

Ha, that probably reads like some sort of parody/satire post, but its not

yeah, they're okay. i first heard about them when i did this interview:
http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/161916/reggaes-jewish-connection/

i checked them out at the time but haven't looked them up since. do they have a new album?

Their website says they're finishing a new album and that it will include guests like singer Mahmoud Ahmed. They're doing some gigs in Jamaica and in the US this summer

Life is getting in the way of me listening to various international releases and seeing acts live. Behind on watching Afrobeatz videos too, though I did see and like that Davido (from Nigeria) together with Mafikizola (South Africa) one.

Listened to a DC based Kenyan taraab music singer Anna M last night plus reggae crooner Tarrius Riley. Good stuff

Tarrus is the correct spelling. Listened to older cuts mostly, not his new album (that I have not heard yet)

What's new and exciting that you like (or old and exciting), folks?

Sidiki Diabaté & Toumani Diabaté - Sidiki & Toumani -- Toumani is always sublime on the kora, here, he and his son perform a nice set of duets. The interplay between the two is wonderful, even if not as fine as Toumani has done with Ali Farka.

can't stop listening to haiti direct comp

i've got this! i need to spend more time with it. are there any particularly interesting tracks, that i can use to find a way into the disc (they all seem v good, but i've kind of let it wash over me when i've listened to it so far).

If you're talking about Haiti Direct, try the track i linked above.

Haiti's Tabou Combo are usually impressive in the studio (I touted them upthread in discussions of this album too)

Free shows at SummerStage

Central Park, MN - Sat, June 7 - 7:00pm - TOQUINHO: Tribute to VINICIUS DE MORAES, DJ GASPAR MUNIZ
Central Park, MN - Sat, June 14 - 6:00pm - ROBERTO ROENA Y SU APOLLO SOUND, LA MECÃ NICA POPULAR, LITTLE LOUIE VEGA
Central Park, MN - Sun, June 15 - 6:00pm - BLACK COFFEE, DJ SPOKO
Central Park, MN - Sat, July 5 - 3:00pm - TEDDY AFRO, NOURA MINT SEYMALI, HAHU DANCE CREW
Central Park, MN - Sun, July 6 - 3:00pm - GLOBAL FAMILY DAY: OKEE DOKEE BROTHERS, HYBRID MOVEMENT COMPANY, SHAUN PARKER & COMPANY, ACROBUFFOS, NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE
Central Park, MN - Sat, July 12 - 3:00pm - BABASONICOS, JUANA MOLINA, LA SANTA CECILIA
Central Park, MN - Sat, July 19 - 7:00pm - LENINE & MARTIN FONDSE ORCHESTRA: THE BRIDGE, MAIRA FREITAS, DJ TUTU MORAES
Central Park, MN - Sun, July 20 - 3:00pm - CATALAN SOUNDS ON TOUR: MISHIMA, TXARANGO, DJ SETS BY HEADBIRDS
Central Park, MN - Sat, July 26 - 3:00pm - CHRONIXX & THE ZINCFENCE REDEMPTION, JUNIOR REID, THE RICE AND PEAS CREW

Central Park Summerstage got moved to Minnesota? Ha.

Impressive list as always

come get some!

I'm partic psyched about our ethiopian day, the LAMC show with Juana Molina, Lenine and Chronixx

very cool. curious about Toquinho: I have his Boca Da Noite from the 70s but have heard nothing else
seeing Chronixx for free on a July afternoon would be heavenly

psyched about our ethiopian day

Teddy Afro's Ethiopian reggae is nice. Saw him on a bill with Mahmoud Ahmed once. I don't know the Ethiopian Hahu Dance Crew but will check them out online. Not to be too annoying but Noura Mint Seymali is from Mauritania. She and her band are great--psychedelic, funky Sahel desert sound more in common with Malian Tuaregs, although they draw from everywhere musically.

speaking of ethiopian day, i like this new comp a lot:

http://www.jazzmanrecords.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/2/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/s/us04521.jpg

Just know Budos Band and Debos Band from that comp

whole thing is fantastic

Saw Noura at globalfest, can recommend.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2014/01/03/mauritanian-singer-noura-mint-seymali-on-her-band-playing-weddings-and-arab-idol/

My q & a with her

nice piece, i read that when it was booked!

Great to see so much love for Noura Mint Seymali! Her new album Tzenni is a really good listen.

The title track from it kicks off my new North African And Middle Eastern column for The Guardian published today.

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

Only 1 song from T Diabete & son new album is available on Spotify US, for now. Others are grayed out

this is a great reissue from soundway:
http://www.soundwayrecords.com/product/sndwcd062-sierra-leone-in-1970s-usa

http://www.npr.org/2014/05/18/312187878/first-listen-seun-kuti-egypt-80-a-long-way-to-the-beginning?ft=1&f=1039

Tune into http://dublab.com now for North African selections from @JewishMorocco This is a journey into sound...

Still need to listen to Seun Kuti's new one and that North African stuff on dublab (if still available).

Gonna try to go see Malian guitarist Oumar Konate & band live tomorrow night. He has, per press release, accompanied ... Vieux Farka Toure, Kounkako Sata, Roberto Magic, Alpha Diakité, Sidi Touré, Khaira Arby, Leila Gobi.
He is a featured player on many recordings including Sidi Toure's hailed 2011 album "Koima," and Leila Gobi's 2010 "Menaka" for which he also arranged.

Listened to Seun Kuti last night. I like it although much of it just sounds like his Dad's music sped up. Plus he offers with guests his take on "IMF".

Friday the 30th in D.C.

DrumPulse Entertainment will be playing the latest Afrobeat, Azonto, Highlife, Coupe Decale, Makossa, Mapouka, Hiphop, Reggae, Pop, Soca, and more.

and more!

this looks amazing but since it's not out in the US until next month i'll have to satisfy my craving for calypso w/ the honest jons compilations

oops forgot the link: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/25/calypso-musical-poetry-caribbean-review-neil-spencer

if anyone gets the chance to see toumani & sidiki diabate on tour you should jump at it. saw them last night & they were magnificent. the album is good but the live show is so much better, the tracks from the album spun out to twice the length & becoming these enormous pulsing webs. I've never heard kora duets before but the interplay between them was so fluid, often cycling through numerous time changes in a piece, I had to look at their fingers a lot to try and work out who was playing what. they built up incredible velocity at times, generated this amazing sense of airy space, phasing in & out, full of those cascades & grooves, as well as some much slower, more serene pieces. never heard anything like it, really blew me away

west african rhythm brothers - "oma laso" is total bliss

on spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/6KIG377QO8FZvyW0kftvHV

nice relaxing groove & soft, lilting melody

The xpost DVD of Punk In Africa is really good, in terms of mixing durr-durr-durr punk rock with ska, jazz, reggae, sometimes dub (live turntables and basic electronics, on occasion--don't know if the Kalahari Surfers played out, but no prob excursing on the version in the living room), jazz, usually times various unmistakably indigenous (black African) folk and pop elements.In one of the many bonuses, leader of the South African black trio Genuines, who looks like he might be in his mid-60s remembers the township marching bands, playing what he later mixed with jazz and rock, and speeded up (as the Gs became known as the fastest punk trio, though no lack of tunefulness or texture in these selections), but also, some kids initially asked him why he was playing "that coon carnival music." Not every kid was that isolated---then again, a Mozambique musician remembers having to go to Portugal or Brazil to buy records he should have been able to get down the street.
I'd never thought about the mainly Afrikaans-associated artists: the leader of KOOS recounts (in Afrikaans) how he and his colleagues identified with underground post-punk and avant bands of Poland and Czechoslovakia another guy, whose family actually was from Czechoslovakia, became more of a durr-durr-durr Pistols-type player, although his lyrics were pointedly "I don't wanna talk about "Johnny Rotten/I wanna talk about/All about me). Another Afikaaner, a graphic artist, talks about the fecklessness of those who realized they've lost their one "save", at least a vestige of white privilege resulting: "disillusioned parents and clueless kids," also himself" "I hide in my books and comics...I'm glad there's a barbecue next Sunday, something I can not go to." (Also says Praetoria has thus become a fortress of metal and goth, "the two most conservative musical forms.") A professor adds that "Afrikaan existence has become ironic--what comes next after irony is 'Fuck You."
Well, lots more here---like the Zimbabwean band band leader who became wary of having his insurgent music being co-opted by politicians, and ended up exiled in South Africa--though he's not sure if this is more from his government's hostility or sheer disfunction. He's still leading a band, though. Would like to see interviews from some of the increasingly numerous female and androgynous performers in these decades of performance footage. Pretty good talk/music ratio, and the well-paced 82 minute feature is 'companied by a lot of uninterrupted performance and interview clips)(a bass player demonstrates different African pop and reggae patterns, and talks about changing his mindset from Stanley Clarke fusion aesthetic to punk in Africa).

Wonder what these guys think of Johnny Clegg and Savuka? "Well-intentioned but too mellow"? Never heard 'em much, but seems like they took some chances. Oh yeah, one of the early punks says, "You were never ruled desirable, you were either undesirable, or not undesirable." This DVD is rated Not Undesirable by Me.

Wish I had seen that movie when the Smithsonian Museum of African Art showed it in DC, and members of a group from the movie (I forgot who) played live.

new from sahelsounds:

http://f0.bcbits.com/img/a1391650287_2.jpg

Cosmic synth. Polyphonic analog synthesizers and drum machines interpret ancient Saharan folk ballads in an imagined science fiction future. A proposed relaxation guide, sonically lying somewhere between ambient library music and minimal wave. Recorded in Niger and France in the late 1980s and never before released.

Looks very cool. I'll definitely check it out when it arrives in my local shop.
Kindred Spirits has been reissueing some great albums lately, I especially love this one.

are there any recordings of that lijadu sisters sing onyeabor show from earlier this month?

+1 on that q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAsCVio4OAw

moar plz :)

and board feed!

anything else from Lijadu Sisters live doing Onyeabor pop up

Forgot to look myself

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/for-ravid-kahalani-every-show-is-a-world-tour/2014/05/29/8f078c44-e4f6-11e3-a70e-ea1863229397_story.html?tid=gog_ent_article_grid

Mordy, do you know the music of this Israeli/Yemenite guy?

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2014/05/29/punk-drummer-with-a-camera-jason-hamacher-is-now-a-syrian-art-preservationist/

What I have heard from the "Sacred Voices" he has released, I liked

So into this single from Senegalese singer Marema!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXX4WmbuFVo

former ilxor cybele with post on ethiopian pop reggae http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/23/the-playlist-reggae-dancehall-soca

Thanks. Teddy Afro regularly comes to DC. Saw him once. Not bad (not amazing either)

i don't know him, curmudgeon - i'll have to check him out. i've been listening to that calypso comp i mentioned upthread a lot lately, some May tzadik releases, and this hypnotic mamman sani taaritt reissue.

as noted above, he's playing summerstage with seymali:

Saturday, July 5, 2014
TEDDY AFRO
NOURA MINT SEYMALI
HAHU DANCE CREW
Presented by SummerStage
Central Park, Manhattan
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
FREE SHOW
Raised by musical parents, it was apparent at an early age that Tewodros Kassahun, (now known as Teddy Afro) had a deep love of music. Over the past ten years, Teddy has emerged as the number one voice in Ethiopia, breaking records for album sales and show attendance. He is known far and wide as the rising star of East Africa. Using Reggae rhythms combined with traditional sounds his songs are sung exclusively in the national language of Ethiopia, Amharic. Influenced by Ethiopian Maestro Tilahun Gessesse and international Reggae superstar Bob Marley, he sings of freedom from tyranny and self-emancipation.
Artist Website: http://teddyafro.info
Noura Mint Seymali is a nationally beloved star and one of Mauritania’s foremost musical emissaries. Having begun her career at age 13 as a supporting vocalist with her legendary step-mother Dimi Mint Abba, Noura Mint Seymali was reared in a transitive culture where sounds from across the Sahara, the Magreb, and West Africa coalesce in the dynamic language of the Moorish griot. Fueled by the exploratory sound of her husband Jeiche Ould Chighaly’s distortion-fueled psych guitar lines and a declaritive rhythm section, Ousmane Touré (bass) and Matthew Tinari (drums), Noura Mint Seymali has already made a formidable debut on the international stage. Performing at events like Festival-au-Desert (Mali), Hayy Festival (Egypt), and Festival Timitar (Morocco) and collaborating with artists like Tinariwen, Bassekou Kouyaté, and Baaba Maal, Noura Mint Seymali is steadily gaining wider recognition, determined to bring Mauritanian music to the world.
Artist Website: http://www.nouramintseymali.com/
Hahu Dance Group are a contemporary modern traditional group that aims to promote Ethiopian culture, art and indigenous knowledge all over the world. Hahu won Ethiopian Idol in 2011, and represents Ethiopian multiculturalism, by including four traditional dancers each hailing from different ethnic groups, showing a true sense of community. The group’s early works were inspired by the poor Addis neighborhoods and performances were focused on community awareness creation and empowerment. The group has been working in collaboration with nongovernmental organizations (Andugna dance company, Hope for children organization, Music Media, Addis Ababa city administration theater, A.A. Culture and tourism bureau) on various community issues.

Seymali and her band are great. While her voice is not necessarily Western-ear friendly, its power can win over folks. Her band's psych-funk aspects are more Western-friendly but done distinctively enough to please those who want a more trad Mauritanian/North African sound.

As I noted, I am not as wowed by Teddy Afro's meld of Ethiopian traditionalism and pop-reggae. But obviously many Ethiopians are.

Life's not fair--why would a think tank pay for for this right-wing extremist Washington Post columnist's trip to and stay in Morocco-

I happened to arrive on the day of the annual music festival, which has been held for the last 10 years. The event with its large outdoor stages is free and therefore a magnet for young people. There is traditional Moroccan music, but also an international stage with European and American performers. A representative from the Moroccan government emphasizes this is an outward manifestation of the country’s affinity to the West. With the brush of the back of his hand he suggests Moroccans are signaling that strict Islamism is not for them. Many young women still wear a hijab (headscarf), but with jeans, jewelry and stylish sandals, and couples stroll arm in arm in the centuries-old souk (open market).

I’ll continue to post on Morocco during the remainder of the week and occasionally on other topics as well. As previously noted, my hotel and air travel are being paid by a Moroccan think tank, the Moroccan Institute for International Relations. My observations are strictly my own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/06/02/rabat-the-capital-of-a-country-in-transition/

if Morocco is trying to signal modernism/westernism opposition to radical islamism, jennifer ruben is like the perfect person to pitch to

That's true I guess, since she is normally so knee-jerk in quickly finding radical Islam everywhere.

Red Baraat will lead over two hundred musicians in the world premiere performance of 100+ BPM on the steps of The Brooklyn Public Library.

Take that Glen Branca, Phillip Glass & Steve Reich. This is on June 21st

NYC ain't the only place with great international music outdoors this summer. For free within view of the monuments in D.C. we have the following (y'all should visit) plus not yet announced performances during the day by many of those acts:

Thursday, June 26

· “Sounds of the Southwestern Mountains: Dong and Miao Music”— A concert featuring two ethnic communities from southwestern China’s Guizhou Province: the polyphonic singing tradition of the Dimen Dong Folk Chorus, followed by singing and dancing by the Leishan Miao Music and Dance Group. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Divas Night: Homage to Kenyan Women in Music”— A concert featuring Iddi Achieng, a multi-talented Afro-fusion artist and activist; Gargar, a group from Garissa preserving traditional culture and empowering women through music, and more. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Friday, June 27

“Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert: A Tribute to Pete Seeger, Citizen Artist”— An annual concert presented in memory of Ralph Rinzler, the co-founder of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This year’s is a Smithsonian Folkways Tribute to Pete Seeger. Featured artists include Abigail Washburn, Quetzal, Tony Seeger, Radmilla Cody, Holly Near, and others to be announced. From 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Saturday, June 28

· “Expressions of China: A Musical Revue” — A gala concert featuring a wide range of musicians, dancers, singers, folk theater artists, and puppeteers from the China program. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Taarab Classics and Pwani Grooves from the Kenyan Coast” — A concert featuring veteran taarab musicians, Mohamed Shigo and Mbarak Ali Haj. They will be accompanied by female vocalist Nyota Ndogo. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Sunday, June 29

· “Crossroads China: Abigail Washburn and Shanghai Restoration Project”— A concert of reimagined sounds—reminiscent of 1930s Shanghai jazz and with new spins on traditional material through American clawhammer banjo alongside hip-hop and electronica. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Crossroads Kenya: Samba Mapangala” — A concert featuring Kenyan lingala music, a genre of dance music that came out of Cuban rumba music from the Belgian Congo and French Congo in the 1940s. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Wednesday, July 2

· “Nomadic Soul: Qiang and Mongolian Music”— A concert featuring the traditional polyphonic singing of the Qiang people followed by a mix of throat singing and long songs from Inner Mongolia. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Zilizopendwa: Remembering 50 Years of Kenyan Hits” —A concert featuring music from western Kenya, characterized by rhythms inspired by a traditional dance of the Luhya community. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Thursday, July 3

· “Chinese Theater Traditions: Puppetry and Opera”— A presentation of two distinct dramatic performance traditions in China, featuring the Quanzhou Puppet Troupe and the Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Fusion Night: Nairobi Now”— Featuring Kadir Kotola, a singer/songwriter of the Oromo language. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

Saturday, July 5

· “Crossroads Asia: Wu Man and Friends”— A concert featuring a virtuosic Smithsonian Folkways Recordings artist who blends traditional and contemporary music on the pipa, a four-stringed plucked lute. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moonrise Pavilion.

· “Benga Night”— A concert featuring young Kenyan musicians performing root music of the JoLuo community from western Kenya with lyrical arrangements that reflect influences from the popular benga pop-music style. From 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ngoma Stage.

The June 29th gig featuring this guy should be great(wiki bio below. I think I have a cd by him):

Samba Mapangala was born in Matadi in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He spent early 1970s with various bands in Kinshasa, before moving to Uganda in 1975 where he and some other Congolese musicians formed the Les Kinois band. They moved to Nairobi in 1977. He formed a new band, the Orchestra Virunga, in 1981. The band is named after Virunga volcano located in Congo.

Orchestra Virunga released their first album, It's Disco Time with Samba Mapangala in 1982. In early 90's the group gained some international popularity through album releases like "Virunga Volcano" and "Feet on Fire".

He has continued to record, and is still one of the leading musicians in East Africa. He is now based in the United States . Mapangala began performing with Occidental Brothers Dance Band International in the fall of 2009.[1]

Mapangala is considered as one of the golden era of Kenyan Lingala music acts alongside Les Mangelepa, Baba Gaston and Super Mazembe.[2]

oh wow - some great stuff in that list. the kenyan stuff sounds really promising, i already love shanghai restoration... kinda want to check it all out

Is there a link for those? Particularly the Samba Mapangala gig - I want to point a friend to it but Google isn't giving me anything.

Right now its an ILX exclusive! I had been bugging the Smithsonian Folklife festival folks for weeks to get me the schedule, for an article I want to write and for my blog. They just emailed me that info Friday afternoon. Eventually it will be posted on their site:

http://www.festival.si.edu/visitor/schedule.aspx

There are some other links with a bit of related information there. They also emailed me Word Doc bios for the Chinese acts. but they haven't finished the bios for the Kenyan ones yet. There will be crafts and music during the day (under tents mostly) from around 11 am to 5 each day, followed by the special evening shows every day but the 4th of July. There's lots of family-friendly kids-oriented craft stuff too, and there will be food from the respective countries (likely tasty but also likely overpriced).

Just saw the end of a BookTV.org presentation by Hisham Aidi, AKA UptownBerber on Twitter, and author of Rebel Music: Race, Music, and the New Muslim Youth CultureIt explores the influence of and response to hip-hop in various parts of the world (also the cross-influence, like when leading American jazz musicians converted to Isalm in the 40s and 50s). He considers the State Department's attempts to reach Muslim youth via hip-hop to have had rather mixed results (and deals with the twists of cultural translation in various ways. This has an interview and a link to the first chapter: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/16/289825550/rebel-music-when-hip-hop-met-islam
This Times review gives a better sense of the book's range ( for instance, Muslim South America, and Shakira's initial splash as a Lebanese-Colombian prodigy of belly-dancing)(and singing, or anyway vocalizing)(not a dis)http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/books/rebel-music-by-hisham-d-aidi.html

NY Times magazine has a Brazilian funk overview. Also worth reading is the Sublime Frequencies label guy profile (with pics of him home) at brownbooks.me

Both of those are linked on other threads

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1938886835/schizophonia-cantorial-recordings-reimagined
yes plz!

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

http://www.festival.si.edu/visitor/evening.aspx evening events

http://www.festival.si.edu/2014/schedule/june-25
daytime schedule lists themes but not specific artists for some reason

Updated Smithsonian Folklife Festival Kenya and China skeds

some stuff i've liked lately:
Vaudou Game ft. Roger Damawuzan - 'Pas Contente' (SoundCloud): "Vaudou Game is a contemporary live band playing an authentic Togolese funk based on voodoo chants scales. 300 copies LTD - TIP!!" Dangerous Bees track also super groovy + fantastic
Djanka Diabate - Djanka (AwesomeTapes): funky West African pop from late 80s (i think?)
Rocky Marsiano - Meu Kamba (Bandcamp): hard to describe but like MPC african vinyl project?

um and like ten albums from the year halfway point i really like:
Mamman Sani - Taaritt (Bandcamp)
Various Artists - Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds 1960-1978 (Spotify)
Various Artists - Calypso: Musical Poetry in the Caribbean 1955-1969 (Spotify)
Eyvind Kang - The Book of Angels, Vol. 21: Alastor (Youtube Track)
Al-Namrood - Heen Yadhar Al Ghasq (Youtube Track)
Various Artists - Beyond Addis
Baba Sissoko - Tchiwara (Spotify)
Golem! - Tanz (Spotify)
Dobet Gnahore - Na Dre (Spotify)
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars - Libation (Spotify)

Oooh, I gotta listen to that Dobet Gnahore. I have liked her previous efforts.

Was just skimming this re another region:

http://www.afropop.org/wp/18633/when-algerian-music-travels-beyond-its-frontiers/

not for everyone, but i've been listening to a lot of "mc bin laden" lately.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhI_s2chP48

Good stuff mordy - love that calypso record

Been listening a lot to sonido gallo negro and the acid arab collections comp this summer

enjoyed la mechanica popular last night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuXmXG9qbF8

hyped about dj spoko tonight!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ontbjnQPrGo

I mentioned la mechanica popular I think over on the Afro-latin thread. I missed the old-school guys that were near me Friday night-- Ismael Rivera Jr. and Ommy Cardona (Puerto Rican salsa vets ) at the Palace, Woodbridge, VA.

Stayed in to reogranize house and books and records but listened a bunch to my Pacifica radio station WPFW where a Ghanaian dj Koffi Kissi Dompere was playing long sets of '80s and '90s I think African dance music without ever saying the specific names of the groups. Great tunes, I just don't know who they were by. Intend to get out of the house in a few days for the Kenyan and Chinese acts at the Smithsonian Folklife festival

FIFA World Cup officials do not want certain sounds there:

It is not only the England Band which faces disappointment in Brazil, with samba bands that are a feature of the country’s football matches also set to be snubbed by organisers.

The ban even applies the official instrument of the World Cup, the caxirola, Brazil’s answer to the vuvuzela from the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

this is great and perfect for this heat we've been getting:
http://www.awesometapes.com/2014/06/teshome-wolde/

Ooh, anything associated with Ethiopia's Dahlak Band I need to hear. Will listen to that soon.

x-post to me

Intend to get out of the house in a few days for the Kenyan and Chinese acts at the Smithsonian Folklife festival

"In a few days," means I am jumping the gun a bit. Fest does not start till June 25.

x-post to : i already love shanghai restoration...

initial listen to a few tracks did not wow me

The ban even applies the official instrument of the World Cup, the caxirola, Brazil’s answer to the vuvuzela from the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

This is partly because the first time they were tried out in a live game in Brazil hundreds of them were used as missiles, iirc. They changed the design to make them out of softer materials so they would do less damage but people threw them anyway.

Sports fans throwing things. I'm shocked

i want to sub out that sierra leone allstars album from my list above for another old timey long awaited follow-up act that is so great -- kasai allstars - beware the fetish. love these guys.

Just got the comp that Mordy started this thread off with, and it is some wonderful music.

VA [1906-33] Let No One Judge You: Early Recordings From Iran

I need to listen to that. I'm still liking current Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat, who has a great duet album with soul & blues singer Mighty Sam McLain

McClain 2 "c"'s

http://www.afropop.org/wp/18894/volunteer-with-afropop-this-summer/

They're looking for NYC area volunteers and promise you some swag

On La Rumba SoYo, Ricardo explores his Angolan roots, blending Afro-Portuguese flavors with his trademark Cuban son and salsa meets Congolese soukous and rumba sound

Cool, a new Ricardo Lemvo album (on Cumbancha) and tour. I gotta hear this recorded and live. I know they're playing NYC this week, hopefully there's a DC gig too

Buika was fucking AWESOME btw

Ned S*blette was raving as well, although I must admit to finding her more recent albums less interesting than her older ones (and likewise with her choice of music live. She seems to have less Afro-flamenco in her more recent material that I have heard from her in the past. She still has an amazing voice, and her interests are so varied, maybe she is sounding different now than she did when I last saw her a year and a half or so ago).

than I have heard from her

I'm looking forward to the free Smithsonian Folklife Fest starting tomorrow in DC. Since some of the Kenyan and Chinese artists will also be doing Kennedy Center Millennium Stage 6 to 7 pm shows, the rest of you can check out some of the groups via the K. Ctr. video stream or later via their video archives.

i like buika's recorded material okay but holy shit, live

Buika--Afro-Spanish Singer (Who's more than just one of NPR's "50 Great Voices")

I started a thread for her in 2010 but noone else on ilx was interested

heh, that really is all you huh

Saw for free on the national mall in D.C. last night a Kenyan women divas show w/ Afro-pop artists Iddi Achieng’ and Suzanna Owiyo, Muslim women trio Gargar from northeastern Kenya backed by a funky band, plus strong-voiced Doris Chepchumba from the Kalenjin community in the Rift Valley, and taarab-pop artist Nyota Ndogo

New Orlando Julius album in September, with some band from the UK called the Heliocentrics backing him.

He's a Nigerian highlife guy. Glad to see older artists still around

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2014/06/29/kenyan-musicians-back-at-smithsonian-folklife-festival-after-one-day-strike-against-their-government/

Crazy weekend. Samba Mapangala was great tonight

Very interesting discussions I had with the Kenyans and Folklife people. The music that I did hear was great. Caught only a bit of the Chinese.

Wednesday is Kenyan oldies night from 6 to 8 and Thursday night is Kenyan artists fusing together elements of benga, soukous, hip-hop, and gospel. A bunch of folks in the audience the other night spoke Swahili and engaged in call & responses with the band. That helps add to the live music flavor

Kenyans live through Sunday for free in DC. Chinese too--but I have barely checked them out

yes plz

http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/img/releases/38328/w/sublime-frequencies-1970s-algerian-folk-and-pop.jpg

ooh what label is that on?

sublime frequencies

http://static.squarespace.com/static/52b31b17e4b01abea06d053d/t/52bc8485e4b0db704e378a27/1388086406191/Imarhan-cover-12-23-300pxls.jpg?format=750w

this is on spotify and is fantastic
http://www.clermontmusic.com/akal-warled/

This is old I think but I would love someone to elucidate on this incredible vocalist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLZXoyTzEWU&list=PL5E0973A16439E74A&index=2

i like it! very funky.

I bumped into this from a Sound Of Siam comp, the vocal gymnastics are amazing. She is an incredible vocalist but cant find much more on her other than what is on youtube.

i still have to hear that comp. i love the cover. is that track representative of what's found on it?

26 hours of Gallo compilations of South African pop hit Spotify today. I put them into a playlist to facilitate shuffling.

http://open.spotify.com/user/glennpmcdonald/playlist/6AeU1h68UJi4Bv2vxzF38X

oh wow thank you so much glenn

Seriously. So astonishingly great, even compared to the other astonishing thing that happened today.

Not entirely clear how I get myself to stop listening to this and go to sleep.

WOW!
I have a few of the albums these lift from(as my father had a business relationship with a guy working at Gallo in the 80's) but LOTS of new stuff. Wow. That Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queen collection has me freaking out

Wow

"is that track representative of what's found on it?"

yeah pretty much, could be the same band on some tracks but is a good 'un.

oh man this patricia majalisa collection is like honey to my ears (partic track "Impumelelo")

btw almost all of these gallo covers are hideous

yeah, i hit several bummers on that mix

Forgive the self-promo but I'm sure there are some tunes here that people will dig. I particularly like Mourad, the young Morrocan rapper who joined Of Golden Visions to record Elodie.

My Middle Eastern and North African playlist column for the Guardian

Thanks

Its gonna be a busy late summer and fall for African acts touring the Us of A:

Noura Mint Seymali now and over the next few weeks; Yousouu N'Dour, Salif Keita, Vieux Farka Toure and more coming in September

Noura was great live, moved the crowd.

Excited about Chronixx this Saturday.

I need to watch online Chronixx from the Jimmy Fallon show last night. Heard local DC reggae fanatics raving about his recent DC show.

his album was a fave around the house through the late spring

I wrote a retrospective piece on King Sunny Adé's three Island albums (Aura turns 30 this year!) for Red Bull Music Academy.

http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/2014/07/photos-from-king-sunny-ades-daughters.html

1 of King Sunny's daughters just got married. One photo suggests that there might have been a rocking band at the reception

http://www.avclub.com/article/hear-soundtrack-new-fela-kuti-documentary-finding--207235

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pysa7ETEFFU/U4ih03BlROI/AAAAAAAAFqk/W0k0FKkvzpQ/s1600/artworks-000074958091-c9uw3n-original.jpg

I saw a great photo exhibit associated with that album-- pics taken before the destruction and unrest in Syria now

Sadly, I think ISIS are destroying many of the old religious sites that I saw in the exhibit associated with that Nawa Sufi release. That includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim ones.

Was eating in a suburban D.C. Kenyan restaurant Saturday night and they were booming nothing but Afrobeats loud. Sounded great...

― curmudgeon, Monday, August 4, 2014 1:22 PM

I love some of the new Afrobeats stuff but old-school folks like Salif Keita as well...plus the more obscure Kenyans I heard at the Smithsonian Folklife Fest...

Lots of African country leaders are in DC this week for an African Summit. Here's some of the related media on it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2014/08/05/lionel-richie-will-perform-at-the-africa-state-dinner-at-the-white-house/

Uh, really...Hugh Masakela is doing a year-long residency at Howard now still I think, couldn't he at least be added

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/alternative-african-summit-challenges-the-official-one/2014/08/04/bac14f52-1bfe-11e4-ae54-0cfe1f974f8a_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2014/08/04/a-playlist-in-honor-of-this-weeks-africa-summit-in-d-c/

One Group Campaign's song "Cocoa na Chocolate" with musicians from many African countries in support of African agriculture. 9 of these musicians including Femi Kuti, D'Banj and Fally Ipupa did a little publicized appearance Monday night in DC during African Summit week

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

http://pulse.ng/events/dbanj-and-femi-kuti-will-be-representing-nigeria-dbanj-to-join-one-in-washington-dc-for-historic-us-africa-leaders-summit-id3025068.html

Still liking that "Cocoa na Chocolate" song...We are the world

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/07/338586411/before-war-a-punk-drummer-preserved-syrian-chants

Good to see him getting this coverage, but its sad that some of the buildings he went to and people he met, are no longer with us. He also sought out old Jewish synagogues too.

Heard some of last night's Fresh Air interview with the guy who recorded the xpost Sufi invocations albums; I need to check the FA archive for the rest of that. Also last night: a bit of Tinariwen in concert on Carson Daly's show. Light In The Attic's re-releasing a couple of their early albums.
Details and samples of The Radio Tisdas Sessions here:
http://lightintheattic.net/releases/1177-radio-tisdas-sessions

Ditto for Amassakoul
http://lightintheattic.net/releases/1178-amassakou

https://light-in-the-attic.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/artist_image/1577/storage/original_tinny.jpg

Wow---at first listen, Amassakoul sounds like one of their most consistent sets ever: no acoustic ruminations, which is okay by me, though always thoughtful and watchful, while tending flexible razor guitar grooves and more variety than expected, especially vocal, incl.throat-singing, call-and-response melodicism with females, and even a hip-hop excursion (very much in their own direction). Also the occasional flutes. Gotta look into the back story of this album, incl. the line-up.

Still enjoying hearing the Lijadu Sisters.

and so you shall, until you die

Aren't they living in and doing ocassional gigs in NYC? How can I get them to come my way...

last "gig" i know of was the onyeabor thing; they never play out here that I'm aware of. would love it if they did!

Some lovely tracks on this Sublime Freq comp. Great cover too.

http://www.cmj.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Sublime-Frequencies-1970s-Algerian-Folk-and-Pop.jpg

Been listening to Algerian Rachid Taja lately, but still have not gotten around to that older Algerian comp (though I should)...

That's Taha

i'm loving that comp btw

Global Village is a good show, streaming every week night at 7 Central. Tomorrow: "an Afrobeat extravaganza," celebrating Tony Allen's birthday; lots of African music Wed too. Not as consistently amazing as Afropop Worldwide, but usually pretty cool:
http://kmuw.org/post/birthday-salutes-afrobeat-legend-tony-allen-english-folk-rocker-maddy-prior-and-more

Africa tonight also, like just about every night---at the moment,"Oscarine," by
Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal.

Oh I remember hearing a Sissoko & Segal album.

i'm kinda in love w/ this track
https://soundcloud.com/somimusic/somi-ankara-sundays

Will check. Oh yeah, before I forget to mention it: xpost Sissoko & Segal play koro & cello, maybe with some other instruments, but maybe not; they get a lot of sounds out of their main axes.

http://static.squarespace.com/static/5128322ce4b006d82fb7218b/t/52db06cbe4b0a428d2e470a6/1390085921081/

Alas, I missed Somi at a Maryland fest last weekend.

In February 2013 I said:

This Sissoko/Segal release is too subtle at times.

Just picked up these comps, all very good in different ways:

Mestre Cupijó e Seu Ritmo - Siriá (Analog Africa)
Bombay Disco: Disco Hits from Hindi Films 1979-1985 (Cultures of Soul)
1970s Algerian Folk and Pop (Sublime Frequencies) - I know people have been repping for this itt

Oh yeah reminds me must check promo of Rough Guide To Bollywood Disco---hadn't heard of Bombay Disco; will look it up too. Cheers!

It's obviously super cheesy but it's a lot of fun too - you know yourself whether you're in the market for a Bollywood cover of "Billie Jean" or Asha Bhosle singing "boogie boogie boogie":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjfsuGA1ho0

Africa’s widespread influence in music is inevitable and Nigeria-born Founder/President Chetachi Ecton of ChiBase Productions plans to transcend fan bases in the U.S. and Europe. The primary objective of the recently formed New York City based company is to establish a global presence for the gorgeous, diversified sounds emanating from the motherland.

ChiBase Productions announces a series of events throughout August to celebrate the launch of their new African music label. On August 20th, 2014, an intimate press day will be held with Nigeria-born Founder/President Chetachi Ecton at the Time Warner Building in New York City. On August 30th, 2014, the official label launch party kicks off at a secret location in Manhattan. The following evening, ChiBase will sponsor the 9th annual Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA), which will honor numerous contributors in various sectors of Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Was listening to some of that old-school Tsongan (spelling/) disco of South African Penny Penny, that Awesome Tapes from Africa reissued.Some nice tracks. They just put a remixes effort out as well.

This is npr re the original reissue
http://www.npr.org/2014/02/06/272638152/before-he-joined-congress-a-south-african-janitors-disco-past

http://bodegapop.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/palestinian-wedding-music.html

So much to try to listen too. I forgot about that blog. Looks interesting (and as worthy as FKA Twigs or whatever that's getting the attention elsewhere on ilx and in 'hip' circles. (btw FKA Twigs ain't bad, just didn't wow me on first listen)

It's different. People need a news cycle. Awesome comp of Palestinian wedding music could be from any time, the artists don't give good video, etc.

(I like FKA Twigs btw)

I guess so...

TANGO NEGRO: THE AFRICAN ROOTS OF TANGO

This movie is showing in NYC and DC this weekend

I missed that plus a Brazilian doc on singer Maria Bethania (Caetano Veloso's sister) "Music is Perfume" which the the Film Fest seemed to be inferring was new but IMDB tells me is from 2005.

I was home writing a preview of Moroccan band Ribab Fusion who energetically try to mix electrified Amazigh (formerly Berber) sounds on a banjo-like ribab and keyboard, guitar , bass , drums with jazz fusion, rock and Afropop rhythms as well. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. They are coming to the US for a month with a Pakistani instrumental band Khumariyaan who create a nice wall of sound with a rubab (not a ribab like the other group), a few guitars and percussion

http://bandwidth.wamu.org/first-listen-sinkane-mean-love/

I wonder if this is something I will like? He's Sudanese born, Ohio raised and Brooklyn living

http://www.afropop.org/wp/19948/borderless-sounds-the-new-north-africa/

Should check out some of this too

If it were not for this years incredible "world" releases, 2014 has otherwise been pretty lackluster.

What are some of your faves?

Been listening to soca man Bunji Garlin's track "Differentology" for awhile, but just saw a mention of the album of his by that name in the Washington Post today...

this is insane (in the best way):

http://theglobalbassexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/The-Bombay-Royale.jpg

yeah, i don't care for those guys much at all

Kinda uneven I recall...Aussie based

I keep getting deluged with emails about a big all day bring your kids Haitian event Saturday at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow NY (Queens?)with Tabou Combo, NuLook, Carimi, Klass, Djakout and more...I can't make it up there though. I like Tabou Combo and Djakout

Lotsa awesome Caribbean Carnival Parade events in NYC all weekend starting tonight:

The 47th annual West Indian American Day Carnival will be held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The carnival parade will be held Sept. 1 on Eastern Parkway. Pre-parade events will be held rain or shine on the Brooklyn Museum Grounds. Enter on Washington Ave. at President
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/2014-labor-day-carnival-schedule-article-1.1919612

"Caribbean Woodstock" and Brass show look great

the below piece by an ilxer in thefader.com was mentioned over on the afrobeats thread but may also be of interest to some folks here

/say-yes-how-a-michelle-beyonce-and-kelly-gospel-record-points-to-pop-musics-nigerian-future

http://www.npr.org/2014/08/27/343489439/latitudes-the-international-music-you-must-hear-in-august

Just ordered this interesting looking comp - http://www.jazzmanrecords.co.uk/various-artists-spiritual-jazz-5-the-world - no idea how it'll hold up but i'm psyched.

I did not know that had turned into a series, and they're up to 5?! the first one is excellent

The Dimanche Gras event with Sparrow and David Rudder looks great. xps.

Awesome old-school doublebill. Rudder has always been great when I've seen him in DC. I've lost track of him in recent years (plus he hasn't been here in awhile).

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/29/the-playlist-middle-eastern-and-north-african-blufrank-el-rass-and-more

Oh man, that Spiritual Jazz 5 LP just arrived. It looks so good - there's a track called 'Destroy the Nihilist Picnic'. 5pm, hurry up!

1970s Algerian Folk and Pop (Sublime Frequencies) - I know people have been repping for this itt

― dem bow dem bow need calcium (seandalai), Tuesday, August 19, 2014 12:03 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

seandalai, is this the Proto-Rai compilation? I was listening to it at the weekend and it's really good. The first track, which is evidently about a car with an incongruous car horn tootling around it, has been on repeat these last few days.

No it's different, they brought out another Algerian comp this year

okay, i could be interested in that.

Where volume 1 focused on the early to mid-1970s Rai scene in western Algeria, this album features a variety of pop and folk styles from that same period. From the heavier rock and psychedelic sounds of Rachid & Fethi, Les Djinns and Les Abranis to the haunting folk music of Kri Kri and Djamel Allem and the Film soundtrack moods of Ahmed Malek, 1970s Algerian Folk & Pop documents a key period in the modern musical renaissance of a nation in transition. Most of these tracks are from 45 rpm singles, the key format during the early 1970s before the cassette took over as the medium of choice. Western musical influences can be heard throughout this extremely diverse record yet there is an undeniable Algerian sense of sadness contained here within a more tolerant space in time between two of the country’s most significant historical periods; National Independence from France and the darker times of a brutal civil war yet to come

Didn't have a chance over the weekend to catch up on Sub. Freq comp listening as I was listening to touring acts I am previewing for my local weekly's Fall Arts Preview Issue. Think we might have mentioned the below last year and before, but here's my followups anyway:

Malian Oumar Konate's power-trio approach to the Sahel desert style (on Clermont) took awhile to grow on me but eventually did. "Power trio" is a bit of an exaggeration, but Koante does like to throw in more guitar solos than his colleagues (but he can still keep it rhythmic too).

Malians Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba wowed me live last year and on Jama Ko. Last year's touring group was a 6 piece, this year he is returning with a 4-piece called Ngoni blues with 4 folks from the 6-piece group including his wife, brother and a son. Amy, Bassekou's wife, has a passionate voice, and Bassekou can make his ngoni sound pretty like a harp, or into a high-pitched string instrument that helps create dance rhythms. Plus they can slow it down, occasionally in a bluesy way.

x-post -I think Sharivari and I are the only ones here who like Sparrow and David Rudder

well hang on now and add me to that list
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns_ROvH7TNU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFh9rFRxTp4

I don't know David Rudder but I love sparrow

Rudder's younger than Sparrow but no youngster. He's done a number of great songs, many with socio-political lyrics, since the '80s-- "Rally 'round the West Indies", "High Mas," his Haiti album and more

glad to see we are at 3 supporters of these veteran artists

Youssou N'Dour put a new release out in April that I just discovered. Youtube link to it is over on a Youssou thread.

I know, I know, you hated that collaboration he did with Neneh Cherry from years ago and then never bothered with anything else. But really you should. At least try his Egypt album that sounds different than anything else he's ever done and then figure out how to see him live where his Senegalese band's mbalax polyrhythms will make more sense and his amazing voice will stun you.

one of my friends is releasing a new volume of Ghanaian music, very raw field-recording style, and it's great: http://artsextract.com/2014/09/04/album-stream-bawku-west-collective-upper-east-untouched/

I know, I know, you hated that collaboration he did with Neneh Cherry from years ago and then never bothered with anything else. But really you should. At least try his Egypt album that sounds different than anything else he's ever done and then figure out how to see him live where his Senegalese band's mbalax polyrhythms will make more sense and his amazing voice will stun you.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, September 4, 2014 3:03 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Okay you've sold it to me.

http://www.okayafrica.com/news/orlando-julius-heliocentrics-jaiyede-afro/

can stream the new album ^

That looks good

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/claude-mckay-gnawa-music

Gnawa musicians now in the US and in Harlem especially

Told my sister I am seeing Youssou N'Dour in concert soon and she responded "who's that." Sigh. My Dad knows, I once took him to see Youssou, and I think Mom knows because of that.

I saw him in 86 when he opened for Peter Gabriel. Haven't paid much attention to him since.

If you haven't heard the Egypt album or seen him live when he headlines you are missing out.

I interviewed Orlando Julius for Wondering Sound.

Looking forward to reading this. And checking out some music too!

Me too. Am busy this week relistening to some old Salif Keita (from Mali) records. He's coming back to the US this month. Like N'Dour he has put out some lousy crossover ones (and thus gotten tainted with ooh 'world music' shade), but also some good ones and his voice is similarly striking live. Like N'Dour he is also a pioneer.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19726-aby-ngana-diop-liital/

Another Awesome Tapes re-release I need to check out

x-post --Salif is 65 now so you folks who enjoy old-school African sounds should check out his back in the day singing with the Rail Band and with Le Ambassadeurs after that. Youssou's old-school stuff is worth checking for too.

Yeah I think the only Youssou stuff I've heard is with etoile de Dakar. Gonna listen to Egypt tonight though

speaking of salif an acquaintance once lent me one of his from the 1990's that sounded lovely but didn't make a huge impression. but recently picked up Rail Band - Dioba 3 2cd set and it's phenomenal! brilliant guitars and vox.
and speaking of vox, etiole de dakar effing rule. the energy of that band is kinda protopunk imo

Yep. Those early years efforts are often much better than their later highly produced crossover efforts. But I'm such a big live music fans and Youssou N'Dour and Salif Keita gigs over the years here in DC with lots of folks in attendance from their respective countries plus others (like me) always convey more energy and excitement than those crossover discs. Dismissing those tours as "world music" for stereotypical aging boomers is foolish if you ask me.

Speaking of live music, I kinda liked the special Ethiopian New Year/9/11 event last night with DJ Rupture & his laptop,locally based Ethiopian masinqo (a one-stringed instrument similar to a fiddle or lute) player Gizachew T. Habtemariam and vocalist Kalkidan Woldemariam, and a NYC choir. A blend of avante-minimalism with traditional Ethiopian sounds. Took place for free from 7 to 8 outdoors on the grounds of the St. Elizabeth's mental hospital in SE DC and then the House of Booty djs spun upbeat Afropop while an Ethiopian food truck gave out free Ethiopan veggie platters!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-hMkHkoFrU

Fair amount of Salif Keita on YouTube, but alas not his charming reinvention of "Begin The Beguine," from the very fine Red Hot + Blue AIDS benefit anthology.

New reissue of 1975 to 77 Les Ambassadeurs with a young Salif Keita

http://www.afropop.org/wp/20314/les-ambassadeurs-du-motel-de-bamako/

Two discs and available on spotify. Very good ^^

Cool. I am gonna listen to that and see now 65-year-old Salif live on Sunday, he's also doing shows in NY and elsewhere. Hw was good live when I last saw him many moons ago.