King Ayisoba that is
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 May 2017 14:03 (seven years ago) link
Malian Oumou Sangare's first album in awhile sounded good on first listen. The backing to her fine singing is a mix of French producers using tech and some traditional Malian instrument players
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 25 May 2017 13:43 (seven years ago) link
http://www.resident-music.com/image/cache/data/proper/ifr-500x500.jpg
This new Ifriqiyya Electrique blows shit up. Ritualistic post-punk Tunisian trance music?
― del esdichado (NickB), Friday, 26 May 2017 21:49 (seven years ago) link
Still listening to new Oumou Sangare & have to get to other non-Malian ones
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 31 May 2017 15:49 (seven years ago) link
https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/05/23/at-long-last-the-african-music-from-ali-and-foremans-rumble-in-the-jungle-sees-release
The performances were filmed and recorded on a state-of-the-art mobile studio, but most of the tapes sat in storage for decades thanks to a dispute with the fight's notorious promoter, Don King. Now, the organizers of the music festival—South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine—have finally gained control of the music, and on Friday a stunning new double CD called Zaire 74: the African Performers (Wrasse) will at long last let us hear it all. The set features beautifully recorded, highly charged, and sublimely elegant performances by Franco & O.K. Jazz, Orchestre Stukas, Abeti Masikini, and Tabu Ley Rochereau & Afrisa, as well as a set from South African great Miriam Makeba. It's mind-boggling that this material has been buried all these years. The discs are packaged in a lovely hardbound book with liner-note essays by Masekela, Levine, and British music journalist Robin Denselow. I wish there were more still images from the film footage—Makeba is the only artist
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 1 June 2017 15:27 (seven years ago) link
Chicago Reader's Margasak also likes this East African comp of 70s to 80s music (he likes it more than Christgau does, as explained)
https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/05/02/urgent-jumping-collects-east-african-dance-classics-including-the-frantic-benga-of-the-golden-kings-band
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 1 June 2017 15:37 (seven years ago) link
Zaire 74 is a bit uneven but has some great Tabu ley cuts and Franco ones
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 June 2017 00:20 (seven years ago) link
I need to listen to the Makeba cuts again on that long Zaire 74 cd. The Abeti Masikini tracks didn't wow me-- her voice is too ragged, folkloric at times.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 June 2017 14:23 (seven years ago) link
Still need to check out Mordy fave Elida Almeida. My Zimbabwe fave Mokoomba are gonna be in London Sunday (for anyone over there)
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 8 June 2017 14:45 (seven years ago) link
fwiw i've kinda cooled on that album. mostly listening to the zaire 74 atm.
― Mordy, Thursday, 8 June 2017 16:32 (seven years ago) link
NPR ATC had an interview with Hugh Masekela and the other guy who he worked with on putting together the Zaire 74 album. Kinda interesting. All of the African stars from that show are now deceased-- Tabu ley; Franco; Makeba etc.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 15 June 2017 03:48 (seven years ago) link
The documentary about that concert, <i>Soul Power</i>, has some short excerpts of African artists performing, plus James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers, etc. Also features a truly detestable British a&r man.
― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 15 June 2017 09:28 (seven years ago) link
Has anyone seen Les Filles de Illighadad in concert? They're visiting Montreal next week, exciting.
― sean gramophone, Thursday, 15 June 2017 13:38 (seven years ago) link
Nope, but would like to.
x-post-- in addition to that Soul Power doc about the Zaire 74 concert, there is now a movie doc about the Latino acts-- “Fania All-Stars: Live in Africa"
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 15 June 2017 16:04 (seven years ago) link
new songhoy blues album out today
― Mordy, Friday, 16 June 2017 20:46 (seven years ago) link
Friend just linked me to this. Beautiful Electro Pop:
https://open.spotify.com/album/0RWibDzGRDMx7PhC8koIHh?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open&play=true
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 19 June 2017 10:34 (seven years ago) link
Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba OK All Stars
Was reading about this former guitarist for Franco and other Congolese rumba and soukous artists, who is based in Belgium now and just appeared over the weekend at a festival in Liverpool, England
― curmudgeon, Monday, 19 June 2017 16:24 (seven years ago) link
Mdou Moctar, the guitarist from that Malian Prple Rain movie is doing some US tour dates, and the booker (whom I know) says he needs more Midwest dates between festivals
None of the dates booked so far are listed here, but I think the contact info is
http://multifloraproductions.com/booking/mdou-moctar-north-america-2017/#.WUvXD9IUmpo
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 June 2017 14:46 (seven years ago) link
any chance he's coming to philly? if not he should book world cafe live or crossroads (http://www.crossroadsconcerts.org) both of which have smaller venues and host a bunch of international acts.
― Mordy, Thursday, 22 June 2017 14:48 (seven years ago) link
I will check
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 June 2017 14:57 (seven years ago) link
Crossroads can't do it he says (brief text without explanation -- maybe the only date that will work is booked). No response back from the booking agent in the text re World Café Live. He is still hoping to do a Philly show he says.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 June 2017 20:02 (seven years ago) link
this is another possibility and a really nice venue:http://www.ardmoremusic.com
― Mordy, Thursday, 22 June 2017 20:34 (seven years ago) link
I let him know.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 23 June 2017 13:18 (seven years ago) link
Was just reading about a Moroccan men's choir that could not get their visas approved to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 27 June 2017 13:00 (seven years ago) link
I dunno I love this Awa Poulo album, the crazy flute is what makes it for me
― sleeve, Sunday, 2 July 2017 01:37 (seven years ago) link
Trying to remember what about that Malian Awa Poulo instrumentation I wasn't crazy about back in March. I forgot, which means maybe I should give it another listen.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 3 July 2017 15:00 (seven years ago) link
Been listening to Colombia's Tribu Baharu, whose champeta sound draws heavily from Congolese soukous and rumba high-pitched guitar.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 6 July 2017 14:08 (seven years ago) link
Also been listening to old-school Cameroon singer Coco Argentee, who is going to be at Lee's Lounge in MD outside Washington DC late Friday night (early Saturday morning). I'd like to see her, but think it's gonna be a 1 am or so starting time and I'm not sure if she'll have a band or be singing over tracks.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 6 July 2017 17:40 (seven years ago) link
I didn't go. She's still on her US tour. Did see a DC-based Palestinian oud player/singer last night who is very good.
Need to catch up on Afropop Worldwide podcasts plus various albums....
― curmudgeon, Monday, 10 July 2017 20:02 (seven years ago) link
The flute, ngoni & calabash gourd don't always seem together on Awa Poulo's track "Djulau," but when they do it works nice with her voice.
That Ifriqiyya Electrique mentioned above is pretty wild--North African rock, postpunk industrial
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 13 July 2017 03:35 (seven years ago) link
So many afropop worldwide podcasts I need to hear
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 19:00 (seven years ago) link
otm
― Mordy, Tuesday, 18 July 2017 19:44 (seven years ago) link
Bakwamagazine.com has a history of Nigerian juju music piece I need to read.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 20 July 2017 04:06 (seven years ago) link
New Amadou & Mariam full album won't be out till September, but they're touring North America now
some of their upcoming dates
July 20—Washington, DC—9:30 Club
July 21— Brooklyn, NY— Celebrate Brooklyn July 22—Philadelphia, PA—World Café Live July 24—Chicago, IL—Millennium Park July 27—Minneapolis, MN—Cedar Cultural Center
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:54 (seven years ago) link
bah sat night show not gonna happen too bad :(
― Mordy, Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:58 (seven years ago) link
(i mean not gonna happen for me - i'm sure it'll go on as planned)
speaking of afropop worldwide new ep looks super promising:
Proving the Bubu Myth: Janka Nabay, War, and Witchcraft in Sierra Leone
― Mordy, Thursday, 20 July 2017 20:03 (seven years ago) link
Saw Amadou & Mariam in DC last night. The arena rock flashes from the keyboardist & Trap drummer annoyed me at times. I'm not a purist but the hybrid has to work in a satisfying way. Plus Amadou 's guitar was sometimes too low in the mix. Some songs worked great though. The backup singer/dancer from Mali was impressive & Mariam's voice also.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 21 July 2017 16:30 (seven years ago) link
Still haven't caught up on those podcasts.
I have been listening to Yemi Alade who is touring the US in a week or so. She's afropop/afrobeats and has probably been mentioned on that other thread. I like the songs "Koffi Anan" (it's a dance one can do) and "Johnny," a lot. Not a great voice but good enough (with clever enunciation) over those catchy, programmed Nigerian rhythms
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 17:28 (seven years ago) link
On a few songs on her Mama Africa album, Yemi Alade goes beyond the afrobeats rhythm template a bit.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:21 (seven years ago) link
Her "Johnny" video has been viewed 72 million times. Alade is a superstar in Africa. She has recorded songs in French and Swahili to reach out to audiences too.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:23 (seven years ago) link
sorry to sort of hijack, but what's the best place to write about "world music" these days? print would be cool, but web only is fine, too.
Songlines? Are there better options than that?
― alpine static, Thursday, 27 July 2017 17:47 (seven years ago) link
Not much out there....Bandcamp; Pitchfork seems to have dropped coverage of this stuff;Folk Roots aka FRoots; the Afropop Worldwide website ; if its got programmed beats - Fader;
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 July 2017 18:45 (seven years ago) link
ouch
― alpine static, Friday, 28 July 2017 20:39 (seven years ago) link
otoh i find music listening much more pleasant when i'm not expected to write about it
― Mordy, Friday, 28 July 2017 20:42 (seven years ago) link
I think that bland site Paste sometime has African music coverage
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 29 July 2017 01:52 (seven years ago) link
http://kronosquartet.org/news/article/out-this-fall-collaborative-album-with-malian-super-group-trio-da-kali
Back in 2014 I think, I saw Malian group Trio Da Kali do a live collaboration gig with the Kronos Quartet. An album is now due in September, and the link has an advance stream of one song
― curmudgeon, Monday, 31 July 2017 18:13 (seven years ago) link
Great Zimbabwe band Mokoomba who were in the UK recently, are now touring the US again. Their one hour free gig on Tuesday August 1st from 6 to 7pm at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington DC will be videostreamed on the Millennium Stage website and on Facebook. It will also be video-archived.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 31 July 2017 20:09 (seven years ago) link
Mokoomba did a few too many instrumental solos at that gig, but it was still enjoyable.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 August 2017 22:17 (seven years ago) link
http://sahelsounds.com/2017/08/mdou-moctar-usa-tour-2017/
Includes NY, DC, and Philly shows plus more (no Ohio tho )
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 10 August 2017 05:22 (seven years ago) link