I forget the name of the rap not in English thread, so Inwill post this here instead. I see in The NY Times actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas saying that she listens to Hindi rap like Raftaar and Divine when she works out.
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 7 February 2021 19:53 (three years ago) link
that's this thread, curmudge: Rolling worldwide rap thread 2021
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 7 February 2021 20:12 (three years ago) link
Reading in NY Times about Barbara Dane , 93 years old musician and Paredon label owner
Musician Barbara Dane’s Life of Defiance and Song - plus Her label released music produced by liberation movements in Vietnam, Palestine, Angola, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Greece, Uruguay, Mexico, the United States and beyond.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 February 2021 18:01 (three years ago) link
Folkways controls the label now
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 February 2021 18:02 (three years ago) link
nice to see that paddy bush's old documentary on the malagasy musician rakotozafy has made it back to youtube again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orE-9ZQVsio
― would a nit be nice? (NickB), Friday, 12 February 2021 22:48 (three years ago) link
Kôrôlén is a very special collaboration between two titans in music: Toumani Diabaté, the Grammy-winning Malian kora virtuoso, and the London Symphony Orchestra, renowned worldwide for their performances of orchestral music on record, film and stage. Diabaté, a griot whose musical lineage stretches back generations, is well known as one of the most creative musicians on the African continent, and is almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the iconic sound of the kora to worldwide audiences. No stranger to a genre-defying collaboration, he has recorded two Grammy-winning albums alongside desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, as well as projects with Taj Mahal, Björk, Béla Fleck, Damon Albarn and Afrocubism.Commissioned as a special project by the Barbican Centre in London and produced by World Circuit, these recordings feature Diabaté and his group of eminent Malian musicians (including Kasse Mady Diabaté and Lassana Diabaté), accompanied by the soaring presence of the LSO, in dedicated arrangements by Nico Muhly and Ian Gardiner and conducted by Clark Rundell. The title bestowed by Diabaté on this unique and groundbreaking release, 'Kôrôlén', translates from the Mandinka language as 'ancestral' - a fitting theme for an album that brings together ancient griot melodies and Western orchestral arrangements, resulting in an achingly beautiful and fresh neo-classical sound that will appeal to admirers of African, traditional and new classical, and ambient music.
Commissioned as a special project by the Barbican Centre in London and produced by World Circuit, these recordings feature Diabaté and his group of eminent Malian musicians (including Kasse Mady Diabaté and Lassana Diabaté), accompanied by the soaring presence of the LSO, in dedicated arrangements by Nico Muhly and Ian Gardiner and conducted by Clark Rundell. The title bestowed by Diabaté on this unique and groundbreaking release, 'Kôrôlén', translates from the Mandinka language as 'ancestral' - a fitting theme for an album that brings together ancient griot melodies and Western orchestral arrangements, resulting in an achingly beautiful and fresh neo-classical sound that will appeal to admirers of African, traditional and new classical, and ambient music.
― That's not really my scene (I'm 41) (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 18 February 2021 16:27 (three years ago) link
arghhhh with someone like toumani would go LOWER-fi not higher fiorchestra collabs are such a snooze
― sean gramophone, Thursday, 18 February 2021 16:45 (three years ago) link
Yep
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 February 2021 16:46 (three years ago) link
yeah I'm listening to "Haïnamady Town" off this right now and Diabaté is excellent of course, but the LSO bits are pretty sacharine
― rob, Friday, 19 February 2021 13:57 (three years ago) link
Here's one that rightfully should go on yesterday's '70s boogie thread 'cept it's not from the '70s and isn't about boogying per se; is from the Songhoy Blues LP that Steve was disappointed by last year. Similar to fellow Malian Ali Farka Toure, Songhoy Blues are fans of John Lee Hooker; unlike Ali Farka Touré their Hooker-derived blues boogie sometimes sounds like Brownsville Station.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p-Zta6QLms
― Frank Kogan, Sunday, 21 February 2021 22:36 (three years ago) link
Sorry not much of Brownsville fan, although I am curious about how Songhoy Blues sound changed into this more boogie rock one
― curmudgeon, Monday, 22 February 2021 04:06 (three years ago) link
Paul Bowles, author & musician, went to Morocco in 1959 and recorded music there. It was released as a 1972 lp, and now his tapes are on YouTube
https://moroccantapestash.blogspot.com/2021/02/paul-bowles-library-of-congress.html?fbclid=IwAR0Uz6KRvZrIwsF8CjEI7M6KpTgLKmb22ORzXsFFb3Ga7YYKZaAl_O_hnuE&m=1
― curmudgeon, Monday, 22 February 2021 04:08 (three years ago) link
https://brazilbeatblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/favorite-brazilian-albums-of-2020/?fbclid=IwAR2RgmndUV6_OrRNlJfpSIlVwB-fWSPS1PVYhLKodT0zx-1VhS-mBrTIolc
A Brazilian top 20 for 2020
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 23 February 2021 01:53 (three years ago) link
Oduor Nyagweno, solo nyatiti & vocals, worth reading the backstory here:https://petelarson.bandcamp.com/album/where-i-go-i-am-there
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 February 2021 21:35 (three years ago) link
At 14 years of age he had a dream about the nyatiti and when he awoke the following day, he was magically able to play it, or so the legend goes. Nyagweno started entering nyatiti competitions and quickly moved up the ranks to become one of the best nyatiti players in the area
Here’s part of backstory but there’s more.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 February 2021 22:02 (three years ago) link
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-02-23/guy-chookoorian-armenian-american-novelty-records-dies
Longtime Armenian singer/ instrumentalist and occasional Hollywood bit actor Guy Chookoorian has died. Lots of Armenians who fled their homes after Turkish genocide end up in Southern California
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 25 February 2021 14:00 (three years ago) link
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/sardool-sikander-1961-2021-roadways-di-laari-comes-to-a-grinding-halt-101614194628380.html
Punjabi / India singer Sardool Sikander dead at 60 from Covid
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 25 February 2021 15:29 (three years ago) link
Not 100 percent sure this is the right thread for this, but Buscabulla was discussed on last year's thread. This is a lovely, languorous dream-pop cover. I wasn't familiar with the original, but I gather it's a Puerto Rican karaoke staple. I've gone back and listened to earlier recordings (Lissette Alvarez, Umberto Tozzi) and they're good but I like the chill vibe of this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3U_V46IonM
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link
With the recent Spotify launches in several more African countries, I've been generating playlists to show what the new listeners in each country were disproportionately playing in their first few days. If you're interested:
Nigeria: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4RVekSXvQYyHrF6XyxEdwH?si=bPCTg3hlR5iERR1Z-j5z3gGhana: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0i3gO0KVgrTahrMziABjzi?si=qo64HhfaRgCDQqQO7k2J-gKenya: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qTwmED83dqkVGNY9W76Jx?si=wePsV8afS0-Mw_0rL_B7pwTanzania: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Z0dnLnskhYb1aCHmreyP7?si=azB7nRvISeKQ0NY6ElLgzwUganda: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JY0Esk4iU4vvCvxM6WOH9?si=H7hM1lCUR1O-awDgdO-_IABotswana: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vAV9s9KXwLCD7knb4TrDX?si=SJKH7Xb6TqeUJBBumbTrCASenegal: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1uV3spPPFM8rbTjQm5R0U8?si=ijx0CwytSEaKU51c8M3x3QZimbabwe: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jz4ew4EjyoQEc93QXItMa?si=_nbg2izzScGPqgF8pdpWgQRwanda: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vqW1BNtJLAtrDNv5l0abc?si=oY1K1PFnRh2tTsziEpa2WQBurundi: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mRpE6qCP9aKMqrkzoUTto?si=YnoYpakIRVy6OJKNXYBj0wMalawi: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/44WtZOWm90wMMiaeFQauGw?si=VK8hLFhvQiKSXBAX12iyJA
― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, 3 March 2021 17:01 (three years ago) link
I was happily skimming through those but got stuck on Eli Njuchi (Malawi) for a while!
https://open.spotify.com/album/0KCzZIFaZ7BHdTHcLSM14x?si=TuFxj7SmQES1J_5Or6vXpg
― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, 3 March 2021 17:32 (three years ago) link
without having checked those links yet: that’s very cool, thanx!
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 18:47 (three years ago) link
these playlists would actually be at least as appropriate for the Rolling Afropop. feel free to post them there as well! am I correct in assuming you rid these lists of “international” hits, like in one of your earlier projects?
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 18:57 (three years ago) link
can also report a sham upload in the Nigeria list: “High Way” is a big hit by DJ Kaywise featuring (famous rapper) Phyno, but some sneaky person re-uploaded it with the non-existing ‘Phynoo’ as the artist name.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 19:03 (three years ago) link
More about Eli Njuchi: https://massplugmag.com/article/eli-has-taken-us-on-a-journey-people-from-all-walks-of-life-are-able-to-resonate-with-his-lyrics
have to say, that song "Phone" of his shares *a lot* of dna with a five-year-old Nigerian hit, Nonso Amadi's "Tonight" - up and including the actual "phone me, I am here for you" message:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcfOIfa5kvE
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 3 March 2021 19:35 (three years ago) link
Thanks Glenn for those posts. Lots to go through
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 4 March 2021 13:51 (three years ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/11/the-grammys-have-a-major-problem-with-global-diversity-lip-service-isnt-going-to-solve-it?fbclid=IwAR1tmzxswloH5Szdz_W1ZV44Xuo8fnuoYqIeqMlLRQZMPmsJ8C8gG8pVXH0
Re the former Grammy world music category now called global music
“It seems the surest way to win in the category is to have won before. Some 23 of 37 winners have won a Grammy previously, including each winner of the past eight years during which time Angélique Kidjo won three times.”
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 March 2021 00:28 (three years ago) link
RIp Josky Kiambukuta of Tpok Jazz from the Congo. The 72-year-old singer, songwriter and performer had been ill for several years.
Josky was one of the last stars of Tout Puissant Ok Jazz (TPOK Jazz), founded by Luambo Luanzo Makiadi, better known as Franco
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 March 2021 05:50 (three years ago) link
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/tpok-jazz-josky-kiambukuta-dies-3315198
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 March 2021 05:53 (three years ago) link
TPOK were great. I need to dig into Josky cuts with them
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 March 2021 19:13 (three years ago) link
yeah I don't recognize the name tbh, but TPOK are all-time
― rob, Thursday, 11 March 2021 23:30 (three years ago) link
Someone who follows me on twitter swears by this Josky & TPOK song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZPtwopRML0
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 March 2021 14:21 (three years ago) link
It’s “Limbisa Ngai”
This reminds me that some years back I used to be on an Old school African music chatboard dominated by Congolese diaspora members who confidently stated their music was the best in the world and who knew all the details. I wonder if that forum is still happening
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 March 2021 14:25 (three years ago) link
A posthumous Tony Allen album is coming in late April. He had lots of guests on it- Danny Brown, Skepta, Sampa and more. Damon Albarn one of the 3 producers
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 March 2021 15:27 (three years ago) link
First song from this late Tony Allen effort is called “Cosmosis “ and features Skepta and Ben Okiri. Nice relaxed polyrhythmic groove with some laidback grimey rapping/ talking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnM8foG4Vuc
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 March 2021 15:33 (three years ago) link
Nice. I loved the Tony Allen/Hugh Masekela album from last year, that was a nice parting gift from him.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 12 March 2021 16:24 (three years ago) link
“Limbisa Ngai” unsurprisingly rules, those Congolese diaspora posters are pretty much otm!
― rob, Friday, 12 March 2021 17:17 (three years ago) link
Definitely a good one.
Listening to music from elsewhere though tonight. Wau Wau Collectif is a collaboration via What’s App with Senegalese musicians and Swedes led by a Swedish musician/musicologist who had visited Senegal. Not bad.. Need to listen some more.
Witch Camp from Ghana is worth hearing but sad. It features older Ghanaian women who have been labeled witches ( by people who want to steal their land and property ) chanting over hand pounded percussion. Song titles include “Hunted,” “Only God can Judge Me,” “ I have lost all that I love”, “ Left to live like an animal “
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 14 March 2021 04:30 (three years ago) link
RIP Senegalese singer Thione Seck at 66. He was in Orchestre Baobab and later had his own band. He also put out an album in 2005 called Orientation that blended middle eastern and Asian Islamic aspects into his sound ( kinda like that Youssou N’Dour Egypt album). Doing an ilx search I see that Thione Seck album got some attention here from more than me. As I said back then, I saw him live in DC before a 99% Senegalese crowd years ago and that Orientation cd like Youssou's Egypt one is a great hybrid effort.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 15 March 2021 04:54 (three years ago) link
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210314-senegalese-music-legend-thione-seck-dies-aged-66
― curmudgeon, Monday, 15 March 2021 10:56 (three years ago) link
Spotify is calling the 2005 Thione Seck cd Orientissime .
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 16 March 2021 01:36 (three years ago) link
Syllart Records are responsible for that release, and that's how they titled it...
https://syllart.com/senegal/
― glenn mcdonald, Tuesday, 16 March 2021 02:38 (three years ago) link
RIP Seck, that's a bummer.
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 03:17 (three years ago) link
Glenn, thanks. Orientissime is the correct name I have discovered. I initially found one article that had the wrong title Orientation.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 17 March 2021 13:32 (three years ago) link
Apologies if this has been posted already, but I've never seen anything like it (and can't figure out a way to post it without Facebook, sorry):
https://www.facebook.com/100004043210594/videos/2338254156319335/
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 19:08 (three years ago) link
What is it?
― rob, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 19:15 (three years ago) link
riveting stuff, I love it!it’s Chinese opera, of the Shanxi kind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanxi_operabut it’s not at all like what most people would probably expect that to look and sound like(can’t tell if that’s one like too many or not, but whatever)
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 19:43 (three years ago) link
xpost Oh, sorry, it's "Zhang Tong 張桐, suona master, performs *all three roles* in the Shanxi Jin Opera version of the classic “Two Enter the Palace 二進宮”. " He's got some sort of reed inserted into his mouth/throat, so that it looks like he's singing but this whistle sound is coming out instead.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 19:44 (three years ago) link
it had me dancing around in my living room
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 20:04 (three years ago) link
wow
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 March 2021 05:39 (three years ago) link
Great find!
BC, on the off chance you are unfamiliar with Wang Li, I think you would dig him! Here's a fun duet project with Wu Wei:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gl7IKjc_w
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Friday, 26 March 2021 12:27 (three years ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/2021-picks
Here’s the Afropop. Org list of African and diaspora albums
― curmudgeon, Friday, 24 December 2021 14:34 (two years ago) link
cool to hear that news, unperson
I thought about starting a dedicated thread, but maybe I'll just mention it here. The new Fimber Bravo album Lunar Tredd is very good: https://fimberbravo.bandcamp.com/album/lunar-tredd
He's a Trinidadian steelpan player who was in the 20th Century Steel Band and Steel an' Skin. On this one he collaborates with a bunch of people (striking context collapse moment for me: hearing the singer for Vanishing Twin pop up in the middle of the album), particularly a group of Senegalese musicians.
― rob, Friday, 24 December 2021 15:03 (two years ago) link
xpafropop list looks especially rich this year
― rob, Friday, 24 December 2021 15:10 (two years ago) link
https://pan-african-music.com/les-50-meilleurs-albums-de-2021/
Just saw this on the thread for 2021 critics lists
― curmudgeon, Friday, 24 December 2021 19:26 (two years ago) link
Came to post about Falle Nioke but I see he's already been mentioned a few months ago. If anyone one could recommend some simile stuff, I'd be much obliged.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Friday, 24 December 2021 21:39 (two years ago) link
3. Group Doueh & Cheveu: Dakhla Sahara Session (Born Bad ‘17)
― curmudgeon,
listening to this on bandcamp now. c'est incroyable.
― scampos sacra fames (outdoor_miner), Sunday, 26 December 2021 16:03 (two years ago) link
xp wow, the Falle Nioke EPs are fantastic!
Granny, maybe try the Wau Wau Collectif album? https://wauwaucollectif.bandcamp.com/album/yaral-sa-doom. Not quite the same (it's less "electronic" for one), but the feeling is similar and it also manages to do fusion/intl collaboration right.
― rob, Sunday, 26 December 2021 19:05 (two years ago) link
Thanks rob, I'll check it out
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Sunday, 26 December 2021 23:14 (two years ago) link
Lol went to add it to my iTunes library and it already has been. Don't remember having done that!
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Sunday, 26 December 2021 23:17 (two years ago) link
Falle Nioke does sound great
― curmudgeon, Monday, 27 December 2021 04:41 (two years ago) link
A fantastic South African record — Philip Tabane's _The Indigenous Afro-Jazz Sounds Of..._, from 1969 — is being reissued on LP only (boo, hiss) next month. Bandcamp link🕸It's a duo disc, just guitar and percussion for most of it, but Tabane occasionally plays flute and the percussionist, Gabriel "Sonnyboy" Thobejane, plays thumb piano. Tabane's guitar style is somewhere between Grant Green and John Lee Hooker, really raw-sounding but technically quite skilled. If you can find a digital version, or own a turntable, snap this one up.
― willem, Tuesday, 28 December 2021 07:22 (two years ago) link
yeah that is a gem
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 28 December 2021 09:12 (two years ago) link
Listening to Femi Kuti & his 25 year old son Made on their album Legacy + , that came out earlier this year. Good not great
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 29 December 2021 18:29 (two years ago) link
None of the Kuti kids has ever done anything that's impressed me. Most of it just slides in one ear and out the other.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Wednesday, 29 December 2021 18:46 (two years ago) link
Same
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 29 December 2021 19:23 (two years ago) link
Seun has made some great records imo, Many Things is my fave
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 29 December 2021 19:27 (two years ago) link
For me a lot of it is the production/engineering, and that holds true for nearly all modern afrobeat. It's too clean-sounding, the drums in particular.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 29 December 2021 20:07 (two years ago) link
I've had a blast seeing Femi live, as a substitute for Fela who I'll never get to see. But have never had much use for his albums
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 29 December 2021 20:25 (two years ago) link
New 2022 thread-
Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2022 Thread (Often African bands)
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 2 January 2022 19:33 (two years ago) link