https://asia.si.edu/events-overview/performances/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D147377725
Wednesday, October 7, 2020, 12 – 1pmDescription Transcendence: A Sufi Music FestivalZainab Afailal, Morocco Listen to Sufi-inspired Andalusian songs from southern Spain and Morocco at our concluding festival performance. Zainab Afailal will perform in the refined styles of Sufi devotional music that are based on two forms of Arabic poetry—the muwashah and the Zajal—which developed in eleventh- and twelfth-century Spain. Born and raised in Tetouan, Afaillal is one of the most celebrated female singers to perform in this mode, which for generations was believed to be an exclusively male domain. Her performance will be followed by a talk with Dr. Scott Kugle, professor of South Asian and Islamic Studies at Emory University.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 1 October 2020 03:07 (three years ago) link
DC Ethiopian band Kino Musica has a new ep out on bandcamp plus a new video for one of the songs. I like the video but haven’t heard the ep yet. Looking forward to it
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 3 October 2020 18:27 (three years ago) link
X-post - the Sufi events I have mentioned are gonna be made available post-zoom on the National Museum of Asian Art ( formerly Freer/ Sackler) YouTube page
― curmudgeon, Monday, 5 October 2020 18:13 (three years ago) link
relief fund for African musicians
https://www.soulidarity.org/index.html
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 23:44 (three years ago) link
Mdou Moctar and band sign to Matador and release new video. Album coming soon
https://pitchfork.com/news/mdou-moctar-signs-to-matador-shares-video-for-new-song-chismiten-watch/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 9 October 2020 19:06 (three years ago) link
New Ustad Saami is sounding incredible, even better than the first one
https://ustadsaami.bandcamp.com/album/pakistan-is-for-the-peaceful
― Chip-vill-A (imago), Saturday, 10 October 2020 15:59 (three years ago) link
Will check it out
Pitchfork story on Discotan- performance space, site, label for music from South Asia and North Africa
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/welcome-to-discostan/
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 16:12 (three years ago) link
X-post - Pakistani Ustad Saami does have quite a vocal range
― curmudgeon, Friday, 23 October 2020 01:03 (three years ago) link
There’s a new Songhoy Blues album out. It’s called Optimisme
― curmudgeon, Friday, 23 October 2020 14:37 (three years ago) link
It's pretty great.
― swing out sister: live in new donk city (geoffreyess), Sunday, 1 November 2020 04:03 (three years ago) link
I still haven't heard more than 1 song from it. I need to dig in.
I am listening to Kino Musica, a DC based group led by 2 Ethiopian immigrants who have their new Ifaan ep out on multiple formats plus a video for their take on the song "Arke Yehuma"
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 1 November 2020 17:45 (three years ago) link
Can attest to the Ustad Saami, it's incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn8e60wXbNw
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Monday, 2 November 2020 01:49 (three years ago) link
Here's DC band Kino Musica melding Ethiopian and a tinge of North African desert guitar grooves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjsWgw68F2s
― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 November 2020 06:54 (three years ago) link
The Music Time in Africa radio show on the VOA that airs in parts of Africa is pushing Kenyan band Sautisol song “Brighter Days” as the “ feel good song of the year” on their Facebook page.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 November 2020 20:17 (three years ago) link
Sauti Sol, 2 words and ILXors have mentioned them in the past, sometimes here and sometimes on Afrobeats thread. The song mentioned above has Sauti Sol backed by the Soweto Gospel choir. I like the choir’s backing vocals more than Sauti Sol.
https://youtu.be/OQEByF4dtY0
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 November 2020 00:37 (three years ago) link
I am not liking new Songhoy Blues , well some of it. First song is kinda Malian metal/hard rock and that’s not my thing. “Bob Bon “ has some prog aspects I don’t like either . Still listening
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 November 2020 03:26 (three years ago) link
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/501345/city-lights-jam-to-kino-musicas-ep-ifaan/
But I like Kino Musica’s Ethiopian with a tinge of North African sound. Their guitarist is Ethiopian but grew up in Texas where he also listened to blues and rap, and played blues. Although you don’t hear too much of that on the ep. They also do a Black Sabbath cover live ( the guitarist told me likes the anti war lyrics) but make it sound less rock
― curmudgeon, Friday, 6 November 2020 15:10 (three years ago) link
I still haven’t listened to recent Mdou Moctar mixtapes, or those Sahel Whats App ones that come out monthly.
The guitarist of Kino Musica also emailed me a bunch of 80s to the present Ethiopian musicians he likes ( that I have never heard).
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 10 November 2020 19:44 (three years ago) link
Would be interested in seeing that list - def know kino's name - feel like i maybe have the music but not listened but the texas background sounds interesting - shld check if i know who that is - but would be interested in seeing the list he he suggested
― H in Addis, Wednesday, 11 November 2020 14:24 (three years ago) link
Kumera Zekarias of Kino Musica faves:
Artists MentionedAli Birra-- Oromo singer, oud and guitar player. He's my biggest influence on current song writingTilahun Gessesse--the most famous Ethiopian singer among Ethiopians. He was my father's favorite singerYared Negu-my favorite contemporary Ethiopop artist Galaanaa Gaaromsaa-my favorite contemporary Oromo artistAbinet Agonafir-my favorite contemporary/2000's Ethoipian artist
― curmudgeon, Friday, 13 November 2020 15:06 (three years ago) link
I've got to listen to the above plus been reading about some new Awesome tapes from Africa releases and Sahel Sounds ones too
― curmudgeon, Monday, 16 November 2020 07:03 (three years ago) link
Saw someone mention Ustad Saami in albums of the year thread, but I think it was because he got a good Quietus review during the year but didn’t make their list.
The Hailu Mergia ep is a top 10 for me. Still thinking about and listening to others when I can.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 1 December 2020 13:47 (three years ago) link
That was me. The new one from Ustad Saami is breathtakingly good.
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Tuesday, 1 December 2020 14:57 (three years ago) link
i'll agree on that mergia, would like to see it in more places
― the serious avant-garde universalist right now (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 1 December 2020 21:37 (three years ago) link
Siti MuharamSiti of Unguja (Romance Revolution on Zanzibar
This taraab music album made the NPR album top 50 list . I forget whether someone had mentioned it earlier this year
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 18:38 (three years ago) link
Is it good? There was a taraab album on another list I saw (iirc either Gioa's or Songlines)
― rob, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 18:40 (three years ago) link
Must admit I haven’t heard it yet
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 20:02 (three years ago) link
Heh no problem, I kept the Songlines list tab open for a day until I gave up on the hope of listening to it all. This year is beyond overstuffed.
I'm listening to Afel Bocoum's Lindé album right now, which is quite nice. I've been getting into Malian music in general this year, so the horn parts are a genuinely surprising flourish
― rob, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 20:17 (three years ago) link
oh cool I didn't realize that it's Vin Gordon playing the trombone on this
― rob, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 20:21 (three years ago) link
Didn't realize he's still alive!
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 22:16 (three years ago) link
same! I guess he was only about 14 or 15 when he joined the Skatalites
― rob, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 22:19 (three years ago) link
I am liking the Bocoum album too and the collaborators despite my concern that producers Nick Gold & Famon Albarn are trying to impose their hipster world music visions
― curmudgeon, Friday, 4 December 2020 13:11 (three years ago) link
Damn autocorrect. Damon
― curmudgeon, Friday, 4 December 2020 13:12 (three years ago) link
Nyege Nyege is doing an online festival today and tomorrow, it seems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyegeNyegeM
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 4 December 2020 21:31 (three years ago) link
OOF, so embarrassing. Here's a better link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=featured
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 4 December 2020 21:32 (three years ago) link
fuck my life
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 4 December 2020 21:33 (three years ago) link
December 3 through 6 is Nyege Nyege fest and those YouTube links don’t seem to work
― curmudgeon, Friday, 4 December 2020 22:59 (three years ago) link
all the links are here on the Nyege Nyege Music YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UClyGfHMQNG
this one's live right now:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c0gWTviskQ
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Friday, 4 December 2020 23:40 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyegeNyegeM
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Friday, 4 December 2020 23:44 (three years ago) link
“it” doesn’t do channel links apparently
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Friday, 4 December 2020 23:45 (three years ago) link
the live link works tho
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Friday, 4 December 2020 23:52 (three years ago) link
Alas, most music critics included in year end polls discussed in that other thread aren’t listening to music on this thread
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:28 (three years ago) link
:-(
Notable that Duma, among some other Nyege Nyege-related artists, have made it onto many lists.
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Wednesday, 9 December 2020 17:41 (three years ago) link
That’s good . It’s beat driven and noisy enough. But others on this thread are ignored as they’re considered too traditional or too old ; or just ignored by folks just listening to only age 20-something artists from the genres of country, rap, chart pop, and rock .
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 19:37 (three years ago) link
...but not afropop
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 9 December 2020 19:39 (three years ago) link
so it’s probably not so much age-related as geographical
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 9 December 2020 19:41 (three years ago) link
Or maybe both. I see Jon Pareles of NY Times included Burna Boy in his album list, and a Tiwa Savage song in his song list. He has Bad Bunny and Lido Pimienta too. Other Times critics had no African music. NY Times jazz list had 2 South African releases though
LA Times song list I glanced at was largely US pop, rap, country with some token reggaeton
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 December 2020 22:05 (three years ago) link
they are some of the exceptions that prove the rule unfortunately (I’ve been moaning about it on the 2020 end of year music lists thread)
― fat ass deep state operative (breastcrawl), Thursday, 10 December 2020 07:52 (three years ago) link
I wasn’t clear enough. I agree with you that those are the exceptions.
Los Angeles Times top 10 album list with 10 more honorable mentions includes no African based acts. It does include Los Angeles resident ( via DC area) Kali Uchis new Spanish language release as its one exception to the rule.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 10 December 2020 14:10 (three years ago) link
this list includes some thread-worthy selections:
https://thevinylfactory.com/features/best-albums-of-2020/
(apart from two Nyege Nyege Tapes releases, I glanced Groupe RTD -The Dancing Devils of Djibouti at 41, Benin's Star Feminine Band - s/t at 36, and Siti Muharam - Siti of Unguja (Romance Revolution On Zanzibar) at 25)
― im-polite-post-post-post-pomo (breastcrawl), Friday, 11 December 2020 16:26 (three years ago) link