Return of the World Music Thread: 2012

Ooh I love Ana Tijoux!

Montreal dj Poirier & Montreal rapper Boogat in W. DC tonight. Boogat's rapping in Spanish rather than French these days, over Poirier's electro-dancehall-soca-uk whatever hybrid beats

x-post--

I like Chilean Gepe when he's very pop and when he does ballads, but some of his indie-pop(either with strummed guitars or laptop beats) is kinda generic (although the Spanish lyrics are a bit different)

Poirier and Boogat like Schlachthofbronx from Munich mixes.

Benin’s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, a group born during the West African advent of funk and soul in the 1960s and 70s.

Looking forward to seeing these old-timers

yah me too

3 original members have passed away but that still leaves some original guys plus new folks.

I am also excited by Janka Nabay (Bubu dance music from Sierra Leone)
who will be with his Bubu Gang at tiny Comet Ping Pong in W. DC. Friday July 6

love that nabay album - was playing it today in the car. great for the heat.

An Letah

Been listening to Nabay and Orchestre Poly-Rythmo this morning. Wow to both.

Love how Poly-Rythmo meld Congolese rumba, James Brown, Benin percussion and more into a danceable combination.

http://www.afropop.org/wp/3616/tinariwens-abdallah-ag-alhousseini-talks-about-mali/

More on Mali:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/timbuktus-cultural-heritage-sites-are-under-attack/2012/07/05/gJQAMujPQW_story.html?wprss=rss_editorials

So Janka Nabay is just gonna play solo in W. DC at Comet tonight over pre-recorded tracks.

I wanted to see the Bubu Gang with him.

Covering some of the same ground as other folks pieces on Janka, but not bad for an email interview

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/07/06/janka-nabay-talks-bubu-music-bamboo-instruments-and-john-f-kennedy/

He was fun although it was a tad repetitious (and old-school me would rather have heard him with a band than recorded tracks)

The Very Best's MTMTMK (out next Tues on Moshi Moshi/Cooperative Music) is currently premiering over at NPR's First Listen;

I like this Malawian/European hybrid group but haven't heard the new one yet

Very Best's debut was one of our fave albums and we still play it in the car all the time. really excited for the follow-up, cause the mixtapes (mother, or something?) were not so fab.

I liked the first mixtape

pagodge, forro, ache, batucada

forro, tango and Chilean rap coming to the W. DC area. Varied South American sounds

Tango reference is to a movie doc on Argentinian woman singer La Gata (who was recently living in Miami). She and the movie will be at Artisphere Saturday July 14. Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux has a new cd out and is touring the US. Quarteto Olinda, a brazilian forro group that uses a fiddle rather than an accordion is in the US too

Was underwhelmed by the new Ana Tijoux album. Too many just ok duets and too smooth and polished (and not in an endearing way). I liked her first one.

http://www.kleptones.com/blog/2012/06/28/hectic-city-15-paths-to-graceland/

In case you missed this elsewhere, here's the soundcloud stream of the South African songs that inspired Paul Simon's Graceland

This whole Sa Dingding album is pretty good. I'm still ambivalent. I'm not into some of the production choices. Definitely not into some of the for me verboten big bombastic synth string moments, but there's a lot of other stuff happening that I do like.

And Bjork just has her own individual way of singing, but it's not clear to me she has much technical control. Sa Dinging obviously does. But Bjork comparisons pretty much always annoy me, because I don't like her very much.

curmudgeon, have you checked out Canadian (with South African roots) Zaki Ibrahim who Tim F has been pushing? I think you might like her. I'm still sorting through her album, but overall I like it. (See her thread here for links.)

Okay, here, I'll make it easy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtZd2uimcuI

Incidentally I decided to just pretend that my earlier-in-the-thread thread title meltdown never took place. I never saw how anyone responded. I think I was in a much weirder mental place during the first few months of this year than I realized. Like kind of overreacting to things and looking for conflict without realizing how stressed out I must have been. I'm not entirely sure.

Also that Zaki Ibrahim video is great.

Zaki Abraham was on my list to check out, but have not done so yet.

Looking forward to veteran Benin afro-funk band Orchestre Poly-Rythmo in DC Tuesday night (more Northeast USA gigs this week are happening also I think)

Love how Poly-Rythmo meld Congolese rumba, James Brown, Benin percussion and more into a danceable combination.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, July 5, 2012 2:15 PM

Speaking of comparisons, some of her vocals here remind me of Ofra Haza:

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

I really love the trippy part of that first Sa Dingding video where she is waving her hands in front of her face. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. It could even tempt me to become "spiritual."

I have a hunch there is something sociopolitically important about a major Chinese pop star paying tribute to Tibetans and Chinese ethnic minorities. This has to be coming from somewhere.

This has to be coming from somewhere.

Pretty safe to say about anything except maybe in the stranger realms of quantum physics, which is where waving your hands in front of your face comes back in.

Yes!

has anyone mentioned the malawi mouse boys album, He is #1? i thought i got it from this thread but i don't see a mention. it's great tho + def worth checking out. beautiful singing.

Don't know that. Thanks. I'm exciting about seeing Orchestre Poly-Rythmo tonight

To live outside of time is to be free. Have a nice day!

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo were wonderful live last night--they have such a range--an Afro-Cuban type number, songs with lots of Congolese soukous/rumba guitar, Southern African vocal melodies and harmonies; French influences; Fela-esque and native Benin polyrythmic percussion. But they do it so well it does not sound like oh, a Africa's greatest hits from everywhere cover band(not sure if those exist but ya know what I mean). For those of you who only care about their old material, they did some of it. Yes, only 4 of the 10 members onstage were originals from 1969 or whenever, but hey, that sounded good (3 original members have passed away).

Jihadists' Fierce Justice Drives Thousands to Flee Mali
By ADAM NOSSITER
Refugees described witnessing repeated whippings, beatings and other punishments in the streets, ostensibly for having violated strict Islamic law.

From the NY Times

I still need to check out Mordy's suggestion

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/20/malawi-mouse-boys-he-1-review

So again, because it's this weekend:

FREE SHOW
Saturday, July 21 at 3:00pm in Central Park, Manhattan
Bebel Gilberto
Criolo
Flávio Renegado
DJ Béco Dranoff
Presented in Association with Brasil Summerfest
File Under: Brazil, Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, Global
Join SummerStage as we celebrate the newest generation of musicians making a mark on the Brazilian music scene with up and coming Brazilian hip-hop artists Criolo and Flávio Renegado making their New York City premiere.
Artist Website: http://www.bebelgilberto.com
Internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto is the daughter of Joao Gilberto, the iconic voice of bossa nova. Gilberto’s famed father would always color her musical path, and with the addition of elements of electronic music, she took the legacy of bossa nova from Bahia to the dance floor, earning worldwide success. With the release of Tanto Tempo in 2000, Gilberto formulated her trademark electronic bossa nova, which took over clubs around the world and positioned Bebel as one of the top-selling Brazilian artists in the U.S. Her subsequent albums, which garnered several GRAMMY® nominations, including Bebel Gilberto, Momento and All in One refined her sound to also include an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a composer.
Artist Website: http://www.criolo.net
Criolo, Brazil's newest star creates rhymes like an industrial machine. At the same time, he can also sing beautifully and blend Brazilian rhythms including samba, soul, Afro-funk and rock riffs and assemble it with hip-hop beats and flow to create some of the most exciting new music to come out of Brazil in recent times. Recently chosen by MTV Brazil as “Best New Artist” in 2011, Criolo’s newest album, Nó Na Orelha explores his full range of musical adventurousness and is lyrically, a dense and far-reaching work.
Artist Website: http://minhatribo.flaviorenegado.com.br
Rising Brazilian hip-hop artist, Flávio Renegado has been making moves in the Brazilian music scene since 2008 with the release of his debut, Do Oiapoque a Nova York. Renegado’s sound is at once identifiably hip-hop based but incorporates other musical influences such as reggae, maracatu, Cuban music, African rhythms, samba and other sounds typical of Brazilian culture. These global inspirations are exemplified in his newest release, Minha Tribo é o Mundo meaning, “My Tribe is the World.”
Artist Website: http://becodranoff.com
Béco Dranoff has been involved in the Brazilian music industry for over 20 years. Béco's multi-faceted career and international expertise positions him as a unique bridge for cultural projects between Brazil and the world. As a Music Selector, Béco has worked in prestigious venues such as Cielo, MoMA's Sculpture Garden, Le Poisson Rouge and Nublu. His musical style can be defined as Global-Neo-Brazilian, featuring new hybrid sounds from Brazil’s top DJ’s and producers mixed in a with a good dose of classic beats such as Samba, Forró, Bahian grooves and everything else in between. Béco hosts SONORIDADE, a monthly online Brazilian radio show.

FREE SHOW
Sunday, July 22 at 3:00pm in Central Park, Manhattan
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo
SMOD
Bibi Tanga and The Selenites
DJ Chief Boima
Presented in Association with The Museum for African Art
File Under: Africa, Rock, Hip Hop, Global
Artist Website: http://www.polyrythmo.com
The eternal youth of the legendary Orchestre Poly-Rythmo from Benin, Africa has stunned deejays and African music aficionados with their pure African funky sound for over forty years. Their voice, brass section, guitar and percussion weaves together to create an irresistible Afro-funk sound deeply anchored in voodoo music, beat out by an immense vertical drum. By inter-mixing these vibrant traditional rhythms with psychedelic guitar riffs, unreal organ harmonies and funk and soul elements, the band has gone on to perform throughout Africa and internationally alongside other famous African musicians such as such as Seun Kuti and Amadou and Mariam. The band has juste released a new album, Cotonou Club featuring musicians from Scottish band, Franz Ferdinand, Angelique Kidjo and Fatoumata Diawara.
Artist Website: http://www.smod.fr
The Malian group SMOD is a group of four young MCs, hailing from Bamako, the capital of Mali in West Africa. In 2002, they edited their first album, Dunia Kuntala. The album and the group’s intersection of folk meets rap with a distinctly African vibe launched them to fame in their homeland. Two years later, they released the follow up, Ta I Tola in collaboration with numerous famed world artists including Amadou & Mariam and Manu Chao. With a new album being released in 2013 and a world tour lined up, SMOD is taking their special brand of African hip-hop to audiences around the world.
Artist Website: http://www.myspace.com/bibitanga
The future of funk is being written right now by a pair of Parisian groove theorists named Bibi Tanga and Professeur Inlassable. Singer, bassist and bandleader Bibi Tanga bridges the divide between Paris’ arty South Bank of the Seine and the gritty suburbs, where he grew up as an immigrant from the Central African Republic. Tanga’s music is marked by slinky, sinuous bass lines and a wicked falsetto that conjures up the spirit of Prince and Curtis Mayfield. With his band, the Selenites, they forge a stunningly original new sound, and create a space where Afro-futurism meets steampunk and Fela Kuti jams with Sidney Bechet.
Artist Website: http://chiefboima.com
Chief Boima is a Sierra Leonean-American electronic musician/DJ, cultural activist, and writer currently based in New York. He is a member of the Brooklyn based music, art and culture collective, Dutty Artz. His DJ style was inspired by the parties he knew growing up in a close knit African immigrant community in Wisconsin. As a touring club DJ, he has become a respected figure in the promotion of various musical styles from around the globe such as Coupe Decale, Cumbia, Kuduro, and Champeta.

really looking forward to the sunday show

oh hey i'm going to that!

Free! Curious New Yorkers should definately check these out. In DC folks had to spend $22 to $38 to see Poly Rythmo

Another Saturday July 21 option

The Wake Up Madagascar tour featuring Jaojoby, Razia Said, Saramba and Charles Kely hits the Big Apple. And we are proud to annouce that we will be LIVE STREAMING the show via Afropop.org. Show starts at 6:30pm on this Saturday.

I am not completely wowed by Batida, the Angolan/Portuguese outfit that mixes old-school Angolan sounds with current programmed beats. This has made several top 10 lists here on ilx, but I find the programmed beats less than impressive

i am also not a huge fan of that either really, but i have been enjoying Ondatrópica and feel like it's going to take someone telling me to shut up to get me to shut up about it

I am trying to catch up this week on stuff I have missed. I need to listen to Ondatropica still.

Cool, its on Spotify.

I'm liking this year's Amadou & Mariam. Not sure I will be able to see them again next week in W. DC. They were good live the last time they were in my hood.