RFI: CURRENT Rai, Zouk, Afropop & African Hiphop

Since typing the above, this thread has actually prompted some feelings of guilt in me for not taking an interest in a vibrant musical culture that's surrounding me- so now I'm downloading what I think is the theme tune from a local youth drama series called "Yizo Yizo", and it occurs to me: it sounds a little like microhouse. Without the rapping (which is very different from US hiphop, I should note, at least in terms of flow- even to the point where I don't really think flow is an adequate description of what's being done with the vocals) this sounds appealingly sparse enough in parts to be, say, Dettinger. Shows how much I know.

Less so but still right up yr alley is Africa Raps, new on Trikont, a German label you may be familiar with: they've put out a lot of really cool comps over the last few years. Again, think early '90s, but also think American--the biggest difference a lot of the time is that they're rapping in a different language. Not great, but fascinating if you're interested in this sort of thing.

And Femi is very overrated IMHO.

But I think Dick Dale had some Lebanese background, or at least borrowed some ideas from middle eastern music, so it's not such a leap.

(Martin Skidmore to ILM.)

not that hot on zouk at present - hear way too much here in clubs so burnt out and tend to ignore.

kwaito, check out Bongo Maffin - they are/were (mitch? help?) the leading pop kwaito group and a good starting point. as mentioned above kwaito is more hip-house. Maybe I can ask Mitch again if he knows about this hip-hop/high-life scene apparently existing in Jo'burg.

rai - i haven't heard anything new really exciting that is strictly rai. stuff like Rachid Taha's fusions of rock, dance, rai etc. is more interesting. there was an article in the Voice October or so called "All Chao's Children" which talks about the North African/Marseilles fusions going on which might provide some listening possibilities.

i live the Phat Global comp but it is more remix based and I'm not sure if that is what you're looking for (Phat Global Vol. 2 coming this year so I'm a happy puppy)

(btw Michelangelo, agree that Femi is not that interesting musically but he puts on an amazing live show)

-h-

(Fritz, check your e-mail, need your addy so I can send you that mix)

Any ideas?

^

africanhiphop.com

S/D African hip-hop

What are you looking for Roxy? If only someone in South Africa could start posting here again...

Or someone from Paris or North Africa...

Or anyone, really.

I luv me some ILX, but I wish threads that are not american indie-rock or punk would get some more posts. I guess we gotta find time to research this stuff ourselves and recruit folks to post here...

I don't know the difference between any of it (yet) but I've started to really become a fan of this radio show on 1Xtra by DJ Edu - Destination Africa but I don't really know where to go next.

Depends I guess on what you're looking for --rap or club style or afropop with a band...

I want to know more about zouk and other French/non-Anglophone Caribbean music. Is Zouk still a thing? I remember hearing a lot while in France in the 90s, but someone was telling me it's still going strong.

Zouk is GREAT and yeah, still going strong here (mostly - but not only - in the antillais circles).
I mentioned some of it in this thread :
Aya Nakamura, Naza and the new french urban scene

And there's some great zouk in the French football team's 2018 playlist :
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7roe9RLmenXQTmQwHnAaUA

Fanny J is a personal favourite (mostly her 2006 incredible album)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjzze_QH8KA

Thanks AIXTC, I'll check this

I posted two tracks from Martinique on the Rolling soca et cetera thread two months ago. Not exactly zouk, mind!

I posted two tracks from Martinique on the Rolling soca et cetera thread two months ago. Not exactly zouk, mind!

two, two, two...