Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2021 Thread (Often African bands)

thanks for posting that tiny desk concert! I watched it last night. I know their albums together already, but it was a real treat to be able to see them playing with each other. This is basically what I imagine heaven would sound like.

I skipped a kora concert summer '19. I don't even remember who was playing, but I've regretted it ever since, particularly in the past year.

That shellac collection sounds amazing, I kind of want to convene a group project to listen to the whole thing.

Good description.

Good description.

that excavated shellac thing looks amazing - used to follow the blog - but come on, 100+ tracks? no one has the time.

ordered the shellac collection! downloading the large pdf is taken some time let alone the music :D

oh wait that was the music

anyway listening now

the detail in the document is amazing btw, full page of history for each track and lyrics and translations

got it off bandcamp earlier and talked a friend into listening to a few songs each week and chatting about it, pretty excited!

Christgau just posted his fave albums for 2020 list and it includes this North African one below from 2017

3. Group Doueh & Cheveu: Dakhla Sahara Session (Born Bad ‘17)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMh9h8twoGyInLFa-yMgFdSYNX642hhMb

Nahawa Doumbia , Mali singer with her band in Stockholm last year. She has a new album that was available in Mali in November 2020, & Awesome Tapes from Africa is releasing elsewhere now

Nice I'll have to check that out. I got pretty into La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 3 last summer

https://www.theafricareport.com/62955/sibongile-khumalo-voice-of-the-new-south-africa-dies-at-63/

RIP Sibongile Khumalo, South African Zulu jazz & choral singer

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.

that's this thread, curmudge: Rolling worldwide rap thread 2021

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.

Folkways controls the label now

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

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.

arghhhh with someone like toumani would go LOWER-fi not higher fi
orchestra collabs are such a snooze

Yep

yeah I'm listening to "Haïnamady Town" off this right now and Diabaté is excellent of course, but the LSO bits are pretty sacharine

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

Sorry not much of Brownsville fan, although I am curious about how Songhoy Blues sound changed into this more boogie rock one

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

https://brazilbeatblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/favorite-brazilian-albums-of-2020/?fbclid=IwAR2RgmndUV6_OrRNlJfpSIlVwB-fWSPS1PVYhLKodT0zx-1VhS-mBrTIolc

A Brazilian top 20 for 2020

Oduor Nyagweno, solo nyatiti & vocals, worth reading the backstory here:
https://petelarson.bandcamp.com/album/where-i-go-i-am-there

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.

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

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

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

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-j5z3g
Ghana: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0i3gO0KVgrTahrMziABjzi?si=qo64HhfaRgCDQqQO7k2J-g
Kenya: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qTwmED83dqkVGNY9W76Jx?si=wePsV8afS0-Mw_0rL_B7pw
Tanzania: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Z0dnLnskhYb1aCHmreyP7?si=azB7nRvISeKQ0NY6ElLgzw
Uganda: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JY0Esk4iU4vvCvxM6WOH9?si=H7hM1lCUR1O-awDgdO-_IA
Botswana: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vAV9s9KXwLCD7knb4TrDX?si=SJKH7Xb6TqeUJBBumbTrCA
Senegal: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1uV3spPPFM8rbTjQm5R0U8?si=ijx0CwytSEaKU51c8M3x3Q
Zimbabwe: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jz4ew4EjyoQEc93QXItMa?si=_nbg2izzScGPqgF8pdpWgQ
Rwanda: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6vqW1BNtJLAtrDNv5l0abc?si=oY1K1PFnRh2tTsziEpa2WQ
Burundi: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mRpE6qCP9aKMqrkzoUTto?si=YnoYpakIRVy6OJKNXYBj0w
Malawi: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/44WtZOWm90wMMiaeFQauGw?si=VK8hLFhvQiKSXBAX12iyJA

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

without having checked those links yet: that’s very cool, thanx!

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?

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.

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

Thanks Glenn for those posts. Lots to go through

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.”

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

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/tpok-jazz-josky-kiambukuta-dies-3315198

TPOK were great. I need to dig into Josky cuts with them

yeah I don't recognize the name tbh, but TPOK are all-time

Someone who follows me on twitter swears by this Josky & TPOK song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZPtwopRML0

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

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

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

Nice. I loved the Tony Allen/Hugh Masekela album from last year, that was a nice parting gift from him.

“Limbisa Ngai” unsurprisingly rules, those Congolese diaspora posters are pretty much otm!

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 “

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.

Saw Elder's Corner movie doc last night . A love letter to Nigeria focused on highlife, but also juju and afrobeat. Haven't seen the new Velvets or Beatles docs yet, but I saw this 2020 effort. The artists are enthused that the Nigerian musician/ director (first time film-maker I think) is taking them into recording studios as so many have been ignored for years. Ebenezer Obey, Sir Victor Uwaifo, the Lijadu Sisters, Tony Allen and many more previously unknown to me like EC Arinze and the Empire Rhythm Band. Spoiler alert- suddenly in the closing credits you learn that since the filming began for this effort and was completed that nearly 15 of the artists shown and talked to have passed.
When a young London-born Nigerian music fan makes the shocking discovery that many Nigerian musical icons don’t possess copies of their own recordings, he returns to Lagos to re-record them. This film chronicles the music—from juju to Afrobeat and everything in between—and its parallels to Nigeria’s socio-political evolution from the colonial 1950s through the nationalist movement and independence in the ’60s. Rare archival footage colors this performance-rich tour through the history of the nation’s music.

Filmmaker Siji Awoyinka and producer Ade Bantu for Elder's Corner.

That sounds really great! hopefully it will show up somewhere I can see it soon

It has been at some fests but Siji A, a first time director has little budget for marketing. I enjoyed it but it helps to have some background on Nigerian music when seeing it. The film kinda jumps around a bit, he mentions King Sunny Ade's importance but doesn't have an interview with him. He covers Fela but the Tony Allen interview is sorta short. The host of the post showing panel last night was a Nigerian woman whose name I did not catch. She was glad the film not only included the Lijadu Sisters, but also other women involved in Nigerian music like Mary Afi Usua. Plus Lijadu sisters mentioned Batila Alatke. That aspect was a strong part of the film. The director would need more hours than the 1 1/2 he had to cover everything fully. Record geeks may be wowed by an early scene where the director is flipping through his friend's big collection of old-school African vinyl

Pareles has a Teddy Afro Ethio- reggae song on his top list of 2021 tracks. It’s apparently a political one re the sad civil war like status of Ethiopia today

I saw Afro some years back. Pretty good

Ok I only found this because it had a track of mine on it, but I'm discovering lots of really incredible west and north African music on this mix (complete with Bandcamp links):

https://soundcloud.com/no-exotik-no-turistik/no-exotik-no-turistik-radioshow-5122021

from above soundcloud

1. Cheb - Sma' Balak -
cheb.bandcamp.com/album/sma-balak
2. Cheb - Sma' Balak -
cheb.bandcamp.com/album/sma-balak
3. Super Somali Sounds from the Gulf of Tadjoura - ostinatorecords.bandcamp.com/album/djib…f-tadjoura
4. Chants - Poly Pointillism - chants.bandcamp.com/album/poly-pointillism
5. Senyawa - Alkisah - senyawaofficial.bandcamp.com/album/alkisah
6. Meril Wubslin - Alors Quoi - merilwubslin.bandcamp.com/album/alors-quoi
7. Lavender Hex - Bunch of Flowers - lavenderhex.bandcamp.com/album/bunch-of-flowers
8. Witch Camp (Ghana) - I`ve forgotten now who i used to be - witchcampghana.bandcamp.com/
9. De la Crau - Temperi
10. Khlab & M`berra Ensemble - M`berra - djkhalab.bandcamp.com/album/mberra
11. Futur Antérieur: Bongo Joe 5 Years - lesdisquesbongojoe.bandcamp.com/album/fut…e-5-years
12. Comorian. We are an island, but we are not alone - comorian.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-a…e-re-not-alone
13. Sufyvn - Pseudarhythm, Vol. 3 - sufyvn.bandcamp.com/album/pseudarhythm-vol-3
14. Maral - On your way - maral.bandcamp.com/track/on-your-way-ft-panda-bear
15. Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp - We`re OK. But we are lost anyway - otpmd.bandcamp.com/album/were-ok-b…ere-lost-anyway
16. Amami - Soleil - amami.bandcamp.com/album/soleil
17. Kasai Allstars - Black Ants Remixes - kasaiallstars.bandcamp.com/album/black…nts-remixes
18. ZEA - Witst noch dat d'r neat wie - zeamusic.bandcamp.com/album/witst-no…at-dr-neat-wie
19. Tout Bleu - Otium - toutbleu.bandcamp.com/album/otium

This is a really great record: https://hassanwargui.bandcamp.com/album/tiddukla

Hassan Wargui is a self taught musician, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and an expert in the songcraft and poetry of the Tachelhit speaking Amazigh tribes of the Anti-Atlas mountains in the south of Morocco.

He was born in 1985 in the rural community of Issafen, which lies between Taroudant and Tafraoute in the Anti-Atlas mountains of Southern Morocco. His music draws from the deep well of Amazigh, or Berber, cultures that have long been suppressed across North Africa after the region underwent a process of Arabization following the Arab invasions of the 7th Century.

Hassan grew up in an isolated mountain community in which art and music is embedded into daily life. This allowed him to develop an excellent musical sense, a deep understanding of the complex poly-rhythms that underpin Amazigh music, and time to become proficient on the banjo which, since the ascendency of the popular modern folk movement involving groups such as Nass El Ghiwane and Jil Jilala in the late '60s and early '70s, has been the preferred instrument of the region. Like many musicians from the region, Hassan built his first instruments himself, and it wasn't until he moved to Casablanca in his teens to find work which was scarce in his local community, that he was able to save for his first real banjo.

Since then Hassan has been active in the Amazigh musical community and has worked with a number of groups, notably Groupe Lbouchart, Imanaren and Etran Tiznit, as well as recording prolifically as a solo artist using Fruity Loops as a home studio. In 2009, Jace Clayton (DJ/Rupture) stumbled across a CD by Imanaren on a stall in Casablanca medina and this led to a fruitful series of collaborations in 2009 and 2011 (you can learn more about their work together here: www.dublab.com/archive/louder-than-the-noise-jace-clayton-hassan-wargui)

Tiddukla (which translates to Friendship) is one of Hassan's numerous group projects and he recorded the album with friends in 2015 and self released it through YouTube due to the lack of music infrastructure in Morocco. The Tiddukla album is raw and hypnotic and sees Hassan and his group channeling the deep and contemplative sounds of classic Amazigh groups such as Izenzaren, Archach, Izmaz, all of whom risked their freedom by daring to sing in Tachelhit at a time when the language was still forbidden, and when Amazigh people were fighting for their rights to be recognised.

Just had a really great phone call with South African jazz drummer Ayanda Sikade, who's on a ton of Nduduzo Makhathini's albums, has worked with trombonist Siya Makuzeni and bassist Herbie Tsoaeli, was in Zim Ngqawana's band (with Makhathini), and has two albums of his own, including one that came out just the other week. I'm working on a piece about him for Bandcamp.

Cool.

Connecting with Makhathini in 2019-2020 has really opened a ton of other doors this past year. I've interviewed a ton of other South African artists, some of whom have reached out directly to me through him — I was even able to help get saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane signed to Ropeadope; his new album will be coming out next year. It's such an incredibly fertile scene, and/but I seem to be one of the few US journalists paying any real attention to it.

Interesting. I wonder if there are aging mbaqanga musicians in South Africa still playing? Or maybe their children have picked it up?

https://afropop.org/articles/2021-picks

Here’s the Afropop. Org list of African and diaspora albums

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.

xp
afropop list looks especially rich this year

https://pan-african-music.com/les-50-meilleurs-albums-de-2021/

Just saw this on the thread for 2021 critics lists

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.

3. Group Doueh & Cheveu: Dakhla Sahara Session (Born Bad ‘17)

― curmudgeon,

listening to this on bandcamp now. c'est incroyable.

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.

Thanks rob, I'll check it out

Lol went to add it to my iTunes library and it already has been. Don't remember having done that!

Falle Nioke does sound great

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.

yeah that is a gem

Listening to Femi Kuti & his 25 year old son Made on their album Legacy + , that came out earlier this year. Good not great

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.

Same

Seun has made some great records imo, Many Things is my fave

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.

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

New 2022 thread-

Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2022 Thread (Often African bands)