I like the Kumera Zekarias ep and video, and interviewed him about the project
https://medium.com/seventhirty-dc/on-biyya-chonta-kumera-zekarias-creates-a-heady-blend-of-ethiopian-and-colombian-grooves-353a460a9beb
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 6 May 2021 14:21 (two years ago) link
Zekarias’s buzzing guitar work stands out as well. He says that a friend has jokingly told him that he “can’t speak Amharic that well, but your guitar does.”
Zekarias speaks some Amharic, Oromo, Spanish, & English. That’s from my latest article -
He organically blends that guitar sound well with Afro-Colombian tinted vocals support and the marimba & hand hit drum percussion
― curmudgeon, Friday, 7 May 2021 11:42 (two years ago) link
Banning Eyre of Afropop.Org is starting his own label Lion Songs Records and the first release on the label, Boubabcar "Badian" Diabaté's Mande Guitar (African Guitar Series Vol I, drops June 4).
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 12 May 2021 00:56 (two years ago) link
Anyone has checked out Duda Beat - Te amo lá fora ? It's an exceedingly pleasant and smooth glossy mix of pop, r&b, Brazilian genres, and more. It has a certain vintage quality. Kali Uchis and Javiera Mena are my closest reference since I'm not so familiar with the scene in Brazil. Anyway, let's start with the closer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qNnmmfdhYDuda Beat - Tocar Você
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkv-w5QJPC0Duda Beat - Meu Pisêro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS92p-sUDq4Duda Beat - 50 Meninas
Since I'm at it, I also quite liked Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés - Clamor which is also pop but more rooted in classically trained folklore. The electronic touches are well blended and the album is consistent.
― Nabozo, Saturday, 15 May 2021 16:30 (two years ago) link
Nice. May want to xpost to Modern Brazil - s/d
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 18 May 2021 12:31 (two years ago) link
Nice vocals
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 18 May 2021 14:08 (two years ago) link
I need to check out Khaira Arby New York live 2010
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 18 May 2021 14:10 (two years ago) link
Arby was a powerful voiced Malian singer who died young at 58 in 2018. Now this live recording has come out
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 18 May 2021 16:08 (two years ago) link
Angélique Kidjo has a new album coming out next month; Burna Boy is on one track. She dedicated her 2020 Grammy win to him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpwUq-tZfmE
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 18 May 2021 16:53 (two years ago) link
Also seeing reviews of new Mdou Moctar album
― curmudgeon, Friday, 21 May 2021 04:20 (two years ago) link
The Moctar w/ his touring band album "Afrique Victime" is his first on Matador
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 22 May 2021 02:37 (two years ago) link
it's a really good album this, some absolutely sick guitar playing and the songs are growing on me.
― calzino, Saturday, 22 May 2021 17:06 (two years ago) link
Listening for first time this morning. Sounds good. The one white guy in the group Mikey Coltun is from DC. Coltun’s dad is a guitarist who runs an international music club/ restaurant in DC. Dad has played with a DC based Malian musician for some time
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 23 May 2021 15:45 (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.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 23 May 2021 15:51 (two years ago) link
That'll be this? https://open.spotify.com/album/4BPFOWZvn6eKmZOGk3oJKZ?si=6em_cftNSMGut_ajvMwm8Q sounds good indeed
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 1 June 2021 15:47 (two years ago) link
India Covid relief benefit stream
Live Performances By:Terry RileyKala Ramnath & Abhijit BanerjeeGeorge Brooks & Utsav LalChuck JohnsonSaturday, June 54pm PST / 7pm EST
https://grayarea.org/event/music-for-india/
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 June 2021 21:20 (two years ago) link
This is fantastic Afro/Cuban/Funk/Jazz based out of Cologne
Mutio Kaballa Power Ensemble - Mamari
https://muitokaballa.bandcamp.com/album/mamari
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Friday, 11 June 2021 09:50 (two years ago) link
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973428817/new-compilation-of-old-tunes-is-an-alternate-history-of-the-worlds-music
More on Excavated Shellac collection
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 15 June 2021 04:06 (two years ago) link
x-post- Mutio Kaballa Power Ensemble have a little afrobeat as well as the jazz
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 June 2021 04:07 (two years ago) link
Finally saw a bit of Innov Gnawa last night. Good stuff, love that sintir.
― Rich Valley Girl, Poor Valley Girl (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 20 June 2021 12:23 (two years ago) link
Yes. Saw them once and agree.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 21 June 2021 15:45 (two years ago) link
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/angelique-kidjo-mother-nature/?utm_medium=social&utm_brand=p4k&mbid=social_twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_social-type=owned&fbclid=IwAR2zF6R8K3U9fkhTfBUEo6oXszowPeSa9D128cSDMhlkb-k9TEplGYNk9p0
New Angelique Kidjo album . She wrote 11 of 13 songs. Guests include Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi
Pitchfork review is favorable although grade of 7.6 won’t make it a “best album “
― curmudgeon, Monday, 21 June 2021 15:48 (two years ago) link
Haven’t listened to the Kidjo album yet
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 22 June 2021 19:57 (two years ago) link
Cameroonian singer Wes Madiko:
https://then24.com/2021/06/26/singer-wes-madiko-author-of-the-hit-alane-died-at-the-age-of-57/
RIP
― ten man poland chasing this means hamsik feasts (breastcrawl), Saturday, 26 June 2021 19:17 (two years ago) link
Was listening to Witch Camp— percussion and chants and harmonies from Ghanaian women in a camp who have been wrongfully condemned as witches
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 20 July 2021 12:31 (two years ago) link
Sample tracks from this are good: https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com/album/cameroon-garage-funk
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Wednesday, 21 July 2021 15:08 (two years ago) link
Pop Makossa was amazing so I'm looking forward to hearing that
― rob, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 15:27 (two years ago) link
Sounds funky and liners say most songs were recorded in a church with just one mic
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 15:57 (two years ago) link
This is pretty sweet:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFZobgLF5Vc
― Sequel to Sadness (Sund4r), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 01:13 (two years ago) link
Bandcamp daily had a story about this Moroccan banjo player, really nice: https://hassanwargui.bandcamp.com/album/tiddukla
― rob, Tuesday, 27 July 2021 13:44 (two years ago) link
I am behind on listening to various things related to this thread. But intend to find time
― curmudgeon, Monday, 16 August 2021 17:09 (two years ago) link
https://daily.bandcamp.com/hidden-gems/u-tin-burmese-guitar-review?utm_source=notification
The late Burmese / Myanmar guitarist U-tin sounds good on my first quick listen
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 17:26 (two years ago) link
yes, sounds very interesting
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 18 August 2021 07:09 (two years ago) link
Yep
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 19 August 2021 14:12 (two years ago) link
Belatedly caught up with the new Ballaké Sissoko, who never disappoints. The chamber pop collabs (with Camille and Arthur Teboul of Feu ! Chatterton, among others) are more convincing than I expected and don't sound off in this context where most features involve African musicians (or musicians of African descent). The duo with Oxmo Puccino is the sole misstep as far as I'm concerned. By far one of the best French rappers of the late 90s/early 00s, he just sounds exhausted here, and his attempt at doing a spoken word bit falls flat.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 21 August 2021 14:19 (two years ago) link
New Sissoko album is called Djourou
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 14:05 (two years ago) link
Salif Keita’s voice is still so gorgeous on Sissoko cut Guelen
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 14:24 (two years ago) link
Saw a little video clip on an Ethiopian DC FB group of Tsedi , an Ethiopian singer performing before a big Sunday night crowd at the Hashtag Lounge in Alexandria, Virginia, pretty close to Washington DC. I don’t know her music but may investigate further at some point
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 15:43 (two years ago) link
was Habibi Funk 015 mentioned? it's very good on first listenhttps://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-015-an-eclectic-selection-of-music-from-the-arab-world-part-2
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 13:36 (two years ago) link
wow there are 15 volumes of that? not sure I've heard a one—any particular volume to recommend?
― rob, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 14:37 (two years ago) link
this is a personal favorite https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-010-mouasalat-ila-jacad-el-ard
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 14:56 (two years ago) link
cheers, I'll check that out!
― rob, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 16:25 (two years ago) link
https://pan-african-music.com/en/nobesuthu-mbadu-dies-at-76/
Too many deaths of older musicians lately
Nobesuthu Mbadu of South Africa’s Mahotella Queens mbaqanga and vocal harmonies group
Sir Victor Uwaifo guitarist Barthalemy Attiso, guitarist for Orchestra Baobab
― curmudgeon, Monday, 6 September 2021 14:04 (two years ago) link
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/jonathanbogart/issues/exist-yesterday-2021-tropical-pop-2-may-aug-743619?utm_campaign=Issue&utm_content=view_in_browser&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Exist+Yesterday
Jonathan Bogart on his fave May to August 2021 pop/dance/ rap/reggae /soca songs
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 01:24 (two years ago) link
Really into this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0GKOazMFho
Falle Nioke & sir Was - Wonama yo ema
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:21 (two years ago) link
That sounds super nice
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:40 (two years ago) link
ooh that's lovely
― ufo, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:49 (two years ago) link
this newer, bangier track is good too - i think it's on the BBC Radio 6 playlist
Falle Nioke & Ghost Culture - Leywole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndqyUDPVBt0
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 15:00 (two years ago) link
Thanks for the Falle Nioke posts. Good stuff.
Unrelated-
Ethiopian New Year is Saturday. A couple of good live shows coming up this weekend in DC. One with guitarist Selamino who is on a Ethiopiques album or 2.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 September 2021 15:07 (two years ago) link
I checked Altın Gün's album because it was mentionned first on Popmatters mid-year list. It's a pleasant discovery: tasty mix of synths, grooves and Anatolian rock. It's light in a good way, without the superficial exotic I expect on such releases. For example the track of right now, Kesik Çayır, sounds kinda like the B-side of Remain in Light. I wouldn't mind a bit more edge and a world-class singer, but I think I'll check their previous album as well.
― Nabozo, Thursday, 9 September 2021 16:10 (two years ago) link