absolutely love thishttps://fulumiziki.bandcamp.com/album/ngbaka-ep
"FULU MIZIKI roughly translates as “music from the garbage”, which in a literal sense is an accurate description of the thrillingly chaotic eco-friendly Afro-Futurist collective. The instruments they design, build and play are masterclasses in upcycling.
From guembris built out of computer casing, to jerry-can drum-kits, keyboard inventions from wood, springs and aluminium pipes, and old flip-flops used as pads by plastic tube-wielding percussion players, the Democratic Republic of Congo-formed group’s ethos lies in the respect of nature, the celebration of its gifts and the importance of its preservation through environmentalism."
― nxd, Tuesday, 1 March 2022 11:39 (two years ago) link
I think Chxck eddy was touting Fulu Miziki on FB. I need to give them more than the 30 seconds listen I started to give them the other day, before i got interrupted
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 2 March 2022 14:52 (two years ago) link
same producer too, on the always fun nyege nyege tapes
https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/liye-liye
― nxd, Wednesday, 2 March 2022 14:57 (two years ago) link
Burundian drumming is a global phenomenon, featured in blockbuster movies and best-selling albums. But at home, authorities have restricted it to official functions — and banned women from performing.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 March 2022 12:20 (two years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/africa/burundi-drumming.html
Here’s the Burundi drumming article
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 March 2022 12:22 (two years ago) link
X-post - I kinda like Fulu Miziki best when they’re not locked into a club friendly high bpm formula. So much of this is not for me
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 March 2022 12:39 (two years ago) link
Malian singer/ guitarist Fatoumata Diawara who did a recent Tiny Desk that I posted up thread is in DC tonight with her band & me & the missus are going . First indoor gig in a bit for us
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/550345/malian-singer-fatoumata-diawara-charts-her-own-course/
― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 March 2022 13:47 (two years ago) link
Not sure if this is the right thread (please refer me to any more appropriate ones!), but Iranian percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi released a new EP. It’s called Prisma and it’s at least as minimalist as the two Yek projects with Burnt Friedman that I know him from. I love it - I mean, just listen to this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9JNxg7fIaMMohammad Reza Mortazavi • Eleven
― celebrating ten years of constant posting (breastcrawl), Monday, 7 March 2022 19:25 (two years ago) link
(I’m reminded somewhat of the Emeka Ogboh project from last year that placed in the EOY Albums)
― celebrating ten years of constant posting (breastcrawl), Monday, 7 March 2022 19:26 (two years ago) link
xp thats lush
― nxd, Monday, 7 March 2022 20:05 (two years ago) link
v cool
― rob, Monday, 7 March 2022 20:16 (two years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/nyregion/brazilian-samba-star-dom-salvador-river-cafe.html
NYC based Brazilian samba funk lounge musician
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 21:48 (two years ago) link
Oops that’s an old article. But I think he’s still at it
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 March 2022 21:51 (two years ago) link
Les Filles de Illighadad doing a short April tour in North America I see. Publicist says they will be back in summer too. No Dc date this time. I did see them here a few years ago
― curmudgeon, Friday, 11 March 2022 19:09 (two years ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/oumou-sangar%C3%A9-premieres-wassulu-don-on-international-womens-day
Nice new Oumou Sangare video
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 12 March 2022 07:01 (two years ago) link
Movie doc Elder's Corner about Nigerian juju, highlife, and afrobeat is showing again in DC area on Sunday March 20 at the AFI Silver as part of an African Film Fest. Might be showing near you all too at some point. Worth seeing
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 March 2022 20:09 (two years ago) link
Seeing a Bandcamp article--
Hamid Al Shaeri is recognized as a monumental figure in Al Jeel music. As both a solo star and writer/producer for many other Al Jeel artists throughout the late 1980s and ‘90s, he blessed Cairo with a homegrown alternative to foreign pop sounds. One cannot tell the story of the genre without invoking his name.
“It’s very much associated with Hamid,” says Cairo-based Egyptian music expert Malak Makar, speaking about Al Jeel. “He is the leader of that music.”
New compilation The SLAM! Years (1983 – 1988) is the origin story. Released as part of the always excellent Arabic music series Habibi Funk, it draws from El Shaeri’s first five solo albums, all released on the Cairo-based label SLAM!, the set captures his burgeoning interest in exuberant and glitzy pop music. There is an abundance of synths, glowing melodies, a generally upbeat atmosphere. Not as commercially successful as his later work, Makar considers this era as more of a precursor to El Shaeri’s influential Al Jeel style than representative of the genre. Nonetheless, it’s a crucial encapsulation of his early career...
https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/hamid-al-shaeri-the-slam-years-1983-1988-feature
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 19 March 2022 15:49 (two years ago) link
loving this
― nxd, Saturday, 19 March 2022 16:29 (two years ago) link
Have only listened to one song so far and I liked it. Fun Egyptian rhythmic pop
― curmudgeon, Monday, 21 March 2022 15:22 (two years ago) link
I'm becoming obsessed with this new album of Verdean koladera by the Ano Nobo Quartet: https://ostinatorecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-strings-of-s-o-domingos
The Ano Nobo Quartet’s Koladera is a global story with Cabo Verde at its center, a creole melting pot in the middle of the Atlantic attracting the best from four continents: hypnotic, haunting Koladera guitars inflected with twangs of Salsa Cubano, Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Samba Canção, Jamaican Reggae, Argentine Tango, Mozambican Marrabenta, and finished with a dash of Black American Blues. It’s all here. Pascoal even picked up a few notes from a group of Chinese guitarists—a traditional instrument in China resembles the cavaquinho—who arrived on a socialist cultural exchange in Cabo Verde. Absent percussion, the quartet’s sound still drips with rhythm.
― rob, Wednesday, 23 March 2022 18:17 (two years ago) link
^this rules
v much enjoyed thishttps://hakunakulala.bandcamp.com/album/mmaso
"Since the appearance of his cult breakthrough debut Tuli Banyo released on Hakuna Kulala in 2018, Ugandan conscious rapper and MC, Ecko Bazz has challenged perceptions of East Africa's burgeoning rap scene. His style is hard to categorize blending elements of grime, dancehall and US hip-hop and twisting politicized lyrics in Luganda that explore violence, religion, drug abuse or the poverty in the Ugandan slums. This personality anchors his debut album Mmaso, an explosive call to action that balances his manic presence with production from MC Yallah collaborator Debmaster, Kenyan club futurist Slikback, Berlin-based Japanese beatmaker DJ Die Soon and the inimitable DJ Scotch Rolex."
― nxd, Friday, 25 March 2022 11:47 (two years ago) link
Yes! That Ecko Bazz record is awesome and distinctive.
― glenn mcdonald, Friday, 25 March 2022 12:16 (two years ago) link
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/congotronics-international-konono-no1-deerhoof-juana-molina-more-prep-debut-lp-stream-2-tracks/
2 songs on the link
Congotronics International is a supergroup featuring Konono Nº1, Kasai Allstars, Deerhoof, Juana Molina, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, and Skeletons’ Matt Mehlan, and they'll release their debut album, Where’s The One?, on April 29 via Crammed Discs. This is a project that's been brewing for 11 years, and features s 21 tracks, including live concert recordings and studio tracks produced in the years before, during, and after the 2011 "Congotronics vs. Rockers" tour that featured all of groups and artists mentioned above.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 29 March 2022 03:07 (two years ago) link
I haven't seen anyone talk about Silvana Estrada's new album. It's a powerful, quiet, stripped down singer-songwriter "love aches" album with gorgeous, contrasted, nuanced songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMG7ePKkLnITe guardo (Live on KEXP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egnp-WbtPs4Tristeza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOeju9atXEMarchita
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmj-Vm7SJ9MSer de ti
― Nabozo, Friday, 1 April 2022 13:45 (two years ago) link
I like her too (briefly mentioned her on the Rolling Afro-Latino thread )
― curmudgeon, Friday, 1 April 2022 15:27 (two years ago) link
Her melodies and the production help make it more than just singer/songwriter formula
― curmudgeon, Friday, 1 April 2022 18:39 (two years ago) link
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/04/02/1090278433/opinion-grammys-global-music-category-ignores-musicians-from-much-of-the-globe?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR2uEUlgMBxq-sSmOwc3Atw2ZOhskMEHST0M7pLNn_dZ9mUxKcCVapxo50w
― curmudgeon, Monday, 4 April 2022 14:08 (two years ago) link
new Oumou Sangare song from upcoming album Timbuktu. She's got such a great voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2vrl2S3tOE
― curmudgeon, Friday, 8 April 2022 02:43 (two years ago) link
Awesome Tapes From Africa just released Kadi Yombo by Papé Nziengui. Impressive percussion and call & response chants from Gabon
https://papenziengui.bandcamp.com/album/kadi-yombo?from=fanpub_fb_pr
― curmudgeon, Friday, 8 April 2022 11:29 (two years ago) link
― nxd, Friday, 8 April 2022 13:42 (two years ago) link
I saw Ata Kak perform last night, it was a delight. Instant dance party, just a very wholesome experience all around.
― change display name (Jordan), Saturday, 9 April 2022 18:08 (two years ago) link
ah man, saw him a few years backso joyous
― nxd, Saturday, 9 April 2022 18:16 (two years ago) link
Chontidelia for free from 6 to 7 @ Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Friday April 15 (Afro-Colombian band from eastern part of Colombia)
I think this east coast gig is being streamed live east coast time on the Kennedy Center youtube and Facebook page (and archived too). The band was just in NYC recently. Have heard good things about them. Plus heard them backing Kumera Zekarias on his his ep from last year
― curmudgeon, Friday, 15 April 2022 10:56 (two years ago) link
I recommend "Stories From Another Time 1982-1988" compilation of Angolan samba by Mário Rui Silva that came out last year. It's light, gentle, elegant grooves, often just guitars, vocals, percussion, occasional flute, with a nice dated fade. Super nice.https://timecapsulespace.bandcamp.com/album/stories-from-another-time-1982-1988
― Nabozo, Friday, 15 April 2022 14:14 (two years ago) link
Also enjoyed Ata Kak live, I had trouble believing that he was in front of me in the flesh, and did not only exist in a corner of the museum of music nerdom
― Nabozo, Friday, 15 April 2022 14:19 (two years ago) link
Seeing on Facebook and twitter that Nigerian hornman and bandleader Orlando Julius (OJ Ekemode) has died at 79. He and his band always put on a fun live show when I saw him circa 2015 to 2017.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 15 April 2022 15:12 (two years ago) link
Shame, discovered him with his last album with the Heliocentrics, already 8 years ago. I still have the groove of the opener Buje Buje in my head.There are so many of these afro-funk / highlife legends that are overshadowed by you-anikulaknow-who. I was listening to Tunji Oleyana today (born 1939, who knows if still alive) and a little while ago to Babatunde Olatunji (died a long time ago), and it gives the same impression of infinity of riches as the more famous musical countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gDOyC0ktcw
― Nabozo, Friday, 15 April 2022 16:34 (two years ago) link
Ata Kak played a 5 minute walk from me and I'm very bummed I couldn't catch that show. One of my favorite albums of all time probably, and the show looked very fun in the IG stories that I saw.
― billstevejim, Friday, 15 April 2022 20:19 (two years ago) link
I listened to Susuma by Jembaa Groove, a duo based in Berlin playing very consistent and warm afro-funk / highlife. https://www.jembaamusic.com/They sound like thishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZxm0EyvFjA
― Nabozo, Monday, 18 April 2022 12:14 (two years ago) link
I recommend "Stories From Another Time 1982-1988" compilation of Angolan samba by Mário Rui Silva that came out last year.
Thanks, this is really great, though I don't know how much of it I would categorize as samba. Reminded me of this Fausto album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTh95tUNOs
― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 25 April 2022 13:35 (two years ago) link
Angélique Kidjo stars in Yemandja, a new music theater work that is at once family drama and historical thriller, redolent of Greek tragedy and infused with themes of love, betrayal, honor, free will, and the horror and injustice of slavery. Named for a Yoruban deity, this MASS MoCA co-commission is a panoramic work of magical realism, a parable about gods and humans that illuminates through song what can happen when people are robbed of their culture.
This is coming to Kennedy Center in DC for 2 performances
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 April 2022 16:54 (one year ago) link
Yemandja is featuring a cast of eight performers and four musicians
Conceived by Angélique Kidjo, Jean Hebrail, andNaïma Hebrail KidjoBook and Lyrics by Naïma Hebrail KidjoMusic by Angélique Kidjo and Jean Hebrail
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 April 2022 16:56 (one year ago) link
very old news of course, but:just chanced upon Samba Touré’s Albala album, a 2013 Glitterbeat release. fantastic stuff, just beautiful.
― middot • is • my • middle • name (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 26 April 2022 20:54 (one year ago) link
also the 2015 follow-up, Gandadiko
― middot • is • my • middle • name (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 26 April 2022 22:36 (one year ago) link
Oh yeah, Toure with that Mali north African desert guitar sound and his warm vocals
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 April 2022 14:31 (one year ago) link
Nice Haitian folky voice --Nathalie Joachim w/ Spektral Quartet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Cclla3k2w
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 4 May 2022 19:26 (one year ago) link
I missed the Kidjo theatrical show in DC but someone who I know saw it and said it was as bad as this reviewer in San Francisco thought
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/review-marquee-name-grand-venue-host-amateur-hour-in-angelique-kidjos-yemandja
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 8 May 2022 22:02 (one year ago) link
https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/the-big-lookback-dakar-diary
Christgau diary of 2010 visit to Dakar
― curmudgeon, Monday, 9 May 2022 21:26 (one year ago) link
https://papenziengui.bandcamp.com/album/kadi-yombo
― curmudgeon, Friday, April 8, 2022 7:29 AM (one month ago)
I'm finally getting to this: it's really good! manages to remind me of an impressive range of other acts (Sunny Ade, Thomas Mapfumo) while remaining unique
Visitors to this thread might like Haitian American Leyla McCalla's new album: https://leylamccalla.bandcamp.com/album/breaking-the-thermometer
I've only listened to it once, but I thought it was excellent. Among other good things, she does a great cover of Veloso's "You Don't Know Me"
― rob, Wednesday, 11 May 2022 13:41 (one year ago) link
This is a bewitching mixture of traditional music and experimental, sub-testing leftfield bass music from Kinshasa. Truly rad.
― we need outrage! we need dicks!! (the table is the table), Friday, 13 May 2022 15:48 (one year ago) link
good question! Latest single/video was pretty long in fact
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 21 December 2022 17:36 (one year ago) link
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1721707611_10.jpg
From 2018; a friend just now sent it. African Victime's shrewd studio presentation got more attention and was enjoyable, but I found it a hair too slick for full engagement. Here he just lets fly, w/o getting too self-indulgent, and band is usually groovy, esp. on finale.
Recorded in the spring of 2017 over 3 evenings. These raw, unedited, live recordings were fueled by laughter, and Azawad gunpowder tea.
https://elitebeat.bandcamp.com/album/mdou-moctar-meets-elite-beat-in-a-budget-dancehall
― dow, Friday, 23 December 2022 19:31 (one year ago) link
Azawad gunpowder tea
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 24 December 2022 04:46 (one year ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/arts/music/tshala-muana-dead.html
RIP Congolese singer Tshala Muana at too young an age. I liked her album Mutuashi
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 25 December 2022 13:52 (one year ago) link
Looks like this new release of his early work has some of that xxpost Budget Downhall appeal, and maybe more:
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mdou-moctar-niger-ep-vol-1-and-vol-2/
― dow, Thursday, 29 December 2022 01:08 (one year ago) link
I just listened to new single from Fally Ipupa , Congolese rumba artist. He had a new album out too. Single was just ok but am still cute hear the album― curmudgeon, dinsdag 20 december 2022 17:21 bookmarkflaglinkgood luck with that lol, it’s 31 tracks, 3h30 playing time - has he gone amapiano, is what I’d like to know― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), dinsdag 20 december 2022 17:58
― curmudgeon, dinsdag 20 december 2022 17:21 bookmarkflaglink
good luck with that lol, it’s 31 tracks, 3h30 playing time - has he gone amapiano, is what I’d like to know
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), dinsdag 20 december 2022 17:58
listened to the entire album over the course of this last day of 2022. I’ve never listened to Ipupa (or Congolese music in general) much, so can’t compare it to (his) other/earlier stuff, but I enjoyed this (I mean, I stayed the course until the end!) - the quality level stays comfortably high throughout. don’t expect modern beats, amapiano or otherwise, the whole thing is relentlessly old-school.
― the shaker intro bit the shaker outro in the tail, hard (breastcrawl), Saturday, 31 December 2022 21:41 (one year ago) link
Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2023 Thread (Often African bands)
2023 thread here
― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 January 2023 16:45 (one year ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/new-africa-2022-video-playlist
― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 January 2023 17:03 (one year ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/2022-afropop-best-of-amapiano-and-afrobeats-top-10
These afropop. org lists are kinda randomly chosen it appears , but y'all might still find them of interest
― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 January 2023 17:13 (one year ago) link