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

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

same producer too, on the always fun nyege nyege tapes

https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/liye-liye

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.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/africa/burundi-drumming.html

Here’s the Burundi drumming article

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

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/

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=J9JNxg7fIaM
Mohammad Reza Mortazavi • Eleven

(I’m reminded somewhat of the Emeka Ogboh project from last year that placed in the EOY Albums)

xp thats lush

v cool

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/nyregion/brazilian-samba-star-dom-salvador-river-cafe.html

NYC based Brazilian samba funk lounge musician

Oops that’s an old article. But I think he’s still at it

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

https://afropop.org/articles/oumou-sangar%C3%A9-premieres-wassulu-don-on-international-womens-day

Nice new Oumou Sangare video

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

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

loving this

Have only listened to one song so far and I liked it. Fun Egyptian rhythmic pop

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.

^this rules

v much enjoyed this
https://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."

Yes! That Ecko Bazz record is awesome and distinctive.

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.

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=OMG7ePKkLnI
Te guardo (Live on KEXP)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egnp-WbtPs4
Tristeza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDOeju9atXE
Marchita

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmj-Vm7SJ9M
Ser de ti

I like her too (briefly mentioned her on the Rolling Afro-Latino thread )

Her melodies and the production help make it more than just singer/songwriter formula

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

new Oumou Sangare song from upcoming album Timbuktu. She's got such a great voice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2vrl2S3tOE

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

loving this

I saw Ata Kak perform last night, it was a delight. Instant dance party, just a very wholesome experience all around.

ah man, saw him a few years back
so joyous

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZxm0EyvFjA

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

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

Yemandja is featuring a cast of eight performers and four musicians

Conceived by Angélique Kidjo, Jean Hebrail, and
Naïma Hebrail Kidjo
Book and Lyrics by Naïma Hebrail Kidjo
Music by Angélique Kidjo and Jean Hebrail

very old news of course, but:

just chanced upon Samba Touré’s Albala album, a 2013 Glitterbeat release. fantastic stuff, just beautiful.

also the 2015 follow-up, Gandadiko

Oh yeah, Toure with that Mali north African desert guitar sound and his warm vocals

Nice Haitian folky voice --Nathalie Joachim w/ Spektral Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Cclla3k2w

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

https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/the-big-lookback-dakar-diary

Christgau diary of 2010 visit to Dakar

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

― 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"

This is a bewitching mixture of traditional music and experimental, sub-testing leftfield bass music from Kinshasa. Truly rad.

https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/liye-liye

yes! posted before but maybe not on this thread, amazing album

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

Azawad gunpowder tea

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

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/

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 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.

Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2023 Thread (Often African bands)

2023 thread here

https://afropop.org/articles/new-africa-2022-video-playlist

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