Haven't listened to "Jabana" yet, but groove songs sound good
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 June 2022 14:18 (one year ago) link
I recommend "Stories From Another Time 1982-1988" compilation of Angolan samba by Mário Rui Silva that came out last year.
Very much enjoying this, thanks for the recommendation. Quite an eclectic mix of stuff on there - semba, into clattery marimba stuff, into some random Roots horns, into almost sophistipop territory by the end.
― Shard-borne Beatles with their drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 17 June 2022 20:31 (one year ago) link
Smithsonian Folklife Fest in DC will be live on National mall and on Youtube starting this week Wednesday June 22 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm with cellist Yo Yo Ma playing with a largely Afghan band . Details and Youtube link on the below
https://festival.si.edu/schedule?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D159951024
― curmudgeon, Monday, 20 June 2022 23:57 (one year ago) link
Folklife fest evening concerts will be broadcast, not daytime events.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 June 2022 04:46 (one year ago) link
https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/vieux-farka-toure-les-racines-138796/
I really need to give latest Vieux Farka Toure a listen. Lyrics about Mali's politicial situation and music that hearkens back a bit to his Dad , say the reviews
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 June 2022 12:45 (one year ago) link
Feli Colina turning cumbia into a dark nocturnal affair on "Diabla" with percussive piano and spirited vocals alla Rosalía. It's on her 2022 album which is half influenced by industrial (Chakatrunka), the other remaining rather delicate and sparse. She's from Argentina.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDSjhlqC0fQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iodtNBYsv2Q
― Nabozo, Monday, 4 July 2022 11:27 (one year ago) link
Just saw Femi Kuti and Positive Force tonight. I don't know their catalogue that well but it was a great show, very tight and energetic, really had the crowd moving.
― No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Sunday, 10 July 2022 04:06 (one year ago) link
Have enjoyed Femi Kuti live also when I have seen him in the past
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 10 July 2022 04:13 (one year ago) link
Femi's in DC Thursday
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 12 July 2022 14:54 (one year ago) link
https://pan-african-music.com/en/orchestre-massako-analog-africa/
Nice reissued old-school Gabon 70s afropop
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 12 July 2022 14:55 (one year ago) link
I need to listen to Orchestre Massoko again and read more about 'em. Impressive on initial listen
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 12 July 2022 14:56 (one year ago) link
Enjoyed that thanks, warm music, strong Soukous influence but sung by a singer from Guinea. The closer Temedy is as good as anything from the heyday.
― Nabozo, Tuesday, 12 July 2022 18:54 (one year ago) link
I saw the play “The Band’s Visit” and the Israeli woman cafe owner sang a song called “Oum Kalthoum and Omar Sharif” and she and the Alexandria, Egypt Band leader quoted Sharif movie lines. The cafe owner mentioned growing up and hearing Kalthoum songs on the radio.
The play/ musical is a bit corny and feel good about this Egyptian band arriving in the wrong town in Israel, a dull nothing small location for a night. But the music including oud and clarinet playing is wonderful. References to Chet Baker also. It’s a Tony theatre award winner, for what that’s worth, that has been in NY for awhile, but just opened a short DC run where I saw it at Kennedy Center.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 15 July 2022 11:59 (one year ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/arts/music/afghan-national-institute-of-music-lisbon.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20220717&instance_id=66875&nl=todaysheadlines®i_id=37355772&segment_id=98762&user_id=062566bcd9872d3bfa0c4b1ac1e046b4
Afghan National Institute of music members fled to Lisbon Portugal. Article has music links and covers both how the musicians are doing in Portugal as well as what is still happening in Afghanistan where Taliban are taking actions against music
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 July 2022 14:48 (one year ago) link
https://www.passionweiss.com/2022/07/12/afro-jams-of-the-week-july-13-2022/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 July 2022 02:22 (one year ago) link
thanks for reminding me of the existence of that column, curmudge! if you ignore its pompous blurb it’s a useful source of recommendations outside of the Nigeria/Ghana-South Africa axis.anyway, it alerted me to Tonton Pal, who together with fellow Malian Binguini Bakhaga appears to be responsible for what might be the best commercial ever - for the Reaktor energy drink, what else?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU1o0gR9Lgw
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 22 July 2022 19:20 (one year ago) link
also loving this Tonton Pal track from 2019: “Ne Diarabi”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqAydEihF_k
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 22 July 2022 19:43 (one year ago) link
(perhaps better at home in the Afropop thread, but since we’re here…)
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 22 July 2022 19:46 (one year ago) link
Reaktor partner Binguini Bakhaga also has a “Diarabi” song (or “Ne Diarabiledo”, according to the video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cR3h4tuh8cthis one is from 2020. it’s very pretty.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 22 July 2022 20:07 (one year ago) link
ah, I see: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaraby
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 22 July 2022 20:08 (one year ago) link
That Tonton Pal Reaktor Energy drink commercial is awesome
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 04:19 (one year ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/world/asia/27phyo-zeya-thaw-dead.html
Phyo Zeya Thaw, Burmese Pro-democracy Rapper, 41, Is ExecutedA hip-hop star, he was a democracy activist in Myanmar and then a lawmaker. After a military coup, he joined the resistance and was hanged for it.
Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw, who was commonly known as Zayar Thaw (pronounced zay-yahr thaw), was adept at career makeovers.
Toward the end of the military’s first round of iron-fisted rule, in the early 2000s, he fronted one of Myanmar’s first hip-hop groups and co-founded Generation Wave, a collective of rappers, activists and other young people who used music as a medium of dissent.
“With hip-hop, we can express ourselves without fear,” Mr. Phyo Zeya Thaw said in a 2011 interview, shortly after he was released from his first stint in prison. “Music can make us brave.”
― curmudgeon, Friday, 29 July 2022 16:38 (one year ago) link
A friend saw 86-year old Ghanaian Ebo Taylor and band in NYC. Said Taylor's band played a bunch to open and close the set with Taylor singing 5 songs in the middle portion but not playing his guitar. He said Taylor's voice was too low in the mix as well. He said the band's closing portion was strong. The show was promoted by Jazz is Dead, a label/group/promotion entity spearheaded by producer Adrian Younge. Taylor will be doing a Chicago gig and some US west coast ones as well. He and his band didn't go south or north of NYC for more East Coast shows
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 4 August 2022 18:21 (one year ago) link
family stuff meant I missed 2 movies on Sunday at a DC African Diaspora Film Fest:
"Dancing the Twist in Bamako" @ 2:10 pm ; "The Mali-Cuba Connection" @ 7:30
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 August 2022 16:27 (one year ago) link
Haven't checked yet to see whether they are available online. Movie doc I saw about old-school Nigerian musicians "Elders Corner" came back to DC for 2 different one off showings recently.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 August 2022 16:28 (one year ago) link
this record is fantastic: http://siromband.si/sl/portfolio-items/the-liquified-throne-of-simplicity/
― broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Wednesday, 10 August 2022 15:49 (one year ago) link
[googles name Sirom Band sees description avante folk ....ok will give it a listen ]
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 August 2022 21:02 (one year ago) link
saw another person write that they felt sorry for 86 year old Ebo Taylor on a tour gig when they hoped to be enthused.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 August 2022 21:06 (one year ago) link
https://pan-african-music.com/en/music-from-saharan-whatsapp/
Need to listen to this some more
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 16 August 2022 19:02 (one year ago) link
https://www.qwanqwa.net/live
Ethiopian band Qwangwa is touring the US of A from September through late November . Former ilxor H in Addis emailed me and encouraged people to go see them
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 August 2022 04:11 (one year ago) link
That is Qwanqwa
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 August 2022 04:12 (one year ago) link
Short Oumou Sangare tour of North America
October 23—Vancouver, BC—Chan CentreOctober 25—Berkeley, CA—Freight & SalvageOctober 26—Berkeley, CA—Freight & SalvageOctober 28—Princeton, NJ—McCarter TheaterOctober 29—New York, NY—Apollo Theater
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 23 August 2022 18:50 (one year ago) link
Not coming my way. I think the last time she was in DC was when the Smithsonian Folklife Fest brought a bunch of Malian musicians to town somewhere around 2004 I think. I was home with my kid who was young then. I did see Ali Farka Toure and some others though.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 August 2022 16:15 (one year ago) link
Speaking of Mali
singer-songwriter and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré’s brand new album ‘Les Racines’ is available to buy and stream now via World Circuit.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 August 2022 19:45 (one year ago) link
Is anyone familiar with Mdou Moctar? A buddy just offered me a free ticket. Do I go?
― bookmarkflaglink (Darin), Wednesday, 24 August 2022 22:55 (one year ago) link
Yes.
― alpine static, Wednesday, 24 August 2022 23:06 (one year ago) link
I’s happily accept that ticket if I were you
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 24 August 2022 23:14 (one year ago) link
I’d
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 24 August 2022 23:15 (one year ago) link
Yes see Mdou Moctar and his band.
Upthread I mentioned that Ethiopian band Qwanqwa are on a long US tour. When I listened to a few cuts online they were instrumental and a few had a violin sound added that didn't quite sound Ethiopian. Decent but didn't wow me. Turns out the violinist is from the US but has spent lots of time in Ethiopia I think. More importantly when I saw them live they used a singer on many cuts and wow is she powerful .Vocalist Selamnesh Zemene Taye was the highlight of the gig tonight, although the bass krar player and the one string masinko musician were also impressive.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 2 September 2022 04:27 (one year ago) link
Tinariwen, the Tuareg band from North Mali which has been to the US a number of times just had to cancel their North American tour because of US Immigration slowness on visa issues. Also Malawi duo Madalitso has had to cancel dates for same reasons
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 18 September 2022 04:58 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sl5HR4a8W0
Maki KB on Nahom New Ethiopian music
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 18 September 2022 22:34 (one year ago) link
Maybe I will post that on the Ethiopiques thread
― curmudgeon, Monday, 19 September 2022 15:37 (one year ago) link
❗It is very sad to hear the passing away of Madingo Afework.Madingo, the Melvin Franklin of #Ethiopia singing many melodious songs with his deep voice had many popular ballads that made him star for decades.Rest In Peace! pic.twitter.com/xG9WCiCsL5— Naty Yifru (@NatyYifru) September 27, 2022
RIP Ethiopian singer Madingo Afework
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 29 September 2022 14:36 (one year ago) link
All of the Ethiopian folks I am friends with on FB are mourning Madingo Afework who died too young
― curmudgeon, Friday, 30 September 2022 04:45 (one year ago) link
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/28/arts/how-ata-kaks-long-forgotten-awesome-tape-turned-into-an-awesome-tour-30-years-later/?fbclid=IwAR2xi66-8YWbOOQBR3f-79pLR6If2NmnRWRTUjCAeb7quxOsY2KBEzGwM-0
Recent ata kak interview that also includes comments from Brian of awesome tapes who found an ata kak tape and tracked him down. Article is in relation to ATA kak Boston gig on us tour
― curmudgeon, Friday, 30 September 2022 16:57 (one year ago) link
thanks for this, enjoyed the read
― nxd, Friday, 30 September 2022 19:05 (one year ago) link
https://chicagoreader.com/music/the-readers-guide-to-world-music-festival-chicago-2022/
Going on in Chicago now. Posting here to look at and see if it will give me us some ideas re who to listen to
― curmudgeon, Monday, 3 October 2022 16:35 (one year ago) link
Movie docs in DC area
Oct. 9- "Omara" film doc at 2:45 @ AFI Silver (a one time showing of doc on Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, who came to fame for many via her role in the Buena Vista Social Club. Showing as part of AFI Latin American Film Festival. There will be a Q&A with filmmaker Hugo Perez)
Oct 30-Movie doc "Em and Trinh" North American premiere @ 1 pm @ Asian Art Freer Gallery about late Vietnamese singer-songwriter Trịnh Công Sơn (1939–2001) known to some as “Vietnam’s Bob Dylan”
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 6 October 2022 13:15 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u682Fp4HWk
Nobuntu female Zimbabwe a cappella quintet
― curmudgeon, Friday, 7 October 2022 22:12 (one year ago) link
Isokratisses free on October 13 from 6 to 7 @ Kennedy Center Millennium Stage ( vocal ensemble of eight women who carry the ancient tradition of polyphonic songs from Epirus—a region in northern Greece and southern Albania)
Their approach sounds cool to me in small doses, then I get bored. Their gig tonight can be seen on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage youtube page and maybe Facebook too
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 13 October 2022 13:54 (one year ago) link