NEW WORLD

AFRICA

OLD WORLD (inc Asia, Arabia)

African Discographies

Greetings, Platterbugs!

Updated 11 June 2025

New Music

Also Alfonso Cordoba el Brujo, slight return, on a 3-track EP;

Then again we have Abelardo Carbono teaming up with Quantic for a Guillermo Portabales remix from their forthcoming album

Also from Colombia, spacey psychedelic cumbia from Meridian Brothers, on Soundway

Alpha Oulare & ensemble Sugé, djembé music

dubby kwaito music: Moskito from Johannesburg, on Awesome Tapes from Africa

New single from Nadir Ben (Marseille via Oran)

Jonathan Ward explores East of African music from 1930 on Excavated Shellac, his awesome blog

Opinions? Songlines seems to like the new Salif Keita album: "It’s beautifully effortless, all of it, strafed [sic] with gently finger-picked chords and impassioned lyrical bursts, and a work for listening to while reclining on silk pillows, a warm breeze ruffling your hair." — now where did I leave my silk pillows?

Albarika stores label is now being reissued by Acid Jazz, here's some "Afrobeats" from TP Poly-Rythmo

Selecta Smith posted some raw Congo 45s from the Decca label on mixcloud

Out of Office Auto Reply

Tony P recommends:

Khadim by Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force: dub from Senegal

Mandé Sila Live @ Levon Helm Studio. Tony says: "Beautiful live acoustic music from a new Malian ensemble led by Habib Koite. There's the fantastic balafon of Aly Keita, and kora by Lamine Cissokho, with a range of percussion by Mama Kone."

Modernized Moroccan traditions in the vein of Rachid Taha, with a strong female lead vocal by Widad Mjama: "Abda" by Aita mon Amour

"Tuma Duma," a new Neba Solo balafon album from Mali. Tony says, "It's with programmed beats, rather than real percussion, but it still mostly works for me."

Via Ken A:

new single from 90-year-old Peruvian salsero Melcochita: "Pa' bravo yo"

New percussion and marimba single "Agua Salá" by Bejuco y La Escuelita del Ritmo, from Colombia's Pacific coast

Digital-only roots album from Congo: "Mantsieme"

And new from Kosmos Moutouari, "Papa Mombombo"

"Betiyata" by Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko (kora) & Volker Goetze (trumpet), very mellow

New Cool Collective Big Band featuring Thierno Koité (African sax legend)

On Video

From Robert L: African desert rockers Etran de l'Air gig from Chicago last summer

& last but not least, JC Plu sends us a very nice dance video from Mali

R I P

Junior Byles (rootical enchanter)

Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, Igbo highlife legend (he was 95)

Sylvester Stewart aka "Sly Stone" (American funk pioneer)

Latest Muzikifan Podcasts

Tripping Out
new releases plus Jr Byles, Changuito,
Mike Ejeagha, and favorites from
Ireland, London, and Italy

Congo in Kenya: seven 45s from my
happy spot
.
.

AMMAR 808
CLUB TOUNSI (Glitter Beat)

It's been seven years since Ammar 808 first hit us with his rumbling synth-driven abandoned wildness. The big bad North-African beats are back with the sonic overlay of traditional vocals and instruments. We get a wild bagpipe-like skirl over his grumbling bass synth and relentless beats on this, the Tunisian's third album featuring his TR-808 drum machine. The bagpipes are called mezoued are are indigenous to Tunisia, though any Scot (or Bulgarian) would be proud own them. But such tribal sounds were long banned in Tunis, being considered primitive, unsophisticated music from the dark side of town: the goat obviously tainted with the association to the god Pan in pre-Muslim and Christian societies. Since we get our word Panic from him — we should add pandemonium too — there is an appropriate untamed quality verging on the mystical (especially when you play it loud and damn the neighbors). But, for balance, there are elements of sufi hymns added to the ancient folksongs and the fezzani rhythm, a kicking, off-tempo beat with a tambourine, hand drums and clapping. You soon forget the drum machine. In fact he emphasizes the hand-played instruments against the eternal loops of the electronic ones to set up a distinctive counterpoint. Then there's my other favorite North African instrument, the reedy ney adding to the sonic soup. There are three singers, from different traditions, however they blend perfectly. The traditional "Aman Aman" even adds auto-tune to the vocals for a bizarre twist, it sounds a bit like the muezzin from a cheap cassette heard while you are trying to sleep at 4 a.m. in a frigid camper van in the desert. It is cinematic and eerie and a new take on a lovelorn ballad. This is one for the dancefloor and late nights when the dancers' shadows take on a life of their own.

AFRICAN JAZZ INVITES OK JAZZ
UNE PRODUCTION SURBOUM (1961-1970) (Planet Ilunga PI11)

Surboum African Jazz was Joseph Kabasele's own label, and it was an important step in the history of African music, as it was the first label controlled by the musician whose music it published. Working for Esengo meant Kabasele's music was marketed in Congo but not in Europe; as he now had regular gigs in Paris and elsewhere he wanted to bring his music to the European audience also. In 1961 Kabasele (known as Le Grand Kallé) was in Brussels with his band African Jazz to record and invited Franco and OK Jazz, who were considered his rivals by the fans, to also cut some sides. This was a watershed moment in the development of the music. For once there was a relaxed atmosphere, the bands were not being driven to record in 24 hour marathons; on the other hand it was so relaxed they found they had a shortage of material and so revised and rewrote old material.

Members of the two groups, African Jazz and OK Jazz, had in fact merged a year earlier in 1960 when they went to Brussels for the Table Ronde conference. But in 1961 Dr Nico, the ace guitarist, temporarily split from the others and created his own wing of the group. So this group in the Fonior studio in Brussels were quite new incorporating members from Jazz Africain, who were in fact a kind of African Jazz tribute band, featuring guitarists Damoiseau and Casino to replace Nico and his brother Dechaud, and led by Edo Clary Lutula who sang alongside Kallé. But mixed in here are some recordings from a later session in which Nico and his brother returned to the fold: "Kajinga Victorine" is a Dechaud composition praising his girlfriend, with stinging lead by Nico. A Nico composition, "Ekoti ngai Hopitalo (They took me to the hospital)," tells of his loneliness when he was ill and alone. Kallé's "Mama Seba," from 1962, shows off his soaring voice against a chugging rumba dance rhythm with Latin style horns.

The commentary to each song is detailed and was created by musician Souzy Kaseya (ex-Vox Africa and African Team with Kallé) who wrote notes to each song; additional commentary was added by scholars Sylvain Konko and Samuel Malonga. Lyrics are transcribed and translated and all the discs are annotated in addition to having restored sound. So it is a monumental work, to say the least, continuing the tradition of excellence associated with Planet Ilunga.

OK Jazz kick off with a beautiful "Molinard danser cha cha" with a great sax solo (Essous?). Franco gives us one of his great poetic sorties, "Mibali bakomi mpasi na Leo," in which women complain about the shortage of men, with again a driving sax. These early 1961 recordings of OK Jazz show how tight and polished they were: full of verve, as the clipped percussion nicely balances the lyrical chording guitar and the languid touches from the saxophone adding another voice. "Ya mbala" sounded familiar and we learn it is adapted from Bakongo folklore. This was a strong source of ideas for Franco and even though the songs are less than 3-minutes long, we get a sense of the trancelike endless stretching potential of his rhythmically propulsive guitar.

Now, do you remember the early days of record players when you would stack discs like pancakes on a little player and after one played a lever would trigger the next to drop and you could have continuous play. That way if you played sides 1 and 3 then flipped both over you got sides 4 & 2. Here we have side one of OK Jazz then a sandwich of Kallé and African Jazz on 2 & 3 and back to OK Jazz for side 4, so that the two groups are intermixed. OK Jazz and African Jazz were still evolving, trying different styles, notably Latin American rhythms such as the cha cha cha. We also hear a merengue and a few boleros from OK Jazz. The first is a lament for the death of Lumumba, beloved nationalist leader who was murdered with the complicity of the CIA, and whose death precipitated the ongoing despoliation of the country. Side four is given over to Franco boleros (a favorite of label boss Bart Cat) with the mournful sax of Zimbabwean Isaac Musekiwa. The latter is given full rein on a novelty track, "A Girl I'm looking for," which is a truly ridiculous pastiche of Louis Armstrong's gravelly vocal style. It is so bad I threw it out, but on the vinyl you'll have to jump up to take it off before it ruins the mood.

The African Jazz material starts with a third recording of "Para Fifi": this delightful version features a tasty vamping piano from Manu Dibango who teamed up with Kallé in Brussels. Dibango also brings in Pepito's latin band for a straight cover of Beny Moré's "Pachito e ché" with vibraphone and horns over a cha cha rhythm, and a female singer. We then hear Dibango on piano (playing in a Cuban montuno style) chording on Nico's "Mi Jose," with the harmony of Kallé, Roger & Rochereau. This 1961 recording session stoked Nico's passion for Latin rhythms (Pepito also joined the band on tumba) and inspired him to try montuno piano vamping on the guitar. From 1962 we get the Jazz Africain guys delivering their Hindoubill cha cha on "Bueno Valentina cha cha" featuring Bombenga. (We learn this from Sylvain Konko, however the disc label only credits Kallé & African Jazz). The final African Jazz tracks come from late on, 1966, when sax player Jean-Serge Essous and sometimes Papa Noel had joined (1968), and then 1970 by when the group had become African Team with the addition of Cuban flautist and sax player Don Gonzalo.

What's amazing is that none of this material surfaced sooner (other than OK Jazz's "Motema ya Fa Fa," a classic heartsick blues, which Sonodisc reissued). An earlier issue on Planet Ilunga, Joseph Kabasele and the Creation of Surboum African Jazz (1960-1963), told the story of the label with a discography (African Jazz issued 212 songs; OK Jazz 136 on this label) and here we get more of the cream to lap up.

SEKVOYA
GATHERING OF ENCHANTED HERBS (Zero Nove Nove)

The echoey Farfisa on this immediately put me in mind of Country Joe & the Fish and consequently made me feel a little high and dreamy. This goes to show you don't need drugs when music can produce an altered state of mind! The group come from Novi Sad, Serbia (the very name sounds depressing) and channel a mix of psychedelia, Balkan "world beats" with homegrown Anatolian rock. Their name comes from the Sequoia tree (which was named after a Native American chief) which is among the oldest living things on earth and according to the bandleader, Ivan Krstics, contains ancient memories. Some were transplanted and grown in Serbia. Finding peace through connecting to nature gets my vote. The music is jazzy, hip and informed. Krstics cites various influences: Altin Gün, Bab L'Bluz, even the desert blues of Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar (which I can't hear); I find it original and refreshing. This 5-track EP is the first of a projected trilogy. Check out their debut single "Snake Charmer."

TIGRAY TEARS
THE WORLD STOOD BY (Worldisc)

The world is doing a lot of standing by, it seems to me, as one atrocity after another is allowed to continue and our elected leaders do bugger all to change their stance or bring the planet together. As Russia was invading Ukraine, the Ethiopian army took out a large swath of the population of Tigray, killing rebels and civilians alike until over half a million were dead and two million were displaced. Now there is potential of a war with Eritrea, while the nearby displaced South Sudanese have nowhere to go. I remember running into a panhandler in Khartoum 40 years ago. He was dressed shabbily but spoke English and was very friendly. "I am from Ethiopia," he told me, "I got out of jail tomorrow." The Tigrayans exiled in the Ethiopian capital are gathering the remnants of their life around them and making music to express their plight. Accompanied by a lyre (the five-string krar) and hand-claps, they sing "No Matter Where I am, I miss Tigray," "What is the World saying about Tigray?" and "Remembering the People We Lost in the War." A touch of tenderness appears in songs like "People should Live in Love" and "Let Us praise Kindness." The album was recorded in Addis Ababa and Amhara. It is simple and forceful. There is a tiny bit of vocal processing on "My heart pleads for your forgiveness" and the opening "Wishing for peaceful times to return." It's authentically folkloric (without any outside interference) and stripped down but the variety of singers makes it engaging.

GROOVE AFRICA (Putumayo)

Many labels are run by monomaniacal bosses and this can be good or bad. There are ruthless moguls like Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic and easy-going ones like Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton of Stax/Volt (who were swindled out of their catalog by Ertegun. Wait: to avoid libel, let me say they were diddled out of their catalog, since they did not read the small print). Putumayo had a singular vision, that of Dan Storper who passed away in May 2025. As I understand the story, he saw a river valley in Colombia called Putumayo when he was looking for ethnic goods to import to the US and this enchanted place inspired his label name. Instead of going through normal music retail channels he opted to place his product in boutiques, gift stores and cafes: they would be on the counter and the store would get a free display case and promo copies to play the music and create a tropical worldly vibe and hopefully lure customers into buying impulsively. He quickly found an artist named Nicola Heindl to create a brand identity with happy naive "we are the world" paintings that frankly are disgusting. They are so bad it turns me off to the music before I have even hear it. Yes, I am very sensitive to packaging! (When he signed Ricardo Lemvo in 1998, the artist insisted, naturally, on having his photo on the cover.) The Putumayo A&R man Jacob Edgar made some brilliant compilations, such as Arabic Groove and Republica Dominicana, and with a growing network of contacts, they issued some fine compilations. However, they leaned towards Easy Listening and that is true of this latest offering which could be called Sleepy Time Africa. (To me "groove" suggests driving hard, not laid back.) There is a Lemvo track on here, which is good, and Maher Cissoko's kora-driven "Minoyamba" from Senegal is a gem. The Lemvo track comes from La Rumba Soy Yo (2014) which came out on Cumbancha which, not coincidentally, is the independent label of Edgar, which in general issues deeper material.

I am not a sucker for punishment but I then tried out Latin American Women, another new issue on Putumayo, because it promised some unknown (to me) Cubans, etc. Now if anyone asked me, I would tell them Divina Banda is one of the hottest female groups from Cuba. They know how to groove, but the strongest entry here is a cover of "Patria Querida" by Rita Donte. I skipped through the remainder (very quickly through "La Paloma" by Juana Luna) and that was enough. I have known Jacob Edgar since pre-Putumayo days in San Francisco and he graciously covered for me on my radio show when I was on vacation. So he has heard these gripes from me before, and you may think it is insensitive to criticize his label when Storper has just passed away. But then recall Cyril Connolly who wrote a critique of A. E. Housman (in The Condemned Playground) and called him out on his feeble poetry in an obituary. When readers objected, he responded, you can be dead a day or a century, it makes no difference: there is no "etiquette of the grave" and one should re-evaluate a person's legacy when the memories are fresh.

Most recent posts

(click on maps at the top of the page to get to continent of choice)

May 2025

Zulu Guitar Blues is filed in South Africa, part 2
Kwashibu Area Band are filed in Ghana part 2
Youssou's Eclairer le Monde is in Senegal part 4
Les Abranis can be read about in Algeria
Salif Keita's latest is in Mali part 6
Fanfare Ciocarlia is filed under Gypsy Brass
Ozan Baysal, from Turkey, is filed under Old World misc

April 2025

Tsapiky! is music from Madagascar
Orquesta Akokán's latest is filed in Cuba part 4
Trio da Kali is filed in Mali part 6
Mike Guagenti is filed in Salsa

March 2025

The latest from Baianasystem can be found in Brasil part 3
Sweet Rebels: The Golden Age of Algerian Pop-Rai is filed in Algeria
Damily & Toliara Tsapiky Band are filed in Madagascar
Two new anthologies of Gnonnas Pedro are in Benin
Muslim Shaggan can be read about in India & Pakistan II
The Original Sound of Mali vol II is filed in Mali part 6

February 2025

Novalima's latest can be read about in Peru part 2
Aboubacar Traoré & Balima is filed in Burkina Faso
Tumblack are from the Caribbean
Brooklyn Sounds are filed under Salsa

December 2024

Festival Donso Ngoni vol 1 is filed under Mali part 6
Zanzibara 11: Congo in Dar with orchestres Maquis and Safari Sound is in Tanzania part 3
Accra Quartet can be read about in Ghana part 2
Dogo du Togo's latest is filed in African miscellany
Occidental Brothers' Likambo Te also made it to African miscellany!
Los Kenya's Vol 2 went to Venezuela
while the 107th Street Stickball Team slid into Salsa in a questionable call

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