NEW WORLD
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AFRICA
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OLD WORLD (inc Asia, Arabia) | African Discographies |
Greetings, Platterbugs!
Updated 1 March 2024
NewsFranco presents Les Editions Populaires, new double album from Planet Ilunga out todayDe Mar y Rio: Colombian roots, new from Palenque Records Amadou & Mariam aand Baaba Maal will heaadline the WOMAD festival this summer in England Merengue Tipico, a new compilation from la Republica Dominicana, and Bongo Joe; article here (via Ken Abrams) on April 5, Mississippi Records will reissue the 3rd Rail Band LP from 1973. See mali2 for my review of it when it came out on Secret Stash a few years ago. Tony's picks: Tony Pitt likes Faso from Guinea, with kora and electric guitar; it came out 5 years ago, but if it's good we still want to hear it; and this one from 2020 by Marco Zanotti (Italy) and Jabel Kanuteh (Gambia) The Sorcerers serve up their take on Ethio jazz from Leeds, recommended by Dave Atkin A 2-hour Josky Special on Ambiance Congo radio, with David Noyes nice pictorial article on the sound systems of Barranquilla, via "El Rey" Juan Carlos
Must-see VideoJazz Crazy interviewed me about the recent Ngoma release: Interview with Alastair Johnston about the Ngoma label & "The Soul of Congo"Matthew's channel is great: he has also posted 43 rare Congolese & other world 78s from his own collection The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM, are an instrumental trio formed in Los Angeles in 2021, who cover everything from Afrosound to Smokey Robinson. They blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 60’s soul ballads and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard parties and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country. Their videos have a nostalgic saturated "technicolor" look to them & don't miss "Juana la Cubana" via Robert Leaver: "Africa Mokili Mobimba" by Playing For Change, another engaging Song around the World
R. I. P.Lisandro Meza, Colombia accordion-player and singer, known as the King of CumbiaAston "Family Man" Barrett, bass player and leader of the Wailers band
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NGWAKA SON SYSTEME | |
CONGO FUNK! (Analog Africa no 38)
Bandcamp hosted a "listening party" for this new album from Analog Africa which was a great way to hear the whole thing (4 vinyl sides) in one sitting. As Congolese music is the wheelhouse of my little musical barque I was pleased to be part of the audience. Anchoring the set are some familiar names, Tabu Ley, Les Bantous, Les Frères Soki, Abeti Masikini, OK Jazz and Zaiko Langa Langa, but most of these artists appear with unfamiliar selections. Congolese Funk does owe something to James Brown (after all it was Zaire where he made his big splash in Africa) but the local musicians also picked up on movie soundtracks such as Shaft by Isaac Hayes (1971) and Curtis Mayfield's Superfly (1972). The anticipation of unknown Congo Funk is met with the exciting kick-off track, Petelo Vicka et son "Nzazi" with the storming "Sungu Lubuka," from a very obscure 1982 LP (which is due to be reissued at the end of the month by Ketu Records of Marseille). There's a bouncy groove with saxes playing against bass and a cowbell. What a find! Folkloric vocals over choppy guitars deliver "Mfuur ma" from Minzoto ya Zaire's 1979 debut album. Then we hear the M.B.T.s with their "MBT's sound," a single issued in France in 1977 by another totally obscure band, who were protégés of the talented guitarist Abumba Masikini, brother of Abeti. Side 1 ends with Abeti herself, performing "Musique Tshiluba," with her Redoubtables band which spawned the careers of Rigo Star, Mbilia Bel and Tshala Muana. The Luba people of Eastern Kasai gave us the mutuashi dance. But this is nothing like that! Psychedelic guitar with maxed-out effects burbles over a wall of horns. The big blast on side B is Tabu Ley's "Adeito" which was a smash hit at FESTAC in Lagos, 1977. The band opened that show with an instrumental of "Ain't no sunshine," which Bill Withers had performed at the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. Fortunately Rochereau refrained from singing it. Les Bantous turn in a superb instrumental that fills out the rest of side B. Samy ben Redjeb was assisted in his search for Congo's lost funk treasures by a Beninois record label owner who gave him half the tracks on this compilation; then he was further helped by Volkan Kaya who answered most of the questions during the listening party, though no one answered Matt Temple's question, Didn't you have alternate titles in mind? | |
TAREK ABDALLAH & ABDEL SHAMS EL DIN | |
ADAMA YALOMBA | |
MALI LIVEBassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba turned up the heat in chilly Berkeley and delivered a wake-up set to the grey panthers at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, who were up past their bedtime. We ran into my friend Lulu from Round World Music and before the show we were reminiscing about the golden era in the last century when we would go to three or more shows a week as San Francisco exploded with clubs and great acts. Among others, we recalled the fantastic shows of Barbarito Torres, the Cuban laoud player and how, at the end of one of them, he asked for requests. I almost clobbered Lulu when she called out "Guantanamera," as it's the hokiest tourist song imaginable. Lulu has been to Cuba and was just taking the piss, but Torres and his group responded, graciously, and performed a sublime version. Bassekou was joined by his wife Amy Sacko on vocals, and their son Mamadou on bass ngoni, the percussionists were a nephew on talking drum and a brother on calabash. Despite the stripped-down instrumentation they managed a lot of variety, and Bassekou used effects pedals on a couple of solos. He also has a great stage presence and at one point lamented Taj Mahal couldn't be there (Taj lives in Berkeley) to lend his voice, but went ahead and did an imitation blues growl for what he called "African blues." Mamadou took a solo on bass and played a reggae riff, indicating what he likes when he is not playing "traditional" music, but they did have a very dubby vibe. The highlight was "Jama ko" when the bass and percussion got very loud and deep and then Bassekou turned on wah-wah and echo on his ngoni. It was spacey and intense at the same time. Because of the fixed seats no one danced, apart from one clown who got in front of the stage to jam on maracas before he was gently asked to sit down by one of the staff. Bassekou said if you want an encore you need to sing and dance. And what did he play? "Guantanamera," a fantastic capper to the evening's show. |
Most Recent Reviews(click on maps at the top of the page to get to continent of choice)
February 2024
Afrika Muye Muye! Tanzanian Rumba 1968-70 is filed in Kenya/Tanzania part 3
January 2024
Mama Sissoko Live is filed in Mali part 6
November 2023
Idrissa Soumaoro's Diré is filed in Mali part 6
October 2023
I put Noor Bakhsh into India & Pakistan part 2, though he is somewhere between
September 2023
Ngoma: the Soul of Congo can be
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MY BEST-SELLING BOOK!"Essential reference guide to the Congo guitar king" — SONGLINES 64 **** (four stars)"I do not know anybody who has such immense knowledge of African music. Congratulations." — Gerhard G (a purchaser) BACK IN PRINT (Second edition, November 2012)A DISCOGRAPHY OF DOCTEUR NICO
Poltroon Press, 2012, expanded to 88 pages; list price $19.95. |
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all of the writing on this site is copyright © 2004-2024 by alastair m. johnstonYour comments are welcome. Or join the discussion on facebook If you are not already a subscriber, send me an e-mail to be notified of updates, or fill in the box above. Please note none of the music discussed on the site is for sale by me. Also we will not use or share your mailing address for purposes other than the monthly notification of updates. You can reach me at contact[at-sign]muzikifan[dot]com
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