The African Music Thread

[jackbarron]

how can you neglect the music of fela kuti...a political lion...would write protest songs against the Nigerian gov't get beat up and thrown in jail...even burning his club down to shut him up....only to come out and keep singing songs of protest...a combination of funk, james brown and poly rhythms...in an orchastra call and response stew...most of his vinyl albums have only 2 songs one on each side but lasting 17-20 minutes apiece...epic in scope without over dubs and many of his classic albums can be found on cd including a 2 cd set "best of"...released 2 yrs ago...now sadly deceased from AIDS

I saw Fela Kuti a few times with Egypt 80 in the mid '80s. Live I thought he was excellent. I ended up interviewing him at the Hotel Russell in London. He hadn't been out of jail in Nigeria for that long and was cool to talk to. I seem to recall leaving the interview quite stoned.

I then interviewed his witch-doctor/sorcerer a few days later. The guy's whole hotel room was crammed with the tackiest tourist memorabilia, like plastic PC helmets and cheap models of Big Ben and the Houses Of Parliament.

After the interview I asked him to help me to give up smoking and paid him some money. He did his sorcery, but it didn't work at the time. A decade later I managed to quit smoking. I have no idea whether the two are related.

Jack

 

[duncan]

More Nigeria Special. More SCIDB than joel IYSWIM. Pretty groovy either way.

Excepts here

 

[Eutropius]

Hi, don't think there's been any mention yet (sorry if old hat) of a fab compilation of music from Benin, Togo and thereabouts on a label called Analog Africa titled African Scream Contest- if you enjoyed the recent Soundways releases (which are excellent), you should find this to your liking also. Its got some great notes by Samy Ben Redjeb who clearly has invested a lot of love and effort tracking people down. Theres also interesting sites about this album and his journeys on blogspot and myspace. Well worth a check I feel.

 

[kevin-h]

Guys,

I was in my local record shop today picking up the nigerian/afro-beat compilations featured here and some other various afro/caribbean records and was informed by the dude (can't spell propieter (sp.), ....owner) that the soundway records DJs would be doing a night in one of the local clubs on the 3rd May. So they must be doing a wee tour around. Check out your local clubs and you could here these songs at the volumes intended.

Takeiteasy,

Kevin.

 

[duncan]

African Scream Contest

Thanks for the suggestion. This does sound good from the samples, in the same field as the 'Love's a Real Thing' compilation that came out a few years ago. There is also a mix here.

It is advertised as being available on vinyl. Despite the label name, I can't seem to find this a copy. Anyone had any luck?

 

[Eutropius]

Im on the lookout too! The vinyl seems to have been delayed but keep em peeled..
Sounds of The Universe's website will probably be a good place to watch, I was in the shop and they told me they want to stock it. Also said it will be a pretty limited edition.
Will let you know if I hear anything.

 

[duncan]

I was in the shop and they told me they want to stock it. Also said it will be a pretty limited edition. Will let you know if I hear anything.

Cheers, likewise. Amazon.de is now advertising it as coming out 23rd May.

 

[joel]

The NIgeria Disco Funk record is indeed very good. But what with the pretty good African Scream Contest and many others, it feels like I've maxed out on Afro funk - or at least Nigerian / West African electrified afro funk
So, as an antidote here's a recent recording of modern traditional music

Musique des acholi chants de sagesse et d'exode

This is one of the best albums I've picked up in a long while. It has a beautiful African sense of space allied with effortless beauty and startlingly complex arrangements (do listen to the sample towards the end).

Apparently David Fanshawe recorded some Acholi music that was released on Nonesuch many years ago. I'll have to track a copy down.

 

[Eutropius]

You're right Joel, you can have too much of a good thing (sometimes!) Thanks for suggesting something from a different angle, its certainly an album I'd enjoy relaxing with.
On another track, I quite enjoyed some of the tracks from the recently released West African Music in Britain 1927-29 album on Honest Jons', a collection of recordings EMI made in Hayes. Apparantly there will be a series focusing on different regions, could be quite interesting!

 

[joel]

On another track, I quite enjoyed some of the tracks from the recently released West African Music in Britain 1927-29 album on Honest Jons', a collection of recordings EMI made in Hayes. Apparantly there will be a series focusing on different regions, could be quite interesting!

I was given a press copy of this yesterday and it is a really striking piece of work. Unfortunately my copy (vinyl is ordered and on the way, of course) doesn't have any notes, but many of tracks seem to be Ghanaian and range from guitar work that has a very slight pre-echo of high life with a slightly Caribbean twang to straight-ahead traditional singing. It's all very good, very listenable and slightly amazing to realise it was recorded in London in the 1920s. The mastering job done on this is superb and is surely the work of the National Sound Archive studios in London.

 

[joel]

Who was who said he was maxed out on Nigerian compis?
Well, here's yet another one and it's on the way...

 

[merrydance]

Tinariwen out on vinyl soon
This from Diverse Vinyl newsletter
"The world music genre is tragically underrepresented
on vinyl, so it’s always with great enthusiasm that we
greet any LP release for the genre. However the hype
is truly justified for this limited edition double vinyl
version of Tinariwen’s internationally bestselling album
“Aman Iman”, one of my favourite CDs of last year!
A unique band of rare musical quality and massive
cultural impact. This amazing Toureg band have so far
sold more than 36k copies of ‘Aman Iman’ in the UK
alone, and it’s because their most accessible. Unlike
the “field recording” you might expect, the band mix
modern recording techniques with their age-old
traditional songs. The result is an incredibly dynamic
LP, giving room to all their inground delicate
indigenous sounds, whilst also crossing into rock
territories with a guitar, bass and drum set up.
Producer Justin Adams is no stranger to world fusion,
having worked with Robert Plant on his “Mighty
Rearranger” LP. The result is an astonishing
achievement from a truly unique band.
Deluxe double vinyl in a strictly limited edition of 1000
copies, coming soon." (26 May apparently)

 

[Eutropius]

Next up from Honest Jons is projected to be Baghdad 1925-29

 

[joel]

Next up from Honest Jons is projected to be Baghdad 1925-29

oooh. Very much my thing. Another from the Archives of EMI?
EMI had a widespread operation in the Middle-East from very early on. If they've kept even a fraction of what was recorded there will be many treasures. This is very exciting.

 

[Eutropius]

..and Soundway just keep on coming- Guitar-Boy Superstar 1970-76 soon!

 

[duncan]

Strut records who released the superb Nigeria 70 compilation (vinyl version last seen going for £100+ on ebay) are back under the wings of K7!

This sounds like if might be a worthy follow-up. I hope they are planing to reissue their back catalogue ...on vinyl

 

[joel]

^^^^
Many thanks. Lagos Jump is playing as I write this. Yet another great Nigerian compilation.
Something not clearly mentioned in the liner notes to any of these Nigerian albums is the invasive (that one's just for Duncan ) sound of Makossa and Soukouss in Nigerian music of the period. Mix in the heavy polyrhythmic attack of Nigeria/Ghana/Benin and the result is a fabulous, bewitching brew.

 

[Eutropius]

This threads been quiet for a bit, but thought I'd revive it to mention that the African Scream Contest has been out on vinyl for a little while and also to give a heads up on a tasty french Lp I just got- its by Fanga, is called Natural Juice and is on the Cosmique Groove label.
Its a modern take on afro-beat and funk, with assistance on a couple of tracks from Tony Allen and Segun Damisa (exKuti bands). Vinyl too.
Worth a listen!

 

[duncan]

... the superb Nigeria 70 compilation (vinyl version last seen going for £100+ on ebay)...l

Finally reissued on vinyl!

(and includes the 2CD version, making it a bit of a bargain at £25).

If you want one afrobeat compilation this is it.

 

[hockman]

For African compilations it is very hard to beat the stuff from Analog Africa and Soundway, although the Strut reissues are good as well. They all exhibit painstaking care taken towards sources, credits, background stories and obtaining the best sound whether from masters or original vinyl (many of the masters have been destroyed or lost).

I normally don't like to buy vinyl reissues but am happy to make an exception in this case. It's difficult to find good condition original African vinyl. Most of what I come across are terribly beat up with scratched/worn vinyl and tattered covers!