Sunday, October 07, 2007
Boubacar Traore
Face A
Mariama
Benidigmamogo
Mantjini
Diarabi
Face B
Kele
Kayes-Ba
Khobe Natouma
Pierrette
This might just be the best of all the awesome tapes from Africa I've heard thus far.
The film about Mali's Boubacar Traore, I'll Sing For You, is incredibly beautiful, as are these and other Boubacar Traore recordings. Go see him perform live if you can.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Souley Kanté Bi Magni
Side A
Bi Magni
Sirakadjan
Fanga
Diamanadia
Side B
Kumadugu
Numuw
Suw Teni Be
Djiguissaw
These are jams by which to live. Especially tracks 1, 4, and 5.
PS—While you're checking these songs out go ahead and buy yourself that Souley Kanté ringtone you've always wanted, now only 250 CFA francs. So what if these interpretations don't sound exactly like the original? You will surely receive due props from those in the know.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Look out for the new issue of Tokion Magazine
There's an article about awesome tapes from africa in there.
There's an article about awesome tapes from africa in there.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Who is this? What's this record called?
Side A
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Side B
Track 4
Track 5
Track 6
Arabic-reading friends, can you help us identify this tape? Thanks again to Haab for these sick cassettes from Egypt. (see also: here and here)
Lovers of circus-y melodic maneuvers go directly to Track 6. My girlfriend asked if I was listening to Arabian Fiddler on the Roof. Sounds like fancy party music to me. The dueling male and female vocal choruses on Track 2 are worth checking out, as is the general virtuosity of the instrumental accompaniment throughout.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Kante Manfila Diniya
Side 1
Diniya
Gelena
Denko
Alikanala
Side 2
N'Tesse
Moh Kan
Coh Coco
Jere Lon
Been wanting to post this for ages. I love these often epic masterpieces of Mandinka electric funk. It reminds of Steve Coleman records from the eighties (in a good way). Although Manfila is slightly less well known than some of his peers (Mory Kante, Salif Keita, etc), a couple of these songs are surely classics to someone somewhere. Dude can fucking sing.
I feel like most late-night bus rides through the Malian bush (for me at least) have notably featured tapes like this blasting through the less-than-roadworthy vehicle's tinny speakers. When the bus breaks down for the third time in as many hours in the middle of nowhere, you may still get to enjoy the jams if the driver's mate has a ghettoblaster.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Alhassan Ibrahim (Zilindoo Lunsi-Naa) Naa Mahama-Kpema
Side A
Zuu Mahamu Akonsi
Tugulana Iddi
Kari-Naa Bukari
Naa Mahama-Kpema
Bukari Kantanparim
Side B
Kari-Naa Alhassan
Oun Be-Nkpang
Naa Mahama-Bia
Naa Omariga
Naa Yakubu
This is praise music from Northern Ghana. Alhassan Ibrahim is apparently a hereditary master drummer-historian, something of a griot among the Dagomba. Each track is a song dedicated to various local bigwigs, many of whom are chiefs (as evidenced by the prefix naa in their names).
Be sure to check the second side. This is repetitive-sounding music but side b has some pretty riotous moments.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
An Ata Kak music video for freaks, by freaks
Clearly based on one of the most bizarre (and best) awesome tapes from africa, the now (in)famous Ata Kak cassette, this video is completely fucked. I never post youtube links, but this one is just too much for me.
Oh, and this too:
Clearly based on one of the most bizarre (and best) awesome tapes from africa, the now (in)famous Ata Kak cassette, this video is completely fucked. I never post youtube links, but this one is just too much for me.
Oh, and this too:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
WFMU's Listener Hour this Saturday at 9am EST will be hosted by Awesome Tapes From Africa
Easily the best thing Jersey has going for it these days, this is WFMU. Freeform and listener-supported. That's the deal.
Find the playlist below and the archive here.
Playlist
Souley Kante "Bi Magni" Bi Magni
M.S. Hoza Mdumange Ngoma "Karibuni Tanga" Mount Usambara Voice
Ami Koïta "Hadja Bila" Mory Djo
Obrafour "Pae Mu Ka" Pae Mu Ka
Tuba Clan "Jama" Dakoli
Karamoko Keita "Lemourou" Karamoko Keita
Seck, Dianka, Dandi "Nagana" Sounké Vol. 1
Nahawa Doumbia "Djankonia" Best of Nahawa Doumbia
Boubacar Traore "Kayes" Boubacar Traore
Sirina Issah "Cheer the Stars" Cheer the Stars
Armaan "Ramba Ho" Indian Disco [compilation from Bamako]
Ata Kak "Bome Nnwom" Obaa Sima
B.F.G.s "Kpan Kpa" Malzani
Charles Yamoah "Onipa Ho Ye Hu" Best of Yamoah's Band Vol. 2
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Daouda Dembele El Hadji Sekou Oumar Vol. 2
Side 1
Side 2
Some more of the incredible Malian griot Daouda Dembele. A man, his n'goni and a story.
See my earlier Daouda Dembele post. That's where you'll find vol 1.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Bainito Muyanda Kifo Cha Wamalwa
Side A
Kifo cha Wamalwa Kijana
Kibaji
Walia Inyanya
Gari Mademo Shina
Vandu vandi vatevananga za Fred
Side B
Ndali Ndataga Inzaga
Kusagare Embenzi
Ugimire Rigembe
Agaromba Wafa
Ndali ni Nzikaye Igisambai
Nang'weye Khunzaga
This stuff all kind of sounds the same to me. I just like ultra-minimal stick-hitting-wood percussion on each song. I know nothing about Kenyan music. This is another tape that was given to me by my friend Josh.
I'm guessing the title of the album and the first song refer to this guy.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
La grande Vedette Malienne Kandja Kouyaté et l'Ensemble Instrumental du Mali
Side A
Yolele
Guede
Side B
Mayouba
Sarddiga
This cassette is perfect in almost every way. It makes me want to drop acid and burn incense or something, it's so smokey and dark and surreal. Like late Coltrane.
The distortion here and there on the second side is the bummer (it's the recording and/or tape, not computer fuzz).
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Black Shaolin Monkz Mama Africa
Side A
Intro — St. Quran feat. Thyra
Mama Africa
Monk Funk Classic *
Evil Enemy feat. Project Monkz
Blind Fathers
Classic Instrumentals *
Side B
Balakla feat. Kikuyu *
Acadelma
Dilaila
Slam feat. Samy T Lazy *
*don't miss
This group represents the best and truest English language rap in Ghana. Coolest dudes ever. The Black Monkz have so much respect and admiration for Wu Tang they held a Ghanaian-style funeral for ODB when he passed away. Black Monkz producer and leader Alpha showed me a video of that shit. It was so real.
Black Monkz in their own words
Buy some shit, will ya?
Black Monkz on myspace
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Mah Damba
Face A
Pory
Sosoly
Diadia Kono
Face B
Danama
Nadlanka Fala
Nantan
I just like this one a lot. Mah Damba is a pretty well known singer from Mali, but the real exciting thing here for me is the highly virtousic n'goni playing throughout. The n'goni is known by a number of names in West Africa, depending on the location and/or ethnicity of the person playing it.
There is this guy in Ghana named King Ayisoba whose skills on the koloko (as the instrument is known in Northern Ghana, a Frafra name), creative flexibility and moral character I will emphatically swear by.
