Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2023 Thread (Often African bands)

This thread is mainly for polyrhythmic, international sounds that aren't big enough to get threads of their own (and often include use of old-school non-programmed instrumentation). I lean toward south of the equator sounds here that are sometimes less club-oriented than those of artists highlighted on Afrobeats, dancehall, soca, etc. threads. Sometimes, but not always, the artists are older than those on those other threads. More old-school bands too. Often less digital programming but if it includes such playing/programming it is usually less popular

Still trying to use this as a catch-all thread for music that is not quite popular programmed "afropop"

Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2022 Thread (Often African bands)

Last year's thread

thanks curmudgeon, going to make an effort to actually keep in touch with this thread this year!

guess i should've posted this in 2022, but i absolutely adored this tune from last year, from Ghananian Frafra singer Florence Adooni:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU9M4Rz55CM
Florence Adooni - Fo Yelle

Now I have to learn more about fra fra gospel. Here's a short 2021 article about Florence Adooni

https://pan-african-music.com/en/florence-adooni-mam-peela-suure/

i don't know much about frafra either i'm afraid, but I knew about Florence Adooni because i think she's one of the singers on this lovely tune (video gives a bit of context to the gospel nature of this music):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdIvasx8CrE
Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy - Mam Yinne Wa

Not sure if this thread is the right place and also not sure if it has been covered elsewhere, but this new site seems like a big deal:

https://syriancassettearchives.org

That Syrian cassette site looks very cool.

https://nyadiff.org/

For those who can be in NYC January 13 to 16, the Brst of the African Diaspora Film Fest will include Twist in Bamako about a 1962 story, and doc Mali Cuba Connection. These had short runs in DC last August and I was unable to attend. Seen some favorable reviews

Interesting there's also a group called Fra Fra from Ghana, they came out with a really amazing record of Funeral Songs in 2020.

https://thequietus.com/articles/28205-fra-fra-funeral-songs-review

globalFEST was a great time! Major highlights were NY Arabic Orchestra (surprisingly deep and beautiful performance with some knockout vocalists), Maria Jose Llergo (I could see her being a beneficiary of Rosalia's popularization of pop flamenco and becoming a big star), Dengue Fever (they sound great as ever and the new material was great), Meridian Brothers (absolutely batshit set, amazing band to see on the stage where the NY Phil plays) and the marimba-focused punk cumbia combo Son Rompe Pera, who i solo moshed to and unreservedly love.

I loved Funeral Songs, will always remember it as a soundtrack of that time for me

I loved Funeral Songs, will always remember it as a soundtrack of that time for me

x-post to Forks-- I enjoyed Meridian Bros. DC gig, and saw punk cumbia band Son Rompe Pera awhile back and share your enthusiasm. Nice to hear Dengue has new material and I want to check out NY Arabic Orchestra.

Coming in April to DC and proabably NYC and elsewhere too --
April 7 _Basekou Kouyate at Kennedy Center Millenium Stage in DC (will also be video streamed online)

April 24 -Sona Jobarteh @ Howard Theatre in DC (Gambian kora player)
--------------------------------------------

Kokoko Saturday, April 22, 2023
Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM
Public Records - 233 Butler St, Brooklyn
Tickets: $25 Advance | $30 Day of Show
Co-presented with Public Records

Following an electrifying performance at (le) poisson rouge during WMI's 2019/2020 season, the groundbreaking Congolese group KOKOKO! is back in NYC. Best known for creating a contemporary and unique style of music using instruments constructed by upcycling cans, engine parts, plastic containers, and other trash found on the streets of Kinshasa

https://www.nprpresents.org/tinydeskglobalfest2023?fbclid=IwAR3h96TiX2S4VCMNoL0vZMnNUJ2A_Rs0u3ddLvS8HYbX6-qjkcGqb9XAvTI&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

NPR Tiny Desk meets NY Global Fest starting tonight Tuesday US Eastern time. Bands and times on link

KHADIJA EL WARZAZIA’S BNAT EL HOUARIYAT
& ESRAA WARDA From Algeria is one of tonight’s online acts

https://robertchristgau.substack.com/p/deans-list-2022

Christgau has some albums here that go with this thread

19 of the picks are pre - 2022 ones that got his attention for first time in 2022

Meridian Brothers were fucking great. NY Arabic Orchestra were shockingly good; utterly killer vocalists.

LPR on Bleecker Street in downtown NYC have some good global shows forthcoming:
2023-03-05 Os Mutantes - $40 - https://lpr.com/lpr_events/osmutantes23/
2023-03-25 Amadou and Mariam - $45 - https://lpr.com/lpr_events/amadoumariam/
2023-05-03 Ak Dan Gwang Chil - $35 - https://lpr.com/lpr_events/adg723/

https://moussatchingou.bandcamp.com/album/tamiditine-ep

“Sahel Sounds proudly presents the debut EP by Nigerien guitarist Moussa Tchingou from Agadez. His sound varies from the classic Agadez guitar virtuoso twang to more heady, heavy fuzzy vibes and also highly melodic pieces that sound incredibly fresh, bringing hypnotic polyrhythms, cybernetic Autotune, and smashing drum programming.”

Etran de L’air desert rock US tour starts in late March

@GroundControl__

— sahel sounds (@sahelsounds) February 6, 2023

liking that Moussa Tchingou you posted, thank you

Every time I tell myself I don’t need to hear more Agadez, Niger guitar, I hear something subtly different that interests me. That’s the case with the Moussa Tchingou release on Bandcamp

I’m a broken record touting the movie doc Elders Corner about old school Nigerian musicians. But you should see it ( and no it is not perfect)

African Film Festival Screening | Elder's Corner
Wednesday, February 22 | 6:30 PM | Schomburg Center
Elder's Corner is a musical voyage of rediscovery. Filmmaker Siji Awoyinka pays tribute to the countless Nigerian musicians whose vibrant music—Juju, Afrobeat, and everything in between—formed the cultural and political backdrop of the country's march toward independence through the 1950s and '60s. In English and Yorubá with English

That’s a NY screening

In association with the upcoming posthumous Ali Farka Toure release, this video of Toure with Oumou Sangare has been released

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru0JGaroX-s

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/09/nyregion/live-music-nyc.html

The New York City Mixtape

An interactive with video piece by David Gonzalez showing music from many nationalities living in NY

Kennedy Center in W Dc is streaming National Arabic Orchestra Friday 8 pm eastern time; and Saturday night Emad Batayeh ( who sings in Arabic) at 6 eastern us time from Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/2023/02-february/taking-back-our-narrative-national-arab-orchestra/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDOIvj2ACkk

they were awesome live as noted above, highly recommended if you can see them in person

Enjoying the preview tracks for the forthcoming Yalla Miku album, which are a marriage of North African and western indie rock sounds:

https://yallamiku.bandcamp.com/album/yalla-miku

Will check that . Musicians are associated with Bongo Joe records in Geneva Switzerland I see .

https://www.projectspace-efanyc.org/mafer

Venezuela joropo llanero plains folk music in NYC

https://syrianmusic.org/events/earthquake-relief/?fbclid=PAAaYviml5QtMb_xXUpehWcp5MxgjREWTRnNiqyCLhKGKbnyUXsxKKQJHm1nQ

Syria & Turkey earthquake relief event in NY

enjoying Dost 2 by Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek this morning

https://deryayildirimandgrupsimsek.bandcamp.com/

2022 release

Listening to Kaleta and Super Yamba Band who are NYC based and they've got a retro 70s african sound down. They're opening a sold out DC gig tonight @ 930 Club for the Dip (daptone retro soul)). If you just take it as it is, and don't expect original touches it's fun stuff.

I went to a house party this past weekend and saw DC band Chopteeth do Orchestra Baobab, Fela, and covers of more obscure 70s African sounds, plus some of their own songs in those veins. It was fun also (12 piece band with horn section, organ, and more), albeit not that original .

Etran de L’air bring their desert rocking sound March 30 to Washington DC at Songbyrd

x-post -- I like Derya's vocals on tracks that Coors posted Tuesday

Corrs

“Bal” off that album is a jam and a half

Malian ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate and his family band will be back in the US of A on tour in April . April 7 free 1 hour gig at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage will also be streamed on their Youtube and Facebook

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-64393766?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=6411c4bfff51f554d28c14c4%26Congolese%20guitar%20supremo%20Lokassa%20ya%20Mbongo%20dies%262023-03-15T14%3A23%3A10.359Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:8d72c2f8-b507-40a4-a1db-a650c9cb659a&pinned_post_asset_id=6411c4bfff51f554d28c14c4&pinned_post_type=share

Congolese rhythm guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo has died, his long-time friend and fellow guitarist Ngouma Lokito has said.

Lokassa, who was 77, died on Tuesday night at a hospital in Nashua in New Hampishire, US, where he had been living since 1996.

Late last month, fellow guitarist Dally Kimoko told the BBC that Lokassa's health was fragile as he was battling diabetes and complications from a mild stroke he suffered in 2020.

Born Denis Kasiya Lokassa in 1946, the rhythm guitarist, arranger and composer was one of the founders of Soukous Stars alongside fellow guitarists Ngouma Lokito (bass) and Dally Kimoko (lead), and vocalists Yondo Sister, Ballou Canta, Neil Zitany and Shimita.

The band, formed in Paris in 1989, battled for attention during the Soukous explosion of the 1990s with Aurlus Mabele’s Loketo.

A Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen Area (lots of European countries) , per stay up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. Just saw this January article about African musicians struggles to get visas for Europe and elsewhere if they're flying through Europe on their way.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/21/african-music-stars-struggle-to-get-visas-to-europe?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Emma Nzioka, a Kenyan performer and DJ known as Coco Em, was looking forward to the Terra Sagrada festival in Cape Verde for nearly a year. Some of her favourite African artists, such as Boddhi Satva, would be playing.

But Nzioka did not make it to the festival last month, or out of the country, for that matter. At the check-in counter in Kenya, she was told she could not board her flight unless she bought a return ticket with the same airline (she had one with another airline) to “prove” she would return home. Although Nzioka was going to Cape Verde, she was transiting through Amsterdam....

Earlier this year, Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade’s requests for a Schengen visa reportedly went unanswered. The artist, who has several world tours under her belt, was also denied a Canadian visa for the International Africa Nights festival. The co-founder of the festival, Suzanne Rousseau, told CTV news in Canada she understood that the refusal was due to “financial reasons” and fears that the artist would “not want to leave Canada”.

Travel to, and transit through, Europe is difficult for Africans. The top three countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates are from the continent: Guinea-Bissau had 53% of its applications rejected, Senegal 52% and Nigeria 51%. Most African countries are in the bottom half of the global passports ranking, and with few exceptions, people from African countries need to obtain visas for more than 100 countries.

Old-school African acts who were able to get visas and tour US again (and play in Washington DC area tonight) :

Amadou & Mariam @ 930 Club (Afropop)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Barns of Wolf Trap (South African)

Have seen em several times plus had family responsibilities tonight so didn't go

New Altin Gün album sounds good. Not a huge fan of the vocals but the music is great.

A review of that Amsterdam-based Anatolian Turkish psych-rock band Altin Gun

https://www.popmatters.com/altin-gun-ask-album-review

I have been listening to Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba from Mali today. Old albums. He was working on a new album before he and his band just came to the US for a tour

Saw Etran de L’Air in DC a night or two before they played Big Ears fest. Solid Saharan desert rockin with a great encore that featured a faster tempo and one musician doing some lively dancing and swaying with his guitar.

Winey praised them over on the Big Ears fest thread

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/reconsidering-the-ordinary-on-andrew-simons-media-of-the-masses/?fbclid=IwAR1t-JHVvbThjsl50LIchrfgxvYk1WyzmdGK_wOQiHCLxHHyFGyB88V9Ua8&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Marc Masters review of a book about Egyptian cassette culture

Watched some of the Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba set at Kennedy Center that's on their Youtube. Good, but more laidback than one I recall seeing in DC many years back. Maybe new one picks up energy in second half. Saw some folks praising their Big Ears set

Haven't checked this out yet ---

https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/the-best-albums-of-winter-2023

Ends Meet is the latest LP from Cairo producer 3Phaz, and shows him delving deeper into his signature style—fusing popular working-class Egyptian musical styles (shaabi and its descendant, mahraganat) which were often dismissed as “low culture” with forward-thinking electronic production. This isn’t exactly new territory—plenty of artists seek to fuse these vibrant street styles with other genres—but what makes 3Phaz’s work so exciting is his endless creativity, his ability to find new possibilities in every track. (Also, this is heady, brainy music, but one doesn’t need a degree to enjoy it—truly music of the people, for the people.) “Shabber” brings shaabi together with gabber, often the butt of jokes in the rave world but still beloved by its now-niche audience, resulting in a heart-pounding dancefloor workout. On “Shoulder Dance,” complex polyrhythms are given their space to shine. This is a celebration of both Cairo’s inventive contemporary electronic scene and the enduring power of the music of the Egyptian streets,

New 33 1/3 book by Lior Phillips on the history of South African popular music, coming out May 4

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/south-african-popular-music-9781501383427/

From the storied ache of mbube harmonies of the '40s to the electronic boom of kwaito and the amapiano and house explosion of the '00s, this book explores vignettes taken from across South Africa's popular music history. There are moments in time where music can be a mighty weapon in the fight for freedom. Disguised in a danceable hook or shouted for the world to hear, artists have used songs to deliver important truths and bring listeners together in the face of a segregated reality. In the grip of the brutal apartheid era, South Africa crafted its own idiosyncratic popular musical vernacular that operated both as sociopolitical tool and realm of escape. In a country with 11 official languages, music had the power to unite South Africans in protest. Artists bloomed a new idyll from the branches of countless storied musical traditions, and in turn found themselves banned or exiled-the profound epiphany that music can exist both within the pleasure of itself and for serving a far greater purpose.

table of contents on link

that looks exciting

sad lol at an entire country's music being cast as a "genre" but marketing is what it is

Yes, good point and the idea of covering a country's history of music in one 33 & 1/3

This just past Saturday night saw this:

Afropop Worldwide: The African Rivers Project with music about the Niger by Niger River Ensemble and the Congo,by Kinshasa Allstars, hosted by Georges Collinet & Banning Eyre of Afropop Worldwide @ 8 @ Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater

Congo Allstars had some members of Soukous Stars. They had that great old-school Congolese rumba guitar thing going. Plus 2 impressive dancers. Niger River Ensemble had a calabash drummer, ngoni, kora and guitarists. Plus a Gambian flute player on some songs. Good rhythmic traditional music. Screen behind both acts shows photos of the rivers and riverside scenes.

xp oof yeah, the previous entries in the "Genre" series are Dance-Punk, Death Metal, and Trip-Hop. OTOH I would much rather read this book than those others

Today Monday-

Popular Music Books in Process Series
Monday, April 17, 5pm EST
Christopher Silver and Andrew Simon
From Records to Cassettes: Acoustic Culture Across the Middle East

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81252540098?pwd=a0RLWU9KSmtGL1g3ZGtsR2lCZVRZdz09
Meeting ID: 812 5254 0098 Passcode: 299921

Moving from records to cassettes, this conversation will explore acoustic culture across the Middle East and North Africa and the power of popular culture to reshape our understanding of the past.

In Recording History, Christopher Silver provides the first history of the music scene and recording industry across twentieth century Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. In doing so, he offers insights into Jewish-Muslim relations through the rhythms that animated them. By asking what North Africa once sounded like, Silver will introduce the Popular Music Books in Process community to a world of many voices, whose music defined their era and still resonates into our present.

Taking a mixtape approach to Media of the Masses, Andrew Simon will share some aspects of his new book on the history of Egypt’s cassette culture, introducing the dawn of a new musical genre and the alleged “death” of public taste, the advent of piracy as a popular practice and attempts to police it, and subversive compositions that undermined the "official stories" told by states and traveled near and far on noncommercial cassettes

I think they archive these Monday book talks so you can see / hear them later

I will read that South Africa book, but I fear that it will not tell me the things about maskandi that I really want to know.

I know very little about South African maskandi music other than that it is/was Zulu acoustic music played on guitar and concertina , so won't be able to gauge how thorough the book is .

Music is made from the street before it hits the books. In between 2016 & 2017 I spent some time in KwaZulu Natal with Maskanda with informants and practitioners. Full video available on my YouTube channel #maskanda #guitar #guitarist #southafricanguitar #maskandaguitarist pic.twitter.com/4JlY9xRPM0

— Billy Monama (@BillyMonama) February 16, 2023

Oh that’s maskanda which may be different from maskandi

Zulu music

Congolese electro with scrap metal & jury-rigged percussion band Kokoko! is in Brooklyn this weekend and doing a Montreal gig but nowhere else on east coast. They do have some middle of US gigs and west coast ones

I saw the Montreal show last night, it was super fun! Just a duo, but still powerful and loud. Shout out to La Lechera who posted once about how good they were live, which lingered with me enough to inspire me to go out on a rainy Monday night

Nice

Went to see Alvorada, a London based band of mixed Brazilian and British musicians, do a tribute to choro pioneer Pixinguinha at SOAS yesterday. Part of La Linea festival, which has had some good stuff that's happened and some good stuff that's still going to happen - bummed I won't be able to catch new Fado talent Duarte on Saturday.

https://www.comono.co.uk/la-linea/

I don't really know anything about choro but the music felt immediately familiar and infectious. Would be cool to have a Brazilian equivalent to Bob Stanley's "Let's Do It" for pre-Bossa Brazil; I know Ruy Belo did a book on samba canção, should track that down.

I am vaguely familiar with choro but yeah not the specifics on this older Brazilian hybrid genre

upcoming July 28 show in Bryant Park in NYC sounds fun-- https://bryantpark.org/calendar/event/carnegie-hall-citywide-champe-soukous-collective

The Champe-Soukous Collective is an All-Star ensemble that bridges the Trans-Atlantic connection between Colombian champeta and it’s source music of Central African/Congolese soukous-rumba.

From Central Africa, the group features such historic performers as vocalists Wawali Bonane Bungu (Congo), Mis Blandine (Congo), Ricardo Lemvo (Angola/Congo/USA), and soukous guitar legend Huit Kilos Nseka (Congo).

From Colombia, the Collective includes the core of Colombia’s “champeta champions” Tribu Baharu as the ensemble’s rhythm foundation as well Sidestepper vocalist Eka Gordom (Colombia), horns Oscar “El Kike” Banquez amongst others.

Together, the force of this un-paralleled Champe-Soukous Collective will be an Afro-Colombian dance party not to be missed!

Performers:
Tribu Baharu (Colombia)
Wawali Bonane Bungu (Congo)
Eka Gordom (Colombia)
Mis Blandine (Congo)
Ricardo Lemvo (Angola/Congo/USA)
Huit Kilos Nseka (Congo)
Oscar “El Kike” Banquez (Colombia)

Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band were so fucking awesome. They had the entire club in the palms of their hands for 90 minutes, it was insane. I knew their records were good but man that was amazing.

Baba Commandant is doing a free live show that will also be streamed by the Kennedy Center in DC On May 26; and is on a bill in Baltimore the next night with great Indonesia singer Peni Candra Rini

Dada strain Substack recommendation:

amäya, Senegal (self-released) - An Afrobeat orchestra of London- and Brighton-based jazz-dance vets, led by Senegalese vocalist Khadim Sarr, Yamäya's secret sauce is in the crisp, powerful five-piece horn section, percussion corps, and charts that build and build. Swinging bangers found here

Indonesian gamelan & more singer Peni Candra Rini is impressive

Fatoumata Diawara, London Ko new album is out

Damon Albarn I think produced the Diawara album. I haven't heard it yet.

Saw video on Facebook of The Champe-Soukous Collective that I mentioned upthread, rehearsing in Colombia. They sounded great .

Reading more praise of Baba Commandant

Saw 1 negative take on Fatoumata Diawara that seemed to blame Blur guy D Albarn for direction
Still haven’t listened yet but intend to

x-post - Listening to the new Fatoumata Diawara album and am reminded of how great her voice is. Even if all the tracks don't work .

I think you're going to love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSc3CiyZHYI

Nakibembe Embaire Group - Omukazi Iwe Ongeyengula Nguli Zna Ntyo Bwenkola

The embaire is a large wooden xylophone performed by up to eight musicians simultaneously, who weave together polyrhythmic short melodic phrases. Ensemble members may also sing in unison or in call and response, playing with other percussive instruments to keep the tempo. The results are ecstatic compositions that flow endlessly, creating waves of coalescing grooves.

https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/nakibembe-embaire-group?from=embed

Yes I do. I think I just saw the other night an IG story with a video of that embaire being played. Wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHse1OFLco4

Baba Commandant & Mandingo band live for an hour at Kennedy Center

<3

I loved certain Baba C songs last night in Baltimore live, and via the YouTube Friday at Kennedy Center. I liked the ones that were fairly straightforward Fela inspired dance music. I was less into ones where guitarist went for Santana like solos

New Tinariwen album out is mentioned on their own thread

more of the same and it's excellent

there probably is a thread for bands that make the same album over and over (but do it well)

Saw Kaleta and Super Yamba band do a free show yesterday. Leon “Kaleta” Ligan-Majek has performed in Nigerian bands led by both juju giant King Sunny Adé and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. His band is Brooklyn based . Some nice old school grooves at times but Kaleta’s voice didn’t wow me

News from Billboard:

YOASOBI’s “Idol” soars to No. 1, from No. 6, on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey (dated June 10). The song, originally sung in Japanese, hit the top 10 six weeks earlier and now becomes the duo’s first leader on the list following the May 26 release of its English-language version.

“Idol” is also the first song originally performed in Japanese to top the Global Excl. U.S. chart.

Meanwhile, Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” rebounds to No. 1, from No. 2, on the Billboard Global 200 chart. It reigns for a fourth total week, having become the chart’s first leader for the regional Mexican genre.

France-based Cameroonian singer/guitarist Blick Bassy is back with a new album and is going to be touring Europe and North America in July and August. He got some attention here back in 2019 I think for his 1958 album

Bandcamp bio -

singer and composer Blick Bassy is back with a fifth album, again sung in the Baasa language of Cameroon. Madíbá brings together twelve songs in the form of fables, dedicated to the theme of water, in which his high and angelic voice dominates, carried by delicate guitar, synthesizer melodies, and sober brass arrangements. The cuts are diaphanous and nevertheless, modernist songs, which testify to a contemporary and poetic Africanity at the crossroads of soul, folk, and electro.
credits
released May 26, 2023

https://blickbassy.bandcamp.com/album/m-dib

trying to decide if I should buy tickets for the Montreal date or not. I liked 1958 a lot but found the new one a little shapeless, though I don't think I got too far into it

Despite the shapelessness, I like his voice and guitar sound and may go see the Washington DC date anyway. I don't hear that type of old-school rooted but modern afropop live very often

yeah it does feel like a rare opportunity here too, I should probably go on principle

Was impressed with Instagram story video clips I saw of NY based band Habbina Habbina who were playing some sort of Middle Eastern surf music

Fatoumata Diawara is touring Europe all summer and then doing a few US dates in September in support of her Damon Albarn produced album. Plus I am getting pr emails about remixes of individual songs . I still need to listen to it more

Tamikrest, North African desert band is doing a July 19 Kennedy Center gig that will also be streamed. Jupiter and Okwess doing the same on July 27

recommendations after catching some good stuff at Roskilde Festival

Siti Muharam, taarab tunes from Zanzibar, on a small Europe tour atm, album is from 2020 though
https://sitimuharam.bandcamp.com/album/siti-of-unguja-romance-revolution-on-zanzibar

dal:um, Korean duo playing traditional (somewhat harplike but more wood-y) string instruments gayageum and geomungo in a contemporary style, 2023 single called "dot"
https://dalum.bandcamp.com/track/dot

also had a chance to see Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek mentioned upthread and they are playing very well, great singer too, and Tinariwen too, always a joy

tabou combo are playing a free show at long island's eisenhower park tonight.

Wow, Tabou Combo still at it . They were great when I saw them live many years ago. I like their old-school Haitian konpa sound better than the more polished and more American r’n’b influenced current Haitian music I have heard ( says old guy me!)

they were good! it was listed in the brochure just as "creole-american night," without any band name, so i'm glad i looked into it further. 55 years in the biz, so they said.

Cool you saw them and they still sound good; sad how it was marketed

A Tamikrest 6 to 7 pm US eastern time gig will be streaming live tonight Wednesday July 19 from 6 to 7 pm on the Kennedy Center Youtube and Facebook pages. It will also be archived on the Youttube page. The band has North and West African musicians plus French ones.

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/2023/07-july/tamikrest/

They sound pretty good there, except for some Western style solos

Jupiter and Okwess live at Kennedy Center on YouTube and Facebook now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uO0FlR5wdY

Jupiter & Okwess 1 hour Kennedy Center gig archived

I'm listening to the King Ayisoba album that came out in Feb and it's awesome: https://ayisoba.bandcamp.com/album/work-hard

this mix of Senegalese street soul music from the 80s and 90s is truly excellent

https://www.nts.live/shows/total-stasis/episodes/total-stasis-11th-july-2023

oooh ty

This past week’s military takeover in the West African nation of Niger toppled the final domino in a band across the girth of Africa, from Guinea in the west to Sudan in the east, now controlled by juntas that came to power in a coup — all but one in the past two years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/world/africa/africa-coups-niger.html

Not good for musicians or anyone

Keyboardist Jantra, unknown in Khartoum, doesn't even know his album is out. Without a telephone, he continues his search for inspiration in Sudan, combining traditional music and celestial melodies. The latest craziness from the Ostinato label. https://t.co/SzQ7nCuacn

— Pan African Music (@panafricanmusic) August 1, 2023

the wording of that tweet made me think this was going to be a bad story about a non-African label ripping people off, but it's not! https://pan-african-music.com/en/synthesized-sudan-jantra/

also this album is amazing based on the first full track

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mdou-moctar-while-they-cannot-return-home

Was just coming here to post that Mdou Moctar go fund me re their inability to get back to Niger due to the coup

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2023/08/07/bobi-wine-the-peoples-president-movie-review/

A review of movie doc “Bobi Wine: the People’s President “ which is about a reggae singer who ran for president in Uganda in 2021

I haven’t seen it yet

Listening to Rophnan now. A young Ethiopian guy who sold out 2,500 capacity Echostage in DC last night. They usually have Anglo techno there. Rophnan melds some old school Ethiopian sounds with electro and hiphop.

Senegalese singer Baaba Maal has a new album out called Being

and Afro-funky Zimbabwe band Mokoomba out a new album out a month ago
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/01/mokoomba-tusona-tracings-in-the-sand-review-stirring-pan-african-sounds-flowing-from-the-zambezi

Also a good reissue on Bandcamp. A guitarist from Cameroon’s Les Tet Brûlées, who were together in late 80s pays tribute to the band’s late leader Zanzibar

https://gibraltardrakus.bandcamp.com/album/hommage-a-zanzibar

I am kinda liking all of the last 4 efforts I posted about -- by Rophnan, Baaba Maal, Mokoomba, Gibraltar Drakus

Listened again to Mokoomba last night. Strong rhythms , and powerful lead vocals and harmonies. Some might hear it as retro but hopefully afrobeats and amapiano listeners might still like it

Liked a song I just heard on WfMU from Roger Bekono who is from Cameroon and has a reissue out via Awesome Tapes from Africa

hey curmudgeon have u heard new blick bassy? not as jaw-dropping as 1958 maybe in part for not being as thematically focused? but quite beautiful and imo still one of the major vocal talents recording today.

No, will have to give a listen

Like Blick Bassy's voice on new one which feels like it is melding a bit of an indie rock & pop electronic feel to his tuneful Cameroonian one. Just saw an article about him that says he's been listening to James Blake and Bon Iver lately and I can hear that a little

Big Senegalese African Ball event in NYC tonight and I think Brooklyn Carnival this weekend. But I am in DC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJMugtcTVvw

Ethiocolor music and dance troupe from
Addis, Ethiopia at Kennedy Center last night
Sometimes traditional and folkloric sometimes pop

https://unicornriot.ninja/2023/makeba-a-viral-tiktok-trend-pays-homage-to-mama-africa/

Long long article/ post about M Makeba and a tiktok trend

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66568081

Salif Keita supports military coup in Mali

https://www.theafricareport.com/321727/in-mali-timbuktu-grapples-with-resurgent-jihadist-threat/

Jihadists blocking Timbuktu. No matter who is currently in charge in Mali, life is hard .

Lots of tough times now in Libya, Niger, and parts of Morocco also

https://africasacountry.com/2023/07/false-progress

Article suggests that just as there is a Latin Grammys and awards for Latin music at other Grammys, the same is needed for African music ( as opposed to what was recently done )

Article is from July 2023 but I just came across it

Madalisto 6 to 7 pm ET Fri Sept 15 free @ Kenn. Ctr Mill. Stage (& streamed on K. Ctr FB & Youtube) (Malawi duo)

The Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy album posted up thread is so good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLVVO9cSkDY

That’s the Madalisto guitar duo from
Kennedy Center.

X post- yeah the Alogte Oho gospel highlife is good

More Frafra Gospel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKPi_HQJH1o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0w8x4CI91w
https://lindaayupuka.bandcamp.com/album/god-created-everything

Saw Alogte Oho & His Sounds at the End of the Road festival, insanely good. I'm no expert on the genre or Ghanaian music, but seemed like a really fluid, virtuosic collective, huge grooves, great at working the crowd. Maybe the best thing I saw (along with the not at all similar Nina Nastasia).

Ted Gioia is praising Jantra: Synthesized Sudan: Astro-Nubian Electronic Jaglara Dance Sounds from the Fashaga Underground

Really enjoyed the Kayhan Kalhor / Toumanié Diabaté album (The Sky is the Same Colour Everywhere), very pleasant autumn album of glistening strings, the Iranian (cello-like) Kamancheh especially shines.

Also the BCUC (Millions of Us) from South Africa was good fun, hypnotic jams constructed on percussion and slapping bass with a variety of vocals on top.

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/amp/news/south-africa/2023-10-01-political-activist-and-musician-julian-sebothane-bahula-has-died/

Julian S Bahula RIP. Was Malombo Jazz founder and activist who organized the first Free Nelson Mandela concert

A Malombo Jazz comp on Strut got some love on ilx some years back

Baba Commandant and Mandingo band (Burkina Faso afrobeat on Sublime Frequencies label) are on their second big US tour now . They're not bad (although didn't wow me when I saw them).

Friday October 13--Alan Bishop as Alvarius B (Sun City Girls guitarist plays outsider folk w/ Egyptian influences) solo and does a Q & a before movie doc “Invisible Hands” a documentary film about Bishop & his band, Invisible Hands, one of two of his Egypt based groups) @ 7:30 @ Lost Origins Gallery in Washington DC

Saturday October 14- Dwarves of East Agouza ( Cairo based w/ Alan Bishop from Sun City Girls & Maurice Louca & Sam Shalabi) , Deakin & Geologist ( of Animal Collective), Jenny Moon Tucker @ Rhizome in DC

Mon. Oct 16- Baba Commandant and Mandingo band (Sublime Frequencies label band) @ 6 pm @ the Mt Pleasant Library (Burkina Faso afrobeat) in Washington DC

“Musical Brotherhoods of the Trans-Saharan Highway” 2005 film about street musicians in Marrakesh, Morocco plaza by Hisham Mayet w/ a q & a w/Sublime Frequencies label head & director Mayet and musician Alan Bishop @ 7:30 @ Lost Origins

Fri. October 20-
Dwarfs of East Agouza (Alan Bishop from Sun City Girls) with Deakin + Geologist, @, and Androgynous Bulge @ The Compound, 2239 Kirk Avenue in Baltimore

https://x.com/nyegenyegefest/status/1707757121733853412?s=46&t=u2ZSlsY3trRV36IPP6jNDQ
Nyege Nyege fest in Uganda in November with acts from all over the world

Musical Brotherhoods of the Trans-Saharan Highway” 2005 film about street musicians in Marrakesh, Morocco plaza by Hisham Mayet w/ a q & a w/Sublime Frequencies label head & director Mayet and musician Alan Bishop @ 7:30 @ Lost Origins

The dvd of this is sold out, it's not streaming anywhere that I saw in a search but lucky me did get an online version because I wrote a preview of the Monday doc event. Some great Moroccan street musicians in this playing oud and other instruments and singing and chanting. Names of the musicians though are just bundled together at the end (Sublime Frequencies director Hisham Mayet just wants viewers to be in the moment and not reading subtitles or seeing interviews and such )

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-israeli-forces-arrest-palestinian-singer-dalal-abu-amneh

Palestinian Singer and neurologist Dalal Abu Amneh arrested

Saw Baba Commandant & band again the other night. Liked em more than when I had first seen them in the spring ( guitarist’s solos back then didn’t wow me).

Sublime F show w/ Baba Commandant & Dwarfs of East Agouza in Queens ; and I see on Dada Strain substack that this is also tonight in NY

London-based Nigerian vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader Dele Sosimi first made his name in Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80, then in Femi’s Positive Force. But for the past decade, Sosimi has been a cornerstone of London’s Afrobeat and soul community, making a steady stream of excellent recordings under his own name, while playing with many others. He’s making an all-too-rare New York appearance to celebrate the release of producer Joe Claussell’s mixes of Sosimi’s 2002 solo debut, “Turbulent Times.” This free event at Clausell’s record shop is billed as a talk, but don’t be surprised if funky live sounds emanate at Cosmic Sounds in Bushwick

I missed that Haitian movie N&d Subl#tte announced via email yesterday morning he was showing via zoom last night

From a dust to digital email:

Several years ago, we were blown away by a cellphone video from Zimbabwe. The two-minute clip, originally shared by deeptrender2328 on YouTube, featured blind guitarist Daniel Gonora performing on a street in Harare with his 10-year-old son, Isaac, playing along on his homemade drumkit. In a 2017 interview Daniel stated, “People should not think we are destined to play on the streets forever because coming to the streets is so we can get someone to help us progress to the next level and when that happens, we will be going for shows.”

David Aglow, who runs The Vital Record, saw the same video and was inspired to travel to Zimbabwe in hopes of bringing Daniel's music to a wider listening audience. The result was the studio album "Hard Times Never Kill" by Gonora Sounds, which was released last year. We were excited to be a partner on the release of the digital edition of the album.

Very cool record of largely solo guitar -
https://vumbidekula.bandcamp.com/album/congo-guitar

Nice old school Congolese rumba playing on that

Kahanga Dekula, nicknamed ‘Vumbi’, is a Congolese guitarist who has been playing with a range of other artists such as Makonde Band and Orchestra Maquis for more than forty years and has, only now, got round to releasing his first solo album

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/onipa-off-the-grid-interview

UK- Ghana act Onipa try to blend traditional and modern afropop

Listened again to this year’s Baba Maal album and it sounded strong.

On 3 November, Hailu Mergia releases Pioneer Works Swing (Live) on LP, CD, Tape, Digital and Deluxe Edition, which includes 3-color vinyl, poster, OBI strip and a bonus 7” (limited to 500 copies). The first single “Belew Beduby” is available today on all digital platforms. Mergia fans may recognize the tune in a drastically different arrangement from Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument.

Finally, we have a recorded document of the keyboard player’s powerful DC-based trio—which practices each weekend in his basement—featuring Kenneth Joseph on drums and Alemseged Kebede on bass. Beautifully captured at one of their fiery live shows at the venerable Brooklyn non-profit cultural center Pioneer Works on July 1, 2016, the concert was recorded by PW staff and mixed by Ted Young with mastering by ATFA’s expert audio extraction collaborator Jessica Thompson.

big Hailu fan, not sure I need this live album but happy it's there for posterity

what I need is to see him play again

great band

Hailu was a Real nice guy when I met him . He lives not far from me in DC area but doesn’t gig a lot . Practices every week though with his band in his basement.

He is going to do some tour gigs shortly

Where Israelis, Palestinians and Iranians Must Listen to One Another
Students from the Middle East come to Berlin to study music with the star conductor Daniel Barenboim. Now the Israel-Hamas war is testing their ideals

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/31/arts/music/israeli-palestinian-barenboim-peacemaking.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/un-retreat-mali-disarray-violence-surges-2023-11-03/

The situation in northern Mali is a mess

I saw Rawanda duo The Good Ones do their only (!) US gig last night at a small 50 seat room in Washington DC. There were about 40 people there. One member stood and strummed acoustic guitar and the other guy sat and tapped on a large tambourine. Both delivered Beautiful vocal melodies and harmonies. Despite Not enough tempo changes for non-folky me, I still enjoyed show. They don’t speak much English so no chatter between songs. The percussionist banged together a pair of boots rather than using his tambourine drum on one song. On the encore they marched down the aisle there and used their feet and handclaps as percussion for their soothing vocals. These guys are survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and live in a rural area there . Might also be farmers. Their lyrics might deal with heavy subjects. They are recording an NPR Tiny Desk today. They were supposed to play NY the other day, but got blocked somehow from flying out via Amsterdam the other day and had to wait an additional day. Their American producer spoke last night and was blaming Rawanda and Dutch authorities for the delay

Is anything from this thread on best rolling albums 2023? It seems to me that both old-school style and new school afropop, as well as Spanish language music still seems to be labeled niche music in these polls in a manner that US and UK pop , rock, r’nb , and rap isn’t

Ignored as niche music I mean while Tubs get so much love for their Richard Thompson meets punk approach

BCUC mentioned upthread were just in the Boston area recently as a writer pal of mine from that way posted a photo on social media.

Asake, Baaba Maal, Mokoomba all sound as worthy to me as ilx rock fave the Tubs (who i kinda like too)

Grammys nominees for Feb 2024 awards

Best Global Music Performance

For new vocal or instrumental Global music recordings.

Shadow Forces
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily

Alone
Burna Boy

FEEL
Davido

Milagro Y Disastre
Silvana Estrada

Abundance In Millets
Falu & Gaurav Shah (Featuring PM Narendra Modi)

Pashto
Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

Todo Colores
Ibrahim Maalouf Featuring Cimafunk & Tank And The Bangas

Grammys nominees for Feb 2024 awards

Best Global Music Album

For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Global Music recordings.

Epifanías
Susana Baca

History
Bokanté

I Told Them...
Burna Boy

Timeless
Davido

This Moment
Shakti

https://pan-african-music.com/en/egypt-cassette-culture/

1970s Egyptian music on cassettes

Uncut albums of the year 2023- 31. Baaba Maal – Being

Yay

First heard by global audiences on Sahel Sounds’ Music from Saharan WhatsApp series, Malian guitar hero Bounaly (the stage name of Ali "Bounaly" Traore) makes his full-length debut with “Dimanche à Bamako” (“Sunday in Bamako”). Recorded live on location, the music on "Dimanche à Bamako" is a mix of regional favorites, traditional standards, and originals. Long songs with looping rhythms, pounding kick drums, and electric shredding guitars, punctuated by shout-outs to the guests of honor. A raw and frenetic take on Northern Mali desert sound, playing for the diaspora at a Bamako wedding. …

Bounaly is on Bandcamp. Cool Malian guitar sound. Sahel Sounds has a vinyl version

El Khat trio’s Yemen music sounds great live tonight in little Bossa club in DC . They are on a short tour. Were in NY last night. Chanted Arabic vocals, drummer uses kitchen pots and a drum kit, lead vocalist uses a stringed instrument. Not sure what the instrument is called that other guy is using

Final night of their us tour. This gig didn’t get much media attention, but small enthusiastic crowd for El Khat

I need to catch up on El Khat recorded efforts. I think they have a few or 3 albums out. They toured here as a trio , but I see photos with 4 guys and mentions of middle eastern horn instruments (they didn't have any of those last night)

RIP Sara Tavares, Cape Verde/ Portuguese singer/ guitarist dead from a brain tumor at 45

FUCK

Her eurovision entry was a big song of my childhood and she was an important element of representation for the Afro-Portuguese community at a time when all sorts of racist bullshit still flew on tv (tbh I can't say that it doesn't still).

Terrible news. I have seen similar reactions on Instagram and twitter (many from those in the Afro-Portuguese community), and must confess that for American suburbanite me my exposure was just hearing about her playing Globalfest in NY in 2007 and similar "world music" marketing. I wasn't even aware of the Eurovision entry. She's gone way too soon.

53. Tinariwen – Amatssou

From Uncut magazine best 2023 albums

wtfffffff

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HuZH0P1mL/

i'm gutted. one of the best shows i've seen in years.

Yes . terrible news. Mamadou Sanou (Baba Commandant) passed away in his home town of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso yesterday. All we know at the moment is, a fatal bout of malaria was the reason.

Saw he and his band in DC and in Baltimore this year. Damn malaria....

Christopher Silver is the founder and curator of the website Gharamophone.com, a digital archive of North African records from the first half of the twentieth century. His first book Recording History: Jews, Muslims, and Music Across Twentieth Century North Africa was published in June 2022

Not familiar with his website or book but gonna look into them

Banning Eyre loves the 2023 Mokoomba album and I do too

https://afropop.org/articles/mokoomba-tusona-tracings-in-the-sand

Okwy Osadebe and Highlife Soundmakers International: Igbo Amaka (Palenque)
Nigerian, the son of Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe (1936-2007), an Igbo highlife star in Lagos from his first album in 1958. During the 1970s, highlife was eclipsed by juju and afrobeat, but I always found the early stuff especially charming, as is this slight update. **- Tom Hull review

just reading a reference to : Gouyad music and I see that:

Kompa gouyad is a popular Haitian music genre that blends African rhythms with Caribbean influences. It features a fast tempo and upbeat melodies, accompanied by percussion instruments like drums and tambourines.

Here's a konpa gouyad 2023 mix . I see mixes of konpa gouyad going back to 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_h2STVOGU

Part of Ted Gioia list not paywalled

It includes Blick Bassy
Mádibá
Soulful Electropop Sung in the Baasa Language of Cameroon

Various Artists
Ears of the People: Ekonting Songs from Senegal and Gambia
Traditional African Music Performed on the Ekonting, a Three-Stringed Gourd Lute

This from Ted Gioia ‘s honorable mention list

Listened to Baaba Maal 2023 album Being again . It's a best of. Mokoomba 2023 one is good too, plus afropop/afrobeats and more Asake

Bounaly: Dimanche à Bamako (Sahel Sounds)
Guitarist Ali Traore, from Niafounke in north Mali, recorded live at a wedding bash in Mali's capitol city, a haven for many refugees from the jihad in the north. With vocals, drums, and calabash, the recording a little crude but powerful

I need to listen to this Tom Hull favorite again

is he playing Amadou & Mariam tunes? or is Dimanche à Bamako a kind of standard/expression?

He’s not playing their songs . It has apparently become a common expression. He’s a north Malian who moved down to Bamako as the jihadists up north have made it nearly impossible for musicians.

Plus Bounaly recorded this live on a Sunday, and that expression means “Sunday in Bamako” I think

It does yeah.

https://afropop.org/articles/afropop-top-videos-2023-the-final-seven

Congolese, Senegalese and more afropop band and solo videos

https://theatticmag.com/news/2456/staff-picks-_-november-and-december-2023.html

Some cool stuff here

60 Minutes did a 20-minute piece on Gnawa music last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti1Nqaju4lY

Cool. Thanks , always wondered how to pronounce “gnawa “

Yeah, that was my big takeaway — "Oh shit, I've been pronouncing this word wrong for 30 years!" I always just pronounced it "nah-wah" with a silent G. Fortunately, that was mostly in my head as I almost never had to say it out loud. Except for the time I interviewed Bill Laswell about recording in Morocco, of course. And he didn't correct me...

I guess the Master Musicians of Joujouka who were Not in that 60
minutes segment are Sufi musicians but their music is not considered Gnawa

I still have to watch those 7 videos linked above in the afropop. Org list. That website usually posts a “Stockings stuffer” end of year list by now, but I am not seeing one.

I also need to dig into that attic one

Saw Tinariwen show up on someone’s 2023 list . Had forgotten about that one

Just saw elsewhere 2 best of 2023 references to Piconema: East African Hits on the Colombian Coast . I haven’t heard it yet and haven’t seen references to it elsewhere here on ILM

I heard it. It was an OK compilation of mostly early 80s guitar jams — if you like rumba (the African style) and that sort of thing, you'll probably enjoy this. I'm more of a highlife and juju person so it didn't do much for me.

It's 2024, time for a new thread

Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2024 Thread (Often African guitar led bands)