Rolling Global Sublime Whirled "World" Music Thread 2010(with an emphasis on African likely)

As in 2009 this will ideally serve as a catch-all thread for mostly non-English language international music that does not fit under the Afro-Latino threads or the Arabic threads or the Brazilian or Eastern European ones, Reggae/dancehall, etc. That is, mostly African music. New and reissues(although some folks just like to post on reissue only threads). I'm into Congolese, Malian, Senegalese, Nigerian, and more sounds, mostly afropop in feel, but if you want to highlight global "ghetto-tech" club sounds or rap or whatever, that's ok too. I like soca too, but I think I usually mention that on a Caribbean/soca thread.

www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid...

Bookmarked as I try to expand my horizons and have nothing to contribute

i bookmarked last year's but then sort of last track as the year went on. will try again...

Rolling Global Sublime Whirled Music 2009 (With an emphasis on African likely)

Here's last year's thread. Maybe Whiney will participate as I noticed alot of Malian albums on his huge list of albums he twittered about in 2009.

So my little Washington City Paper blog piece on Ethiopia's Teddy Afro got linked to by an Ethiopian blog and now all these worshipful Afro fans are posting comments on how they love their Teddy. I missed the show at the DC Armory last night.

In today's Washington Post, Chris Richards has a nice article on the DC area living Ethiopian bassist Tommy T. Gobena, who is now the bassist with Gogoll Bordello, the Balkan gypsy punk whatever band, but has also released an album in his own name, was playing in various DC Ethiopian restaurants, and released a cd by Gigi (who I like and others here do also) sometime in the recent past.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101256.html

Man they were pumpin that Tommy T record, I wasn't convinced though.

I will be more active here this year, probably.

I haven't heard it. Just figured, as with Teddy Afro, that I should check out modern Ethiopian music not just old Ethiopiques stuff. I'm not wowed by Teddy Afro though.

I wonder if the "African Soul Rebels" tour with Oumou Sangare, Orchestre Poly Rythmo of Benin and South Africa's Kalahari Surfers that is in the UK in February and early March will come to the US?

Maybe I shoulda put "world music 2.0" in the subject line of this thread. That's Wayne Marshall's term for club music with African or other non-European, non-US aspects. I'm not too wowed by this stuff although I haven't heard enough. I'm not just an old-school Afropop type, I like some international rap too, I'm just not crazy about disco mixes (I sheepishly admit) although I do like Ten City and various other early house and NYC mid to late 70s stuff.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/02/ethno-techno-music-the-guide

Interesting. Although I am guessing that Wayne Marshall and others would say that kuduro beats and other like-minded international sounds are aesthetically exciting and that thanks to those who created them, are not Western colonial exoticism and exploitation.
As much as I like the Very Best album, I realized especially after seeing them live that what I liked was the old-school Malawian vocal melodies and the rhythms when they moved beyond club or techno. But the straightforward club beats do little for me no matter who creates them or where they are from(Do I sound like Sasha Frere-Jones whining about how club beats on Blackeyed Peas songs and those of other pop hits are dominating the American top 40 landscape? Or Eminem talking about techno?!).

I see that Wayne Marshall doesn't like BlackEyed Peas though---not world 2.0 ghetto-tech enough(I'm saying that not him).

for my fellow NY pretentious world ppls

http://www.globalfest-ny.org/

January 10
This year’s festival includes:
- Alif Naaba, West African acoustic song (Burkina Faso)
- Cara Dillon, striking Celtic vocalist (Ireland)
- Caravan Palace, swingin’ electro manouche jazz (France)
- Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Creole Zydeco heir from Louisiana (USA)
- Federico Aubele, bolero and cumbia meets electro downtempo (Argentina/USA)
- François Ladrezo & Alka Omeka, Gwo-ka master (Guadalupe)
- La Cumbiamba eNeYé, music from the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Colombia (Colombia/USA)
- La Excelencia, old-school salsa dura revivalists (USA)
- Meta and the Cornerstones, African roots reggae export (Senegal/USA)
- Namgar, Siberian shaman rock from the Central Asian steppes (Russia)
- Nguyên Lê’s Saiyuki, acclaimed French-Vietnamese guitarist leads a Pan-Asian jazz trio
(Vietnam/Japan/India/France)
- Nightlosers, Transylvanian blues-rock/Gypsy chameleons (Romania)

I went last year and half the acts were great and half were total NPR snake oil. Also tickets are mad asspensive, but it's worth a trip

La Excelencia have been touted on ILX's Afo-Latin thread. Guadelupian Ladrezeau is gonna be in DC for free and webcast from 6 to 7 US eastern time tonight on the Kennedy Center Mill. Stage. Young Creole dude Watson is very charismatic live (he's gonna be back in DC Friday and webcast from 6 to 7 at the K. Ctr Mill. stage). The Aubele cd I had bored me on 1 listen, but maybe I need to give it another shot (its got those trendy beats).

x-post--Meanwhile Simon Reynolds thinks the most interesting rhythms are coming from Animal Collective, Micachu, Vampire Weekend and the Dirty Projectors. No he doesn't get into the origin of their bass approach, he just wants to take shots at current hiphop for its alleged dullness and lack of innovation.

I listened to a little bit of Dirty Projectors the other day; I think Simon Reynolds and I have two different definitions of the word "interesting."

Re Globalfest, I've only heard Aubele and La Cumbiamba eNeYé; the former is quite boring and the latter is kinda good. Neither would inspire me to buy a ticket to the whole damn event, though.

It took me 3 listens but I decided I liked some Dirty Projector songs--the ones where the women sing seem less stiff and awkward. There are one or 2 songs that incorporate African style guitar work. Between those songs and the new Vampire Weekend cd, people can say they listen to African music without having to actually listen to Africans. Nah, I know that musicians paying homage like Brit rockers and the blues can be a good thing (sorta).

And yea incorporating those sounds into your Western pop or art-rock approach is more than or different than "homage".

But as important, I'm wondering if François Ladrezo & Alka Omeka, Gwo-ka master (Guadalupe) will be strictly folkloric on this tour or show some zouk influences, or be rhythmic and folkloric?

Anybody know whatever happened to Kassav?

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/live/?id=M4087

As much as I like the Very Best album, I realized especially after seeing them live that what I liked was the old-school Malawian vocal melodies and the rhythms when they moved beyond club or techno. But the straightforward club beats do little for me no matter who creates them or where they are from(Do I sound like Sasha Frere-Jones whining about how club beats on Blackeyed Peas songs and those of other pop hits are dominating the American top 40 landscape? Or Eminem talking about techno?!).

I absolutely agree with this. I'd go so far as to say that kuduro beats now seem kind of anonymously club to me, ironically because of their status as the raw exciting world dance music du jour (also because they sound so much like um fidget house etc.)

If anything what makes The Very Best album so enjoyable is the sense of distance it has from other global international language of booty exercises, guest appearances from M.I.A. notwithstanding.

Yea, that makes alot of sense.

x-post-

I'm watching Ladrezeau and company from Guadelupe online chanting and banging out percussion now. Definately not pop, but in doses this stuff is impressive.

Oh, and i do not know enough about UK funky or dubstep to talk about their relationship to world 2.0 music or dancehall or hiphop or r'n'b.

There were apparently 7,000 to 8,000 folks at the DC Armory for the late into the night/morning Teddy Afro show. The Afropop Worldwide folks came down from the NYC area (well George C. lives here). Here's Banning Eyre's (largely reverent) review of the show with photos--

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/925/Teddy%20Afro%20Wows%20DCs%20Ethiopian%20Community%20in%20Triumphant%20Return%20Concert

ethiops do love their Teddy, never seen the level of adulation he gets with any other artist here, he was playing tonight at the stadium in addis, achristmas show (jan 7 is ethiop christmas) and am sure the place was absolutely packed, saw tons o ppl heading that way some wearing tuxes which seemed a bit off for a stadium show but hey, who am i to judge

on another note, similar to the posting above re Globalfest for ppl in NYC an event tomorrow night (tonight?) well Friday the 8th at the 92y tribeca, 200 Hudson St billed as
Trouble Worldwide and Barbès Records present "Here Comes Trouble" 2010
Six bands play funky, crazy, dirty world music

more info here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186224957636&ref=nf

forgot to add the schedule and ticket info, Tickets are $15. Doors open at 7 pm for an 8 pm show. Ticket info is available at http://bit.ly/TroubleHere or 212.601.1000.

Here Comes Trouble includes:

8 PM - Bad reputation: Pierre de Gaillande Sings Brassens http://www.barbesrecords.com/brassens.html
Franco-American singer and composer re-imagines iconic French singer George Brassens' classics

8:45 PM - Rana Santacruz
http://www.myspace.com/ranasantacruz
“Irish Mariachi” from former member of Mexico's La Catrina.

9:30 PM - Pistolera
http://www.myspace.com/pistoleramusic
“...a foot-stomping sound that's one part ranchera and one part indie-pop.” -The New Yorker

10:15 PM - Chicha Libre
http://www.myspace.com/chichalibre
Latin rhythms, surf music, and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from the Amazon.

11:00 PM - The Cuban Cowboys
http://www.myspace.com/cubancowboys
"So hip-rocking, it makes you want to buy a cowboy hat and howl at the moon." - New York Post

11:45 PM - Slavic Soul Party!
http://www.myspace.com/slavicsoulparty
Fiery Gypsy brass, soulful Balkan anthems, and hip-grinding American funk.

Cuban Cowboys are playing DC for free at the Kennedy Center (and yes webcast) Saturday night from 6 to 7 pm.

The Festival in the Desert was moved farther south to Timbuktu do to fears of Al Queda attacks

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2010/0108/Mali-moves-music-festival-as-tourism-threatened-by-Al-Qaeda-threat

Whatever "Al Qaeda" is supposed to mean in this instance.

Yep.

So Christgau's best of '09 list is out. He's got some African releases and I think some other international stuff. He never seems to have made that effort to start reviewing more Latino stuff after he made that request for information on that arts journalism blog.

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/The-Dean-s-List-The-Best-Albums-of-2009/ba-p/2031

Kinda weird Christgau listing those Rough Guides to tango and merengue. Also, I'm curious about that Senegalese comp he listed. K'naan seems to be the rapper of choice for older critics. He's okay, but contrarian old guy me is not wowed and wonders how many African rappers without American record deals are releasing good stuff. Also as I have said before, I love the old-school afropop but obsessing just over that makes me feel like someone fixated only on '60s soul and '70s funk and ignoring everything since then.

And substituting just K'naan doesn't seem much better. It's a step in the right direction and its not as if I'm seeking out obscure unreleased African rappers, so maybe I should be careful with what I say (glass houses and all that).

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/arts/music/12globalfest.html?ref=arts

Pareles on the Global Fest in NYC. One little thing that some might think is nitpicky--Pareles kept using the term Cajun to describe the music of Cedric Watson and his band Et Bijou Creole, which is largely incorrect. Cajun is the music of white french-speaking folks and is more rooted in country while Creole and zydeco are the musics of Black french-speaking folks and are more rooted in the blues. While Black French speaker Watson does cover some Cajun, he plays alot more Creole and zydeco. I have read interviews with Black Louisianian zydeco musicians who get very peeved at being called Cajun. And yes, telling the difference between slow Cajun waltzes and Creole ones can be difficult.

Hi all! After scouring the board, I decided this would be the most appropriate place for a reggaeton song with a Middle Eastern conceit made by an Italian with an African moniker. I can't seem to quit playing it. In return for your patience, I'll try to keep up this year. Thanks, enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe6QE2EN_S0

OT: Major earthquake in Haiti; tsunami watch throughout the Caribbean.

Poor Haiti, that country never gets any good luck it seems.

The photos from there are so sad to look at. I gotta check with my old connections to Haitian music in DC. See if there are any benefit events happening so as to offer help that way (and spread the word).

Wyclef Jean's been tweeting that the Yele charity is the one to help, but their website has been overwhelmed and crashed.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9551832

I read elsewhere a December 11th blog post about a Boukman Experyans show in Haiti. I have not seen anything further about them since then.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake

ugh, yeah, was just reading up on Haitian music because of the big Lomax box set ... looks really rough down there!

Just saw this Lomax Haiti Box blog, although I haven't got the box yet--a ton of music.http://thehaitibox.blogspot.com/

thanks for the link -- hadn't seen that. Haiti Box looks amazing, and from the couple songs I've heard so far, sounds amazing too ...

Haiti: WTF?

The Haiti thread from ILE.

http://videokreyolkreyol.blogspot.com/

http://tvlakay.com/2010/01/haiti-earthquake-relief-fund-supremacy4-music-n-action/

Carimi producer and promoter Joubert Charles is one of the many dead in Haiti. http://www.kompamagazine.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=28373&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=20

Richard Morse, a Haitian-American who founded the Haitian band Ram, has been tweeting from Haiti-

http://twitter.com/RAMhaiti

for those who read French

http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/brunet/?p=883

I hope it does not say what I think it says about the singer of excellent Haitian band Phantoms.

http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/brunet/

Over the years I reviewed Haitian bands Boukman Eksperyans and Djakout Mizik, among others. I hope they are ok.

DUTTY ARTZ TROPICAL RELIEF FOR HAITI

DJs:

DJ Rupture
Matt Shadetek
Lamin Fofana
Feliz Cumbe
Bingy

THIS Saturday 1/16 10PM

Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery, NYC

RIP Haitian rapper Jimmy O

The 11th annual Haitian Compas Fest concert is supposed to take place today in Miami

http://web.hmipix.com/events/details/14-haitian-compas-festival-2010

None of the Miami area folks on this site like Haitian music it appears.

Or will go to this thread and read my babblings.

On a holiday weekend.

Partners with the Lomax estate will pledge a portion of the proceeds of the new (released just 2 months ago) 10-disk Alan Lomax Box Set of Haitian music, to Haitian relief.

was thinking of getting this anyway. now even more likely to. thanks for info.

yeah, that is very cool ... listening to the samples on the blog (link above) and it sounds great ...

(hopefully i get my [much-deserved] raise this month -- i'll celebrate by getting this ...)

It's available on eMusic, btw, but listed at, like, 288 credits.

ha! anyway, this is the kinda thing i think i'd rather own the physical object ...

otm

Meanwhile I keep looking at the Haitian music chatboards to see what is going on there now. I still don't see any news regarding Boukman Eksperyans but it appears at least some of the members of Djakout Mizik are ok

http://kompamagazine.com/kmboard/viewtopic.php?t=28392

I spoke to a guy in Maryland Haitian band Rafrechi. They are planning a benefit show for Friday January 22nd in Colombia, Maryland (halfway between DC and Baltimore)

Here is Rafrechi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jysa2ZFHwnw

This is a little late, but I finally bought Maria Rita's Segundo and I like it quite a bit. Perhaps the weakest part for me is the accompaniment which seems merely like accompaniment, at least on the couple superficial listens I've given it so far. I'm not sure how bad that is, however, given how strong Rita's vocals are, and given the general quality of the material she's singing. I'm sure there are a lot of people outside of Brazil who would connect with her music but who simply have not heard it. Even after her big Latin Grammy wins, and even despite her being the daughter of Elis Regina, she seems kind of low profile here in the U.S. I guess that's just the way it is with Brazilian music generally. But even her visibility among "world music" artists seems lower than what I think it deserves. Hopefully she has a long career ahead of her, with time for this to be remedied.

Not that there aren't likely to be dozens of other recent Brazilian artists I would like if I only got to hear them.

Anyway, I have to remind myself that maybe Maria Rita is quite happy to merely be really popular in a country with a population of 190 million people and isn't overly concerned with a potential English-speaking, American audience.

I have one of her cds(I'm not sure how many she has released and don't feel like looking it up now!) but not the latest. I think I like her post-bossa nova better than Bebel Gilberto but as you note Maria's US visibility seems to have dropped off the map (not that she had much to begin with--but Bebel, thanks to her beats, her name, and marketing and touring, gets much more US web and ink attention).

New CD from Sunny Jain (but not the one I'm waiting for), Red Baraat - Chaal Baby, which you can stream here:

http://www.jainsounds.com/Home.html

The new CD mostly likely to end up listed as Matt Cibula's 37th best CD of this decade.

Also, I wonder what Jordan thinks of it, since it would be good to hear from someone who actually knows and cares about brass bands.

Just pointing it out really. I don't care for it from what I'm hearing so far.

I once tried to keep up a bit on Indian music and Indian hybrid stuff, but for now I'm sticking with African and Caribbean.

Re Haitian music that I know a little about, I see that thankfully the members of some Haitian outfits have survived, although everything is such a mess there it seems kind of tacky to talk about the place solely in terms of music.

Matt and Jordan though should weigh in on Sunny Jain!

Who are not Haitian.

Publicists keep e-mailing me about "world music" acts that utilize Eastern European rhythms and this descendent of Eastern European Jews must sheepishly admit that I'm not really into this stuff.

Have not been on the Haitian music chatboards in a few days, hoping everyone is doing better, considering. I noticed when someone suggested that Haitian bands might have to try to get visas and come visit the US and play gigs here for awhile, some folks angrily responded that it was too soon to talk about stuff like that while people are dying.

Unrelated-

Need to look at Voice P & J poll more to see who's voting for global non-indie rock stuff and who they're voting for.

Awesome old-school Haitian band Tabou Combo (who were once briefly marketed back when to indie folks and played Central Park in NYC) are playing for free tonight from around 6:15 to 6:45 US eastern time at the Kennedy Center in DC for free. Red Cross donations are being coleected and there are others on the 5:30 pm to 7 pm bill. I think it will be webcast and streamed. They mix James Brown style funk with Haitian Creole, Dominican and Cuban sounds and syrupy Euro and zouk influences. I saw 'em in the DC area way back when.

They are NYC area-based and play up there a fair amount. Their membership has changed alot I think over the years but the youtube videos from recent years still look good.

I bet some folks will listen to them in 20 years when Sublime Frequencies finds one of their 1970s releases on cassette and reissues it as a limited release on fancy record nerd vinyl

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/live/?id=M4115

Tabou Combo streaming live now with rhythms Vampire Weekend fans and foes alike can embrace

Aww man, they started off strong and then got sappy. Maybe this Santana (!) cover will revive them

Wyclef closed out the Haitian tv Telethon with some funky percussion and horns trad haitian sounds. Nice.

Yeah, that was a pretty good performance.

I'm trying to remember the band I saw years ago do something like that--I think that's haitian Rara music.

rinsing some naija, hiplife and kuduro lately... unstoppable fire. needs to take over europe and n. america as soon as possible. so sweet so tough. real party music for real party people.

Hey Zoom, so what Nigerian naiga mixes or artists are you listening to?

http://www.naijajams.com/

I know that Unperson (an ILX poster ) and I loved that Ghanaian hiplife compilation of Ghanaians rapping over highlife derived beats from a year and a half ago (and I saw a movie doc about old-school Ghanain rap), but I'm not up on newer stuff. What do you like?

Kuduro has not won me over yet-- what do you like?

no time right now have to build a couple of shelves but i fell in love today with this tune Logoligi:

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Mz+Bell/track/Logoligi

Mzbel is a great young Ghanian hiplife singer/rapper. Thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcNOuWn4sGc&feature=related

and a little hottie too mmm mm

But uh oh, the folks at ghanacelebrities.com have caught her copying Rhianna and Beyonce fashion styles

http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/index.php/hot-topics/sightings/1137-mzbel-copies-beyonce

http://showbiz.peacefmonline.com/music/200909/27822.php

We have had lots of female artistes who dress in a more revealing and sexy clothes - the public accepts it but many music enthusiasts have chosen to hate Mzbel not because of her style of music, but the way she dresses. Some argue it's show business whiles others say it`s bad for the Ghanaian culture.

Due to her dress sense, she has faced lots of problems and it looks like public comments is preventing her from deciding on how to dress on her next album “Run away”. Her taste for fashion plunged her into a deadly problem in Kumasi but Castro, a fellow musician had to come to her rescue.

Few years later, she had another armed robbery case. Some big mouths in the society opined that the armed robbers did not go there to steal but wanted to see what she had under her short skirt.

http://www.modernghana.com/columnmusic/10512/3/mzbel-turns-into-barbie-.html

http://www.ireportghana.com/ghana/entertainment/music/2299-im-not-that-bad-mzbel

She's just a "saucy girl" onstage. "Saucy Girl" is her 4th release although I see that allmusic.com just lists her as having 1 cd, "16 Years" under the name Ms. Bell. No bio for her there either as she has no American releases. She has 1 track on African Grooves, vol. 1 a 2008 comp that Amazon sells along with the "16 years" release.

Here's some less pop Haitian rara music than what Wyclef brought to the telethon the other night- I like both:

[Removed Illegal Link]

Oops-

http://www.mixx.com/videos/10595654/youtube_rara_music_of_haiti_4

lol. did you get my email curmudgeon.

that rara music is wicked. i've been steeped in some lesser Antilles myself lately....

need more kompa... and steel drums!

on kuduro tip killamu album just dropped on akwaaba and here is a likkle taste: http://www.akwaabamusic.com/#/killamu-vs-max-le-daron-mixtape/

got your e-mail but the ilxor webmail does not allow replies. Ya have to include an e-mail in your text.

I'll get back to ya.

The Ghanaian (thanks Zoom) and Haitian stuff I listened to over the weekend is more exciting than the quasi-Eastern European stuff publicists keep trying to get me to hear, and as relevant as anything else if ya ask me.

also check out DJ Manya from Angola, he does a very traditional Kizomba but modernized... not the saccharine R'n'B shit either... imagine if Cesaria Evora was a gangster and made bass music... Galliano's label put out a couple of full lengths.

and of course we all know Znobia from his involvement with the False-Kuduro For Nu-Rave Hipsters, but his solo material is so good... hard to come by though.

also you down with Bongo Flava from Tanzania? Outhere records put out a great comp. a few years back, introduced me to the sound. similar East African styles Kapuka/Boomba like African Reggaeton so dope. this dj from France only one i know specializes in the sound in the western hemisphere i 'll get name to you if you like.

and of course SA... been digging through SA jazz lately, and trying to find some of that wicked "Township Jive" -- like a stripped down street boogie. amazing.

and i've been helping Outhere with the first full length SA House collection, EP is already out on itunes:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/SAHOUSE_EP_front.jpg
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/SAHOUSE_EP_back.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/technology/25link.html?th&emc=th

We need to get these Kenyan students to post here--in Swahili or English (although Amurican me does not speak or read Swahili)

i did a remix of a famous kenyan tune recently: http://soundcloud.com/djzhao/nduraga-ngwetereire-over-the-horizons

just added some drums and bass simple.

Anybody know anything about the below? I forget whether there's a separate Bollywood/bhangra etc thread.

Fox Searchlight Pictures (Slumdog Millionaire) presents MY NAME IS KHAN, the biggest and most anticipated new Indian motion picture of 2010, an epic romantic drama with universal appeal.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score for the film reflects the myriad hues of the film. Music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are India's must renowned and accomplished artists, and the trio has been responsible for some of the biggest hit soundtracks of the last decade. The album has Sufi inspired sounds and features amazing vocalists from the sub-continent - Rahat Fateh Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Adnan Sami. The music is earthy and features very prominently in the film. Over 20 minutes of the film is set solely to music.

It's being released February 16th

http://wrldsrv.blogspot.com/

Dutch blog I've never seen before with posts and links to old-school Afropop and Latino sounds. Matos mentioned it on the Franco thread as there are links to Frano youtube videos

Upcoming shows in NYC that the Afropop Worldwide folks are excited about(not too many of them coming my way to DC)

January 24th and January 30th: Timbila @ Sintir
January 26th: Somi @ The Jazz Standard
January 28th: Jaliya Kafo @ Lincoln Center
January 29th: Banning Eyre @ Barbes
February 2nd: Nneka @ SOBs
February 3rd: Ladysmith Black Mambazo@ Highline Ballroom
February 4th: Bloco Quimbombo @ Shrine
February 11th: Carnaval Nordestino in New York @ M1-5
February 12th: HAJAmadagascar at African Jazz Night @ Zinc Bar
February 18th: Tinariwen @ Highline Ballroom

Coming Soon...

March 16th: Habib Koite @ Highline Ballroom
March 26th: Angelique Kidjo @ The Town Hall
April 9th: King Sunny Ade @ Highline Ballroom
April 17th: Rokia Traore @ Highline Ballroom

Regular Events

Every Monday: Monday Drums @ L’Orange Bleue
Every Tuesday: Tuff Tuesdays @ Bembe
Every Wednesday: Solar Heat Wednesdays @ Bembe
Que Bajo?! @ Rose Live Music
The Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
Every Thursday:Toque Thursdays @ Bembe
Digable Brooklyn Thursday @ Amarachi lounge
Every Friday: Call To Drum Fridays @ Bembe
Every Saturday: Rhum Saturdays @ Bembe
African Night @ St. Nick's Pub
Afrokinetic @ The Royale
Every Sunday: Chris Washburne & S.Y.O.T.O.S.@ Smoke

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=123065638

The members of Haitian band Boukman Eksperyans are ok. I noticed in the comments that someone is alleging that they are CIA stooges because shortly before Aristide was exiled they participated in a protest against him. But as I understand it, some Haitians (who are not members of the rich elite and are not tools of foreign powers) turned against Aristide near the end of his second term in office. I'm not justifying his removal just noting that Aristide was not quite perfect.

Fool's gold is opening for tinarewin at highline ballroom. (I'm going!)

Anybody know anything about the below? I forget whether there's a separate Bollywood/bhangra etc thread.

Fox Searchlight Pictures (Slumdog Millionaire) presents MY NAME IS KHAN, the biggest and most anticipated new Indian motion picture of 2010, an epic romantic drama with universal appeal.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score for the film reflects the myriad hues of the film. Music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are India's must renowned and accomplished artists, and the trio has been responsible for some of the biggest hit soundtracks of the last decade. The album has Sufi inspired sounds and features amazing vocalists from the sub-continent - Rahat Fateh Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Adnan Sami. The music is earthy and features very prominently in the film. Over 20 minutes of the film is set solely to music.

― curmudgeon, Monday, January 25, 2010 11:13 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

It's being released February 16th

― curmudgeon, Monday, January 25, 2010 11:14 AM

I have the album, it's pretty good in that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy way. Innovative sounds sometimes, other times pretty conventional; amazing singing but Bollywood always has great singers. Doesn't blow me away just yet but I've only listened to it twice and that's not enough really. (Bonus note: new stuff is only first six tracks; the rest are older songs from Shahrukh Khan movies like "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai," etc.)

Thanks. There is a bollywood thread but no one knew that cd.

X-post-Fool's Gold are that Israeli multi-culti pop band right?

Yes!

Need to use this snow time to catch up on sounds. Just finally listened to that Babylon Congorock youtube thing Dr. Phil posted awhile back on this thread. Nice. Yep, I like club stuff with funky and rhythmic beats just not with generic mainstream techno ones.

Whoa, I'm already way behind on this thread. Curmudgeon and Zoom, one of Congorock's commenters calls "Babylon" kuduro, which I see you were discussing upthread. I don't know anything about that style, but I listened to a couple YouTubes, and to me the Congorock still sounds more reggaeton. Is that accurate? Or is there some crossover between the styles? (Mr. Congorock's not affiliated with either, I don't think, but I'm just wondering what that song most closely approximates.)

Just listened to Congorock's cut with Crookers "Sbombers" and it sounds more cuurent Brit club style. I didn't like it as much. Still trying to figure out what genre "Babylon" is. I was not too crazy about the kuduro I heard--well at least I read that's Buraka Som Sistema's genre--but I still have alot to learn about that stuff. It

Oh yeah, I thought Buraka sounded close to reggaeton. I'm gonna have to go diagram some beats, or something.

Googling Blogs with search term "Congorock Babylon" I see someone described the song as "Great example of the tribal beat takeover infused with heavy electro." I think he's gonna be in Chicago on the 12th (aren't you out that way?)

I am, thanks for the info! We'll see if I break out of my hermitage.

Get a babysitter and head on out (or not)

That World Service Dutch blog linked to above has some cool stuff on it

2 of 4 mixes i just posted in the DJ mix thread:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/FUSION1_WEB_2.png http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/FUSION1_WEB_1.png

a mix album of all mashups which fuse ancient and modern, "east" and "west" --- if you have ever wondered what Digital Gamelan is like; what happens when Capetown Gospel singers move to London ghettos; or how Robots would play Ethiopian Jazz...

STREAM AND SINGLE FILE DOWNLOAD
http://www.getdarker.com/gotdarker/file/3957b4239033164c081d6bbeafc03619/

SEPARATE TRACKS DOWNLOAD
http://rapidshare.com/files/264317363/dj_Zhao_Fusion_1.zip or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JFWRNO45

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/NGOMA_1_myspace.jpg?t=1231009582 http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/ngoma1_back_myspace.jpg

a traditional dj mix of global bass music.

DIRECT LISTEN AND SINGLE FILE DOWNLOAD
http://www.getdarker.com/gotdarker/file/c3ff959e5b4bad96bd86ae34513fa6f1

SEPARATE TRACKS DOWNLOAD
http://rapidshare.com/files/179883437/dj_zhao_NGOMA_1.zip or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V3MGCDKJ

Will have to check these out

a traditional dj mix of global bass music

Listened to this nice one once but got sidetracked by other things and then had to deal w/ now-resolved computer problems.

Do Vimeo videos embed like youtube one?
This is the trailer for the Sublime Frequencies film release my friend Olivia is currently finishing up.
http://vimeo.com/9468566

Guess they don't.

Still wow.

Meanwhile publicists just keep pushing noveltyish hybrid stuff towards me--Spanish-techno-balkan blah blah blah that I am not really into. I need to do some research and find new stuff that's up my alley -- or just catch up on all those comps of 60s and 70s African music. I have a few but not all.

http://blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/2010/02/okzharp.html

^ worth reading but if you're feeling lazy just watch these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_DU-zUHjbI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duf2WKr23ug

So Tinariwen show was really crazy -- the music was great. They only spoke in French (which was okay, the opening act spoke + sang in Hebrew, so I got to understand at least one of the acts), and there were a bunch of calls of "ca va!" and a huge chunk of the audience was French. I loved Fool's Gold, too -- they're great live.

Checked out a Fool's Gold video--nice Congolese rumba style guitar. Yep, Tinariwen are great live

But I guess we're not supposed to like Fool's (Fools?) Gold now that Diplo remixed them. Ha

I gotta get that Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabete cd (I think I might have said that upthread).

Habib Koite from Mali is on tour in the US again. I have always wondered whether his approach--adapting guitar techniques from many different Malian regions-- is popular at home in Mali? Anybody know?

apologies if this was previously posted, but on 02.08.10, p4k updated its 2005 african music hub. i'm not sure precisely what's been updated, but it was all new to me, and page four -- a huge compilation of african music for cratediggers -- is amazing.

Cool, hadn't noticed that. Not bad (quite good in doses) but leaving out a discussion of Congolese music is like talking about the birth of rock without mentioning anyone who recorded in Memphis. Plus his assertion that Congolese rumba bears little resemblance to other African pop music is just plain wrong. I've heard lots of music from Ghana and the Ivory Coast and elsewhere on the continent with its roots in Congolese rumba.

Pitchfork also posted an overview of some newer West African pop and rap I see
http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7682-killin-the-game-new-music-from-the-west-african-coast/

nice review of the Ali Farka Toure / Toumani Diabete record here: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5529

Yea, I'm sure its a solid effort. Just have to get it.

x-post re Pitchfork, while I wish they had Erin Mcleod or someone doing a monthly dancehall column and someone doing a monthly African one, at least this ocassional coverage exists(like in politics one has to just settle for incremental steps)

Maybe in a decade or so Latin stuff will merit ocassional coverage there

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/FRONT_space.jpg http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc30/bobotronic/FLYERS/DJZHAO-NGOMA4-GenerationBass_back_s.jpg

get it here: http://generationbass.com/2010/03/02/zhao/

Thanks. Will check it out later.

Haiti's Sweet Micky and band will be bringing all his keyboards to the Crossroads outside DC on Sunday for a benefit show. He's now known also for wearing wigs and ladies clothing, but he was dressed kinda normal when I saw him ages ago.

Guitarist/singer Habib Koite from Mali is gonna be out in VA and elsewhere in the US this month. He's not amazing but he's pretty solid.

Wish I knew the music playing in the background tonight at the Ethiopian restaurant that I was at. My son and I were the only non-Ethiopians there.

http://www.dubmc.com/dubmc/2010/03/sxsw2010_excel.html

An enclosed excel list of music and panels to see at S x SW in Austin from a whirled muzik publicist who is attending. Some of the same ol' same ol' bands that market themselves to indie-rockers, but also some cool stuff

Been busy writing about Gilberto Gil and Habib Koite lately and haven't had time to dive into new stuff here.... The Ethiopian newspaper I picked up last week at Eyo's restaurant had no ads for any Ethiopian music and most of it was in Amharaic anyway.

Was excited to see in my snailmail a postcard from the Smithsonian Museum of African Art saying they will be showing a Fela documentary April 10th.

I'm not wowed by the new Angelique Kidjo cd. She does a bunch of soul covers--James Brown, Curtis Mayfield (Bono duets with her--not impressively) African polyrhythmic style. Eh, its ok. Maybe I need to listen to it more. She's gonna be in DC Saturday night

Article in the Guardian on Japanese pop women:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/mar/25/japanese-pop-women

The vocals by that ethnically-Tibetan pop starlet get pretty interesting at points (as mentioned in the write-up).

The Shiina Ringo youtube included is the most interesting one to me of the others

I'm not going to argue with that. And if you like that, keep in mind that this version of "Gamble" is past what a lot of us Shiina Ringo fans would consider her prime (and I agree with this critic that Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana from 2003 is the high-point in her recording career). I think the "video" for "Gamble" is kind of awful, incidentally.

Hey curmudgeon, sorry to take this thread semi-off-topic (though not entirely), but have you ever seen the "Ringo No Uta" video by Shiina Ringo? I'm thinking you would like it (and it does do a certain amount of fusing of older Japanese pop with something newer, I think, so some excuse for mentioning it here). It was also her official deparature from her solo career (though that didn't last very long, at least in any strict sense) and it links together imagery from a bunch of her previous videos (maybe from all the videos for singles--I don't remember exactly what the rule was).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KghkO5nYG0

And here she is with the original, lost/lamented lineup of Tokyo Jihen (who were amazing live), covering an old enka song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1VBYrfvTU

And just for good measure/over-kill, here's a very different arrangement of Shiina Ringo's "Ringo No Uta" from that same Tokyo Jihen concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg3DmKVWYbQ

Some good stuff coming to Chicago this summer:
http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2010/03/30/music-without-borders-lineup-announced

That is an impressive list. I hope some of 'em are coming to DC, especially Beninese old dudes Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.

http://www.thehydramag.com/2010/03/30/lagos-disco-inferno-a-journey-into-african-disco-funk/

I will have to read that whole thing and I'm sure there's lots of good stuff there but I am not as crazy about that Joe Tangari Pitchfork article the dude linked to as he is. As I noted upthread:

Not bad (quite good in doses) but leaving out a discussion of Congolese music is like talking about the birth of rock without mentioning anyone who recorded in Memphis. Plus his assertion that Congolese rumba bears little resemblance to other African pop music is just plain wrong. I've heard lots of music from Ghana and the Ivory Coast and elsewhere on the continent with its roots in Congolese rumba.

This currently touring Brazilian band (that I mentioned in the modern brazil thread) is not groundbreaking but they're kinda fun:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/04/05/free-tonight-brazils-orquestra-contemporanea-de-olinda-at-the-kennedy-center/

I just got that Nigerian comp in the mail the other day; haven't listened to it yet.

http://karimasglobalrotations.blogspot.com/

Hmmm, never seen this blog before. Kinda interesting.

http://tpafrica-eng.blogspot.com/

Here's another one (thanks afropop worldwide)

Afromondo Productions presents a night of sublime Rumba-Soukous with Congolese Guitar Virtuoso DIBLO DIBALA & HIS BAND Friday, April 9th, 2010 Showtime 9pm Zinc Bar82 W. 3rd St.(bet. Thompson & Sullivan St.)Greenwich Village

Back in the 80s Diblo was awesome with Kanda Bongo Man and with the group Loketo. I did not like the last band I saw him with---around 4 or so years ago. He lost that full straight-ahead rumba soukous feel. I wonder how he is now?

Lots of music and music related movies happening in DC this weekend.

Fri. April 9-

Frank Reyes (bachata singer) at the East Coast Night Club, 13989 Jefferson Davis Hwy,, Woodbridge VA , VA 703-490-5504

Tego Calderon (great veteran Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper) with Blackpoint (of fun youtube #1 hit "Watagatapitusberry"), at Fur Night Club, 33 Paterson St, NW Washington DC , DC 202-498-3962 migoproductions.com

Gran Mano a Mano (Honduras) at Jaxx Night Club, 6355 Rolling Rd., Springfield, VA 22152

Benjy Myers at Zanzibar

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (The late Nusrat's nephew --impressive Quwalli singer) at the Warner Theatre

__________________________________________________________
Sat. April 10-

Baby Cham and Tessany Chin (Jamaican dancehall) at the Crossroads in Bladensburg

Fela movie for free at 2 at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art
Caetano Veloso (Brazilian legend) at Lisner

__________________________________________________________
Sun. April 11-

Lupillo Rivera (Mexican ranchera) at East Coast Night Club, 13989 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Woddbridge, VA , VA 703.490-5504

Prince Royce (bachata version of "Stand by Me") at Fast Eddie's, 6220 Richmond Highway (Route 1 South) Alexandria, VA 571-276-5014

African Childrens Choir (Uganda-born) at 4 at the George Mason Ctr. for the Arts, Fairfax

Rokia Traore (from Mali ) at Lisner

Ikke Nurjanah (Indonesian dangdut performer) at the State Theater, Falls Church

Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners at Glen Echo at 3

Sérgio & Odair Assad - De Volta As Raizes (Back to Our Roots) (Lebanese guitarists who were born in Brazil) at the Clarice Smith Center in College Park at 6 pm
__________________________________________________________

The new energetic Rokia Traore apparently:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2010/04/in_concert_rokia_traore_at_lis.html

just me and "crickets" (and not the rap song) around here these days.

aw, curmudgeon, don't feel bad. I read all your posts because I am hugely ignorant of contemporary whirled music. I follow the reissue market, but I'm out to sea with new stuff.

^ ditto!

Thanks folks.

Looking forward to Malian Vieux Farka Toure coming back to DC. I just read that there's a remix version of his most recent album out. I wonder if I can hear it on la la or elsewhere? Maybe get the label to send it to me?

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2010/04/pop-world-cup-2010-group-g-korea-dpr-vs-cote-divoire/#more-18180

I really should be following freaky trigger's "Pop World Cup"

Militants force Somali radio stations to stop playing music

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/world/africa/14somalia.html?ref=arts

I really should be following freaky trigger's "Pop World Cup"

Oh definitely. There was an amazing Francis Bebey track the other day that I really need to hunt down.

Vieux Farka Toure from Mali is touring the US again right now as I mentioned upthread and the remix cd is on la la, and he's got a live cd coming out in June. He put on a great live show last year--it's not pure Malian, he's got a uh, blue-eyed trap drummer who's played with Dirty Projectors, plus Malians on bass and percussion and rhythm guitar.
I've seen him twice (and saw his late father once) and am hoping to see him Monday in DC in small little DC 9 (but I may have family obligations). I love his droning Malian guitar sound--was listening to his debut and his second cd Fondo last night.

seen little written about this new etran finatawa disc. anyone heard it? is it good?

I haven't heard that one, but I liked their first album quite a bit. Not as aggressive as Tinariwen, but in a similar style/spirit.

Likewise, I have only heard their prior ones which I liked

New Etran is really really good, still need to dig into it more.

I really should be following freaky trigger's "Pop World Cup"

you can get up to speed with the podcast -

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popworldcup-podcast/

I did not realize that Baaba Maal plays with members of that trendy NY group the Brazilian Girls on his latest cd Television. I've seen Maal do some great live shows over the years. Maybe I can make his show at Lisner in W. DC next Thursday.

Móveis Coloniais de Acaju, Brazilian something or other, with a lot of American rock and pop in it:

http://www.myspace.com/moveis

(ATTN MATT, if you have not heard this band yet, since they seem pretty much up your alley.)

SOBs Presents: Manhattan Haitian Dance Party with BOUKMAN EKSPERYANS plusTIGA & TCHAKA MONDAY, April 26th * Doors 7:30pm

New Yorkers should go see and hear Boukman's polyrhythmic Haitian appraoch tonight. I wonder if they're coming to W. DC?

Vieux Farke Toure in W. DC tonight at DC9.

approach

I thought I had missed another genre.

Curmudgeon, I know you're critical of straight-four-beat whirled-DJ stuff generally (I like it but have reservations) but DJ Canyon's "Wild Jack Salt" mix (http://gnawledge.com/blog/?p=459) might be for you. It's DJ /rupture-ish though not as rupturous: buoyant, party-ready. It's from early March.

Forgot an obvious advantage: it's not straight-four at all.

Thanks, will check it out. Speaking sorta of DJ Rupture, I wonder how his DC gig was a few weekends ago. Was busy with family and missed it.

May go see Baaba Maal from Senegal Thursday night. Have just started listening to his 1st cd in 8 years, 2009's "Television" that he did with members of the group the Brazilian Girls. Definately going for a more modern sound on some cuts. I liked him live way back when.

You mentioned listening to Simon Shaheen, on a different thread; so what is he up to lately?

x-post

Still need to get to that DJ Canyon mix, Etran Finatawa, and more but dayjob and parenting and stuff have gotten in the way. Plus, I've been listening to that mostly good "why didn't it get more US press" Baaba Maal Television cd(with Brazilian Girls and Grace Jones' guitarist Barry Reynolds) and NY based Palestinian oudist Simon Shaheen, both of whom I'm writing up for my local alt-weekly. Still researching Shaheen, should have an answer by tomorrow hopefully.

The Library of Congress is having him perform in DC May 8th with an ensemble that does all kinds of genres I think.

http://www.sroartists.com/artists/simonshaheen/files/ss-reviews.pdf

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/940/African%20Music%20Breaches%20American%20Rock%20(Banning%20Eyres%202010%20EMP%20Pop%20Conference%20talk)

Not Your Daddy's Rumba Anymore---Banning Eyre presentation at EMP

I did not see any live music this weekend, though I heard some cool pre-recorded Afghan dance music through the wall separating the banquet room (where an event was going on) from the restaurant room where I was eating a yummy Afghan veggie combo on Route 1 near Target in Alexandria, Virginia. I found a postcard there for "Superstar Tour 2010" with Ghazal, Jonibek and others that is coming to 6 North American cities including May 21 at the Sheraton in Tyson's Corner afghanconcerts.com has the info

NY, Fremont, Orange County, Vancouver and Toronto are the other locations

I bet Simon Shaheen's quartet was good Saturday night

OK, finally listening right now to DJ Canyon's "Wild Jack Salt" mix that is streaming right there on the link that Matos nicely provided on April 27th. Pros: some good cumbia, hip-hop, dubstep, funk caroica, salsa, drum & bass, kuduro and glitch source material.

Cons: Maybe it is me, but this whole lets match beats from the whole world thing tends to just water things down for me. Plus dude is doing some major homage mixing here--there's nothing unpredictable if one reads Wayne Marshall's blog.

I loved 80s NY hiphop mix radio shows and kinda liked Baltimore club mix radio shows but I'm still searching for a whirled mix that does more than than segue smoothly from one song to the next thanks to common beats per minute.

Now old guy me was excited listening to Salif Keita's still amazing voice today on his new upcoming cd. Some of the tracks were a bit formulaic but his voice, like Youssou N'Dour's, just wows me.

I do like this DJ Canyon mix better than some.

Oh and the Salif Keita cd is being billed as the third in his "acoustic" series (but I thought I hear electric guitar on it. Even if I'm wrong on that, acoustic here does not mean wimpy folky). He's gonna be touring the US too. I've seen him before a few times and I recommend him live.

Now I just have to get to the new Etran Finatawa mentioned upthread

I do not want to discourage others from hyping mixes here that use genres from multiple countries and try to beat-match them, just cuz I am so picky about them.

news re the barefoot diva:

Cesaria Evora, the world's most famous singer from Africa's Cape Verde, had open heart surgery last night (Monday, May 10, 2010) in a Paris hospital. The surgery was in response to a coronary problem that occurred this past weekend. She was admitted to the hospital Monday morning and the surgery, which started at 8:00 p.m., concluded early this morning at 2:00 a.m. The operating surgeon reported that things went as well as possible. Cesaria was then admitted into intensive care where she awoke around 11.00 this morning. Cesaria is suspending all activities until the end of the year. As a result, June 2010 concerts in Washington, DC, New York City, Boston, Toronto, and Montreal have been cancelled.

This week's surgery follows an amazing return by Cesaria following a stroke in April 2008. Summer 2010 was meant to mark a return to North American stages. Three months after the stroke, she was ready to start rehearsing and working on her new album, Nha Sentimento (Lusafrica)

Anybody know about a new Youssou N'Dour cd? I read a reference to it in a Ned Sublette forwarded article regarding N'Dour becoming unhappy with Senegal President and thinking of getting involved himself with politics. Will link to it later. But in the article it said he's got a new cd that is his nod towards Jamaica. Nonesuch always delays US releases of their artists(such as him) for 6 months to a year. Wonder if this is out in Europe and elsewhere or just Senegal?

What I've heard from the recent Omar Souleyman disc is very good.

That's another one I need to hear! I like the one prior release of his that I have.

Tinariwen touring the US in June, and lots of others coming to. New Yorkers have a ton of choices at Summerstage in Central Park and elsewhere; plus the Celebrate Brooklyn shows including an African one.

There's a massive Haitian show in Florida this weekend.

Butts may be kicked & myndz blown: www.awesometapesfromafrica.com

why oh why won't Tinariwen come to Boston?

x-post---yes, awesome tapes has been plugged upthread I think and there a separate thread for it. There's also a Voice of America link that used to/still(?) offer obscure African sounds in a similar way

From the publicist (Sorry folks in Boston)
Tinariwen, Imidiwan: Companions (World Village) 2010 Tour:
Full Tour Schedule

06/13/2010, Sun
Manchester, TN Bonaroo Music Festival
Tix: $249.50 ,

06/16/2010, Wed
Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
416 Cedar Avenue
Tix: $30.00/28.00 advance, Doors Open: 7:00 pm, Show: 7:30 pm

Ph: 612.338.2674


06/17/2010, Thu
Chicago, IL Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park

Part of Music Without Borders


06/18/2010, Fri
Chicago, IL Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park

Part of Music Without Borders


06/19/2010, Sat
Chicago, IL Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park

Part of Music Without Borders


06/20/2010, Sun
Hollywood, CA Hollywood Bowl
2301 North Highland Avenue
Show: 7:00 PM

Ph: 323.850.2000


06/21/2010, Mon
San Francisco, CA Yoshi's
1330 Fillmore Street
Tix: $30.00, Show: 8:00 PM

Ph: (415) 655-5600


06/21/2010, Mon
San Francisco, CA Yoshi's
1330 Fillmore Street
Tix: $20.00, Show: 10:00 PM

Ph: (415) 655-5600


06/22/2010, Tue
Portland, OR Roseland Theater
8 Northwest 6th Avenue
Show: TBA

Ph: (503) 224-2038


06/23/2010, Wed
Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
935 E. Colfax Ave.
***With Hamsa Lila***

Ph: 303-832-1874


06/24/2010, Thu
Boulder, CO Boulder Theatre
2032 14th Street
***With Hamsa Lila***

Ph: 303.786.7030

06/25/2010 Fri
930 Club, Washington DC, $30

06/26/2010, Sat
Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
149 7th Street
Show: TBA

Ph: (718) 643-6510


06/27/2010, Sun
New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
830 Fifth Avenue
Show: 3:00 pm

212-360-2756

Sorry!: awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com

So behind on my new whirled musik listening. I need to win the lottery and then I'd have more time. Big Afghan show coming up in the Virginia DC burbs Friday, plus just saw a postcard for a Ladysaw Jamaican dancehall show that night as well out in the Maryland burbs of DC. I gotta research them further, plus some of the stuff mentioned upthread.

And the annual Smithsonian Folklife Fest starts in DC in late June with Mexican and some kind of Asian-Pacific themes, plus lots of folks are touring this summer and appearing in NYC and elsewhere. There's the DC Caribbean Carnival and I think some other North American carnivals as well. I am not discounting the reissues lots of folks love here, but there's still plenty of new and veteran stuff happening as well.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/06/11/your-weekend-in-international-and-roots-music-salif-keita-angel-y-kris-beausoleil-ar-rahman/#more-25081

Anybody following the Shakira World Cup "Waka Waka" song controversy? She's apparently doing a song taken from an old Cameroonian song.

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2010/03/waka-waka-hey-hey.html

WFMU has the history and author Elijah Wald has the short version:

The short version is that the World Cup anthem this year, "Waka Waka
(This Time for Africa)" is a remake of a Camerounian song by the
Colombian pop star Shakira. The long version is longer...

First, the video of the original version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibqtKBpSQ3s

Second, a well-researched report on how Shakira picked it up and the
efforts to get credit for the original artists, and some background on
previous uncredited appropriations of African hits:
http://www.dibussi.com/2010/05/undermining-african-intellectual-and-artistic-rights-.html

Third: One of many videos for Shakira's version of the song, this one in
Spanish, though the same video also runs with the English
version...opening with Shakira oiled to look black:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR5RQZ88P1U&feature=related

And finally, what I gather is the official FIFA video, with a mix of
images that could easily fuel a few dozen articles and conference papers
(some of the people singing and playing with Shakira are from a South
African group called Freshly Ground, but I can't begin to sort out
everything here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0&feature

that video needs nothing but sharika and her front-line dancers shimmying.

shakira shakira

That first video you posted is a composite - the "Africans" are from the Kanye West video "Love Lockdown," and the shots of an oiled-up Shakira are from her video "La Tortura." I linked that dibussi piece on my blog yesterday.

her horrible World Cup theme song "Waka Waka."

yes yes

It did not wow me either

Anybody seen Salif Keita from Mali on his current US tour? I was unable to make the DC show Friday night? I've seen him 2 or three times before but not in awhile.

The Washington Post's enthusiastic review of Keita

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2010/06/in_concert_salif_keita_at_lisn.html#more

From: "Sean Barlow" of afropop.org
Subject: [FA Worldmusic] Busi Mhlongo passes. rest in peace.

I am very sad to report the death a true South African original, Busi Mhlongo. She died of cancer at the age of 62.

You may have heard her brilliant album, "Urbanzulu" - so beautiful, so moving, that Zulu trad guitar, that leaping voice.

She once called me in South Africa out of the blue and talked excitedly about coming to the U.S. to tour. She never got her due.

You can say that about many artists. In Busi's case it's true. It's very painful now that I did not do more to help her then

Got another 2CD Soundway compilation in today's mail - The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia in 1970s Nigeria. Includes a song I've never heard by Ofo the Black Company; totally fried guitar and flute, bongos and chanting. Kick-ass.

is this ^^^^^^ new? want this already, based on title/label alone.

New/forthcoming; I got mine from Forced Exposure's publicist.

sometimes it takes forever for those soundway discs to make their way to emusic (if they get there at all)

They do a nice job with their releases generally

The new Salif Keita cd I mentioned upthread still sounds great to me. I love his voice. No it does not rock like '70s Nigerian music but it's distinctive in a different way thanks to Keita's soaring muezzin like vocals.

From a press release I received:

In 1996, a group of Mali's finest musicians were due to fly into Havana for a speculative collaboration with some of Cuba's most brilliant singers and instrumentalists. For reasons that have never been made clear, the Malians never arrived. A very different album was recorded: Buena Vista Social Club. Now, World Circuit Records' Nick Gold, the man behind the 1996 venture, has brought the original invitees together and the great lost Afro-Cuban album will be released 14 years after originally planned.

Go ahead, make NPR and Dad-music jokes but I think this could be good -- musicians on it include --singer and guitarist Eliades Ochoa, ngoni lute masterBassekou Kouyate, Rail Band guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, Grupo Patria, koragenius Toumani Diabaté, legendary Malian griot singer Kasse Mady Diabaté andbalafon player Lassana Diabaté.

Alas some of the BVSC Cubans who would have involved 14 years ago are now deceased,not sure about the Malians.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcqbKu4hYh8

You were talking about that earlier.

Thanks

I was in a Greek/Mexican restaurant earlier today and ate carne asada with dolmades, and heard Mexican and Greek music. Banda to bazouki.

Interesting combination.

The World Cup has NPR interested in South African Shangaan electro music

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128112044

Anybody listen to any of Wayne's fave mixes posted on his Wayne and Wax site July 2?

I wanna listen to the one connected to the Awesome Tapes from Africa site, but have not listened yet.

http://wayneandwax.com/

Then there's the Freaky trigger "World Pop Cup"....check out these streaming Nigerian cuts...I saw this on the Nigerian reissue thread

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2010/06/pop-world-cup-2010-nigeria-crowned-champions/

The World Cup has NPR interested in South African Shangaan electro music

That, and the fact that there's a new compilation coming out in two weeks on Honest Jons (which I reviewed for AMG; I didn't like it much, but then I also hate soca, which this stuff sounds like).

Yea, NPR links to cuts from that. It kinda figures that there has to be a British label release for NPR to be interested.

Anybody else notice NPR's newish "alt-Latino" section on their all songs considered website. Latino music only matters to NPR it seems if it fits under that rubrik.

I like the Nigerian r'n'b on the Freaky Trigger Pop Cup thing better than most "whirled" club beat mixes, but some of the Nigerian r'n'b is a little too derivative as well. Soundways will be reissuing it in 20 years to music nerd hipsters in the western world! I kid, sorta.

I agree that some of the Nigerian (and Ghanaian) stuff in the Pop Cup sounded too derivative, but then I'm a nerd hipster who is actively sad that he doesn't own 2/3 of the new soundway comps. Not sure if I have a point, but that "reissue in 20 years and then you'll like it" thought has occurred to me when I've been in a self-critical mood.

Yep, I am in the same quandry. I want to interview Washington D.C. based African musicians and see what they are listening to---they also might be just listening to old stuff or just certain new stuff (depending on their ages), but I think it would be interesting to see another point of view. And obviously people can like say, old funk or soul reissues and not care about current rap, so this kinda works that way too (but it's different in that old African stuff gets Anglo media attention but new stuff mostly doesn't--except for Freaky Trigger contributors! How do they keep up I wonder?).

interview Washington D.C. based African musicians and see what they are listening to

that's a pretty great idea! But yeah I found the Pop Cup fascinating for that reason--how the hell do you go about finding out what people on the streets listen to in Cameroon, Uruguay, etc (let alone North Korea). Some of the "coaches" must have spent a lot of time on their selections.

Do those coaches post on ilx and ignore this thread? :(

Some veteran African bands keep touring(but no Wash. D.C. date grrrr)--Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo from Benin

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/arts/13poly.html?ref=music

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=116725095034595&topic=55#!/elodyfanpage

Tired of Nigerian r'n'b/pop, how about Haitian. Here's female singer Elody. I could only find this on facebook.

I still haven't interviewed D.C. based African musicians to see what they are listening to(need to ask musicians of varied age ranges and backgrounds)...

That Elody track is pretty nice! Is there an official term for that kind of male-chorus "Heeey" interjection yet?

That, and the fact that there's a new compilation coming out in two weeks on Honest Jons (which I reviewed for AMG; I didn't like it much, but then I also hate soca, which this stuff sounds like).

― Born In A Test Tube, Raised In A Cage (unperson), Monday, July 5, 2010 2:29 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark

no compute. BPMs take some getting used to, but this is a fantastic fucking record. zinja hlungwani's "n'wagezani my love" might be the best song i've heard this year. sounds like african electro with prime annie lennox on vocals, but better. beautiful song.

http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=extramusicnew.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fextramusicnew.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F3336.jpg&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fextramusicnew.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F26%2Fshangaan-electro-new-wave-dance-music-from-south-africa-honest-jons-records-videos-and-mp3-samples%2F333-7%2F

though it's a dude singing...

Someone say something about this song already:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9CRSXEj3dc

I shouldn't like it (based on what I normally like), but it seems that I do. Really more "file under pop" or "file under house" than "file under world."

Actually, I should have put this on the rolling pop thread to begin with. I forgot there was one.

Just realized this song reminds me of Amarfis's "Lamento Boliviano" (oddly enough), a song I like with far fewer reservations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRdHnVxcUH0

http://www.frootsmag.com/content/issue/charts/frplaylist/

What the Folkroots(aka Froots) magazine staff are listening to this month. I did not know there was a new Cheikh Lo cd out.

I need to hear some of their prior 2010 faves too--
JUNE 2010
ETOILE DE DAKAR Once Upon A Time In Dakar (Sterns)

BALLAKÉ SISSOKO & VINCENT SEGAL Chamber Music (No Format)

OMAR SOULEYMAN Jazeera Nights (Sublime Frequencies)

SPIRIT TALK MBIRA Dendere Ngoma (Music Nest [own label])

VARIOUS ARTISTS Egypt Noir (Piranha)

x-post

The combination of slick, standard electro-house with the raw, less polished vocal and the yearning melody make that Hamaki track work, for me.

http://www.frootsmag.com/content/issue/charts/frplaylist/backlist/

Here's more of the 2010 cds the Froots stafff are listening to. Ugh, and no I haven't contacted those DC based Malian and Togo and Senegalese musicians to see what they're listening to (yet). Shame on me.

Ok. Back to writing my preview of Rupa & the April Fishes for a local publication. Not exactly my thing (but some of it is appealing)--San Francisco born, female singer of Indian descent who has lived in France and India, leads a group that melds Rupa's French & Spanish and more vocals with klezmer meets French chanson cafe meets gypsy swing meets cumbia instrumentation (courtesy of an accordian, upright bass, horns, percussion, cello).

Thanks for commenting. See, I like the Hamaki track, but I don't quite agree with your description (except for the yearning melody part). I think the vocals are pretty slick--not that he's a great vocalist, but that they are worked over in the studio and sound just like tons of other recent Egyptian pop vocal parts. So for me it's even more of a mystery why it all comes together, except I think parts of it are very catchy. Also, I'd be really interested if you hear the similarity between the beginning of the Hamaki song and "Lamento Boliviano." It seems quite strong to me. I'm talking the chord progressions (I guess) specifically.

Would be kind of lol if Egyptian pop music would get me into house, not that I'm expecting that (especially given that I'm not into Egyptian pop music), but you never know how these things are going to work.

I should have been more specific--one portion of the vocal early in the song sounded less slick to me, then by the end it was the slick Egyptian pop vocal style you mentioned.

Have we talked about the Shangaan Electro or Ayobaness comps itt yet? i sampled them a bit recently and they were both very interesting. Not sure I'd want to hear much of the Shangaan stuff all at once, but the videos are awesome.

HATED the Shangaan Electro thing.

It seems to be incredibly divisive. I love it (and like Contenderizer, "N'wagezani My Love" is my standout track), but people I have played it for have been horrified.

anyone heard this new disc?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0zIuqxiLcZo/TCCt7VJB4JI/AAAAAAAAB0E/No_rF4OKyl4/s400/bako+dagnon.jpg

really good, top-to-bottom.

Yeah, I liked the Bako Dagnon album. (Here's my AMG review of Shangaan Electro, which goes pretty easy on it.)

xp
I totally get it being divisive; it's definitely extreme: super fast, super trebley. How about Ayobaness, the SA house comp? I only heard two tracks of that. One was kind of middling, but the other was great.

x-post--female singer Dagnon reminds me of female Malian musician Oumou Sangare a bit more than she reminds me of Salif Keita, though there is some resemblance.

Want an internship in NYC with Afropop worldwide?

http://www.afropop.org/news_flash.php?ID=625

I'm looking forward to seeing Malian singer Khaira Arby for free in DC Tuesday night. The afropop.org folks have mentioned her I see.

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=64600&source_type=B

If you like Bako Dagnon or Oumou Sangare, she shares similar qualities.

Hey Elephant Rob, it looks like there's some discussion at wayneandwax.com (especially in the comments) regarding South African house and electro.

http://wayneandwax.com/?p=3969 See the Aug. 6th posting

yeah, it was Wayne's first post about Ayobaness that made me check it out, but I hadn't read the comments on this one. It's always interesting when people being talked about in the abstract show up in comments sections.

The rest of Malian Khaira Arby's Upcoming US gigs. She and her band(with a noisy electric guitarist) have already played Harlem and Williamsburg in NYC...

Aug 24 2010 6:00A
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, DC Find Tickets

Aug 31 2010 9:00P
Berbati's Portland, Oregon

Sep 2 2010 8:00P
The Triple Door Seattle, Washington

Sep 3 2010 8:00P
Cozmic Pizza Eugene ( acoustic set ) Oregon, Oregon

Sep 5 2010 8:30P
Ashkenaz Festival Jeremiah Lockwood Toronto, Ontario, C, CANADA

Sep 8 2010 7:00P
City Winery NY, NY

Sep 17 2010 8:30P
Lotus Festival Bloomington, Indiana

Sep 18 2010 8:00P
Lotus Festival Bloomington, Indiana

Sep 22 2010 8:00P
Global Roots Festival Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sep 23 2010 8:00P
Global Roots Festival Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sep 24 2010 8:00P
Globalquerque Neal Copperman Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sep 25 2010 8:00P
Union Theater Esty Dinur Madison, WI

Sep 26 2010 9:00P
World Music Festival of Chicago Chicago, Illinois

Sep 27 2010 1:00P
Radio broadcast Brian Keigher Chicago, Illinois

Sep 27 2010 8:00P
Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois

Sep 29 2010 7:00P
Joe's Pub NYC, NY

Oct 2 2010 8:00P
Malian Community Alhassane Camara New York, New York

Oct 3 2010 7:00P
Malian Community Alhassane Camara New York, New York

Oct 6 2010 8:30P
Johnny D's Davis Square Somerville, Massachusetts

Looking forward to seeing her tonight

Awesome tapes from Africa guy re Khaira Arby's 2002 tape Ya Rassoul:

enormously popular in Timbuktu, where you will hear this tape playing out of a ghetto blaster in a shop or the cassette deck of a car. This is not ‘world music,’ this is just plain old awesome music that straddles the linguistic and cultural divide of a place like Timbuktu.”

And the VOA African cassette guy has this great posting about the tape he has with her and Ali Farka Toure together on it(plus cool reading about how he bought it and a bunch of tapes)

http://author.voanews.com/english/africa/blog/index.cfm?mode=cat&catid=B56E3385-DBF0-6EAE-52A74DAC91AF3420

I'm back from the show. While I wish some of the songs weren't so samey sounding in their arrangements and tempos, it was still a great gig. Arby has a powerhouse voice, did nice call and response with her backing male and female vocalists, and danced on ocassion. The 2 electric guitarists, especially the young, skinny baby-faced one, cranked out some impressive sonics. Various folks showered the group with money and a goofy dancer or 2 got overly exuberant.

I don't know much about J-pop and I definately don't know K-pop, but the folks on the below thread do--

K-pop

http://www.thelincolntheatre.org/calendar.cfm

Just noticed the other day that the rarely used historic African-American Lincoln Theatre in W. DC is advertising only on their website that the "#1 African Superstar Petit Pays" will be there Sunday August 28th with ticket prices between around $58 and $111 (not counting service charges). I had to look up who he is--according to wiki, he's the king of Cameroonian makossa who was in his prime it says in the late 1980s and into the 1990s.

Lots of youtube videos of him. He also calls himself Rabba Rabbi. Check out the dancing in this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2UmGbO1io&feature=related

http://www.afromix.org/html/musique/artistes/petit-pays/class-f.en.html his controversial album cover

There's one sample so far from Dead Oceans' Rwandan find, The Good Ones, and it's utterly beautiful.

Another country's music that I am not familiar with...

I linked to this (or I think fauxmarc did initially) on the Afro-Latin thread, but I think it belongs here as well. Don Omar goes kuduro. (I confess to knowing nothing about the latter.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zp1TbLFPp8

This is still growing on me, so I thought I'd post it where it might get more traffic than it has on the Afro-Latin thread. The best part for me is still the moment when the merengue first comes in and brushes against Deevani's vocals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__RMjh13ysA

(I have to admit the above Don Omar song is just kind of blah. I am happy that he is singing though. He needs to sing a lot more and rap a lot less.)

Also, this looks like an excellent cumbia compilation:

http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Cumbia/dp/B003QTBUA6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1283990450&sr=1-1

though the description is a little funny--disc one contains classics from the 50s and 60s, but they could also mention the Grupo Niche track from 2003 or 04. Good choice, anyway. Nascente generally puts out quality reissues and compilations. (They were putting out better sounding versions of some Fania stuff than Fania before the Emusica remasters came around.)

Here we go. Check out the personnel on this new Rahim Alhaj CD:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=37227

I've not yet heard so much as a two second sample from it, but this looks exciting.

http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.press_release/project_id/499.cfm

I need to contribute again to this thread. Been too busy.

I hate to say it, but after listening to the clips from the new Rahim Alhaj album on rockpaperscissors, I'm pretty underwhelmed. For someone who seems extremely interested in breaking out of the straight jacket of working within traditional Arabic music, he sticks closely to it most of the time. And too often I am hearing the same moves in his music over and over again. Maybe it's the Munir Bachir influence? I've never really cared for Munir Bachir, as discussed on the oudist thread. Also, not sure why he is spending precious time covering frequently performed standards on this one (e.g., the song entitled "Missing You/Mae Querida" here). I want to like his music, because he is such a likable person (and not just likable, but extraordinarily unique), as well as a virtuoso, but I am a little disappointed with some of what I've heard. I might get this anywway, because I'm still curious to hear some of these collaborations, especially the tracks with accordionist Guy Klucevsek and guitartist Bill Frisell.

I'm pretty underwhelmed. For someone who seems extremely interested in breaking out of the straight jacket of working within traditional Arabic music, he sticks closely to it most of the time.

This probably wouldn't bother me if I liked the results though, since I'm quite happy with Arabic musicians who want to continue working clearly in the tradition(s). On the other hand, I'd also be interested in hearing a really good Arab oudist with an understanding of western music cutting loose with Bill Frisell or the like. (It may be hard for him to really cut loose as a musician, given his very refined conservatory background.)

I mentioned it on a Soca thread but I will also do it here-- RIP Arrow of "Hot, Hot, Hot" fame. Dead of brain cancer at age 60. I saw him do a fun show in DC years ago.

A Nortec Collective offshoot (Mexican electronica) is playing for free from 6 to 7 (and streamed online) at the Kennedy Center. Part of their 3 week or tribute to Mexico's bicentennial. I was never that wowed by Nortec, but I think some of you into international club beat sounds probably like 'em more than me.

The offshoot seemed better than Nortec...accordion, cool visuals, beats

Gonna have to miss Kenyan band Kenge Kenge's D.C. appearance. They're also gonna be at the impressive Chicago World Music Fest.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/09/17/tonight-kenge-kenges-too-big-for-the-house-concert-in-takoma-park/

too bad, would have liked to hear yer take on the show, was underwhelmed when i saw 'em last fall tho my friends enjoyed the,

Don't see any reviews online.

Has this been discussed ? If not, it should be. Great backstory too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaTZ5gAzkCY

Yep, not to sound snarky, but we talked about them (awhile ago).

http://www.amoeba.com/blog/2010/08/los-angeles-me/amoeba-hollywood-s-world-music-top-ten-for-july-2010.html

So many reissues (for better or worse)

Seu Jorge is covering Kraftwerk on his latest? Have not heard that yet.

Nor have I heard Youssou N'Dour's apparently African-only reggae-tinged cd recorded in Jamaica. His new tv station just opened:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gB91JhmnOFxDbd3g56JQFoD--cbwD9I4F4480

loved loved loved Khaira Arby and her band, live.

they had wfmu stickers on their guitars.

Her DC show was pretty impressive (and given that it was a free 6pm show in front of an audience made up mostly of tourists just visiting the Kennedy Center, even more worthy of acclaim)

Great article about what the African diaspora in the UK is listening to--

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/09/african-diaspora-music

I still need to survey the DC African diaspora as I had vowed to do upthread (before I knew of that Guardian article).

I wish some Brits would comment on that Guardian piece.

Sterns summer bestsellers:

VARIOUS ARTISTS Africa: 50 Years Of Music 1960-2010 (Stern’s/Discograph/Syllart)
D.O. MISIANI & SHIRATI JAZZ The King Of History (Stern’s)
ETOILE DE DAKAR FEATURING YOUSSOU N’DOUR Once Upon A Time In Senegal (Stern’s)
ISSA JUMA & SUPER WANYIKA STARS World Defeats The Grandfathers (Stern’s)
FRANCO & LE TPOK JAZZ Francophonic Vol. 2 1980-1989 (Stern’s)
VARIOUS ARTISTS African Pearls: Congo (Syllart)
YOUSSOU N’DOUR Special Fin D’Année (Xippi)
STAR NUMBER ONE DE DAKAR La Belle Epoque 1974-1980 (Syllart)
TUTU CALLUGI Paris Match (Afrik Talents)
YAABA FUNK Afrobeast (Yaabaphone)
SKA CUBANO Mambo Ska (Casinosounds)
BAKO DAGNON Sidiba (Discograph)
RANGO Bride Of The Zar (30 IPS)
SIBONGILE KHUMALO Live (Gallo/Warner)
SOUL BROTHERS Thul’ Ubheke (Gallo/Warner

That Sterns list is not reflective of the listening habits of the audience described in the Guardian piece. Which is ok as long as folks don't think that the Sterns list is all that is happening.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Old%20sound%20fighting%20back%20in%20Congo%20/-/1056/1008424/-/7x2y5f/-/

Congolese rumba lives!

Kofi Olomide is a Congolese veteran at this point but he keeps getting lumped in with the "young artists who only appeal to Africans" crowd and not the "1980s or before peak era Congolese artists Christgau wrote about" crowd. White guy me started getting into his music when I read about it in the now defunct Beat magazine a long time ago. I didn't think I was being that adventurous or hipster or cool or whatever when I saw him at the U. of Maryland (with a 99% African audience).

Sometimes deciding whether an artist is a "world music performer" or one that is hip with emigrees from their own country is not so simple. Haitian band Boukman Ecksperyans put out a cd on a big American label once and have played gigs in DC at crossover-friendly establishments, but I also saw them once before a 99% Haitian crowd. A Haitian-American promoter just e-mailed me that they will be playing Sunday at a DC area club, the Crossroads, that usually hosts dancehall reggae artists.

My point is I think people should simply decide on an artist by artist basis whether they like a performer, and that all of it is worthy of coverage (this is the hard part--as some music is not marketed equally to all, and writers don't seek it all out), be it NPR-friendly, Pitchfork reissue-collector-friendly, beat-oriented club audience and blogger friendly, or emigree friendly.

Alas, the title of this thread discourages some from coming here I think (plus not enough people into 'international sounds' however they are defined, post on ILX anyway.

That Guardian article is kind of interesting. I wonder if another unspoken reason why shows aimed at African immigrants, or shows aimed at Puerto Ricans &/or Dominicans in Philly or DC, aren't promoted more outside their core audience is that that core audience might not want to see too many outsiders at these shows. If so, the promoters would stand to lose some of their core audience by promoting more broadly. I don't know whether that's really part of what's going on or not, just a thought. But clearly the concerts partly serve as a celebration/confirmation of group identity.

Good point re celebration/confirmation of group identity.

I should try to hear the new Natacha Atlas album.

has anyone heard that 50 Years of African Music box set from Sterns?

is it new? sterns is on emusic, but that box set isn't.

18 cds! Yes it's kinda new

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/26/africa-50-years-music-review

$125 from Amazon in the US

The deluxe boxed set includes a 76-page bi-lingual booklet with photographs, record-cover reproductions, specially-commissioned artwork and essays by experts on each of Africa’s popular styles.

I wish I could say I was enthusiastic about most of the global ghettotech stuff Wayne Marshall digs, but I'm not. Not that I just want to listen to old musician (without pro-tools) driven stuff, but I will do some of that. I also like "mambo"(current Dominican street merengue) and some other regional styles that some of Wayne's fave djs sample, better than the more straight-ahead electro club stuff.

http://wayneandwax.com/?p=4568

I've lost track of the DC clubs that spin African music. I think I'm gonna have to go to some DC African restaurants and look for flyers and ask around.

Gonna eat Sengalese food soon.

Meanwhile did anyone go to the Society for Ethnomusicology meeting in Los Angeles on the 14th:

12G Brentwood Room
New Media Ecologies of World Music
Chair: Timothy Taylor, University of California, Los Angeles
8:30 Dude, Where’s My Video? – Kevin Driscoll, University of Southern California
9:00 The Corrido and the Network: Cross-Border Ecologies of Mexican Music – Josh Kun, University of Southern California
9:30 Uneasy Peers and Unstable Platforms: The Making and Breaking of World Music 2.0 – Wayne Marshall, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
10:00 “New Old Media” of World Music – David Novak, University of California, Santa Barbara

Senegalese, I mean

And it was good. And they had good Senegalese music on the tv on the wall. But no postcards for DC African dj nights just for auto mechanics and churches.

I may have to go to an African market over in Maryland and try to find info there.

Oumou Sangare is in NYC at Lehman College Saturday. She's got an awesome voice. Wish she was coming to DC

She's in North Carolina I think, the next night

http://blog.afropop.org/2010/12/afropops-2010-stocking-stuffers.html

Surprised not to see Khaira Arby as I know he likes her. I had never heard of Tuargeg band Tamikrest.

Tuareg

http://www.suite101.com/content/mtv-africa-music-awards-2010-to-hold-december-11-a317675

I need to check out these nominees. A few I know but not others.

One of these nights I will find the time to research the above.

Also, I wonder if the columnists for the late lamented The Beat magazine are writing anywhere else. They used to cover some African music in a way that I could not find elsewhere on the internet. Really.

Has anybody heard J Wow from Buraka Son Sistema spinning tunes on his current club tour? He's at U st. Music Hall tonight. Djing kuduro and more I presume.

Ended up writing about overrated NPR fave Buke and Gass (they're ok just not better than a million others who don't live in Brooklyn ) last night and did not get to the MTV Africa nominees. Ugh.

City Paper party last night, movie tonight, maybe this weekend I will get to the MTV Africa nominees.

And alas, re one of my questions above and the non-response, any DCers or others who heard J Wow at U St. do not go to a thread with "world" in the title.

grumble, grumble. Rudiph and others don't do that when people don't respond to their questions on non-rock threads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4EhvE0aRYg

I think I still prefer the original as usual in these matters, but this is not bad.

yep

Remmy Ongala RIP

The only album of his I own is the Kershaw Sessions which is excellent.

That's sad. I own 1 cd of his (forget the name) and used to play it alot. He nicely blended influences.

A fair amount of Brit EOY polls include the Diabete with Ali Farke Toure cd (Toure's final recordings before passing away) while a few American EOY polls include King Sunny Ade's first cd of new material available in the US

Senegelese music in NY tonight (but still haven't found it in DC):

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

featuring
MOR DIOR BAMBA
Griot of the Royal Bour Guewels of Senegal, West Africa!

with an all-star band including:
Mamadou Yade (vocals)
Sory Kouyate (guitar)
Jean Jacques (guitar)
Thierno Camara (bass)
Ndongo Mbaya (tama)
Mbaye Niass (drums)

Doors 11pm * One Show Only 11:30pm
Admission $15

Hosted by "Maleye Comptale"

at JOE'S PUB

Shame on me for still not having heard the Group Inerane vol. 3 on Sublime Frequencies. I thought this latest from that Malian desert band was only available for collector scum $24 American on vinyl, but apparently there's a $10 download.

Checking out Marcel Khalife's son, Bachar's 2010 release Oil Slick. Don't necessarily file under "world music," because it's more jazz/rock (prog? avant-?)/electronic overall. In "Democratia" I recognize a bit of melody from a Mauritanian anthem (with social/political themes), which leaves me wondering if it's borrowed from that song, or from some common source. I like it, but will have to see how it holds up over time.

Here are links to a couple cuts:

Bachar Mar-Khalifé - Distance
Bachar Mar-Khalifé - Marée Noire

I saw him live with his dad years back.

I am wondering what to do about this thread for 2011. The term "world music" even though I put it in quotes and use "whirled" as well scares folks. Plus maybe the African reissues threads, the Korean pop ones,the J-pop threads, and the various Arabic ones cover enough that this is not needed. But I like it as a catch-all for everything else--Afropop artists with new cds or who are touring but aren't big enough to deserve their own thread, etc., various folks Rudiph highlights that don't fit into other threads...

even though I put it in quotes and use "whirled" as well scares folks

Do you seriously expect that to make a difference?

Because the subject of the thread is so broad, everyone tends to post in different directions, which cuts back a lot on any real discussions developing. By the very nature of its vastness, there's a lot of "world music" that just doesn't interest me. In fact, most of it doesn't. I do see some usefulness in having a catch-all thread like this where people can shout about (international/foreign language/other culture) things they particularly like that don't easily fit into other threads, but maybe by its nature the thread is going to be fragmentary.

http://yoganonymous.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/putumayo-yoga.jpg

Have a blissful and enlightened New Year!

Thanks. Good ol' Putumayo. Alright, well maybe I will just start a rolling African music thread--yes that is pretty broad, but it won't have "world" in the title. Alas, that will also mean that you will have to find a different thread for some of the international non-African stuff you have posted here (and I will as well).

Do want you want. Maybe you could call it the "World Mu$ic thread." No, please don't.

Caravan Palace will be playing the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year. First time I've seen/heard of them, pretty amazing imo. They make fun videos too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j95HbhTl60k&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upFAU2xjRgg&feature=related

globalFest just dropped their lineup. They're also doing a kickstarter to keep the festival alive. Support if you can and NYC ilxors should go to the show.
(full disclosure: i love the people who do this, have gone to this for years and sometimes work with the festival)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/445430954/globalfest-2012?ref=live

This year’s edition of the annual world music showcase and all-night party includes three U.S. debuts, as well as several fresh programs and approaches from a bevy of respected global performers.

BélO: Haiti’s acoustic innovator and social activist channels his home’s deep and diverse Afro-Caribbean roots with catchy, reggae-inflected songs.

Canzionere Grecanino Salentino: Southern Italy’s hottest band revitalizes the ancient ritual pizzica tarantata, said to cure the deadly pider’s bite with frenzied trance dances.

Debo Band: Boston-based crew reinvents the Golden Age of Ethiopian and East African funk and jazz.

Diogo Nogueira: Brazil’s red-hot samba (and television) star adds a contemporary twist to the beloved rhythms of Rio.

M.A.K.U. Sound System: Queens, NY-based Afro-Colombian underground band’s roaring guitars, bold brass, and hard-hitting Latin beats and vocals bring down the house.

Mayra Andrade: Golden-voiced Cape Verde-born singer brings a Parisian and Brazilian flair to her island roots with a new acoustic trio.

Silk Road Project Ensemble: An international collective of virtuoso musicians from Japan to the Mediterranean and in between continue founder Yo-Yo Ma’s musical legacy on their own, exploring the world’s oldest trade routes in unexpected ways.

SMOD (U.S. Debut): Malian folk rappers, featuring the son of Amadou and Mariam, work serious lyrical flow to create Afro-Rap, wrapped in Manu Chao’s signature globe-trotting production.

The Gloaming (U.S. Debut): Irish and American roots supergroup (Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Iarla Ó Lionaird, and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh with NY’s indie pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), marries edgy but harmonious, sparse yet beautiful elements to age-old and new tunes.

Wang Li (U.S. Debut): France-based Chinese jaw harp master-improviser creates wildly unexpected and deeply meditative melodies, discovering the infinite nuances that breath, tongue, and throat can make.

Wonderland: Featuring Turkish virtuosi of the Taksim Trio (Hüsnü Senlendirici: clarinet, Ismail Tunçbilek: baglama, and Aytaç Dogan: kanun) and East Village nu-jazz-world-dub club Nublu’s mover-and-shaker, multi-instrumentalist Ilhan Ersahin, Wonderland’s global music artfully unites Turkish, Kurdish, Gypsy and Armenian grooves into soulful delights.

Yemen Blues: Yemeni-Israeli electrifying singer and his global band make Mediterranean sounds rock and soar.

I've seen Debo Band who I liked. I'm curious about a number of the others--Smod, Diogo Nogueira,M.A.K.U. Sound System

Yemen Blues is great and Silk Road and Wonderland are totally trustworthy picks.

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/23/145361675/78-78s-in-search-of-lost-time

Return of the World Music Thread: 2012

gracias