Francis Bebey: S/D (a.k.a. the How Is There No Francis Bebey Thread thread)

so the Graceland discussion got me thinking about some "african music" i actually do like, and this guy was one of the first to mind. Akwaaba has to be one of the most memorable albums i've ever heard, and definitely my favorite i've heard out of the entire continent to date (especially if we don't count reissues, but records actually released in their own time). in large part because the title track is one of my all-time favorite recordings, though the rest is special and mesmerizing in its own right. Un Petite Ivorien is really nice too, and his early electronic recordings (as collected on African Electronic Music 1975-1982, as i have them) are super prescient.

guy's got a massive discography, though, and for all my love i've yet to really plumb it. hoping we have some experts here!

I've only heard the African Electronic Music comp, but I like it a lot, esp. "New Track" and "The Coffee Cola Song."

Love the African Electronic Music compilation, I gave it to my brother in law last year and now my 4 and 6 year old nephews are singing his songs :)
Will seek out Akwaaba. & hope some real experts will visit this thread :)

Coincidence, probably, and it's only the intro, but I had a minor wtf-moment when I played Hancock's Head Hunters album recently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bjPlBC4h_8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m56H4E5bZLk

The Coffee Cola song is great. heard it on the 'One Track Per Week' thread.

The Psychedelic Sanza collection (also on Born Bad) is super good. I think I prefer that side to the stuff on the other comp, although I'm sure that's brilliant as well.

I put this in a mix recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwM-Gjp3ToU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNWI3QsrxZA

"my heart, my heart is full of love / i have nothing else"

that's beautiful

(re: watermelon man similarity) the hoot/flute hocquetting thing is a repertoire technique in east african music. natural for bebey, hancock & crew likely inspired by ethnographic recordings or something else. anybody's guess, really

just got into this guy recently, that electronic music comp is so great. Anyone read any of his books?

wow, yeah. didn't know he made stuff w/ this kinda sound. unbelievable..."akwaaba" leagues for sure. i gotta track down more of his records (but seriously everyone needs to check out the akwaaba lp!!)

didn't even know he was an author. a musicologist and novelist both, apparently. intreresting

the hoot/flute hocquetting thing is a repertoire technique in east african music

do you have any more specifics or examples of this?

love bebey ofc

can't find exactly what i'm looking for, but this is close:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xfbpZgeRSg

"hindewhu" is teh name for the technique, apparently,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaapIq7iTB0

this is great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7033W-8meI

Bumping this thread since Arcade Fire samples him on their latest single. Good reason to dive into him as any, I suppose.

great to see a thread on him, psychedelic stanza is a favorite

definiitely not very interested in hearing arcade fire's take tho

Psychedelic Sanza and African Electronic Music 1975-82 are on youtube. Will check out. Sadly no Akwaaba.

http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1334947853l/13610295.jpg

bought^^^ at stern's and last read when i was writing a lot abt african pop for nme in the 80s, i need to reread this

i liked the electronic music comp, but psychedelic sanza is something else. it's the kind of album you put on again as soon as it's over.

Had never heard Bebey's Psychedelic Stanza till now, wow. Thanks

Yeah I really like that one. Don't really know the electronic stuff, actually.

I just discovered "African Electronic Music" love it

Francis Bebey is one of my favorite composers and favorite people!

I picked up this bio and will be slowly working my way through, hopefully remembering to report back here with anything interesting

https://www.afrisson.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/arton5226.jpg

well, it's really more of a critical essay than a full-on bio, but nevertheless it seems interesting

are you reading it in French?

I should dig out Psychedelic Sanzas, it's been a while

not super into the cover art, which looks nothing like him imo, but a new release of supposedly archival material compiled by his son:

https://francisbebeya7.bandcamp.com/album/tr-sor-magn-tique

Francis Bebey is one of my favorite composers and favorite people!

everyone needs to check out the akwaaba lp!!

i agree with both of those things.

how was the ‘critical essay’? preview tracks on the new one are nice.

i set it aside in frustration because i wasn't learning anything interesting. it was just kind of like, literary analysis? idk, i can't find it rn ...