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

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

Here's last year's 2023 link

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

Chuck Eddy from his latest long essay about his fave 2023 albums:

Beyond that, I’m not sure how much more I can generalize, except to say that what I’m hearing out of Africa lately sounds a decade or more ahead of what I’m hearing from just about everywhere else. Who knows, maybe it always was. My favorite places on the Internet to find out about new music these days, for whatever it’s worth, are Pan African Music and the Brussels-based Rebel Up Nightshop; favorite record labels right now are Kampala’s Nyege Nyege Tapes (and its subsidiary Hakuna Kulala), Lisbon’s Príncipe (“most closely associated with a bouncy, staggered and sometimes roly-poly club sound—a syncretic blend of Angolan and Afro-Portuguese styles known as batida,” Resident Advisor puts it), and Geneva’s Les Disques Bongo Joe (“explores contemporary undergrounds to dig out extraordinary sounds and plows the furrows of time to unearth rare nuggets from here, there and everywhere” — bandcamp.) Not sure I could map out how exactly they interrelate, but it sure sounds like they do.

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://accidentalevolution.wordpress.com/2024/01/05/150-best-albums-of-2023/?fbclid=IwAR1LMo6b1QDDtJO1ncngClxTsiqpAcsRff6jpqI86uBPRJkCafCesPKqEu4_aem_AdB7qnx7SXFUg4uYw719qcJ1kh-EypwcPWclI3bbz3EvqXbxJCdnkA-4LMyKDUU9H0w

https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2023/favorite-latin-and-global

Allmusic,com list of fave Latin and Global is more pop than Xchuck Eddy

Bassekou Kouyate and his family band are doing a short US tour in February. Worth seeing these Malian greats if they’re near you.

New Les Amazones D'Afrique is great and has a fantastic video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ob0ic-wyfo

That is great. Nice mix of sung and rapped vocals and fun closeups and moves in the video

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/arts/blacklisted-west-bank-basel-zayed-has-settled-into-his-new-musical-home-boston/

Oud player ( & psychotherapist) Basel Zayed some years back angered both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank , so he moved to the U.S.

https://lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/globalfest-387

Assiko Golden Band De Grand Yoff: Magg Tekki

Bounaly: Dimanche à Bamako

Azuka Moweta and His Anioma Brothers Band of Africa: Nwanne Bu Ife

Saw someone named Sidney Terano’s substack and his list of 2023 albums liked included the above 3. I only know Bounaly whom I like

I saw Senegalese kora player and singer Ablaye Cissoko duet last night with French accordionist Cyrille Brotto in Washington DC last night. Cissoko’s voice, singing in Wolof I think, was so moving as was his harp like kora sounds . They spoke in French between songs. Someone who spoke French and English came on stage before 1 song and translated into English the Cissoko explanation of a song that was about the current numbers of Africans fleeing the continent on boats to go to Europe and many not surviving ( and others losing interest in these sad experiences as they happen again and again).

Cissoko and Brotto played NY at Carnegie Hall a few nights before

They are in Los Angeles tonight.

They're still touring behind their 2022 album https://ablayecissoko.bandcamp.com/album/instant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks5hx_U-ilU

Cissoko and Brotto video

RIP DJ Katapila from Ghana. He blended Ghana styles with Chicago & Detroit style dance. He dj’d parties, funerals and more at home, and after Brian of Awesome Tapes from Africa found 2 of his tapes and re-released them, he did Europe gigs as well.

There’s a long heartfelt Awesome Tapes from Africa Instagram post

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2iRl0mo2ud/?igsh=aWQwamF1dWNuemNz

That is very sad. I saw him play alongside Ata Kak in Bristol and it was so much fun

Sorry to jump straight in here and derail slightly, but some of you might be interested in this thread Rolling DESI and SOUTH ASIAN music thread 2024 - Bhangra, Bollywood, Chutney Soca, Baila etc...

dunno if if north African crate-tape-digging fits here but listened to A Moi La Liberte: Early Electronic Rai a lot over Christmas and enjoyed it as much as anything I heard last year.

Yes it fits. Am leaving current programmed beat afrobeats/ afropop to the afropop thread, but almost anything else can go here.

DJ Katapila has died, per Awesome Tapes from Africa:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2iRl0mo2ud/?img_index=1

https://djkatapila.bandcamp.com/

Brian from Awesome Tapes said DJ Katapila was one of his biggest supporters. I need to try to keep up better on the various Awesome Tapes reissues and such.

Busy listening to Pakistani vocalist Ali Sethi who did an album where he improvised ghazals over the electronic sounds of Nicolas Jaar. His more pop effort, a collaborative single with fellow Pakistani singer Shae Gill “Pasoori,” a Punjabi word that translates roughly to “difficult mess, went viral on Youtube in 2022 with hundreds of millions of viewers

The Ali Sethi 2023 album with Nicolas Jaar music is called Intiha

More 2023 music I am catching up on DJ FINALE - Pitschu Debou (feat. DeBoul & Le Meilleur)

Kinshasa’s DJ Finale ( a key member of Fulu Mziki) smelts soukous, trap and Afrobeats with flexibly jazzy electronics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8HgFBDsAyo

That's on the Nyege Nyege label

RIP Gustave Bentho Titiou dit Junior bassist and composier of Tout Puissant Poly Rythmo , at 73 . Am awesome old school band from Benin

Saw the news on Facebook and Twitter

New Mdou Moctar out on Matador I think in a day or 2

They're announcing the new Moctar album tomorrow; actual release date is in May. There will be a tour in June.

April 14 - Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
April 21 - Indio, CA @ Coachella Music and Arts Festival
June 5 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Anchor Rock Club
June 6 - Harrisburg, PA @ The Abbey Bar at ABC
June 7 - Richmond, VA @ Cheers Brown’s Island
June 8 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
June 9 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
June 11 - Charleston, SC @ Pour House
June 12 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
June 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
June 14 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 15 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
June 18 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
June 19 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Bag
June 20 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
June 21 - Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall
June 22 - Greenfield, MA @ Green River Music Festival
June 23 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
June 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
June 27 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
June 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

Ah yes. Moctar Funeral for Justice album title track here

https://www.stereogum.com/2253502/mdou-moctar-funeral-for-justice/music/

But Stereogum writer and editor doesn’t know the difference between Nigeria and Niger. Someone has mentioned it in the comments but they haven’t corrected it yet as of Wednesday morning ET

Ethiopian band Qwanqwa are returning to US for another tour. Their violinist is not Ethiopian but speaks Amharic and lives or lived there

They had an earlier IG post on how relieved they were to finally get visas approved for this tour, although the process was expensive, involved multiple languages, Gregorian and Ethiopian Ge’ez calendars, translation work, lawyers, and clunky government websites

Listening to Egyptian singer Mohamed Hamaki now . He's doing a short US tour. In suburban Washington DC Saturday

North American tour I mean. He did a Toronto show

Awesome Tapes From Africa and Sahel Sounds are offering digital albums for "Name Your Price" on Bandcamp Friday (today!):
https://awesometapesfromafrica.bandcamp.com/
https://sahelsounds.bandcamp.com/

Did you get anything? I got busy and well, maybe next time

Kaethe Hostetter, American violinist from Ethiopian group Qwanqwa , who lived in Addis for 11 years, but is now based in Brooklyn has been doing some solo violin and electronics gigs playing music influenced by her time in Ethiopia. Alas, I missed her Baltimore gig. Saw a video clip on Facebook that looked good. Qwanqwa are starting a north American tour March 31

Music from Saharan WhatsApp 04
by Alkibar Junior

"We've made this release available again as the band was recently a victim of radical extremists who destroyed all of their musical equipment. The band is currently raising funds to bring music back to Niafounke, and all proceeds to to the band"

https://alkibar.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-saharan-whatsapp-04

more info here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-alkibar-junior-bring-music-back-to-mali

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk4mn4CKVXA

curmudgeon asked: "Did you get anything?"

I got these, all are wonderful:
https://awapoulo.bandcamp.com/album/poulo-warali
https://hailumergia.bandcamp.com/album/pioneer-works-swing-live
https://lesfillesdeillighadad.bandcamp.com/album/les-filles-de-illighadad
https://lesfillesdeillighadad.bandcamp.com/album/at-pioneer-works

I was already familiar with the Awa Poulo and first Les Filles albums and threw down some cash to keep myself honest.
Love love love Hailu Mergia and will buy anything he puts out.

Nice haul

Sahel Sounds Go Fund Me fundraiser to get instruments for for Alkibar Jr , still going

So this old-school promoter who doesn’t plan well in advance or research well is booking the Bassekou Kouyate tour ( that is skipping DC because she insists band wants a guarantee in advance and no venue will do that) and she’s booking the Mokoomba tour . For Mokoomba I have now given her a list of clubs and contact information. Hopefully she will be successful

She means well.

https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/13/el-wali-the-shapeshifting-voice-of-saharan-struggle?fbclid=PAAaY3Ka6zGNehxSS4q6_8tb39tkjrPsJ028zRSuHhuCpq5roj4E2aEz6jY8c_aem_AUK1BEloS0B1zNJD_lchzx8mhISkqEq1-LvBLpqR-I355qNIiKXgqyXGE3W5W5VLi5Q

El Wali from Saharan Sahel

Florence Adooni debut album is on its way on Philophon, new single is wonderful:

https://florenceadooni.bandcamp.com/album/uh-ah-song

...and this is a different song from a festival appearance last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypv0_LM4c60

pure heat

Yes to Florence Adooni and she and her band’s frafra music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR51MWK_o2M

South African singer Thandiswa Mazwai on Tiny Desk Global Fest .

Christopher Kirkley of Sahel Sounds has a nts show coming up on Thursday called Autotune the World

https://www.nts.live/shows/christopher-kirkley

Qwanqwa are going to put out a live album soon I hear.

Cute South African kids band Biko's Manna are in the US doing some gigs now. They've gone viral on tiktok and Instagram reels, and Jennifer Hudson loves them

https://foxydigitalis.zone/2024/04/08/video-premiere-tidiane-thiam-yewende/?fbclid=PAAaZT3YdXx5SX0fYFCIAMr8TyeD6CcKqQslr1JpPpBTfKmS79GHx9iLlEa1g_aem_AdIfu64s3SSibzALmp-Ybr5c3u8L2MZD-dQ3oDxFKeUlSeirtqxCBWxjG11CIH-fz3I

Tidiane Thism from Senegal getting mellow on Sahel Sounds

Thiam

https://mississippirecords.bandcamp.com/album/rail-band

Mississippi records has reissued on vinyl an old 70s album from Mali’s Rail Band

Was out of town and missed recent gigs by Sona Jobarteh, and Blick Bassy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt3BYPw-3uk

1 hour performance of a special collaboration between Sunken Cages ( Ravish Momin), dragonchild ( Ethiopian sax & keyboard player DA Mekonnen) , Faraway Ghost ( Iranian Dc area percussionist Kamyar Arsani) & guest dancer Amirah Sackett , at the Kennedy Center

Ethiopian music band Qwanqwa, most of whose band members are based in Addis, were great tonight at little Makeba in Alexandria , Va just south of DC . Crowd was mostly dc area based Ethiopians . The singer of Qwanqwa can sing powerfully with melisma; as well as ululate and do that Ethiopian shoulder dance

Oumou Sangare , Malian singing great, is doing some US gigs again, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be near me in the Washington DC area

https://occidentalbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/likambo-te

Jordan noted on the Rolling Jazz thread that the Chicago-based Occidental Brothers are back and have a new highlife album with drummer Mackaya Macraven. Circa 2009 I was a fan of their a bit gimmicky highlife cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle

Reyna Tropical were highlighted by Rob on the Afro-Latino, Latin Pop etc thread, but the occasional use of soukous guitar & some other touches might intrigue folks on this thread too. I like the new album a lot

Saw on Facebook a great video clip of Malian singer Oumou Sangare guesting with Colombia band Rancho Aparte from Colombia at the Blue Moon Saloon in Louisiana as its festival time down there

Mokoomba from Zimbabwe got a US date in June in DC

Apologies if there's a specific nyege nyege thread I can't find but loving this
https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/izigqinamba

Interesting contrasts there between the vocals and beats

Ghana special 2 arrived in the post today but it might wait bcz that can't stop with that new Mdou Moctar album

Ghana Special 2 sounds good so far to me (decided to check it out before the Mdou Moctar )

Yeah very much looking forward to getting that one, soundway comps never disappoint

Meridian Brothers are more for the Latin thread, but they're hyping this new one for adding some Congolese soukous guitar

https://meridianbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/mi-latinoam-rica-sufre-2

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

Ballaké Sissoko (kora) and Derek Gripper (guitar) are putting out another album. Gripper is on tour in US now (In DC Monday night the 13th ) . Mellow but good

Absolutely loving Ghana Special 2, listened to it about 4 times straight through yesterday. I knew a few of these tunes beforehand but there is so much more great stuff on it. Kwasi Afari Minta - Barima Nsu is possibly my favourite new thing, but that MC Mambo song is super fun too. Top work Soundway!

It's definitely a good Ghana comp-

Sahel Sounds just announced a listening party for Africa Yontii by Tidiane Thiam:
Africa Yontii Listening Party with Tidiane Thiam!
The event is scheduled for:
Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT

More details via label bandcamp

I could have sworn we had a dedicated Mdou Moctar thread. Anyway, I was already a huge fan, but the new one absolutely rips. "Imouhar" is the one I keep coming back to most.