Group Doueh and similar acts

Listening to "Guitar Music From The Western Sahara", which I happen to have acquired at the same time as Oum Koulthoum. Not the same thing at all, I realise, but this is my first step into North African/Middle Eastern music so I thought I'd start a general discussion thread.

This is a pretty nice album, I've gotta say - just a shame about the tinny production, but there's a lot going on here and Doueh is an incredible guitarist.

the third volume of ""guitar music from the western sahara" just came out. also worth hearing is the group inerane album on sublime frequencies which despite the poor recording quality is some of the wildest music ever put on wax.

^ yes re: Inerane. love that first one of theirs. their 2nd lp is considerably less wild. also good is the Group Bombino lp.

haven't heard the 2nd inerane album. may skip it if it is considerably less wild. and yes, group bombino also. forgot about that one.

Check out Tinariwen if you haven't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JFO7Wb-p2A

More Northern Africa than the other stuff but the Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna album is amazing. And of course if you love that I wholeheartedly recommend tracking down original Nass El Ghiwane, Jil Jilala, and Lemchaheb records. The first's are especially are amazing.

haha I remember downloading this after seeing them on The Wire's best of 2009. Deleted it after 30 seconds.

bombino is my favorite of the algadez records
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_2OSQyjnOg&feature=related

haha I remember downloading this after seeing them on The Wire's best of 2009. Deleted it after 30 seconds.

― laser precise purpose maker era, Saturday, November 20, 2010 12:22 AM (23 hours ago) Bookmark

^^^^ what's wrong with people today?

Srsly. Hey, congrats on your short-sightedness, pal.

Tartit is another group from there worth checking out.

and

http://195.178.113.21/mondomixmp3/disk2/albums/19615/images/cover300.jpg

http://www.etranfinatawa.com/tl_files/ef/cover%20page%20web.JPG

set tonight was p fire. catch em if you get the means

Yeah, they kill it live.

And they keep skipping Washington DC on tour. We're getting Malian woman singer Khaira Arby, but she and her band have a different approach.

I need to listen to that new Tamikrest album.

Some more discussion here:

Rolling African Music 2011 Thread

RAM / Group Doueh / Baloji / GlobeSonic Sound System at 3 pm Sunday in NYC at Central Park

Ram are Haitian and Baloji is a Congolese rapper who lives in Belgium

No New Yorkers here who saw them yesterday?

Was watching recent Khaira Arby footage on Youtube (at SxSW)...nice guitarwork

Interviewing Group Bombino (phoner, via interpreter) tomorrow! Want to talk to him/them about playing songs for audiences who don't understand the words. Any other suggestions for questions?

My usual cliched questions re what they listen to? do they have other jobs? how did they learn to play?

No New Yorkers here who saw them yesterday?

Yes, was killer. Rainy show and the sound wasn't 100% but they played about an hour and were superb. Such cool and unique music, crowd seemed really into it. Wish they had done a club/indoor date in NY, but oh well Central Park Summerstage has a "classic" feel to it.

http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-03/ae/29733790_1_western-sahara-hotel-room-oberon

Nice interview/feature on Group Doueh

If you get a chance, check out Mariem Hassan - she is like Group Doueh fronted by a woman singer. If you like Arabic-style woman vocals this has a real Together-At-Last quality.

I saw her and band at a concert here in Dublin recently, which was followed by a workshop-discussion on the Western Saharan issue, a somewhat surreal experience in a nightclub that was also featuring DJ Johnny Syntax.

Mariem Hassan sounds cool, but...Group Doueh is fronted by a woman singer already!

The Tamikrest album is one of the best released this year, imo and the new Tinariwen is great on first listen.

mmm, MFB... I suppose there are lady vocals on some of the Group Doueh tracks I have heard, but they are not to the forefront. And some of the tracks definitely feature man vocals. With Mariem Hassan it really is You-Want-Woman-Vocals-We-Got-Woman-Vocals.

I suppose I mean the difference between a band with a woman singer and a band fronted by a woman.

Only referring to the live show I saw. Doueh's (wife, I assume) is definitely the frontwoman and takes center stage. Doueh and his son take a backseat and don't sing, although Doueh does come to the front for some nice solos.

Tinariwen touring the US and new album will feature American guests.

On their forthcoming album Tassili - out August 30 - the band is joined by Kyp Malone, guitarist for TV on the Radio, singer Tunde Adebimpe, Wilco lead guitarist Nels Cline and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Omara “Bombino” Moctar was in NYC Friday (but I was not). Not crazy about his more mellow recent disc

^ ditto

yeah, it's a bit dull. i think he's poised to go the sort of mellow "world music" route but live he still kind of smokes.

i saw that "agadez" documentary and felt like i was being sold a bill of goods, kind of. really vague on details of music and politics, just a 60-min. advertisement for bombino really.