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in the spate of "popularizing" recordings featuring Western (Cooder, Baker, et al) interlopers.
In other words, I want the unadulterated "roots" recommendations for vocal, instrumental, and combinations.
I'm familiar with Baobab, Youssou N'Dour, Ali Farka Touré, Cheikh Lo.
Please, help.
Follow Ups:
In no particular order here are a few CDs of traditional African music that I enjoy.1. Yoruba Drums From Benin, West Africa on Smithsonian Folkways.
The Yoruban people comprised much of the transplanted slaves into the Caribbean. Much of the traditional Cuban and Brazilian music you may already be familiar with is from the Yoruban traditions. - This album is entirely small drum ensembles playing fairly dense, intricate ceremonial music. It's not for the wimpy but it rewards careful, repeated listening.2. Batimbo - Burundi Drums - Music and Chants on Playasound Records (France)
Different tracks represent a nice mix of big drum ensembles, kalimba, and delicate singing.3. The Drums of Gorée - Sénégal - Playsound Records
Medium sized drum ensembles4. Songs and Rhythms of Malawi - Playsound Records
Great album with more song-like structured music. Beautiful vocal polyphony - various percussion - various acoustic guitar-like (Kora?) instruments.5. Balafons et Tambours d´afrique - Playsound Records
A really interesting collection from different parts of the continent. Various percussion ensembles with a focus on balafons (think African xylophone or marimba).good luck,
-o
Here's someone really stunning: Vusi Mahlasela. Heard him in a solo/acoustic guitar setting and with an electro-acoustic pickup Afrofolk band. An amazing voice, and an even more astounding as a complete musician using that god's gift of his. Rarely do I get shivers running down my spine these days, but he sure did it. I don't know his recordings, but my South African friends tell he's a bit into this schmaltzy fusion stuff these days, so research will probably pay dividens.That's if you are looking for the real thing. He is. And his lyrics bear reading, a rarity in the world of pop. What a charismatic stage presence, too. Yeah, the guy rocks.
I rarely recommend male singers this side of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, so take it as you wish.
Fused jazz with traditional African music. "Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years" is a recent collection of various artists, more pure African pop than Masekela's own music, on his Chisa label. Highly recommended.
Algerian Rai: Most of the Rai artists now live in Paris because the
Islamic radicals will murder them in Algeria. Check out Bellamou
Messaoud, a cool trumpet player.Moroccan Gnawa: This is the music of the Berber Gnawa, desert
sorcerers and healers. They claim to master the night spirits of the
Sahara. Nobody dares fuck with them, not even the fundamentalists.
For some urban Gnawa check out Nass el Ghiwan.Ethnic stuff: There is a huge amount of ethnic stuff on various
labels, notably, Lyrichord, Nonesuch Explorer, Arion, and Ocora.
"Music of the Rain Forest Pygmies" on Lyrichord is enchanting, not
to mention superior to most of the stuff so far recommended.Regards,
Thanks for the recommendations!
The Dark City Sisters;Irene and the Sweet Melodians and of course Fela Kuti.
Foda Musa Suso and Fela Kuti are a couple of well-established names. Konono #1 is a great new sound to western ears, though they go back more than a decade. Wasis Diop is in Paris now, but what a fabulous, sophisticated and exotic electro-African sound he has - not popish at all. For some newer names, Google the Festival In The Desert for past line-ups, discs, etc.Tartit, Takamba Super Onze, Tinariwen (!!!!), Tidawt, Kel Tin Lokiene, Tatouages, Awilo Longomba, Thandiswa Mazwai, Ghorwane, Oumou Sangare, Kekele, Kandia Kouyate, Mory Kante. For a taste of hip-hop, Juliana, Johny-Boy, K-Swiss, Agano.
Look for the soundtrack to a movie called Latcho Drom, on a French CD label, La Bande Son, distributed in US by Caroline Records. An older disc but still fresh sounds.
Arabian Africa is a whole 'nother world. I favor Ethiopian and Sudanese sounds.
Brasil when the military dictators ruled, quite unpopularly.
One of the recent Generals elevated to the presidency was taking his first flight aboard the Brasilian version of Air Force One.
After the plane had climbed for a time, the pilot announced over the intercom, "Welcome Mr. President; we are cruising at a speed of 350 knots and we flying over Sao Paulo at a height of approximately 10,000 meters."
The president confusedly looked at the offiicers around him, "My God! I knew Brasil was big but I never knew it was so tall."
West Africa, South Africa, Mali, etc. Lots of good stuff on these.Some big names are Thomas Mapfumo, the lion of Zimbabwe, Tinariwen, the Tuareg band that is very hot right now (think a band with 3 Ali Farka Toures in it), Amadou and Maryam, Toumani Diabate for real roots oriented kora.
these are not pure African roots bands, they use western instruments in conjunction with African instruments, but from the other bands you mentioned that should not be a problem. I have not seen Osibisa live, I'm not sure they even still exist, but I have seen all the rest and I highly recommend each of them.
are a recent series of 2 CD sets focused on various countries/styles - Congo, Guinee, Senegal, Mali, etc. Basically various artists comps, they encompass styles and recordings dating from the 50's through the 80's. Lots of great stuff and good notes. The Rough Guide CDs are good too.
For all the various African Countries' styles and artists, well, various comps are a good way to discover...various artists.There were Folkways LP recordings of more traditional musics with great notes in the 60's & 70's, as well as a French label (whose name escapes me) that issued some amazing recordings. Don't know if these are available on CD. If they are, they are a great source. These are more "rootsy" recordings.
If you haven't heard Rokia Traore, who is contemporary, you should.
She is fantastic!!!
"I always play jazz records backwards, they sound better that way"
-Thomas Edison
Oliver Mtukdzi!So important in modern African music they named a style after him...
"Tuku Music"
P.S. If you ever get a chance to see him and his group live don't pass it up. One of the best shows I've ever seen.
Sorry for the mispelling.
You can check out Babatunde Olatunji's "Drums of Passion" and Miriam Makeba. Both "authentic" African artists.
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