African music--from hip reissues to popular to whatever...

More questions...Doran of Quietus has posted about African music here but I don't think any of the albums he posted about made their top 20 eoy list. That makes me sad if I read the list correctly. Did I?

xp
god I wish. does the Fader do eoy lists?

I don't see anything African on the Quietus list. I think the Tinariwen and Sidi Toure's Sahel Folk are the only ones I've spotted anywhere so far, fwiw.

The apparently tiny amount of critics who care about African music of any style from anywhere on the continent means the only other mentions I have seen so far are from the, ugh, Grammys:

Not that I agree with all of this website's analysis but anyway:

Best World Music Album

AfroCubism - AfroCubism
Femi Kuti - Africa For Africa
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Songs From a Zulu Farm
Tinariwen - Tassili
It's a big shocker that this category only has four nominees -- that's undoubtedly the result of a tie, but it's surprising to see so few total nominees in a category that's merged from two others -- last year, there were 10 nominees, now there are only four. All of these picks are African, which isn't a surprise, as the world music categories have always been heavily populated by Africans, particularly West and South Africans (ahem, nothing new to see in that regard). If I had to put money down, I'd put it on AfroCubism (though Tinariwen would be a close second, with the others hot on their trail -- a tight race, for sure)... AfroCubism was both a fan favorite and it caused major buzz among insiders, though, so I suspect it'll come out on top.

http://worldmusic.about.com/od/newsarticles/a/2012-Grammy-Awards-Nominations-In-World-Reggae-And-Roots-Music.htm?nl=1

anybody in to The Master Musicians of Jajouka? Reissued by sol re sol records. sounds interesting.

In the Djebala foothills of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco is the ancient village of Jajouka. For hundreds of years music has poured out of that village, music by the world’s only “4000 year old rock band” (William Burroughs), the Master Musicians of Jajouka. For hundreds of years the Master Musicians were the musical group of choice for the princes of Morocco, but they were not heard outside their native soil.

Fast forward to 1950, Morocco, free of French and Spanish colonialism, is alive and the Beat Generation has discovered it. Author/composer Paul Bowles and writer/painter Brion Gysin hears the Master Musicians at a festival and have their minds blown. At different times both Bowles and Gysin make their way to the village of Jajouka, visits which result in some of the first recordings of the group.

It is interesting. Saw a version of the group in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center in 2009

I guess no one here saw Congolese hearthrob Fally Ipupa on his US tour?

I should add that the Wire's "global" list has lots of African stuff on it, including a Stern's comp of Swahili Rumba I didn't know existed, though I don't think any of it is current.

Looks like Seun Kuti is the only current African artist on their list:

Global A–Z

Bambara Mystic Soul: The Raw Sound Of Burkina Faso 1974–1979 Various (Analog Africa)
ZM Dagar & ZF Dagar Ragini Miyan Ki Todi (Country & Eastern)
Fanafody: A Collection Of Recordings & Photography From Madagasikara Vol II Various (Mississippi)
Franco & Le TPOK Jazz Francophonic Vol 1 1953–1980 (Sterns)
Jeong Ga Ak Hoe Gagok (Female)
Pungnyu III (Akdang)
Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars World Defeats The Grandfathers – Swinging Swahili Rumba 1982–1986 (Sterns)
Korea: Jongmyo Jeryeak: Ritual Music For The Royal Ancestors Various (Ocora)
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 From Africa With Fury: Rise (Knitting Factory)
Opika Pende: Africa At 78rpm Various (Dust-To-Digital)
Tabu Ley Rochereau The Voice Of Lightness Vol 2 (Sterns)
Young Ho Shu Ajaeng Sanzo (Akdang) Omar Souleyman Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts (Sublime Frequencies)
Wallahi Le Zein!!: Wezin, Jakwar, And Guitar Boogie From The Islamic Republic Of Mauritania Various (Latitude)
Emin Yagci Tulum: A Sound From The Black Sea (Felmay)
Lingling Yu/Guo Gan Yue Luo: Jiangnan Sizhu Music (Felmay)

And Omar Souleyman

Does he count as African? Maybe not

I think technically Syria is in Asia.

anyone heard that Burkina Faso comp? I may have satiated myself on west african 70s funk, but I'm curious.

I'm curious too, but have not yet heard it.

I need to find that African music chatboard I used to read (mostly Congolese immigrants to Europe and the US posted there)

anyone heard that Burkina Faso comp? I may have satiated myself on west african 70s funk, but I'm curious

i have that on order - someone played something off it on outloud and it was gorgeous.

http://moamas.com/

Sunday, 25 September 2011 15:36
Written by Museke
The Afrotainment Museke Awards (moamas) honored African Artists with a celebration of African music on September 24th. Our big winners Viviane Ndour and Fally Ipupa also graced the stage performing some of their most famous records. Angelique Kidjo was also honored with her very first lifetime achievement award. Other big performers included Ghana's Blitz the ambassador, French-Cameroonian sisters les Nubians and Rwandan artist Iyadede.

Here is the full list of winners

Artiste of the Year - Fally Ipupa
Best Male Artist - 2Face Idibia
Best Female Artist - Viviane
Best Group - P-Square
Best New Artist/Group - Jay Ghartey
Best Album - Didier Awadi’s Presidents d’Afrique

Voters’ choice award - Moh Dediouf
Best Video producer/director - Gelongal
Best Beat maker/audio producer - Don Jazzy
Best African Collaboration - Jukpa remix
Best Music Video - Sama Champion
Most popular song of the year - Fally (Sexy Dance)
Best DJ of the year - DJ Mixmaster Brown
Lifetime Achievement Award - Angelique Kidjo

Western Africa song of the year - Ce magik by Toofan
Northern Africa song of the year - Be winner by Fnaire
Central Africa song of the year - Sexy dance by Fally Ipupa
Eastern Africa song of the year - Songa mbele by Alpha
Southern Africa song of the year - Windeck by Cabo Snoop
African Diaspora song of the year - Voce me da - Clarisse Albrecht

Record of the year - positive African song - Bayi yoon
Best Religious song - A e phetete thato ya hao by Kabelo Eric

Best Reggae song - Marley by Youssou Ndour
Best Afro Hip-hop song - Away by VIP
Best Hip Hop song - Dans mon reve by Awadi
Best Afro-soul/RnB - Kele kele love by Tiwa Savage
Best Afro-Pop song - Shoga by Shaa
Best Afro-fusion - Be my man by Asa
Best Acoustic song - Boda boda by Maurice Kirya
Best Afro-Dancehall song - Plantain boy by Timaya
Best Alternative - Black girl, white boy by Stefan Ludik
Best Zouk - Proibido by Djodje
Best Afro-rhythms - Fima tollu by Viviane
Best Tribal House song - Zekete Zekete by Anges d’Afrik

Are any Brit or US or European websites writing about any of the above artists (No, Youssou does not count)? The zouk track might be getting some Caribbean attention.

Here's another list (that I think is mostly Ghanaian)

http://tooxclusive.com/2011/03/12/top-20-african-songs-charts/

if you don't want to click on the link:

#1 AKA ‘victory lap

#2 NaetoC ft Asa Share “My Blessings”

#3 Omawumi ‘If You Ask Me’

#4 Darey ‘The Way You Are’

#5 P-Squared ft 2face idibia ‘Possibilities’

#6 Iceprincezamani ft Brymo Oleku

#7 M.I Feat brymo ‘action film’

#8 Nothende ‘celebrate’

#9 Wizkid ‘Tease Me’

#10 Sasha ft Brymo ‘Ma Wo Be’

#11 Kwesta ‘Babhemi’

#12 D’banj ft SnoopDogg Mr endowed

#14 DBLACKGH ft Iceprincezamani ,HipHopPantsula ,Kel ‘Get On Dancefloor’

#15 L_Tido ft K.O (Teargas) ‘We Rolling’

#17 Professor ft Speedy ‘Lento’

#18 Dope_G ‘Dear Future’

#19 Nyore ft 2faceidibia ‘Mumu Button

#20 Jozi ‘Elektric Avenue’

http://www.sternsmusic.com/topchart.php

reissues and veteran artists

I am curious about this one:

Ablaye Ndiaye Thiossane is part of the very fabric of Senegalese national identity, yet this is his first album recorded and released as lead artist. Joined here with members of Orchestra Baobab, legendary Congolese guitarist Papa Noel and Africando's Medoune Diallo Thiossane is a rich addition to Senegal's Afro-Cuban musical heritage.

An American university radio station dj's top 10 from earlier this year:

http://www.museke.com/node/8364

just talking to myself here lately... I was kinda disappointed by the youtube of Fally Ipupa "Sexy Dance"

RIP Barefoot Diva Cesaria Evora...Only 70

What's new and good these days -- other than the amazing array of desert blues acts -- that isn't especially modeled on hip-hop or rap?

Ali Farka Toure is all good - his last album (with Toumani Diabaté) is exquisitely sublime.

Moroccan Gnawa music is some the most spiritual stuff i've yet heard - try the Randy Weston joint called "The Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco"

Here's another vote for "The Master Musicians of Jajouka" -- got into them via Bachir Attar.

How did you get into Bachir Attar then?

Don't remember, early 90's -- just stumbled on him while i was getting into a load of this sort of (more authentic) thing...

Lakshminarayana Shankar
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Dagar Brothers

The Thiossane album is on Spotify just btw, and is really amazing.

Thiossane's voice is sublime and the musical backing is rhythmic but understated

Benin's reunited Le Tout Puissant Orchestre Poly-Rythmo makes Jon Pareles' Top 10 - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/arts/music/music-of-heartache-mortality-and-success.html?ref=music

They're playing Central Park Summerstage July 22nd, which should rule. Perhaps DC will get a Millennium Stage appearance?

That would be great

just read this bio re Senegalese singer Abley N. Thiossane and now I understand even more why he has that Afro-Cuban almost Buena Vista like feel on his album:

http://worldmusiccentral.org/2011/12/17/ablaye-ndiaye-thiossane-releases-thiossane/

Thiossane’s career started in 1952 when he became a member of a theatrical troupe, the Union Artistic du Thies. Thiossane loved Afro-Cuban music and he started a dual career as singer with the seminal Orchestra Baobab and as a painter, a skill he learned by copying movie posters.

In the 1970s several of Thiossane’s paintings sold for record-breaking prices in Senegal and are still today in high demand, sought by collectors around the world.

At age 74, Thiossane decided to record his first album as a soloist, with famed African music producer Ibrahima Sylla. Musicians featured in Thiossane include members of Orchestra Baobab, legendary Congolese guitarist Papa Noel and Africando’s Medoune Diallo Thiossane.

Ethiopian singer Aster Aweke is doing a US tour--December 24th in Seattle, January 1st at DC Star in NE Washington DC, and January 7th in Los Angeles.

AS -- the Quietus half-year list had the Tamikrest album in it

http://thequietus.com/articles/06487-quietus-albums-of-the-year-so-far-2011

9. Tamikrest - Toumastin

"Building riffs out of sand, Tamikrest have not waited long to follow up their debut album Adagh, a Quietus favourite of 2010. Their fully electrified African blues is of the kind we had been primed for by fellow Malian desert rockers Tinariwen, and though several bands have picked up on their leagues, it is Tamikrest who have emerged from the Sahara with the most interesting material, now explored on new album Toumastin." - Richie Troughton

I thought so. But their love for Saharan bands disappeared by the time it came to make eoy lists

Yeah that's really unfortunate. I was listening to the Tamikrest album today; it's p good. I like it better than the Tinariwen one.

cosign -- love that Tamikrest album

As it says quite clearly at the top of the EOY feature, we had a change in staff this summer which means that the aesthetic of the site has changed in a more electronic direction. But speaking personally, after living with Toumastin for a few months I had to confess to myself that it wasn't as good as ADAGH. As for Tinariwen's album, well it's just a below par release by their own standards - it was a mistake to include so many old songs and to work with TVOTR, although the Nels Cline track is great.

This doesn't mean we won't be covering and supporting African music in future by the way, we promoted a very successful Konono No. 1 show over summer (as well as one by Omar Souleyman). In fact fingers crossed, we will have some exciting news to announce for Brits attending the Field Day festival early next year.

Reissues fared better with Orchestre Poly Rhythmo De Cotonou, Opika Pende - Africa At 78RPM and Sofrito - Tropical Discotheque all placing in the End Of Year list. But, yeah, overall we didn't feel it was a golden year for the sort of new African music we're into.

NPR likes this Ghanaian rap song by Jumo Daddy & Fokn Bois and I do too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR47-fkfzeY&feature=related

And someone at afropop.org likes it also

Here are afropop.org's stocking stuffers--most are not rap

oops forgot the link and many are rap-influenced or straight up rap

http://www.afropop.org/radio/radio_program/ID/843

"just talking to myself here lately"

Well, I was from December 13th to 16th...No comments from others on popular Congolese artists or popular African rap-influenced performers that I posted about

So is the Terakaft album the best of the Tamishek North African cds from this year? Maybe...

Another Suburbanite: You may be pleased to know that Tamikrest feature in my annual These You May Have Missed Blog for the NME...

Lots of stuff on the Afropop stocking list to try:
Damily; Takfarinas; Karindula Sesssions; Hakim

x-post--great!

Sia Tolno is another one I want to try. Supposed to sound a bit like Miriam Makeba.

Takfarinas is Algerian rai music, if that is your thing. I can't find on Spotisfy the Hakim cd the afropop folks list, just other recent releases. He's Egyptian.

Habib Koité, Afel Bocoum and Oliver Mtukudzi -
Acoustic Africa in Concert (Mali and Zimbabwe)

I saw this tour and it was fun. Did not know there was a cd & dvd out from the tour.

Much more satisfying to me this year in African releases have been the reissues Opika Pende - Africa On 78RPM on Dust To Digital, Orchestre Poly Rhythmo De Contou's first album reissued by Analog Africa, Black Goddess OST (although it makes more sense after you've watched the film), Sofrito and I thought the D.R.C. Music comp was pretty good as well.

I have been meaning to get the Opika Pende box set. It is temporarily unavailable from Amazon US. I guess lots of folks have been buying it.

It is top notch. That and the John Fahey box from this year are making me think that Dust To Digital are going to get more of my money in the new year, for more reel to reel and 78rpm - CD box set releases.

I haven't done much work to get a grip on kuduro, but this video with one-legged producer Costuleta (which i saw on fatima al-qadiri's blog) is amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c94a_BAy47k

Talking of which, my favourite Kuduro clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP1AZRoo2zQ&feature=related

A lot of these clips feature dudes rocking the using-your-giant-sneaker-as-a-telephone dance.

That is fantastic. Have there been any compilations of kuduro available in the west yet? It would fit in great with Shangaan electro, Ayobaness, and Bangs&Works.

My mate basically picked up a load of tapes and CDrs from local producers/DJs when he went over there to do some journalism work. Not sure about actual releases though.

rob/Doran - have you heard The Sound Of Club Secousse yet?

No, but i'd like to. Can you email me about it.

http://www.nialler9.com/9105-radioclit-present-sound-club-secousse-african-dance-compilation/

More great African dance music coming our way courtesy of Crammed Records in the form of Radioclit Present: The Sound of Club Secousse, a collection of Radioclit’s favourite African dance music. Radioclit’s own project The Very Best is the first taster from the album. Club Secousse is the duo’s club night in Paris and London.

The tracklisting includes dance music from Ivory Coast, Angola, Zimbabwe, my favourite South Africa’s Tshetsha Boys and more.

I have not heard that and it looks pretty great. Given how micro the African reissues market has gotten (not that I have a problem with that--better that than the Africa is a country mentality), I kind of wish this didn't span so much of the continent, but I will definitely check it out, thanks.

Aster Aweke's album from late 2010 sounds pretty nice. You have to be used to the slick Ethiopian synth sound and the unique vocals though.

Where is H in Addis on the sandbox? I guess he's not here.

i discovered an amazing website -- called oro -- filled with rare african pop albums, all downloadable.

my first reaction was to begin downloading title after title. then i began feeling guilty. these aren't legal downloads, are they?

now that, in a matter of minutes, i feel like i've loved and lost, i think it's better to have never loved at all.

that's awesome. never heard of that site. most of those albums are probably out of print

i'm sure that's true, given their age and the descriptions on the site.

but i still feel badly downloading any of them without the artist or family's blessing.

some of the album art is fantastic!, e.g., pondo kakou.

not saying I have downloaded about 15 excellent albums from that site. not out loud anyway.

Aster Aweke's newest song is wowing me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATdis9I9pFI

I was reading a NY Times article about special free outdoor music events that just happened in NYC on the day of the winter solstice and one jumped out at me:

a sing-along to the songs of Egypt’s favorite pop singer, Umm Kulthum, down Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens;

the events included a crowd that rang color-coded bells on command; a medley of holiday songs played by percussionists at 1/120th speed while walking the length of Broadway; a sing-along to the songs of Egypt’s favorite pop singer, Umm Kulthum, down Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens; a continuous performance of the prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 on F train platforms; an early-music processional with lanterns through Central Park; and a roving brass-band performance in which players read music projected onto buildings. (Four events are reviewed below by Times music critics.)

Sounds great. I hope some video from this turns up online. It's been years since I've been to Astoria, but the last (and possibly only) time I went, I hit up a shop with lots of Greek music on cassette.

Aster Aweke = a-ok with me

Alas, it doesn't look like she's coming your way on tour. The Sunday January 1st DC gig is running so late--promoter told me doors at 9:30, opening act at 11:45--that I am not sure I am gonna go.

http://www.yebbo.com/blog/?p=3172

You can vote for your fave Ethiopian artist of 2011

the status of Senegalese mbalax music and a look at the country's politics

http://www.afriqueavenir.org/en/2011/09/10/senegalese-%E2%80%98mbalax-music%E2%80%99-icon-joins-rappers-in-opposing-wade%E2%80%99s-candidature/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RD-Congo-Ndombolo-Coupe-Decaler-Cote-DIvoire/185018588259951?sk=app_182222305144028

Congolese ndombolo dance music vs Coite D'voire Coupe Decaler dance music with links

10. Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal - Chamber Music

Whiney's 10th fave album of the year (on NPR guy Bob Boilen's list too)

Nice, tasteful Malian music

Segal adds a semi-classical, avante almost Velvet Underground feel to a bit of it

http://www.npr.org/artists/137109821/ballak-sissoko

Sissoko is a great kora player while Segal is on cello