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Ata Kak's first new song in over 30 years!Ata Kak created a peculiar slice of Ghanaian music history with his debut album “Obaa Sima”. While it barely made a ripple at the time of its release in 1994, the cassette found a new life online in 2006. A not-so-underground cult obsession grew after it appeared on the blog Awesome Tapes From Africa as its very first post, a sort of manifesto for the project. His addictive amalgam of left-field electronic music and Twi-language hiplife reached surprising levels of awareness among music fans of many stripes. The mystery behind the musician’s identity grew. Eventually Yaw Atta-Owusu came out of the shadows, from his quiet home in Kumasi, to tour the world playing high-energy, sweat-soaked performances at major festivals like Glastonbury, Sónar and Pop Montreal. Now, for the first time since 1994, Ata Kak releases new music. Honed in studios around Kumasi over the last several years, the songs feature the rapper-singer’s acrobatic rap, signature scatting, dramatic drums and even traditional Akan harp. The compositions are more ambitious than his earlier work, with more complex arrangements and layered harmonies. Ata Kak’s new songs are also the natural expression of a restless artist—he is a prolific poet and author of a half-dozen books, as well as an active gardener and busy painter. Born in Ghana in 1960, Ata Kak wasn’t always involved in music. But his travels and openness to the world lead him into the music industry. While living in Germany, he was invited to play drums in a reggae band and subsequently played in highlife bands in Ontario after moving to the Toronto area. He recorded “Obaa Sima” there at his home studio and released it in Ghana in 1994. He didn’t participate in music much in the intervening years until “Obaa Sima” was reissued in 2015. He started performing his song live with the help of a brilliant cast of London-based musicians and has toured three continents and played to thousands of fans in venues of all kinds.
Jess Sah Bi & Peter One "Our Garden Needs Its Flowers" was a revelation to many folks outside West Africa when it was reissued worldwide a few years ago. However, the Country-Americana duo from Ivory Coast has been massive since they emerged in the mid-80s, playing stadiums and making a beloved home in peoples' ears across the region for decades. The enormous response from listeners and press around the globe speaks for itself.Now we are making Jess Sah Bi's beautiful first solo album widely available for the first time. Recorded in South Carolina and released in Ivory Coast in 1991 only on cassette, Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas [Jesus Christ Never Gives Up] comes out April 18 in restored and remastered audio on digital and tape formats. It is the first in ATFA's new African Devotional Music series.Jess Sah Bi narrowly survived a brush with death and promised himself and God that he would record an album in praise. While on an exchange visit to South Carolina he arranged to record some new songs and later released the album in Ivory Coast. At the time, locally-produced gospel music wasn't big yet—most of the well-known West African gospel artists hailed from Ghana and Nigeria. But with the success of Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas, Jess Sah Bi helped kick off a homegrown Ivorian gospel music movement that today thrives in many parts of the country and beyond.
Pre-order Roger Bekono LP/CD/Tape/Digitalhttps://lnk.to/RogerBekonoRoger Bekono made a deep mark in the contemporary history of Cameroonian music through the four-on-the-floor, ribald intensity of bikutsi. The Ewondo-language dance-pop style that forms an undulating tapestry of interlocking triplet rhythmic interplay came to international prominence in the European “world music” scene as the 90s began. But the relentless sound of bikutsi developed in Yaoundé at the hands of Bekono and many others, as it developed from a village-based singing style performed mostly by women into a cosmopolitan music force that rivaled the popularity of established musics like Congolese rhumba, merengue and makossa. With his unique—some say suave—voice, Bekono contributed much over a period of more than 10 years as part of the evolution of this traditional rhythm-turned-urban dance movement.Roger Bekono a fait une profonde marque dans l'histoire contemporaine de la musique camerounaise grâce à l'intensité four-on-the-floor et hardie de bikutsi. Le style de musique pop dansante en langue ewondo qui forme une tapisserie ondulante d'interplay rythmique à triplets est devenu internationalement célèbre dans la scène de la « world music » européenne au début des années 90. Mais le son inlassable de bikutsi a été développé à Yaoundé entre les mains de Bekono et de beaucoup d'autres, alors qu'il se développait d'un style de chant basé sur les villages interprété principalement par des femmes en une force musicale cosmopolite qui a rivalisé avec la popularité des musiques établies telles que la rumba congolaise, le merengue et le makossa. Avec sa voix unique – certains disent suave – Bekono a beaucoup contribué pendant plus de 10 ans à l'évolution de ce mouvement de danse urbaine à partir d'un rythme traditionnel.
DJ Black Low "Impumelelo" comes out 17 March on LP and Digital formats:https://lnk.to/DJBlackLow_ImpumeleloThere’s more than a hint of ambition on the double LP sophomore effort from Sam Austin Rabede, the producer known as DJ Black Low. Pretoria, South Africa-born and based, the young man makes amapiano with new ways of expressing this local-turned-global style of dance music. In DJ Black Low’s musical imagination, the songs manage to smoothly vacillate between dreamy and firmly-grounded. Adorned with vocalists across most of the twelve tracks, there’s a new dimension to Black Low’s now-signature approach to abstract, angular deconstruction of the rhythmic developments in his songs. The album references influences and ambitions in its song titles and lyrics while the music itself is anthemic in its sonic and structural aspirations. On many of the songs a slow-burning tension transforms into something unexpected until you’re somewhere else as the track concludes. There is an emotional and compositional maturity that builds on his earlier work. Vocals and lyrics are in focus. Production collaborators among Black Low’s Gauteng Province circle add to the constantly churning array of ideas that populate this consistently surprising release. Despite being a relative newcomer, DJ Black Low is onto something here.
Pape Nziengui et son groupe
bwiti #ngombi
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out April 8 https://linktr.ee/PapeNziengui
Kadi Yombo, published in 1989, is the most successful album in the quest for a fusion between tradition and modernity in Bwiti harp music of the Tsogho people of Gabon. Combining beating rattles with a layer of synthesizers, Papé Nziengui blends in a contrapuntal dialogue characteristic of harp playing: male song in appeal and female choir in response, male voice of the musical arc and rhythms of female worship. But above all it’s Tsogho ritual music and modern studio orchestration. The result is an initiatory itinerary of 10 musical pieces which are all milestones likely to be simultaneously listened to, danced, meditated on, and soon acclaimed. In the years since, Nziengui has traveled he world from Lagos to Paris, from Tokyo to Cordoba, from Brussels to Mexico City to become a true icon, the emblem of Gabonese music.
Like Bob Dylan, "electrifying" folk and Bob Marley mixing rock with reggae, some purists have criticized Nziengui for having distorted the music of harp by imposing a cross with modern instruments. They even went so far as to claim that Nziengui was just an average harpist covering his shortcomings with stunts that were only good for impressing neophytes; like playing a harp placed upside down behind his back or playing two or three harps simultaneously. Sincere convictions or venomous defamations, in any case, Nziengui never gave in to such attacks, imposing himself on the contrary to pay homage to the elders (Yves Mouenga, Jean Honoré Miabé, Vickoss Ekondo) while instructing the maximum of young people. He is thus the promoter of many young talents, the most prominent of which is certainly his nephew Jean Pierre Mingongué.
In a conservative society where the sacred is confused with secrecy, exposing the mysteries of Bwiti in broad daylight can be punished by exclusion or even execution.
Papé Nziengui has always claimed that he faces such risks because he never felt enslaved to a community that governs his life, that regulates his conduct, that has a right of censorship over his activities. Like Ravi Shankar, the famous sitarist, Papé Nziengui is a man of rupture but also of openness, a transmitter of culture. As proof, he has established himself in Libreville, Gabo’s capital, as the main harpist for sessions and concerts, accompanying the greatest national artists (Akendengué, Rompavè, Annie-Flore Batchiellilys, Les Champs sur la Lowé, etc.) as well as foreign artists (Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Kassav', Toups Bebey, etc.). In 1988, he was the first harpist to release an album in the form of a cassette produced by the French Cultural Center (Papé Nziengui, Chants et Musiques Tsogho). At the same time, he created his own group (Bovenga), combining traditional music instruments (musical bow, drums, various percussion instruments, etc.) in the framework of a true national orchestra, which gave the first concert and the first tours of a traditional music that was both modern and dynamic, thus "democratizing" the harp, to the dismay of certain purists.
On the other hand, in modern music, dominated by the logic of profit or even commercialism, artistic creation must often be adjusted for a specific audience based on reason rather than heart. But instead of allowing himself to be distorted, Papé Nziengui has always tried to produce music that is not a caricature, worthy in its expression as in its content, of the sacredness and transcendence of the music of the Origins. This is what makes Nziengui—not only the musician, but the man—someone whose age hasn’t altered any of his freshness or authenticity.
Papé Nziengui et son Groupe: modernized traditional music from Gabon (1989) Pre orer LP/CD/Tape/Digital https://linktr.ee/PapeNziengui
Kadi Yombo, published in 1989, is the most successful album in the quest for a fusion between tradition and modernity in Bwiti harp music of the Tsogho people of Gabon. Combining beating rattles with a layer of synthesizers, Papé Nziengui blends in a contrapuntal dialogue characteristic of harp playing: male song in appeal and female choir in response, male voice of the musical arc and rhythms of female worship. But above all it’s Tsogho ritual music and modern studio orchestration. The result is an initiatory itinerary of 10 musical pieces which are all milestones likely to be simultaneously listened to, danced, meditated on, and soon acclaimed. In the years since, Nziengui has traveled he world from Lagos to Paris, from Tokyo to Cordoba, from Brussels to Mexico City to become a true icon, the emblem of Gabonese music. Like Bob Dylan, "electrifying" folk and Bob Marley mixing rock with reggae, some purists have criticized Nziengui for having distorted the music of harp by imposing a cross with modern instruments. They even went so far as to claim that Nziengui was just an average harpist covering his shortcomings with stunts that were only good for impressing neophytes; like playing a harp placed upside down behind his back or playing two or three harps simultaneously. Sincere convictions or venomous defamations, in any case, Nziengui never gave in to such attacks, imposing himself on the contrary to pay homage to the elders (Yves Mouenga, Jean Honoré Miabé, Vickoss Ekondo) while instructing the maximum of young people. He is thus the promoter of many young talents, the most prominent of which is certainly his nephew Jean Pierre Mingongué. In a conservative society where the sacred is confused with secrecy, exposing the mysteries of Bwiti in broad daylight can be punished by exclusion or even execution. Papé Nziengui has always claimed that he faces such risks because he never felt enslaved to a community that governs his life, that regulates his conduct, that has a right of censorship over his activities. Like Ravi Shankar, the famous sitarist, Papé Nziengui is a man of rupture but also of openness, a transmitter of culture. As proof, he has established himself in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, as the main harpist for sessions and concerts, accompanying the greatest national artists (Akendengué, Rompavè, Annie-Flore Batchiellilys, Les Champs sur la Lowé, etc.) as well as foreign artists (Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Kassav', Toups Bebey, etc.). In 1988, he was the first harpist to release an album in the form of a cassette produced by the French Cultural Center (Papé Nziengui, Chants et Musiques Tsogho). At the same time, he created his own group (Bovenga), combining traditional music instruments (musical bow, drums, various percussion instruments, etc.) in the framework of a true national orchestra, which gave the first concert and the first tours of a traditional music that was both modern and dynamic, thus "democratizing" the harp, to the dismay of certain purists. On the other hand, in modern music, dominated by the logic of profit or even commercialism, artistic creation must often be adjusted for a specific audience based on reason rather than heart. But instead of allowing himself to be distorted, Papé Nziengui has always tried to produce music that is not a caricature, worthy in its expression as in its content, of the sacredness and transcendence of the music of the Origins. This is what makes Nziengui—not only the musician, but the man—someone whose age hasn’t altered any of his freshness or authenticity.
Teno Afrika's new album "Where You Are" Digital version out now https://linktr.ee/TenoAfrika
Teno Afrika’s 2020 debut Amapiano Selections drew an international wave of support sparked by the producer’s deftly minimal take on the emergent style. Amapiano combines the South African predilection for deep house alongside a melange of endemic influences like kwaito, jazz and gqom. The 22-year-old’s new crop of songs Where You Are expands on his rhythmic subtlety hooded in warm bass adorned by amapiano’s telltale shakers, hi-hats and mid-tempo shuffle.
Lutendo Raduvha hails from Pretoria, South Africa, where he produces music incessantly and DJ’s parties around Gauteng province. He hangs with a crowd of musical friends, many of whom join him on Where You Are. For his second album Teno Afrika brings more vocalists into the sonic picture, unlocking an emotive and timbral escalation to his rapidly mushrooming catalog of work.
Singers Leyla and KayCee feature on the title track and “Fall In Love,” respectively. Regular cohort Diego Don joins for two driving, pad-propelled works of significant vibrancy, “SK Love” and “AK Love.”
The album's dramatic closer “Duma ICU” features another returning collaborator, Stylo MusiQ, who helps bring an icy, almost cinematic conclusion to a slice of the sound Teno Afrika is pushing at the moment. There’s a palpable feeling of not knowing where the young producer might go next.
New album just announced following a huge 2021 for Teno Afrika!
Teno Afrika’s 2020 debut Amapiano Selections drew an international wave of support sparked by the producer’s deftly minimal take on the emergent style. Amapiano combines the South African predilection for deep house alongside a melange of endemic influences like kwaito, jazz and gqom. The 22-year-old’s new crop of songs Where You Are expands on his rhythmic subtlety hooded in warm bass adorned by amapiano’s telltale shakers, hi-hats and mid-tempo shuffle. Lutendo Raduvha hails from Pretoria, South Africa, where he produces music incessantly and DJ’s parties around Gauteng province. He hangs with a crowd of musical friends, many of whom join him on Where You Are. For his second album Teno Afrika brings more vocalists into the sonic picture, unlocking an emotive and timbral escalation to his rapidly mushrooming catalog of work. Singers Leyla and KayCee feature on the title track and “Fall In Love,” respectively. Regular cohort Diego Don joins for two driving, pad-propelled works of significant vibrancy, “SK Love” and “AK Love.” The album's dramatic closer “Duma ICU” features another returning collaborator, Stylo MusiQ, who helps bring an icy, almost cinematic conclusion to a slice of the sound Teno Afrika is pushing at the moment. There’s a palpable feeling of not knowing where the young producer might go next.
Native Soul "Teenage Dreams" out 24 Sept on Awesome Tapes From Africa. Pre-order/Stream: https://linktr.ee/NativeSoulSA
mastering by Jessica Thompson photos by Tshepo Moloi text by Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi
In common parlance, the two producers who make up Native Soul would be considered “ma2000”—or, born after the onset of democracy, having never experienced Apartheid—by virtue of their age. Kgothatso Tshabalala is 19 years old and Zakhele Mhlanga (DJ Zakes) is turning 20. Their 12-track debut electronic music album, Teenage Dreams, is not easily dismissed as a project that shows their age, though. Teenage Dreams presents a youthful, experimental sound, but the arrangement of each song and how each of the project’s composite parts are put together demonstrate an artistic maturity beyond the two producers’ respective ages.
A cousin of Tshabalala introduced the two in 2016. Native Soul was formed in 2019. Until then, each of them had been producing music in a variety of styles including hip-hop, different types of house as well as amapiano. They decided that with Native Soul, their focus would be on amapiano—an electronic music movement which, by then, had begun to dominate both mainstream and underground music scenes in South Africa.
Amapiano is an electronic music movement first created and still most popular in the townships surrounding the major cities of Gauteng province in South Africa. The style borrows from various genres which have been popular in South African townships during and after apartheid, including jazz, folk, afro, deep and tech house, kwaito, dibacardi and others. As well as paying homage to all its predecessors, amapiano also has traits entirely of its own making, which differentiate it from its lineage. The most recognisable of these being the drums made from basslines which stick out like a pocket turned outside of pants.
On their debut album released by Awesome Tapes From Africa, Native Soul demonstrate the depth of the musical well they draw from. The drawling tempo and synth chords on “Way to Cairo”, the album’s second song, are reminiscent of a certain type of Kwaito popular with pantsula culture. The most discernible nod to Afro House on Teenage Dreams comes in the form of “Dead Sangoma”’s percussive drums. Similarly, the aptly named “United As One” carries a tinge of Moloko’s “Sing It Back” which was released in 1999, became anthemic in South Africa and continues to represent a belle epoque of electronic music in the country.
Throughout the album, each song develops patiently—introducing various instruments and elements in turn. With each layer added, the emotion elicited from the listener is deepened. In this way, Teenage Dreams is not just a dance album, but one that understands what can be gained when artistic maturity meets experimentation.
Debut album, Teenage Dreams by Native Soul available Sept 24 on LP/CD/Digital formats https://linktr.ee/NativeSoulSA
Young South African duo Native Soul's debut LP Teenage Dreams comes out on Awesome Tapes From Africa on Sept 24. It's a double LP of slow-burning amapiano that reflects the sheer bleakness of 2020 (and 2021?).
https://linktr.ee/NativeSoulSA
Out August 27 on LP/CD/Tape/Digital https://linktr.ee/ephatmujuru
Ephat Mujuru exemplifies a unique generation of traditional musicians in Zimbabwe. Born under an oppressive colonial regime in Southern Rhodesia, his generation witnessed the brutality of the 1970s liberation struggle, and then the dawn of independent Zimbabwe, a time in which African music culture—long stigmatized by Rhodesian educators and religious authorities—experienced a thrilling renaissance.
Under the tutelage of his grandfather, who was a respected spirit medium and mbira master, Ephat showed an early talent for the rigors of mbira training, playing his first possession ceremony when he was just ten years old. By then, guerilla war was engulfing the country and his grandfather Muchatera tragically became a victim of the violence, a devastating blow to the young musician. In the midst of the liberation struggle, mbira music became political.
Eventually, the Rhodesians were defeated, but rather than return to the past, the nation of Zimbabwe was born and a new future unfolded. Ephat threw himself into the spirit of independence, singing of brotherhood, healing, and unity: crucial themes during a time when the nation’s two dominant ethnic groups, the Shona and the Ndebele, were struggling to reconcile differences.
Ephat’s band would eventually follow the popular trend and add electric instruments. But before that, he and Spirit of the People released two all-acoustic albums, and they may well be the most exciting and beautiful recordings he made in his career. Mbavaira, the second of these albums, was released in 1983.
As the independence years moved on, there would be fewer and fewer commercial mbira releases. But for the moment, Ephat had the required stature and reputation. Also, with the energy and drive we hear in these recordings, the album could easily rival the pop music of its day.
Within a few years after the release of Mbavaira, it and albums like it became harder to find in Zimbabwean record stores. Ephat adapted to the times and formed an electric band. They recorded more albums over the years but none of them have the particularly delicious energy of Spirit of the People in the first years of Zimbabwe’s independence.
Available August 27, preorder via https://linktr.ee/EphatMujuru
Ephat Mujuru exemplifies a unique generation of traditional musicians in Zimbabwe. Born under an oppressive colonial regime in Southern Rhodesia, his generation witnessed the brutality of the 1970s liberation struggle, and then the dawn of independent Zimbabwe, a time in which African music culture—long stigmatized by Rhodesian educators and religious authorities—experienced a thrilling renaissance.
Under the tutelage of his grandfather, who was a respected spirit medium and mbira master, Ephat showed an early talent for the rigors of mbira training, playing his first possession ceremony when he was just ten years old. By then, guerilla war was engulfing the country and his grandfather Muchatera tragically became a victim of the violence, a devastating blow to the young musician. In the midst of the liberation struggle, mbira music became political.
Eventually, the Rhodesians were defeated, but rather than return to the past, the nation of Zimbabwe was born and a new future unfolded. Ephat threw himself into the spirit of independence, singing of brotherhood, healing, and unity: crucial themes during a time when the nation’s two dominant ethnic groups, the Shona and the Ndebele, were struggling to reconcile differences. Ephat’s band would eventually follow the popular trend and add electric instruments. But before that, he and Spirit of the People released two all-acoustic albums, and they may well be the most exciting and beautiful recordings he made in his career. Mbavaira, the second of these albums, was released in 1983.
As the independence years moved on, there would be fewer and fewer commercial mbira releases. But for the moment, Ephat had the required stature and reputation. Also, with the energy and drive we hear in these recordings, the album could easily rival the pop music of its day.
Within a few years after the release of Mbavaira, it and albums like it became harder to find in Zimbabwean record stores. Ephat adapted to the times and formed an electric band. They recorded more albums over the years but none of them have the particularly delicious energy of Spirit of the People in the first years of Zimbabwe’s independence.
https://linktr.ee/HailuMergia
From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others. Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV. This Tezeta album, the band’s second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible. Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.
"Tezeta" reissue available on LP/CD/Tape/Digital for the first time in decades 4 June. https://linktr.ee/HailuMergia
Teno Afrika's new mix comes out in anticipation of the LP and CD release of "Amapiano Selections" this Friday. This mix surveys the quickly emerging amapiano sub-style blowing up at the moment called Skrr Gong. Learn more https://linktr.ee/tenoafrika
DJ Black Low "Uwami" comes out 7 May on LP/CD (Digital out 12 March) Pre-order LP/CD & Listen https://linktr.ee/DJBlackLow [text by Setumo Thebe-Mohlomi, photos by Tshepo Moloi]
In many ways, DJ Black Low’s debut album, Uwami, shows the signs of an artist’s first offering in any musical genre. Showcasing fluency in a broad range of styles and stuffing a number of ideas to the record’s brim is the 20 year-old producer’s attempt to both introduce himself to a wide listenership and stamp a recognizable sound in their minds. In other ways, somewhat out of the young South African producer’s control, Uwami goes against the grain.
The album comes at a time when South African electronic music is being fundamentally disrupted. Amapiano, the electronic music movement which first gained popularity with a small, core group of followers, now dominates the mainstream. Well-known and pervasive, amapiano borrows from a diverse palette of musical styles which are popular in South Africa’s largely Black townships- jazz, kwaito, dibacardi, deep and afro house among them.
Instead of pandering to the seemingly insatiable local appetite and growing global penchant for amapiano though, on Uwami DJ Black Low seeks out the limits of the sound du jour and tries to stretch them. On his solo productions, he uses the samples and compositional norms that make amapiano hits the bedrock on which to experiment and improvise. With collaborators, DJ Black Low improvises within the boundaries of listener-friendly grooves.
The sound he creates has foundations of what could easily have progressed into captivating amapiano songs on their own. But he uses improvised but structured electronic percussion and distortion sounds to drive the tracks in a particular direction. What remains is something like a deconstructed amapiano.
For a young producer living in the townships of the greater Pitori area of South Africa’s Gauteng province, there were few avenues available for Radebe to pursue a career in music. His trajectory shows the vulnerability of this pursuit. “I had started producing in 2013 and it so happened that I lost my equipment in 2014. I couldn’t afford to buy equipment. In 2017, a friend of mine who had been making music found a job and decided to quit music. He gave me his equipment and I was able to start producing again. That’s when I started getting back to it. I tried to pick up where I had left off, with hip hop and commercial house but I found that amapiano was the popular music. I liked it, so I started producing it.”
DJ Black Low feat. DJ La Bengwa Licy Jay & Menate Entertainment "Sbono" (Vocal Mix) by Awesome Tapes From Africa
Digital album out 12 March. https://linktr.ee/DJBlackLow
In many ways, DJ Black Low’s debut album, Uwami, shows the signs of an artist’s first offering in any musical genre. Showcasing fluency in a broad range of styles and stuffing a number of ideas to the record’s brim is the 20 year-old producer’s attempt to both introduce himself to a wide listenership and stamp a recognizable sound in their minds. In other ways, somewhat out of the young South African producer’s control, Uwami goes against the grain. The album comes at a time when South African electronic music is being fundamentally disrupted. Amapiano, the electronic music movement which first gained popularity with a small, core group of followers, now dominates the mainstream. Well-known and pervasive, amapiano borrows from a diverse palette of musical styles which are popular in South Africa’s largely Black townships- jazz, kwaito, dibacardi, deep and afro house among them. Instead of pandering to the seemingly insatiable local appetite and growing global penchant for amapiano though, on Uwami DJ Black Low seeks out the limits of the sound du jour and tries to stretch them. On his solo productions, he uses the samples and compositional norms that make amapiano hits the bedrock on which to experiment and improvise. With collaborators, DJ Black Low improvises within the boundaries of listener-friendly grooves. The sound he creates has foundations of what could easily have progressed into captivating amapiano songs on their own. But he uses improvised but structured electronic percussion and distortion sounds to drive the tracks in a particular direction. What remains is something like a deconstructed amapiano. For a young producer living in the townships of the greater Pitori area of South Africa’s Gauteng province, there were few avenues available for Radebe to pursue a career in music. His trajectory shows the vulnerability of this pursuit. “I had started producing in 2013 and it so happened that I lost my equipment in 2014. I couldn’t afford to buy equipment. In 2017, a friend of mine who had been making music found a job and decided to quit music. He gave me his equipment and I was able to start producing again. That’s when I started getting back to it. I tried to pick up where I had left off, with hip hop and commercial house but I found that amapiano was the popular music. I liked it, so I started producing it.”
Bola’s music melds sheer force of spirit with a sound not often heard by ears outside the remote Upper East Region of Ghana. This man who grew up herding livestock in the savannah, far away from the tropical coast and cosmopolitan cities of Accra and Kumasi, has aligned himself with national and international means of expression to transform his hometown sound into something downright avant-garde. His bold fury stems from the kologo—a two-stringed lute with a calabash gourd resonator—and Frafra language vocals, emitted in raspy bursts.
Traditionally, kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which are the environments where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician. In recent years, he came into contact with people like his mentor Guy One who helped him get into the studio to document what is some of the most dynamic music to come out of Ghana since the emergence of hiplife in the mid-’90s.
Volume 7, which came out in 2009, is just one entry in a brilliant series of recordings Bola has released on CD and cassette. Although he employs a traditional instrument and the age-old mode of griot story-telling, Bola embraces elements of up-to-the-minute mainstream Ghanaian music—drum machines, synths, bone-shaking bass. Inspired by pioneering kologo greats like King Ayisoba, Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights.
Bola’s music melds sheer force of spirit with a sound not often heard by ears outside the remote Upper East Region of Ghana. This man who grew up herding livestock in the savannah, far away from the tropical coast and cosmopolitan cities of Accra and Kumasi, has aligned himself with national and international means of expression to transform his hometown sound into something downright avant-garde. His bold fury stems from the kologo—a two-stringed lute with a calabash gourd resonator—and Frafra language vocals, emitted in raspy bursts.
Traditionally, kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which are the environments where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician. In recent years, he came into contact with people like his mentor Guy One who helped him get into the studio to document what is some of the most dynamic music to come out of Ghana since the emergence of hiplife in the mid-’90s.
Volume 7, which came out in 2009, is just one entry in a brilliant series of recordings Bola has released on CD and cassette. Although he employs a traditional instrument and the age-old mode of griot story-telling, Bola embraces elements of up-to-the-minute mainstream Ghanaian music—drum machines, synths, bone-shaking bass. Inspired by pioneering kologo greats like King Ayisoba, Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights.
Bola’s music melds sheer force of spirit with a sound not often heard by ears outside the remote Upper East Region of Ghana. This man who grew up herding livestock in the savannah, far away from the tropical coast and cosmopolitan cities of Accra and Kumasi, has aligned himself with national and international means of expression to transform his hometown sound into something downright avant-garde. His bold fury stems from the kologo—a two-stringed lute with a calabash gourd resonator—and Frafra language vocals, emitted in raspy bursts.
Traditionally, kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which are the environments where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician. In recent years, he came into contact with people like his mentor Guy One who helped him get into the studio to document what is some of the most dynamic music to come out of Ghana since the emergence of hiplife in the mid-’90s.
Volume 7, which came out in 2009, is just one entry in a brilliant series of recordings Bola has released on CD and cassette. Although he employs a traditional instrument and the age-old mode of griot story-telling, Bola embraces elements of up-to-the-minute mainstream Ghanaian music—drum machines, synths, bone-shaking bass. Inspired by pioneering kologo greats like King Ayisoba, Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights.
The remarkable story of South African singer and dancer Penny Penny is fit for Hollywood. A nearly homeless janitor without formal education gets a record deal, becomes a multi-platinum selling pop star, plays stadiums across Africa, then builds a career as a popular politician for Nelson Mandela's African National Congress party. Penny Penny's debut recording Shaka Bundu, recorded in 1994, is the album that launched a 34-year-old Giyani Kulani Kobane from the streets of Johannesburg to the national political spotlight.
A monumental career in pop music isn’t easy when the system is built against you. But South African songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist “Om” Alec Khaoli managed to do just that. As apartheid reached its violent peak, Khaoli pursued an escapist form of dance music that resonated across his complicated country, influencing countless legends and releasing recordings across the world.
From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, a vibrant music scene in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu was teeming with pop and folk musicians exploring the boundaries of regional sensibilities. With influences spanning several genres of Somali traditional music, often meshed with Western pop, jazz and Middle-Eastern elements, a swirling diversity of sounds were being created, consumed, supported and encouraged.
Dur-Dur Band emerged during a time when Somalia’s distinctive contribution to the creative culture in the Horn of Africa was visible and abundant. Thousands of recordings made at the Somali National Theatre, Radio Mogadishu and other studios, were complemented by the nightclubs at Hotel Juba, Jazeera Hotel and Hotel al-Curuuba, creating a flourishing music scene.
From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, a vibrant music scene in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu was teeming with pop and folk musicians exploring the boundaries of regional sensibilities. With influences spanning several genres of Somali traditional music, often meshed with Western pop, jazz and Middle-Eastern elements, a swirling diversity of sounds were being created, consumed, supported and encouraged.
Dur-Dur Band emerged during a time when Somalia’s distinctive contribution to the creative culture in the Horn of Africa was visible and abundant. Thousands of recordings made at the Somali National Theatre, Radio Mogadishu and other studios, were complemented by the nightclubs at Hotel Juba, Jazeera Hotel and Hotel al-Curuuba, creating a flourishing music scene.
The seven tracks on Obaa Sima traverse a pop music landscape that encapsulates international modes--rap, techno, saccharine melodies—while reflecting contemporary Ghanaian music via highlife-style refrains, aggressive rapping and use of Twi language. Inspired by a Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five performance of “New York New York” he saw on television, Atta wanted to rap on his new project. (Melle Mel's look on a 1983 German TV performance of the song bares an uncanny resemblance to Atta's image on his cassette cover.) He was not aware of the hiplife—localized rap—movement in Ghana, in its very infancy by 1994 when Obaa Sima was released. Rapping in English didn't feel comfortable and he began writing and practicing rhyming in Twi, the most widely-spoken language in Ghana. The distinctive rapping on Obaa Sima became one of the earliest and most intrepid examples of Twi rap in a period when young rappers in Accra and Kumasi were still mimicking Tupac and Shaggy.
The seven tracks on Obaa Sima traverse a pop music landscape that encapsulates international modes--rap, techno, saccharine melodies—while reflecting contemporary Ghanaian music via highlife-style refrains, aggressive rapping and use of Twi language. Inspired by a Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five performance of “New York New York” he saw on television, Atta wanted to rap on his new project. (Melle Mel's look on a 1983 German TV performance of the song bares an uncanny resemblance to Atta's image on his cassette cover.) He was not aware of the hiplife—localized rap—movement in Ghana, in its very infancy by 1994 when Obaa Sima was released. Rapping in English didn't feel comfortable and he began writing and practicing rhyming in Twi, the most widely-spoken language in Ghana. The distinctive rapping on Obaa Sima became one of the earliest and most intrepid examples of Twi rap in a period when young rappers in Accra and Kumasi were still mimicking Tupac and Shaggy.
New song from the forthcoming album by Nahawa Doumbia, out 29 January on Awesome Tapes From Africa. Pre-order/stream http://smarturl.it/kanawa
Nahawa Doumbia’s new album Kanawa concisely captures this current moment in Malian history. The singer, whose storied career spans more than four decades, reflects on the immigration crisis from the Malian perspective in the title of her new album Kanawa. Across eight songs recorded in Bamako with a band including traditional and modern instruments, Doumbia merges her early work that relied on a spare expression of her trademark didadi rhythm with the bombastic range of contemporary Malian pop. The beautifully complex musical accompaniment that results is courtesy of the large ensemble she pulled together with producer and arranger (and day one collaborator) N’gou Bagayoko.
The band features two highly expressive Malian string instruments, the ngoni and the slightly smaller kamalé ngoni, as well as a variety of percussion, drum programming, karignan (a metal scraper) and acoustic and electric guitars. Doumbia’s daughter, a celebrated singer with her own group and busy concert schedule, Doussou Bagayoko sings on “Adjorobena,” a song about patience, tolerance and living in peace. Doumbia weaves together a roadmap of her psyche when it comes to the good and bad life has to offer. She talks about marriage and women leaving home to join another through the metaphor of a tree in the garden; she includes gunshot samples in the song “Foliwilen” to honor the bravery of hunters, soldiers and other courageous people; she uses a bird in “Djougoh” to talk about lazy people; and, in “Ndiagneko” she advises people to ignore critics, just do you.
Mali has gone through an intense period of regional strife and terrorist incidents over the last ten years and Doumbia roots the album in tragic local concerns with deep global implications. “The meaning of Kanawa is so simple. We see our children trying to cross the ocean all the time. I said that many of our children die in the ocean and some of them die while crossing the Sahara. But I ask them why do they leave their country? They said that they leave because of the family situation or problems like poverty and unemployment. I ask them to stay and work in their country. I call on the UN and African leaders so that we can coordinate our efforts to find a solution, to create jobs for them so that young people stop leaving. That’s why I chose it as the title of my album so that everybody can learn from it and also so that there is a reduction in the number of people emigrating. So that some will hear the message and stay home and grow the land. Leaving is not the only solution. My message is to help the youth find jobs.”
New song from the forthcoming album by Nahawa Doumbia, out 29 January on Awesome Tapes From Africa. Pre-order/stream http://smarturl.it/kanawa
Nahawa Doumbia’s new album Kanawa concisely captures this current moment in Malian history. The singer, whose storied career spans more than four decades, reflects on the immigration crisis from the Malian perspective in the title of her new album Kanawa. Across eight songs recorded in Bamako with a band including traditional and modern instruments, Doumbia merges her early work that relied on a spare expression of her trademark didadi rhythm with the bombastic range of contemporary Malian pop. The beautifully complex musical accompaniment that results is courtesy of the large ensemble she pulled together with producer and arranger (and day one collaborator) N’gou Bagayoko.
The band features two highly expressive Malian string instruments, the ngoni and the slightly smaller kamalé ngoni, as well as a variety of percussion, drum programming, karignan (a metal scraper) and acoustic and electric guitars. Doumbia’s daughter, a celebrated singer with her own group and busy concert schedule, Doussou Bagayoko sings on “Adjorobena,” a song about patience, tolerance and living in peace. Doumbia weaves together a roadmap of her psyche when it comes to the good and bad life has to offer. She talks about marriage and women leaving home to join another through the metaphor of a tree in the garden; she includes gunshot samples in the song “Foliwilen” to honor the bravery of hunters, soldiers and other courageous people; she uses a bird in “Djougoh” to talk about lazy people; and, in “Ndiagneko” she advises people to ignore critics, just do you.
Mali has gone through an intense period of regional strife and terrorist incidents over the last ten years and Doumbia roots the album in tragic local concerns with deep global implications. “The meaning of Kanawa is so simple. We see our children trying to cross the ocean all the time. I said that many of our children die in the ocean and some of them die while crossing the Sahara. But I ask them why do they leave their country? They said that they leave because of the family situation or problems like poverty and unemployment. I ask them to stay and work in their country. I call on the UN and African leaders so that we can coordinate our efforts to find a solution, to create jobs for them so that young people stop leaving. That’s why I chose it as the title of my album so that everybody can learn from it and also so that there is a reduction in the number of people emigrating. So that some will hear the message and stay home and grow the land. Leaving is not the only solution. My message is to help the youth find jobs.”
New album out 29 January!
Nahawa Doumbia’s new album Kanawa concisely captures this current moment in Malian history. The singer, whose storied career spans more than four decades, reflects on the immigration crisis from the Malian perspective in the title of her new album Kanawa. Across eight songs recorded in Bamako with a band including traditional and modern instruments, Doumbia merges her early work that relied on a spare expression of her trademark didadi rhythm with the bombastic range of contemporary Malian pop. The beautifully complex musical accompaniment that results is courtesy of the large ensemble she pulled together with producer and arranger (and day one collaborator) N’gou Bagayoko.
The band features two highly expressive Malian string instruments, the ngoni and the slightly smaller kamalé ngoni, as well as a variety of percussion, drum programming, karignan (a metal scraper) and acoustic and electric guitars. Doumbia’s daughter, a celebrated singer with her own group and busy concert schedule, Doussou Bagayoko sings on “Adjorobena,” a song about patience, tolerance and living in peace. Doumbia weaves together a roadmap of her psyche when it comes to the good and bad life has to offer. She talks about marriage and women leaving home to join another through the metaphor of a tree in the garden; she includes gunshot samples in the song “Foliwilen” to honor the bravery of hunters, soldiers and other courageous people; she uses a bird in “Djougoh” to talk about lazy people; and, in “Ndiagneko” she advises people to ignore critics, just do you.
Mali has gone through an intense period of regional strife and terrorist incidents over the last ten years and Doumbia roots the album in tragic local concerns with deep global implications. “The meaning of Kanawa is so simple. We see our children trying to cross the ocean all the time. I said that many of our children die in the ocean and some of them die while crossing the Sahara. But I ask them why do they leave their country? They said that they leave because of the family situation or problems like poverty and unemployment. I ask them to stay and work in their country. I call on the UN and African leaders so that we can coordinate our efforts to find a solution, to create jobs for them so that young people stop leaving. That’s why I chose it as the title of my album so that everybody can learn from it and also so that there is a reduction in the number of people emigrating. So that some will hear the message and stay home and grow the land. Leaving is not the only solution. My message is to help the youth find jobs.”
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out Jan 29 http://smarturl.it/kanawa
Nahawa Doumbia’s new album Kanawa concisely captures this current moment in Malian history. The singer, whose storied career spans more than four decades, reflects on the immigration crisis from the Malian perspective in the title of her new album Kanawa. Across eight songs recorded in Bamako with a band including traditional and modern instruments, Doumbia merges her early work that relied on a spare expression of her trademark didadi rhythm with the bombastic range of contemporary Malian pop. The beautifully complex musical accompaniment that results is courtesy of the large ensemble she pulled together with producer and arranger (and day one collaborator) N’gou Bagayoko.
The band features two highly expressive Malian string instruments, the ngoni and the slightly smaller kamalé ngoni, as well as a variety of percussion, drum programming, karignan (a metal scraper) and acoustic and electric guitars. Doumbia’s daughter, a celebrated singer with her own group and busy concert schedule, Doussou Bagayoko sings on “Adjorobena,” a song about patience, tolerance and living in peace. Doumbia weaves together a roadmap of her psyche when it comes to the good and bad life has to offer. She talks about marriage and women leaving home to join another through the metaphor of a tree in the garden; she includes gunshot samples in the song “Foliwilen” to honor the bravery of hunters, soldiers and other courageous people; she uses a bird in “Djougoh” to talk about lazy people; and, in “Ndiagneko” she advises people to ignore critics, just do you.
Mali has gone through an intense period of regional strife and terrorist incidents over the last ten years and Doumbia roots the album in tragic local concerns with deep global implications. “The meaning of Kanawa is so simple. We see our children trying to cross the ocean all the time. I said that many of our children die in the ocean and some of them die while crossing the Sahara. But I ask them why do they leave their country? They said that they leave because of the family situation or problems like poverty and unemployment. I ask them to stay and work in their country. I call on the UN and African leaders so that we can coordinate our efforts to find a solution, to create jobs for them so that young people stop leaving. That’s why I chose it as the title of my album so that everybody can learn from it and also so that there is a reduction in the number of people emigrating. So that some will hear the message and stay home and grow the land. Leaving is not the only solution. My message is to help the youth find jobs.”
From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, the particularly vibrant music scene in Mogadishu was teeming with pop and folk musicians whose influences spanned several genres of Somali traditional music alongside influences from abroad.
Dur-Dur Band's music emerges from a time when Somalia's distinctive contribution to the creative culture in the Horn of Africa was clear and abundant--hundreds of recordings made at the Somali National Theatre, Radio Mogadishu and other studios, combined with cherished clubs like Juba and Jazeera and al-Curuuba Discotheque created a backdrop for a flourishing music scene.
The remarkable story of South African singer and dancer Penny Penny is fit for Hollywood. A nearly homeless janitor without formal education gets a record deal, becomes a multi-platinum selling pop star, plays stadiums across Africa, then builds a career as a popular politician for Nelson Mandela's African National Congress party. Penny Penny's debut recording Shaka Bundu, recorded in 1994, is the album that launched a 34-year-old Giyani Kulani Kobane from the streets of Johannesburg to the national political spotlight.
By 1978, Addis Ababa’s nightlife was facing challenges. The ruling Derg regime imposed curfews, banning citizens from the streets after midnight until 6am. But that didn’t stop some people from dancing and partying thorough the night. Bands would play from evening until daybreak and people would stay at the clubs until curfew was lifted in the morning.
One key denizen of Addis’ musical golden age, Hailu Mergia, was preparing a follow up to his seminal Tche Belew LP with the famed Walias Band. It was the band’s only full-length record and it had been a success. But his Hilton house band colleagues were a bit tied up recording cassettes with different vocalists. Still Mergia, amidst recording and gigs with the Walias, was also eager to make another recording of his instrumental-focused arrangements. So he went to the nearby Ghion Hotel, another upmarket outpost with a popular nightclub. Dahlak Band was the house band at Ghion at the time. Together they made this tape Wede Harer Guzo right there in the club during the band’s afternoon rehearsal meetings, with sessions lasting three days. “My instrumental music was very in-demand and I could have waited,” Mergia recalls. “But I wanted to have a different kind of sound. I had done several recordings with Walias so this time I needed a different sound.”
Dahlak Band catered to a slightly more youthful, local audiences, while Mergia’s main gig with the Walias at Addis swankiest hotel had a mixed audience that included foreign diplomats and older folks from abroad. Therefore their sets varied included lighter fare during dinnertime and a less rollicking selection of jazz and r&b. Meanwhile Dahlak was known more for the mainly soul and Amharic jams they served up for hours two nights a week to a younger crowd.
When Mergia entered the Ghion hotel nightclub to record this tape he was teaming up with a seasoned band who were particularly suited to his instrumental sound. Ethiopian popular music at the time combined elements of music from abroad and Dahlak balanced Mergia’s traditional song selection with the modern approach of a seasoned soul band.
Dozens of cherished recordings were made during the legendary “golden age” of Ethiopian music, an era stretching from the early 1960’s through the mid-1970’s. Less-discussed are the songs made in the aftermath of the 1974 revolution that toppled Emperor Hailu Selassie I. The acclaimed and highly sought-after LP by Hailu Mergia and the Walias, Tche Belew, an album of instrumentals released in 1977, is perhaps the most seminal of these recordings. The story of the Walias band is a critical chapter in Ethiopian popular music, taking place during a period of music industry flux and political complexity in the country.
Hailu Mergia, a keyboardist and arranger diligently working the nightclub scene in Addis Ababa, formed the Walias in the early 1970’s with a core group of musical colleagues assembled from the remnants of prior working bands attached to the Zula and Venus clubs. One of the first “private” bands, the Walias got a steady gig at the prestigious Hilton Addis Ababa and remained independent from the government-supported bands of the time as well as from the clubs who employed bands.
In 1985, master accordionist and veteran bandleader, arranger and keyboardist released the Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument cassette. In a nostalgic effort to bring back the vintage accordion sound of his youth, Hailu gave Ethiopian music a sonic makeover. He was already celebrated for his work with the groundbreaking Addis Ababa ethio-jazz and funk outfit Walias Band. With imagination and a visionary sense of the self-contained possibilities of modern music, he captured the popular sounds of the past using the modern tools of the day.
Hailu Mergia weaves Moog and DX7 synthesizers, Rhodes electric piano and rhythm machine into the rich harmonic layering of his accordion, creating hauntingly psychedelic, elegantly arranged instrumentals. These tunes draw from famous traditional and modern Ethiopian songs, as Hailu brilliantly matches lush Amhara, Tigrinya and Oromo melodies with otherworldly flavors soaked in jazz and blues, synthesizing a futuristic landscape. He balances Ethiopian music's signature melodic shape with beautiful analog synth touches, floating upon clouds of hypnotically minimal rhythm tracks.
Hailu Mergia was born in Debre Birhan, Showa Province, Ethiopia in 1938 (1946 in the European calendar) to parents Tewabech Ezineh and Mergia Lulessa, who were of Amhara and Oromo ancestry, respectively. His mother took him to Aynemisa, close to Addis, where he grew up from age 3 until he was 10 when they moved to the capital Addis Ababa.
Teno Afrika "Amapiano Selections" comes out 23 Oct. Pre-order/stream https://smarturl.it/atfa040
The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa’s electronic music movement born in the townships of the country’s Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple. Even with its commercial success though, amapiano’s DIY ethos has continued to disrupt music creation and distribution in the country. Most amapiano commercial successes today began their careers on cracked versions of production software like FL Studio, distributed their work through file sharing platforms like datafilehost and marketed it using social media pages they controlled and influenced.
Amapiano Selections, the debut album by DJ and producer Teno Afrika, gives listeners outside the movement’s online release economy an insight into the high-burn nature of amapiano that has spawned a distinct typology under its larger umbrella. Nineteen-year-old Lutendo Raduvha has spent the bulk of his life moving between different townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The palette of amapiano styles on the album reflect these influences.
But at first, South Africa’s youngest electronic music movement lived underground with a small, loyal following. “Amapiano is a genre that I chose because I have a passion for it,” says Teno “I started following amapiano in 2016 because I wanted to explore how it’s produced. It was not taken seriously in our country.”
Interestingly, Teno Africa only gives vocals prominence on the closing track “Chants of Africa.” As a way of making their music recognizable and relatable for broadcast, amapiano producers have sometimes overly relied on vocals in the form of singing, catch-phrases and party refrains for the purpose. “It was my decision not to use vocals on this project,” says Teno “The reason is I wanted people to feel my instrumentals and style because this is my first album.” On his closing track the young producer gives a glimpse of the considered approach to music which buoys anticipation for greater things from his future releases.
1985 country-folk masterpiece from Ivory Coast
"Our Garden Needs Its Flowers" lyrics below:
We’re all in a mysterious dream People get up and see really What’s happenin’
Adam and Eve were created In a beautiful flowered garden But today we’ve changed it To a thorny garden
Those who have succeeded bein’ there Prevent the others from bein’ there No let’s be what we are Whatever our appearances may be Let’s sing peace and love ‘Cause our garden needs its flowers I sing for my sisters and brothers ‘Cause our garden needs its flowers
Pre-order LP/CD/Tape/Digital https://pennypenny.bandcamp.com/album/yogo-yogo
Reissue of Penny Penny's Yogo Yogo comes out August 14 on LP/CD/Tape/Digital via Awesome Tapes From Africa
The rags-to-riches chronicle of Penny Penny’s life would be remarkable if he had only released his smash debut Shaka Bundu and packed houses for a few years. But the inimitable South African singer and dancer known for his trademark top ponytail and emphatic anthems was no one-hit wonder. In the aftermath of Shaka Bundu’s nationwide explosion, far beyond his country the album resonated with ever bigger audiences.
He performed up and down the continent, building fanbases in more than a dozen countries. So his sophomore album Yogo Yogo—released in 1996—solidified Penny Penny’s standing in pop music nationally and provided new energy to his pan-African stadium-filling adventures.
“I was very busy between Shaka Bundu and Yogo Yogo. Shows every week, local and outside the country. There was no relaxing from 1995 until 1999.”
The album also reflects the era in which it emerged. If Shaka Bundu arrived triumphantly amid newfound political freedom in South Africa with the end of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela’s election, Yogo Yogo was a next level expression for the maturing artist.
He wanted to get a message out. Composed with Joe Shirimani, who also produced the album, the sound and compositional style echoes the earlier recording but the topical nature of the lyrics became more deliberate, more didactic.
In the song “Ingani” Penny proclaims, we are all one people even though we may speak different languages, we are all Nguni—a larger historical grouping that includes many of the ethnic groups in modern South Africa. “Kulani Kulani,” which means grow up, urges young people to say no to drugs and yes to education. Ama Owners, referring to the public transport drivers involved in violent rumbles, asks the nation’s drivers to relax because we need them for our safe arrival.
Penny’s success as a Xitsonga artist should not be under-estimated in the context of popular music at the time in South Africa. “When I started with my own style and image, first time in Shangaan we had artist like me,” Penny explains. “Our music was traditional before. But I brought a mix of rock and disco and it became the bomb. Every star won’t be popular without your own style.”
It took them eight days to finish album, writing the songs in the studio. Penny says, “The songs just happened. Joe is very good at listening and producing, he has lots of patience. When he played the keyboard I would sing, standing behind him once he finished the rhythm, I would sing it all in one take, non-stop. We were not using computers to record, we were singing live. And we pressed the music on cassette and vinyl—not CD—back then."
Fast-forward to 2020, Penny Penny is deep in the political game and appears on television 6 times a week as the star of his own reality TV show, “Papa Penny Ahee!”. He is setting up an avocado farm and provides fifty families in his region with food every month via his charitable foundation. Penny still plays huge shows around South Africa and will appear at some of Europe’s biggest festivals in 2021.
Awesome Tapes From Africa Dublab radio program 5/25/2020 ATFA Dublab 05/2020
Souleymane Faye / Lou Nekh Dou Doye / Fuki Diouni Mouma Bob / Jeunesses / Tina Kwaito Classics Vol 1 / Penny Penny /. Ibola Aids / Yogo Yogo Yoro Gueye / Kele Magnindé / Baye Fall Bi Peter One / Sida Dje / Zuzu 1 Moussa / Woya Son Dia/ Djuru Keleni Kanaga de Mopti / Seniwé / Kanaga de Mopti Franz / Nu Wong Eh Nor / NPRC ’94 Ahmed Janka Nabay / Ro Wallah / Sabanoh Gadji Celi / King Solo (Instrumental) / King Solo Sangazuza / Leguele / Expluzao 95 Issa Bagayogo / Nyangaran / Fengue Ronchi Tanko / Bakon Gidana / Volume 1 Chippa / Ezkudala (Instrumental) / Kliptown to Cape Town Fulani / Dirty World (Dugula) / Dirty World Fulani / Anywhere / Dirty World RAS / Kitaki / Oridjidji Ladies Day Out / Sugar Daddy / Ladies Day Out MNM / Re Ya Lesotho / Last Chance Goly Fusion / Miny / Kogassa Ahmed Janka Nabay / Somebody / Sengbeh Pieh Bola / Yine Ntaripaga / Volume 7 Asnakech Worku (feat. Hailu Mergia) / Tew Begize Giba / Asnakech Lamine Conta & Molobali Traore / El Hadji Sekou Oumar Tall
1985 country-folk masterpiece from Ivory Coast https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com
"Katin" lyrics in Gouro & English translation below:
(Gouro) Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh
Zile kaweman zibo deka hi Djinanan wi teka le zinh le Zile kaweman zibo deka hi Djinanan wi teka le zinh le
Tibé guessan omer, ylé zonanbo Bedjê olê y mih tôh. Houan oh Tibe guessan, sah bidjê yé Ouya bi koh kale fehi lé Han bouêh ouya bitra ylé glibo Bédjê ole y mih, toh houan oh Yeah aho … Yé boah bouinou yeah
Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh Yé boah bouinou yéah Katin Héo Kalé zonaman kabêdjê oh Yé boah bouinou yéah ah zouletchi Zile kawêman zibo deka hi Djinanan wi teka lé zinh lé Tibe guessan Omer ylé zonanbo Bédjé olê y mih toh houan oh Tibe guessan, sah bidjê éé Bédjé olê y mih toh houan oh Tibe guessan, sah bidjê éé Ouya bi koh kalé fehilé Tibe guessan han bouêh zekoua oh Dôghô lé ko kale fehi ya dou Han bouêh ouya bi tra ylé Glilé Bédjê olê y mih toh houan oh Han Bouêh ouyabi oah … ylé zonanbo Bedjê olé y mih toh houan yéah aoh Ye boah bouinou yé kagohan oh Ye boah bouinou ye kouassi yé
(English) All together to achieve our goal Let's rejoice Oh yes my brothers, it is so We are looking for a way
When we get it It will be joy It will be our happiness Tibe guessan omer Show everyone your goal To honor us Tibe guessan omer Tell everyone your word To honor us Tibe guessan, sah bi dje he
Ouya bi, let's see, here is our art Tibe guessan, my friend zekoua Dohguo, we have the same art Tibe guessan, my friend zekoua Dohguo, we have the same art My friend ouya bi tra, Say your word to all To honor us My friend ouya Show everyone your goal To honor us
ATFA Dublab May 2019--two hours of cassette-only DJing from my collection of over 5,000 African tapes. https://www.dublab.com/archive/awesome-tapes-from-africa-05-27-19
Molobali Traore - Delly Magnin - Molobali 92 Amadou Sangare - Histoire de Sabaly Djeneba Seck - Barika Barika - Barika Barika Eponou Agoh Catherine - Anouman Behira - Danse Indenie (Agni) Mohamed Lamine Traore - Kelen Magni - Djudjon Djeneba Diakite - Taoume Maide - Africolor Vol. 2 The Lumba Brothers - Obi Ate Meso Bo - Obi Ate Meso Bo Soundama Nembale - Tamboula - Soundama Nembele Abdoulaye Diabate - Bimaou - Tabale Yoro Diallo - Dena Donna - Dena Donna Petit Pays et les Sans Visas - Santa Maria (Rap) - Les morts ne sont pas morts Sekouba Bambino - Miri - Bonya Nick Domby - M’yam La Paaga - Best of Satigui Sidibe - N’Tana - Flakan Sali Sidibe - Dia Bana - Naka Gnami Djeneba Diakite et le Groupe Farafina Lolo - Nelson - Gnogondeme Sangazuza - Vizinho - Expluzao 95 Nzimande All Stars - Spork Botsotso No 1 - The Best of Malombo - Shebokeshana - Pele Pele Amani Djoni - Goli - Attention Sox - One Ole Kae - Igazi Amon Mvula - Magerere - Makorokoto Senyaka feat DJ Bakstina - Bayanyonyoba - Pay Back
2 hour tape dj set of African music. https://www.dublab.com/archive/awesome-tapes-from-africa-06-24-19
Akodjenou Michel dit Amikpon et son groupe Folklorique Kpalogo de la Capitale / Gbegbé Akou / Amikpon Gangbe Brass Band / Ye Mo No Ho / Gangbe Sagbohan Danialou / Mietonou We / Homage aux Forces Armées Benoinoises Sezenmon Allossee / Vi Gbema Kplon Nou Me / Vol 5 Akoha Ambroise / Crise Est La / Todema Kiri Kanta / Gangangan / Ingen Mindassan ???? Jac’oho / Mandonoude / Houenoukpo Allevi / Gnonnou Ho Wa / Toba Si Sle Vol 12 Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / Ya Bara Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / soun Binin Sara Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / Dadon Gabou Yo Sabe Mama Franco / Dadon Ga Bouyo / Collection Beninpassion Vol 3 Sagbohan Danialou / Chaffeur / Musique Traditionnelle du Benin Sagbohan Danialou / Zanglantangoun / Musique Traditionnelle du Benin Stan Tohon & the Tchink System / Intox / Tchink Attack Stan Tohon / Djohoundo / La Force Tranquille H2Origines / Animé / Assouka Stan Tohon / Africa Foot / La Force Tranquille Agodou Y. Basile et son groupe Aloto Alome / Ojle We Nulepo / Oho Magan Den Gbeze et son Group Tchingoumin d’Aklampa / Adjinakou Guelou T.P Orchestre Poly-Rythmo / David Djinto / Vol 4
1985 country-folk masterpiece from Ivory Coast https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com
"Solution" lyrics in French & English below:
(French) Il faut changer le monde Et reviser les lois il faut changer les hommes Et pourquoi pas les femmes
Est-ce la solution? N'y aura-t-il pas d'hitler? La guerre finira-t-elle Pour faire place a l'amour Je voudrais savior
Il faut raser la vie Et tout recommencer Eve et Adam de nouveau Feront ce qu'il faut
Est-ce la solution? N'y aura-t-il pas d'hitler? La guerre finira-t-elle Pour faire place a l'amour Je voudrais savior
S'il faut changer le monde Il faut changer nos coeurs S'il n'y a pas de couleur Nous seront egaux
Oui c'est la solution Dieu N'y pourra rien sans nous Il nous a donne des chances C'est la vie oui la vie
(English) We must change the world And revise the laws We must change men And why not women
Is this the solution? Won't there be a Hitler? Will the war end To make room for love I would like to know
We must shave life and start all over again Eve and Adam again will do whatever it takes
Is this the solution? Won't there be a Hitler? Will the war end To make room for love I would like to know
If we have to change the world We have to change our hearts If there is no color We will be equal
Yes this is the solution God can't do anything without us He gave us chances It's life yes life
Penny Penny "Shaka Bundu" LP/CD/Tape/Digital https://pennypenny.bandcamp.com/album/shaka-bundu
Two-hour tape-only dj set of new cassettes I juts got from Benin.
Artist / Song / Album Akodjenou Michel dit Amikpon et son groupe Folklorique Kpalogo de la Capitale / Gbegbé Akou / Amikpon Gangbe Brass Band / Ye Mo No Ho / Gangbe Sagbohan Danialou / Mietonou We / Homage aux Forces Armées Benoinoises Sezenmon Allossee / Vi Gbema Kplon Nou Me / Vol 5 Akoha Ambroise / Crise Est La / Todema Kiri Kanta / Gangangan / Ingen Mindassan ???? Jac’oho / Mandonoude / Houenoukpo Allevi / Gnonnou Ho Wa / Toba Si Sle Vol 12 Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / Ya Bara Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / soun Binin Sara Mama Franco & Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou / Dadon Gabou Yo Sabe Mama Franco / Dadon Ga Bouyo / Collection Beninpassion Vol 3 Sagbohan Danialou / Chaffeur / Musique Traditionnelle du Benin Sagbohan Danialou / Zanglantangoun / Musique Traditionnelle du Benin Stan Tohon & the Tchink System / Intox / Tchink Attack Stan Tohon / Djohoundo / La Force Tranquille H2Origines / Animé / Assouka Stan Tohon / Africa Foot / La Force Tranquille Agodou Y. Basile et son groupe Aloto Alome / Ojle We Nulepo / Oho Magan Den Gbeze et son Group Tchingoumin d’Aklampa / Adjinakou Guelou T.P Orchestre Poly-Rythmo / David Djinto / Vol 4
New album out now https://smarturl.it/yene_mircha It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. From a young musician in the 60s starting out in Addis Ababa to the 70s golden age of dance bands to the new hope as an emigre in America to the drier period of the 90s and 2000s when he mainly played keyboard in his taxi while waiting in the airport queue or at home with friends. More recently, with the reissue of his classic works and a re-assessment of his role in Ethiopian music history, Mergia has played to audiences big and small in some of the most cherished venues around the world. With his 2018 critical breakthrough "Lala Belu" Mergia consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through his vision of modern Ethiopian music. Extensive touring after the record revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the “golden age” sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music “triumphantly in the present” in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list.
Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" ("My Choice" in Amharic) encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable—elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound.
Enlisting the help of master mesenqo (traditional stringed instrument) player Setegn Atenaw, celebrated vocalist Tsehay Kassa and legendary saxophone player Moges Habte from his 70s outfit Walias Band, Mergia enhances his bright, electric band on this recording with an expanded line up on some songs. Mergia produced the album which features several of his original compositions along with songs by Asnakesh Worku and Teddy Afro. An artist still reinventing his sound every night on stage during his marathon live sets, this 74-year-old icon refuses to make the same album twice. His creative process in the studio—starting with the core band, then after listening extensively over weeks and months adding more sounds and instruments—is as urgent and risky as his concerts can be, pushing the band to the outer limits of group improvisation and back with chord extensions during his exploratory solos. "Yene Mircha" captures this live experience and fosters an expansive view of what else could be in store for this tireless practitioner of Ethiopian music.
1985 country-folk masterpiece from Ivory Coast
"Kango" lyrics in Gouro & English translation below:
(Gouro) Kango anzé blio bê ailé oh Iwiaman oh Sali anze blio ye le gobê Iwiaman oh Emma anzé blie bê azia Iwiaman oh
Eh eh anzi bali zanté Anzoulou lé kango ééh Manlé iwiaman anzibali zanté Ambili le Eulalie eeh Eh eh anzi bali zanté Anzoulou Lé emma eeh
Anlé zah oh yélé gobê oh ye Anzé blio yelé sié ye Ziza oh anlé ziza oh
(English) Kango my heart is yours Accept me Dirty my heart is gone Accept me Emma my Heart is on its way Accept me
Eh eh my protective god I'm begging you Kango is my heart I care about you Oh god protector I beg you Eulalie is my heart Oh god protector please Emma is my Heart
My treasure is gone My heart flies Beauty oh my beauty
Title track and second single from the keyboard/accordion-player's new album Yene Mircha. Out now LP/CD/Digital/Tape https://smarturl.it/yene_mircha
New album "Yene Mircha" out now on LP/CD/Tape/Digital https://smarturl.it/yene_mircha
It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. From a young musician in the 60s starting out in Addis Ababa to the 70s golden age of dance bands to the new hope as an emigre in America to the drier period of the 90s and 2000s when he mainly played keyboard in his taxi while waiting in the airport queue or at home with friends. More recently, with the reissue of his classic works and a re-assessment of his role in Ethiopian music history, Mergia has played to audiences big and small in some of the most cherished venues around the world. With his 2018 critical breakthrough "Lala Belu" Mergia consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through his vision of modern Ethiopian music. Extensive touring after the record revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the “golden age” sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music “triumphantly in the present” in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list.
Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" ("My Choice" in Amharic) encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable—elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound.
Enlisting the help of master mesenqo (traditional stringed instrument) player Setegn Atenaw, celebrated vocalist Tsehay Kassa and legendary saxophone player Moges Habte from his 70s outfit Walias Band, Mergia enhances his bright, electric band on this recording with an expanded line up on some songs. Mergia produced the album which features several of his original compositions along with songs by Asnakesh Worku and Teddy Afro. An artist still reinventing his sound every night on stage during his marathon live sets, this 74-year-old icon refuses to make the same album twice. His creative process in the studio—starting with the core band, then after listening extensively over weeks and months adding more sounds and instruments—is as urgent and risky as his concerts can be, pushing the band to the outer limits of group improvisation and back with chord extensions during his exploratory solos. "Yene Mircha" captures this live experience and fosters an expansive view of what else could be in store for this tireless practitioner of Ethiopian music.
Awesome Tapes From Africa is a monthly show on Dublab where I DJ two hours of cassettes from deep in my collection, most of which I have not yet played out. www.dublab.com/djs/awesome-tapes-from-africa-2
Tracklist: Artist / Song / Album Kemo Kouyate & Aminata Kamissoko / Guere-Mou-Fan / La Colombe de la Paix Sana Kone / Aicha / Nourou Mouhammed Madjan Doumbia / Diane / Madjan Doumbia Molobaly Keita / Tchimidjama / Tchimidjama Soviet / Groentas (remix) / Bowenzeni? Kofi Nti feat Ofori Amponsah / Odo Nwom / Rakia Optical Illusion / Definitive – Evergreen – Hundred Times to a Mill / Definitive Amkye Dede / Beautiful Woman / Beautiful Woman Puff-Mapuffan / Sdudla / Nhlonhlolozi S’Bamu / Vuvuzela (Club Mix) / Vuvuzela Dance Remixes Vol 3 Pitch Black Afro / Igazi Lishukume – Pitch Black Afro / Styling Gel Skwatta Kamp / My Man – Good Day / Mkhukhu Funkshen Hunger Boyz / Thetha / Fong Kong Bhadomo Bhadomo / Fouta / Pathe Moloko Ousin Ndiaye & le Super Etoile / Baye Waly / Fecc Abdou G. Seck / Nina / Evolution Boukounta Ndiaye / Ndaga / Bara Sidy Ndiaye Machesa / Mmaleshwane / Dikoma Akezo / Didiko / Akezo M Wamala & H Nansove / Mwami Zukuka / Entebbe Guitar Singers Don Laka / Mamelodi – Late Again / Destiny Arthur / Koko / Haai Bo
Awesome Tapes From Africa is a monthly show on Dublab where I DJ two hours of cassettes from deep in my collection, most of which I have not yet played out. https://www.dublab.com/djs/awesome-tapes-from-africa-2
Artist / Song / Album Ya Cheikh / CFA / CFA Marco / Pougzinga Remix / Pougzinga Soundama Nembale / Tamboula / Soundama Nembale Nzimande All Stars / Breadwinner / The Best of Nzimande All Stars Amadou Foulah / Bonya / Petit Prince Assane Thiam / Fass Wi/ Li Tama Di Joy Wax La Mouhamad Ahar / Jeunesses / Tina Ndeye Marie Ndiaye Gawlo / Teranga / Lou Jotte Yombe Ndeye Ngone Mboup / Dabakh / Walo Assane Ndiaye & le Nguewel-Gui / Bagnal / Bagnal Coumbia Gawlo Seck / Diafeyalla / Coumbia Gawlo Seck Jaal Mbaay / Jigeen Yomboul / Saxiir Caam A Fi Sargal Jigeen Assane Thiam / Assane Thiam / Mame Les Frères Coulibaly / Bôrôtô / Séniwè Parapanda Choir / Shetani Mbaya / Shetani Mbaya Pa Bobo Jobarteh / Jiguene / Duwaa Folklore du Mono / Eno Wom’Lo / Vol 3 Baphixile / Falling / Diss Cd Us Operation Akiapo Mathieu / Cellulaire / Cellulaire Hawa Drame / Dielika Diallo / Hawa Drame
Out Nov 22 https://antoinettekonan.bandcamp.com The Guardian says: "Among the current glut of reissues, this re-pressing sounds remarkably fresh. While downbeat numbers such as Enfants Du Monde and Evignen are dragged down by their somewhat syrupy sweetness, the short and sharp kinetic tracks are irresistible. Opener Kokoloko Tani buzzes in with those inimitable toms and a selection of Baoulé tuned bells set to Konan’s tenor, while Abidjan Adja and M’ackô are polyrhythmic gems of mid-tempo movement, a new jack swing of Africa’s west coast.
Konan produced the entire record and her singular vision shows on its speedy 25-minute runtime. It is a near-perfect combination of tradition and modernism to create an imagining of a future sound, one which can only ever have existed in Konan’s hands some 33 years ago."
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out 20 September on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now September on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out 20 Sept on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now on Awesome Tapes From Africa https://nahawadoumbia.bandcamp.com
The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.
LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now https://sourakatakoite.bandcamp.com/album/en-hollande ~~~ Senegalese kora master Sourakata Koité began music from pretty much day one. "All the Koité are musicians!,” he says. Indeed he is a member of a family of djéli (or griot in french), the hereditary caste of musician-storyteller-historians in West Africa. After moving to Paris in the late 70s he began to play in different bands and for musicians like Manu Dibango, Touré Kounda, Mangala, Mah Damba and more. During a festival in Holland, a music producer form Plexus Records heard him and asked to make a recording. In 1984 in an old chicken coop near Delft, Koité recorded the entire album in one take, including overdubs. The rich sonics and deep sound beautifully presents Koité’s virtuosic and entrancing renditions of traditional and original tunes. With the reissue of en Hollande, Awesome Tapes From Africa continues its mission of bringing tapes posted on the ATFA website over the years, including this one, to music fans all over the world.
Pre-Order https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com
Jess Sah Bi & Peter One "Our Garden Needs Its Flowers" LP/CD/ Digital
In the 1980s, Abidjan’s Jess Sah Bi & Peter One became one of the most popular musical acts in not just the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), but broader West Africa, eventually performing with a full band to stadium-sized audiences at home and throughout Benin, Guinea, Mali and Togo. Although they’d been popular radio and television performers for several years prior, the catalyst for Jess and Peter achieving this new level of stardom was their debut album, Our Garden Needs Its Flowers, recorded and released in 1985.
In contrast with the heaving funk, disco and reggae sounds of the day, Our Garden Needs Its Flowers was a lush fusion of traditional Ivorian village songs and American and English country and folk-rock music. Jess and Peter sang in French, English and Gouro, delivering beautifully harmonized meditations on social injustice and inequality, calls for unity across the African continent, an end to apartheid in South Africa and the odd song for the ladies, all set against lush guitar riffs, rustic harmonica and rollicking feel-good rhythms. Surprisingly, it’s the first time the album has been re-released in a high-fidelity, legally licensed form.
"Minmanle?" lyrics in Gouro & English translation below:
(Gouro) Minmanlé tchanzan tchi? Minmanlé fêhizan tchié zi o? Hanle wile hanli yé Hankazou Dohalo Minmanle mihé tchibê o mi dja Minmanlé mifa djika doulo Yee wiyo hanli yé Hankazou dohalo
Yéé hanlé wile ylé wile Bêdji droha handji o Mi gonin o kadan zoulo Bolou tchizé wile Bali zé wilé Debe fihé o hévozilê Bolou lé bé o Y vohaman trêta
(English) Why the poor? Why the rich? That yes that I don't understand a thing Why do we kill our neighbor? Why don't men get along That yes that Oh, father, I don't understand a thing This is my concern This is our concern But there you go, I have a solution Wealth doesn't come without effort We first struggle and, Almighty then helps If you want to be a leader Expect suffering
Transcendent Ivorian Country-Americana album fro 1985 that made major waves across West Africa. LP/CD/Digital: https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com
"African Chant" lyrics below:
Sing this song with me Tomorrow the sun will shine Keep on fighting Tomorrow will be all right
African people Remember, you’re fighting for your rights I say, black people Courage, now you’re struggling for freedom
Free, you’ll be free, you’ve got to be free oh yeah All what you seek, God sees and you’ll sing it Everywhere you live happiness is all what you bring All what they do, don’t do, let them do Tolerance may be, and must be all what you do
LP/CD/Digital https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com/album/our-garden-needs-its-flowers
"African Chant" lyrics below:
Sing this song with me Tomorrow the sun will shine Keep on fighting Tomorrow will be all right
African people Remember, you’re fighting for your rights I say, black people Courage, now you’re struggling for freedom
Free, you’ll be free, you’ve got to be free oh yeah All what you seek, God sees and you’ll sing it Everywhere you live happiness is all what you bring All what they do, don’t do, let them do Tolerance may be, and must be all what you do
Out Now on Awesome Tapes From Africa. https://jesssahbipeterone.bandcamp.com/album/our-garden-needs-its-flowers
Buy https://professorrhythm.bandcamp.com/album/professor-3
Professor Rhythm’s 1991 recording Professor 3 is a vivid reflection of urban South Africa as apartheid was ending. Thami Mdluli’s production project had young and old dancing to a sound that sought to unite Blacks within Southern Africa. “Our music gave hope to the hopeless,” he says.
Professor Rhythm’s third instrumental album (which contains some background vocals, to be exact), portrays the moment when the dominant mbaqanga and American R&B-based bubblegum sounds being produced in Johannesburg and other urban centers were transforming into house and hip-hop-inspired kwaito. The pop of the 80’s and all that went with it—from the models of synths and drum machines to the lyrical style—gave way to a changing melodic emphasis and new, much slower tempi using a completely different rhythmic skeleton. Upbeat, chipper bubblegum, often with double-time breakdowns and upstroke syncopations, faded and the sounds began to more closely resemble those of contemporary Black America—where hip-hop was slowing down and the bass-lines and melodies were getting moodier, darker in general. At the same time house music had briefly reached mainstream acceptance in the States and that popularity continued to feed into awareness overseas. These two influences blended with the burgeoning house music scenes in Johannesburg and Pretoria as Professor Rhythm 3 was being produced in March 1991 (the same year apartheid ended). Mdluli explains, “We were Influenced by foreign bands and so people updated their sound.”
According to Mdluli, the evolving sound was bolstered by widening availability of house and rap records from abroad while, most importantly, an increasing sense that apartheid might soon be finished was met with a new positivity vibe society. “1991, ’92, ’93… Mandela was released. People were upbeat, they were happy, the music was good.”
Professor 3 came out on vinyl as the LP business was dying in South Africa and sold around 20,000 copies. It was mainly distributed on tape, which sold closer to 100,000. With the help of engineer Fab Rosso, the recording features backing vocalists from Mango Groove.
After making a half-dozen records as Professor Rhythm, Mdluli once again shifted his focus musically. By the mid-90’s he had veered off gospel music—and left playing in bands and started making his own solo recordings. His enormous success in the gospel realm in the years since is a remarkable story in its own right, but for now we are only dancing.
Instrumental mbaqanga and kwaito from South Africa, 1991. LP/CD/Digital on Awesome Tapes From Africa. https://professorrhythm.bandcamp.com/album/professor-3
DJ Katapila’s Aroo EP is the latest addition to the iconoclastic producer’s catalog of fast-paced, pan-West African-influenced dance music. From a young age, Ishmael Abbey was a beloved local DJ in Accra, Ghana’s competitive and rapidly-evolving music galaxy.
DJ Katapila’s debut release with Awesome Tapes From Africa, 2016’s reissue of Trotro, ignited international acclaim for the Ghanaian DJ and producer: The New York Times, Pitchfork, Resident Advisor and FACT heaped praise on his work. Katapila launched a touring career beyond his grueling schedule of all-night parties around Ghana’s southern coast and neighboring countries, heading to Europe and the UK, where he performed at festivals and clubs the pasty two years. Katapila brought Ghana’s street party culture to audiences overseas; a wave of joy and happy dancers were left in his wake.
The song “Aroo” uses his earlier song “Cocoawra” as a jumping off point and expands upon its endearing quick-rhythmed interplay of vocal hiccups and percussive clinks. Katapila thinks of “Aroo” as a simple math equation: “Francophone rhythms plus techno equals so hot and danceable.”
While traveling this past summer in Europe, he continued to work on the minimalist electronic music steeped in his hometown rhythms that has made him a growing and singular voice in West African music. Having never traveled outside his region before, the contemporary sounds of London impacted his sonic palette, triggering new song “African Techno.” He explains, “In Europe and the UK they like these techno songs and house music. They have songs that sound like African music, and we have songs that sound like house music and techno music.”
“Ghana Baby DJ” references his ongoing development of Ga dance music style gbe ohe. It also conjures his daughter’s voice and inimitable vibe and blends it with the characteristic clave rhythm of this.
The EP’s final cut is a track released with a an eye-catching music video this summer called “Monkey.” Following radio play in Ghana and demand from fans online, this track makes it debut on vinyl.
Awesome Tapes From Africa is proud to present new music from this unmistakably original artist with an honesty and unpretentiousness that feels good at this current point in history.
Album out Friday 20 October on LP/CD/MP3/Tape https://professorrhythm.bandcamp.com/album/bafana-bafana
A monumental career in pop music isn’t easy when the system is built against you. But South African songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist “Om” Alec Khaoli managed to do just that. As apartheid reached its violent peak, Khaoli pursued an escapist form of dance music that resonated across his complicated country, influencing countless legends and releasing recordings across the world.
A monumental career in pop music isn’t easy when the system is built against you. But South African songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist “Om” Alec Khaoli managed to do just that. As apartheid reached its violent peak, Khaoli pursued an escapist form of dance music that resonated across his complicated country, influencing countless legends and releasing recordings across the world.
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band "Wede Harer Guzo"on Awesome Tapes from Africa LP/CD/Digi. https://hailumergia.bandcamp.com/album/wede-harer-guzo
Title track from new reissue Wede Harer Guzo by Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band. A 1978 recording capturing the sound of one of Addis Ababa's deepest pop/soul outfits fronted by the skilled organist and arranger Mergia. Third reissue with Awesome Tapes From Africa, following his acclaimed performances at festivals and clubs worldwide. https://open.spotify.com/album/6am5o1eJClWkXeh0Ex9HuL
Coming out 17 June on Awesome Tapes From Africa
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band’s Wede Harer Guzo is the third release on Awesome Tapes From Africa for Ethiopian keyboard and accordion maestro. In the years since Shemonmuanaye, Mergia has revamped his touring career, playing festivals and clubs worldwide, including a recent tour supporting Beirut. By 1978, Addis Ababa’s nightlife was facing challenges. The ruling Derg regime imposed curfews, banning citizens from the streets after midnight until 6:00 am. But that didn’t stop some people from dancing and partying through the night. Bands would play from evening until daybreak and people would stay at the clubs until curfew was lifted in the morning. One key denizen of Addis’ musical golden age, Hailu Mergia, was preparing a follow-up to his seminal Tche Belew LP with the famed Walias Band. It was the band’s only full-length record and it had been a success. But his Hilton house band colleagues were a bit tied up recording cassettes with different vocalists. Still Mergia, amidst recording and gigs with the Walias, was also eager to make another recording of his instrumental-focused arrangements. So he went to the nearby Ghion Hotel, another upmarket outpost with a popular nightclub. Dahlak Band was the house band at Ghion at the time. Together they made this tape Wede Harer Guzo right there in the club during the band’s afternoon rehearsal meetings, with sessions lasting three days. Dahlak Band catered to a slightly more youthful, local audience, while Mergia’s main gig with the Walias at Addis' swankiest hotel had a mixed audience that included wealthy Ethiopians, foreign diplomats and older folks from abroad. Therefore, their sets featured lighter fare during dinnertime and a less rollicking selection of jazz and r&b. Meanwhile, Dahlak was known more for the mainly soul and Amharic jams they served up for hours two nights a week to a younger crowd. Mergia released Wede Harer Guzo (“Journey to Harer,” a city in eastern Ethiopia) with Sheba Music Shop, which was located in the Piazza district but has long since shut down. His cassette copy is the only known source we could find. Jessica Thompson at Coast Mastering managed to restore the recording to clean up layers of hiss, flutter and distorted frequencies, made worse by years of storage. Although there are some remaining sonic artifacts of the era’s recording and cassette duplicating quality, this reissue captures the band’s inimitable vibe. Recalling the audience’s positive reaction to Wede Harer Guzo’s novel arrangements, he says it sold well and found many fans. However, as no trace of the tape can be found online, there’s no indication as to why the cassette appears largely forgotten until now.