Ahmet Ozan Baysal is a Turkish baglama (saz) player, composer and performer, specializing in an Anatolian performance technique that dispenses with a plectrum
Many sub-Saharan African artists of the past four decades, from Franco to Fela and back again, have covered American funk music, as we are all too aware. More recently the Tuareg guitar bands from the South Saharan desert seemed to reflect the open-ended open-chord jamming of the Grateful Dead in their musical explorations. Now we have found heavy-metal punk in the shape of Tsapiky music from Madagascar, but it is not actually derivative of American or European punk music, that's just a vague musical reference to introduce you to the rawness on display. There is no subtlety here: just screeching guitars, pounding drums and vocalists who are shrieking into the mikes causing all sorts of distortion. However, sometimes that's what it takes to get you moving. The useful liner notes tell us the bands have to alternate between distinction and imitation; they have to know all the current hits to please the audience before they can play their own material. Their concerts are dirt-floor dance parties which can last from three to seven days and celebrate weddings, funerals and other rites such as circumcision parties (?!). Loud-speakers are hung in trees so people for miles around can attend or just listen in. This distinctive music is like no other. In August 2023 Maxime Bobo, a saxophonist, who himself plays in one of these bands, Mahapoteke, attended several of these events and his field recordings were edited for this stellar compilation which is one of the most original-sounding recordings to come out of Africa in a long time.
For half a century, Cuba has been restrained from evolving into its place as a cultural leader, as one of the historically richest countries in the Caribbean. This is largely due to the hatred of North America and wont change under the current petty and vengeful regime. Since the revolution there have been chronic shortages of foreign exchange and an increasing nostalgia for the old times — not the crushing poverty pre-Revolution but the days of the big bands of Beny Moré, the Mambo, rum and the thunder of Changó. The Haitians feel a similar nostalgia for the days of Papa Doc: at least then you knew who the enemy was — the state! For the Cubans it is undoubtedly the Yankee imperialist dogs. But amidst the nostalgic backward-glancing, the reverence for the old music bears fruit, first with the Buena Vista Social Club and now with Orquesta Akokán who capture, wonderfully, the sounds of the lush casino orchestras like Conjunto Casino, Casino de la Playa, Arcaño, and even the bands that were big in America, such as Desi Arnaz, and the great Machito who brought swing to the Palladium in New York, or Perez Prado in Mexico. The band's name is a Yoruba word meaning "from the heart," and this their third heartfelt album is as rich and warming as the predecessors. From traditional rumba underpinning the percussion to deep roots in the hidden Yoruba culture of Cuba where you sense the guidance of Eleguá (trickster God of the crossroads), Akokán mine a rich vein of Latin Jazz.
This is a spare but intricate album by a supergroup comprising a trio of top-flight musicians. First we have a balafon played by Lassana Diabaté whose virtuosity prompted him to the spotlight with Toumani Diabaté's Symmetric Orchestra and the group Afrocubism. The other instrument is the bass ngoni, played by Madou Kouyaté, son of Bassekou Kouyaté and member of his family band Ngoni Ba. Fronting the band is the sweet vocalist Hawa Kasse Mady Diabaté, daughter of the late Kasse Mady Diabaté, a renowned African star who started out in National Badema and went on to fame as a solo artist, winning a Grammy along the way. His daughter also has a powerful voice and the three griots together create an assured and powerful front, which is surprising since you would expect to hear percussion, another ngoni or guitar added in to the sound. But it is perfect as is and Madou's resonant vocals add nice harmonic balance to Hawa's voice. Some of the tunes and lyrics sound familiar though none of the tunes has a writing credit. They have performed with Kronos Quartet and Derek Gripper. This lovely Mandingue music from Mali and Guinée is one of the enduring legacies of world culture.
This is a jamming album and kicks off with the rocking title track. It has a really powerful drive despite being a big band led by a vibraphone (Oscar Garcia), an instrument that I don't think has the power to lead a salsa band. But the the timbales and congas are grooving, and there is a relentless vamping tres, so my personal antipathy to vibes, plus flutes tweetling away, is overruled by the energy of the piece. Also it is the Cuban multi-instrumentalist Pupi Legarreta on flute, as well as violin. He is abetted by Panamanian Mauricio Smith also on flute to boost the charanga aspect. The opener fades out after four minutes. Guagenti is the singer and steps up after the opening instrumental. No other personnel are listed though the production notes tell us that the producer was the great Bobby Marin and this was released on Orfeon, a Mexican label, and did well at the time despite the musical hegemony of Fania and its subsidiary labels in New York. Discogs tells us that Smith plays "Delirio" bass (perhaps a brand?); other bassists are the great Andy Gonzalez, as well as Mike Amatin. If all this is true then it is a compilation from different sessions. A Venezuelan release from 1977 (found on discogs) fills out the picture of the line-up which is truly a who's who of the Latin scene in late-70s New York, including Adalberto Santiago, Willie Torres and Yayo "El Indio" on coro, Joe Loco on piano, Louie Ramirez on timbales, the great Nelson Gonzalez on tres, Barry Rogers on trombone and many other notables, including Frankie Malabe on congas. After a bolero and a few Guaguancos we are full tilt into Guaracha mode for the second side of the album, beginning with "Los Muchachos de Belen," where Pupi plies his fiddle, and ending with an assault on the classic "Tibiri Tabara."
Most recent posts
(click on maps at the top of the page to get to continent of choice)
March 2025
The latest from Baianasystem can be found in Brasil part 3 Sweet Rebels: The Golden Age of Algerian Pop-Rai is filed in Algeria Damily & Toliara Tsapiky Band are filed in Madagascar
Two new anthologies of Gnonnas Pedro are in Benin
Muslim Shaggan can be read about in India & Pakistan II
The Original Sound of Mali vol II is filed in Mali part 6
February 2025
Novalima's latest can be read about in Peru part 2
Aboubacar Traoré & Balima is filed in Burkina Faso
Tumblack are from the Caribbean
Brooklyn Sounds are filed under Salsa
December 2024
Festival Donso Ngoni vol 1 is filed under Mali part 6 Zanzibara 11: Congo in Dar with orchestres Maquis and Safari Sound is in Tanzania part 3
Accra Quartet can be read about in Ghana part 2
Dogo du Togo's latest is filed in African miscellany
Occidental Brothers' Likambo Te also made it to African miscellany!
Los Kenya's Vol 2 went to Venezuela
while the 107th Street Stickball Team slid into Salsa in a questionable call
November 2024
Arun Ramamurthy Trio's New Moon went to India & Pakistan part 2
Houssam Guinia's Dead of Night can be found in Morocco
Oriental Brothers' Onye rie ibe ya erie is filed under Nigeria part 3
as is Music of Igbo Masquerade by Okwy Osadebe & his Highlife Soundmakers Super Disco Pirata 1965-80 is filed in Colombia part 3
Danilo Perez with the Bohuslan Big Band is found in World miscellany Magnifico Boogaloo is pumping it up in Peru, part 2
October 2024
Nusrat's Chain of Light can be found in India & Pakistan part 2
Martin Lopez y sus Estrellas are in Peru
Karantamba's Galgi is filed in The Gambia
September 2024
Mute by El Khat is filed in Arabia
Conjunto Africa Negra's Antologia vol 2 is filed in the Cabo Verde and Sao Tomé section
Bobby Marin's We gotta good thing going can be found in Puerto Rico
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BACK IN PRINT (Second edition, November 2012)
A DISCOGRAPHY OF DOCTEUR NICO
By Alastair Johnston
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