![]() NEW WORLD
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![]() OLD WORLD (inc Asia, Arabia) | ![]() African Discographies |
Greetings, Platterbugs!
Updated 1 July 2022BandcampingEven more great highlife from Palenque Records:Oliver Nayoka's "Oka Mmadu" is a follow-up to his hit "Aja Wele-Wele." Once again it's classic Igbo praise-singing with a needling lead guitar over a pulsing Highlife rhythm track, laid back but enough on the edge to keep you awake. "Be patient, treat everyone with magnanimity," it says. And then the horns punch in their affirmation over the sweet choral rejoinder. By track two, "Ubiam ajoka," we have a classic instance of "take it down to the the drums," where talking drums join in the riposte against the lead singer. Palenque has also recently issued "Oku ngwo di ochi" by Oriental Brothers International Band. New E.P. single from Radio Tutti and Barrilla Sisters New album from Dumisane Maraire of Zimbabwe New album from Cabruêra of Brazil [via Tony Pitt] Ablaye Cissoko, Senegalese kora player, has a mellow new outing, Instant, joined by an accordéonist Tony also alerts us to the latest album from Vieux Farka Touré "Musakayike" by Madalitso Band, a duo from Malawi [via Ken Abrams] Saltpond City Band from Ghana with "Boko a ko" New from Pedro Lima of Sao Tomé "Recordar é viver" on "cocoa pod red" vinyl! Ndikho Xaba and the Natives, South African jazz from 1971 reissued on Mississippi Records
Youtube VideoSiti Muharam (Zanzibar) made her European debut live at Le Guess WhoGuaGua TapTap by Azuei: pop music from Haiti and Dominican Republic Dobet Gnahoré & Kajeen perform "Lagô" Coumba Sidibe live in Paris [via Ardo Hanne]
R.I.P.[Frank Wouters reports] One of my favourite Edo highlife and afrobeat musicians, Osayomore Joseph, passed away in June. He was 69.
BWM1973 studio recording of Bob Marley & the Wailers, from almost 50 years ago!
ArticleMexican-American Dueto Dos Rosas explore their Ranchera roots
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Latest Muzikifan Podcasts |
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Street Cred features music from Zimbabwe,
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Globe trotting includes the music reviewed below, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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LOS KINTOS (Vampisoul VAMPI261LP)History may be written by the victors but those left by the wayside often have more interesting stories to tell. The only Peruvian music we knew in the 60s and 70s was the folky pipes of Pan stuff promoted by Paul Simon on "El Condor Pasa," and suddenly appearing in every market street corner worldwide. It was actually written in 1913 as pastiche Andean folk music. Those shrill Pan pipes quickly became tiresome, because they were ubiquitous, but then we heard the electric cumbia or "Chicha," incorporating surf and psychedelic rock, from bands like Los Destellos, as also Afro-Peruvian bands like Pepe Vasquez and Novalima took center stage. Finally major figures like Susana Baca and Alfredo Linares emerged to stake a place on the world stage. The latter was master of salsa, boogaloo and Latin Jazz, not incompatible genres, and led many sessions at MAG studios in Lima. And of course there were other currents including a vast influx of rock and roll and pop forms from other parts of the Americas. Los Kintos' 1970 album comprised a repertoire of Cuban rhythms as a response to the trends of the moment: boogaloo on one hand and electric cumbia on the other, while acknowledging them. For instance the first track, "Idioma criolla," has the tropical cumbia beat with wiry lead guitar down pat. Vocalist Kiko Fuentes leads the band through descargas, guarachas, and diverse covers from Trio Matamoros to Richie Ray. Guitarist Pancho Acosta also brings his energy from Compay Quinto into the MAG studio. The band's name reflected his roots, now modernized, and the electric guitar is not out of place on the Cuban rhythms. It is in his stepping to the fore, and playing rock guitar rather than the more subdued backing comp of traditional Cuban guitar that energizes this set. The trumpet takes the lead on "Pancho Guzmán" with bustling timbales and congas. On "Descarga Kinto" Acosta plays a jazz lead pushing the band to exert themselves. It must have seemed a novel approach to Latin music at the time but has stood the test of time. | |||||||||||||
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ORCHESTRE LES VOLCANS DU BENIN | |||||||||||||
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LOS CALVOS | |||||||||||||
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LOS KENYA | |||||||||||||
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LIVE AT WOMAD 1982 (Real World Records 2CD/2LP)This is a true blast from the past. WOMAD started as Peter Gabriel began to get into world music and put his money where his passion was. The festival brought musicians from all over the globe — 60 bands came from 20 countries — to Somerset to perform and like Eno (My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, 1981), or Paul Simon (Graceland, 1986), Gabriel helped usher a host of great music from other countries into our consciousness. At the same time many of us were still into ska, post-punk new wave, Ambient music, Kraut rock, and a bunch of other stuff which you could hear on college or community radio. My well-traveled brother had moved from the Caribbean coast of South America, to the Seychelles (in the Indian Ocean) to Kenya and we would exchange tapes so I was well up on what was shaking, but after I went to Africa in 1983 my whole outlook on music changed and I gave up on pop and new wave music. So it's odd to hear once again groups like Pigbag, which I knew from John Peel's radio show (via cassette) or Simple Minds, or Echo and the Bunnymen, as I have not given them a thought in 40 years! But this musical time-warp reminds me how deeply I was into Robert Fripp (who toured with Gabriel). In fact I would go to Gabriel's concerts because the opening act would be Youssou Ndour or Papa Wemba, and for me they were the better part of the show: Gabriel's audience manipulation reminding me of a Nuremberg rally, though I am sure that was not his intention. His passion for world music led to the wonderful soundtrack to the 1988 Scorsese film "The Last Temptation of Christ" (which I never saw) and the album with Nusrat and Baaba Maal of Passion Sources. This previously unheard set of highlights from the first ever three-day WOMAD festival was designed to demonstrate that world musicians were not simply opening acts but could be headliners in their own right. But when the royal Burundi drummers echoed out across the valley, local farmers worried it might arouse the bulls or adversely impact the milk yield. There's a token Latin group, Salsa de Hoy, who jam on a variation of "the Peanut Vendor." It's odd to hear Rip, Rig & Panic — nowhere near as good as I remember them from John Peel sessions. In fact, unlistenable today, I might say. Peter Hammill is another I skipped. Gabriel's big hit "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" is the epic finale; hang on, no, I mean "Biko." But wait, there's more. There are two CD bonus tracks: a gamelan ensemble and the late great Prince Nico Mbarga performing "Wayo in-law," with a presumed pick-up band called The Ivory Coasters. | |||||||||||||
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IGNACIO LUSARDI MONTEVERDE | |||||||||||||
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THE BONGO HOP |
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Reviewed so far this Year(click on maps at the top of the page to get to continent of choice)
June 2022
Oumou Sangare's Timbuktu is filed under Mali part 5
May 2022
Godwin Kabaka's International Band's Kabaka can be read about in Nigeria part 3
April 2022
Africa Negra's Antologia vol 1 is filed in Sao Tome
March 2022
Saturno 2000 comes from all over Latin America, but I filed it under Colombia 2
February 2022
Okuté by Okuté is filed in Cuba part 4
January 2022
BaianaSystem's latest Oxeaxeexu is filed in Brasil part 3
BEST OF 2021 IS HERE
PAST TOP TENS BY YEAR |
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MY BEST-SELLING BOOK!"Essential reference guide to the Congo guitar king" — SONGLINES 64 **** (four stars)"I do not know anybody who has such immense knowledge of African music. Congratulations." — Gerhard G (a purchaser) BACK IN PRINT (Second edition, November 2012)![]() A DISCOGRAPHY OF DOCTEUR NICO
Poltroon Press, 2012, expanded to 88 pages; list price $19.95. |
LETTERBOX
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CURRENT MOON |
all of the writing on this site is copyright © 2004-2022 by alastair m. johnstonYour comments are welcome. Or join the discussion on facebook If you are not already a subscriber, send me an e-mail to be notified of updates, or fill in the box above. Please note none of the music discussed on the site is for sale by me. Also we will not use or share your mailing address for purposes other than the monthly notification of updates. You can reach me at contact[at-sign]muzikifan[dot]com
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