I didn’t expect Uganda to have a techno scene, and perhaps they do, but the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble, 7 expert drummers, make such precise beats that you could easily play this in a 1980’s-era Detroit or Chicago techno club and get the boots onto the dance floor. An invigorating listen. Continue Reading
African Music
Franco & O.K. Jazz – Franco Luambo Makiadi Presents Les Editions Populaires (1968-1970)
Franco was the pride of what was then (and would be again) the Democratic Republic of Congo, for a brief spell known as Zaire. He went from singing rumba and bolero tunes to developing a funk-influenced sound that lit up most of the African continent. From the Bandcamp site: “This Continue Reading
Jewel Ackah – Electric Hi-Life
Barely Breaking Even (BBE) Records continue showcasing some crucial releases which came out in the 1970s and 1980s in West Africa. This one, by singer Jewel Ackah, combines Ghana’s highlife sound with disco and funk with a wildly danceable groove. Incredible, but no surprise coming from BBE.
Various Artists – The Soul of Congo: Treasures of the Ngoma label (1948-1963)
Before Afrobeat became such a massive influence across Africa, Congolese music seemed to be the pride of the continent. A joyous mix of merengue, rhumba and local music would influence a great deal of West African popular music until James Brown and others came over to topple over the previous Continue Reading
Various Artists – Thum Nyatiti: Recordings from Western Kenya, 1930-1970
This is another stunning collection from Dagoretti Records out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The collection features music from the 1930s until the 1970s with clearly remastered sound. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Nyatiti music’s infectious and hypnotic sounds are unforgettable. The driving beat of the nyatiti rings of far off Continue Reading
Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin – Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin
Simply gorgeous and resonating music here, courtesy from a French-Conoglese project called Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin. The project is described as “…a unique encounter between Bantu lullabies from the Congo, electronic music and hip-hop.”
Gibraltar Drakus – Hommage A Zanzibar
Awesome Tapes From Africa, the legendary blog and record label, have produced another winner, this time from a Cameroonian artist called Gibraltar Drakus, who produced bikutsi, a local dance music. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “By the early 1990’s, Les Têtes Brûlées were indisputably the most famous and influential artists Continue Reading
Felix Lebarty – Girls For Sale
It’s safe to say that 1976 Nigeria was a somewhat different world from today’s. The Edo-Delta region must have been a rather swinging place if this reissue of Felix Labarty’s classic, Girls For Sale, is any indication. The music is lush, perhaps a little tinny, disco mixed with reggae vibes Continue Reading
Moughenda Village – Calling the Spirits: Missoko Bwiti Music of Gabon
This Moment Records is a record label, “… which is dedicated to producing and promoting field recordings from around the world, in addition to crafting innovative soundscapes for relaxation and meditation,” at least according to their Bandcamp site. As we have never reviewed any music from Gabon before, I looked Continue Reading
Mahotella Queens – Abaculi Bethu / Umculo Kawupheli
Today’s share is a joyful slice of township jive out of South Africa from the legendary Mahotella Queens. It’s a tragedy that it took a cretinous thief like Malcolm McLaren to turn the world on to such music. From the Umsakazo Records Bandcamp site: “The reach and influence of “Umculo Continue Reading