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 pop idols. Respect to Planet…
Tag: African Music
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 styles of Western dance and…
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 in bikutsi, due in part…
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 and lyrics filled with a…
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 forward to what I would…
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 Kawupheli” spread far beyond its…
Awalom Gebremariam – Desdes
Awalom Gebremariam was a singer from Eritrea who completed this gem of a record in 2007 in the United States. From his Bandcamp site: “Awalom completed Desdes in 2007, not long before he departed Eritrea. Because Awalom left after the recording he never received any money for cassette and CD sales. But he also didn’t…
Linda Ayupuka – God Created Everything
Indeed, He did, yet as I’m new to the Fra Fra scene in Ghana, if Linda Ayupuka is a good example of what kind of music the genre produces, I think I’m going to like digging into it. The music is a combo of tinny beats, lo-fi disco, and a joyous authenticity to the vocals. …
S.E. Rogie – Further Sounds of S.E. Rogie
This is our second African gem this week, following the marvelously brutal release by Kenya’s Duma. This release by the late S.E. Rogie is a more relaxed, bluesy highlife affair from Sierra Leone. According to the Mississippi Records Bandcamp website, Rogie, “…went from running a tailor shop in Sierra Leone to being one of West…