africa

Kouyate brings modern influences as well as Western inspiration to “I Speak Fula”, the debut release of Next Ambiance, an imprint of Sub Pop! Guest appearances by Toumani Diabaté and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and vocals by Amy Sacko.

Collaboration between Ozgur Uckan and me, in honour of Claude Lévi-Strauss who passed away recently aged 101. Features music from Brasil, Angola, Hawaii, Egypt & Cuba, more or less around the tropics, and almost exclusively sad.

The tried and tested desert blues formula of twanging guitars, complex beats and chanting still seems fresh; and the guitars would inspire a whole new generation of afropop, or fit in with the lo-fi stuff that’s coming out of US these days. Just listen to the closer Era Tasfata Adounia, where the last four minutes go into an amazing drone.

One of the best african music albums we missed last year was Famoro Dioubate’s Dununya. Like Toumani Diabate, he’s also part of the Griot people, the storytellers of the Mande Empire, unlike him he’s from Guinea and plays the balafon, the ancient xylophone.

Today we’ll be joining the Malian kora master Toumani Diabate for a concert in Istanbul. A bit late to inform but still if you see this one and you want to hear some sacred African music, you have to make it to CRR @ 20:00. Also featured is Malian diva Oumou Sangaré who’ll be releasing her new album Seya on Nonesuch soon.

Starting the week today is a 6 piece African music selection that I’ve been distilling in the last few days, 2 songs off Strut’s Nigeria 70’s compilation and songs from Tony Allen’s upcoming album, Mamou Sidibe, Starband No.1 de Dakar, Occidental Brothers etc.

Stroll through Africa starting from the northwest with Mali’s Tartit and Mauritania’s Dimi Mint Abba and ending in South Africa with percussion ensemble Amampondo.

From Congo, comes another Congotronics band a la Konono No.1: Kafuulu Balu is from their incredibly titled debut, In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned Into a Swimming Fish and Ate the Head of His Enemy by Magic on Crammed.