african

I’ve overlooked this Mulatu Astatke retrospective from Strut last year, mainly because I think I’ve heard most of his back catalogue and there was nothing that could surprise me. A deeper look unearthed two gems though, featuring two late Ethiophian giants, Menelik Wossenachew on one and Tilahun Gessesse on the other.

Ok, our first week with minimüzikhol was very successful. Richard Norris was amazing and the place was packed. We’ve also noted our shortcomings and we’ve already started to work on them. That of course means less business for undomondo for some time, so hopefully this afrofunk dancefloor burner from Bola Bimbola will hold your horses. Don’t say no when you mean to say yes, take that as an advice!

Can’t say I got into Fool’s Gold instantly although their genre is kind of upfront. Perhaps it’s because they are hipsters from LA and they sing in Hebrew?. Anyway repeat tries were kind of successful and I just found out Surprise Hotel is free download on last.fm, so you are free to form your own ideas about ‘em.

2009’s hottest series is hands down Strut Records‘ Inspiration Information, which managed to provide not one but two top notch collaborations by mixing and matching legends with talents, first with the Mulatu Astatke and Heliocentrics bid, and now with Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen.

.. Imagine the exuberance when our friends from World Circuit announced the posthumous sequel to Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté’s collaboration and sent us the single, Kala Djula.

Used to have a few songs from this one and I think I even played one in previous undomondo shows, now I have the full release and it’s full of gold. Dating from the most lucrative period in music history the 60’s and the 70’s, it’s highly unlikely to be otherwise, anyway. Must get this one, piece of history I say!

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.

Too busy with real life stuff at the mo, but been listening to music all day, this is just a quick recap of what kept me movin’ and shakin’ during the day. Stuff from Nomo, Carlos Lamartine, Baden Powell, The Light of Saba and A Tribe Called Quest.