# African tunes and singers



## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

I think some of us like African music although it's not that present on TC. Maybe it's an idea to have a separate thread where we can irregularly post the African tunes and bands/singers we're listening to.

I'll start off with two.

First Amadou & Mariam from Bamako, the capital of Mali.






And the great Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe (not Mugabe's biggest friend)






What African music have you been listening too recently?


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

From Kinshasa in Congo (formerly Zaire):


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Another from World Circuit records: Fatoumata Diawara.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Kanvee G. Adams - weep no more





Kanvee Adams - Heart Desire (New Liberian Gospel 2014)


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Some excellent selections above!

I may have posted this before, but I like it so much......


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## mtmailey (Oct 21, 2011)

I also like the music it is very complexed though.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I was in South Africa (and Swaziland) on holiday in 1998, picked up a few CD's of the Soweto String Quartet.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I love African music and whenever I meet a Swahili-speaking person, I sing "Jambo Bwana" that we have on cassette bought in Kenya when we lived there in the early 80's. Now days I don't often remember to put on African, but will now  I often put on Fela Kuti but now I found Angelique Kidjo with Malaika.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

The beautiful Angelique.
*
Angelique Kidjo - Agolo*


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Strange Magic said:


> Some excellent selections above!
> 
> I may have posted this before, but I like it so much......


Rightly so. Great song. And great singer!


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Hey, nice many of you like African tunes & rhythms!


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

I think we must have some Mbilia Bel (with Tabu Ley Rochereau). She always makes me joyous.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

This thread reminded me of this album, which has been in my wishlist and I am now listening to. Good groove, accessible ethnic melodies. Really nice.

Ethiopia: African Futurism ~ Postmodern Ethiopian Pop
https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/ethiopia-african-futurism

_"Everything-art, film, music-stopped in 1974 when Mengistu Haile Mariam deposed Haile Selassie. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed until Meles Zenawi kicked out Mengistu in '91. A new generation started making music with cheap synthesizers and drum machines. But young people in Ethiopia don't disassociate with masters like Mahmoud Ahmed and Tilahun Gessesse. You can hear that tradition in the music of the '90s through today."_ (Bill Laswell)


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Going back in time to the late, great Franco and OK Jazz. Great memories.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Casebearer, great thread! The Mbilia Bel selection brings to mind both Cajun/Zydeko music of Louisiana and Conjunto music of Texas here in the USA. It does make me happy also! And the other pieces by other contributors: very tasty indeed.

Here's a little Thione Seck, from Senegal:


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

tortkis said:


> This thread reminded me of this album, which has been in my wishlist and I am now listening to. Good groove, accessible ethnic melodies. Really nice.
> 
> Ethiopia: African Futurism ~ Postmodern Ethiopian Pop
> https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/ethiopia-african-futurism
> ...


Been listening to it. The song by Gigi. Nice fusion with modern jazz. I found out Bill Laswell was Gigi's (her real name is Ejigayehu Shibabaw) producer and now husband. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigi_(singer)


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Templeton said:


> Going back in time to the late, great Franco and OK Jazz. Great memories.


Nice! Same kind of joy that Mbilia Bel brings


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Great (sax) song by Fela Kuti: Water no get enemy


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## Templeton (Dec 20, 2014)

Another catchy tune from the 1980s, this time from Guinea. Warmed me up in a freezing Quebec province, back in the late 1980s.


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## arthro (Mar 12, 2013)

Listened to this time and time again, if the melody and lyrics don't get you his "eh?"s will.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Templeton said:


> Another catchy tune from the 1980s, this time from Guinea. Warmed me up in a freezing Quebec province, back in the late 1980s.


Me too (well not in Quebec). Very uplifting song.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

arthro said:


> Listened to this time and time again, if the melody and lyrics don't get you his "eh?"s will.


I had never heard of William Onyeabor before. Very interesting guy and for more than the music alone. So sorry he passed away a few months ago


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

For some months now I've been combing through the _Complete Works of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti _since acquiring the 30-disc box set, a real treasure. So much good stuff to hear in that set.










However, my favorite African artist remains Habib Koité, and my favorite of his numerous songs is "Wassiye", a true gem of a song:


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Hama - Ataraghine





Mamman Sani Abdoulaye - Tunani





sahelsounds is a project _"exploring the cultural and musical phenomena of the Sahel region of West Africa."_ I checked out few of the releases, which are very interesting, especially the hypnotic keyboard music by Hama and Mamman Sani.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Casebearer said:


> Great (sax) song by Fela Kuti: Water no get enemy


Can't get enough of Fela; this is the song I'm going to have played at my funeral.

While we're on the subject of African music:


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

tortkis said:


> sahelsounds is a project _"exploring the cultural and musical phenomena of the Sahel region of West Africa."_ I checked out few of the releases, which are very interesting, especially the hypnotic keyboard music by Hama and Mamman Sani.


Wow, tortkis! That is great music, I love it. Maybe the real prog is in Africa nowadays.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

There are many nice songs to be found by this African lady from Gambia. Beautiful voice with a melancholic touch.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Oum El Ghaït Benessahraoui[1][2] أم الغيث بنت الصحراوي, known as Oum, born on 18 April 1978[3][4] in Casablanca,[3] is a Moroccan singer-songwriter. Considered an ambassador of Moroccan culture,[5] she mixes hassani, jazz, gospel, soul, afrobeat and Sufi music influences in her songs.[5] (source: Wikipedia).

I just love her fusion mix!


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## Ralfy (Jul 19, 2010)

Juju music






https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B9j%C3%BA_music


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Another bit of Gharnati from my Moroccan songbird, Rym Hakiki......


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I like it. There's just an irresistible positive spirit to some of this music.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Amazing song


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

No idea what she's singing but doesn't matter at all.


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## huntsman (Jan 28, 2013)

I do hope this works, but I'm not sure how to post a YT link...


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

huntsman said:


> I do hope this works, but I'm not sure how to post a YT link...


Well, it's from South Africa but it's not African imo, it's AngloSaxon.


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## huntsman (Jan 28, 2013)

Casebearer said:


> Well, it's from South Africa but it's not African imo, it's AngloSaxon.


That's really funny! Never been told before that I'm not an African....by a non-African! :lol: (Unless you're unaware that we are not all black? Or perhaps this thread is for Black Africans only for some reason?)


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

DeepR said:


> No idea what she's singing but doesn't matter at all.


I could not agree more! You have made my day by introducing me to Oumou Sangaré .


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

huntsman said:


> That's really funny! Never been told before that I'm not an African....by a non-African! :lol: (Unless you're unaware that we are not all black? Or perhaps this thread is for Black Africans only for some reason?)


I'm white but we're all African :lol:!

But of course I didn't say you're not African but the music isn't (culturally). It's music that belongs to the western Anglosaxon tradition. Well, you know what I mean. I know the music you posted maybe African in a geopolitical sense but not in a cultural sense. Or you would need to explain that to me because I hear nothing in it that makes me think of South Africa in any way (culturally or geopolitically). I can see Nico's Gouwe Ouwe being African in some sense but this no.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)




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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Colours of the Night - Maalem Mahmoud Gania














Gnawa music of Morocco. Strong groove, complex and ever-changing rhythm patterns.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

He must be from Nambia if you know what I mean (joke!).


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Templeton said:


> Going back in time to the late, great Franco and OK Jazz. Great memories.


one of my friends made me like soukous music. he became interested because of the guitar solos.
Zaiko Langa Langa is one of the favorites.













Toki Lala's Pardon Chéri also has a great guitar solo, we often played it together.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

From these videos I like Toki Lala's music most.

Ndombolo is a modern fast version of soukous that's very popular in parts of Africa.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-1981


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Fatoumata Diawara - Fatou


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

This is one of my favorite Fela LPs, easily one of his most musically adventurous. I've read there was a time he was poised to become the next 3rd world global superstar à la Bob Marley, and perhaps one reason it never happened was records like this one - incredibly exciting and incestuous, but not exactly radio friendly


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

BiscuityBoyle said:


> This is one of my favorite Fela LPs, easily one of his most musically adventurous. I've read there was a time he was poised to be the next 3rd world global superstar à la Bob Marley, and perhaps one reason it never happened was records like this one - incredibly exciting and incestuous, but not exactly radio friendly


very good music. I did not know him before, so thank for bringing him to my attentioin


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

Jacck said:


> very good music. I did not know him before, so thank for bringing him to my attentioin


You're welcome! Funny thing is, I meant to post a different album, but Gentleman is fantastic too

This is one might be my all time favorite though


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2018)

Great thread Casebearer, I haven't seen this before. It took me a little while to get into the rhythms of Sub-Saharan Africa, but I'm fond of it now.

Here is the penny whistler Spokes Mashiyene from South Africa:


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

He's got British roots I'm sure! Nice of you to join this African thread. The continent has such a great and lovely diversity of music. It's a shame it doesn't get more attention.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Strange Magic said:


> Another bit of Gharnati from my Moroccan songbird, Rym Hakiki......


I seem to have overlooked this Strange Magic post (page 2). It's incredible!


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Babatunde Olatunji - Drums of Passion
this is the roots of music. Sometimes in the distant past, our ape-like ancestors must have started clapping sticks into tree branches to produce rhytmic patterns and music was born


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Toumani Diabaté & Ballaké Sissoko 1999 Récital duo de kora
from Mali
amazing piece. The African music is underrated


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Laurie discussed the Kronos Quartet somewhere in the main forum, so I googled it up and they produced this 
Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet - Ladilikan


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Diabate's kora is magical. He backs Coumba Gawlo on the _Miniyamba_ selection I previously posted. Don't know to what extent Diabate and Andreas Vollenweider may have interacted or drawn inspiration from one another's music....


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2018)

More from the songbird of Wassoulou:


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

This is spinning in the cd now


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

I remember having heard his music some decades ago. Have to listen to it again!


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Ali Farka Touré - The River


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Great stuff here.
Casebearer posted Mbwana Star, and there is more great music from Kinshasa perhaps most well known is Konono no 1


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

African music? Of course, there's this:






and this:


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Life has a rhythm, it's constantly moving. The word for rhythm ( used by the Malinke tribes ) is FOLI. It is a word that encompasses so much more than drumming, dancing or sound. It's found in every part of daily life. In this film you not only hear and feel rhythm but you see it. It's an extraordinary blend of image and sound that feeds the senses and reminds us all how essential it is.






awesome video


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

metal is a thing in Africa - this band is from Botswana


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Bwv 1080 said:


> metal is a thing in Africa - this band is from Botswana


Nice! I only heard once about metal in Africa. Where/how can I find out more?


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> Nice! I only heard once about metal in Africa. Where/how can I find out more?


there are plenty of relatively good metal bands with Northern African/Middle Eastern roots. I remember exploring some of it a couple of years ago, before I started listening to classical music. One of the best bands was Myrath - progressive metal from Tunesia





Shades of Black





Odious





Metal bands in Kenya
https://www.okayafrica.com/kenya-metal-bands-you-should-check-out/


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

You go to villages in Africa all they have is a drum! And can they play!


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Mulatu Astatqé - Éthiopiques 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale 1969-1974 (Full Album)


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)




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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)




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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

The Wings - Kissing You So Hard (Full Album)


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

One World - The Movement (Peace) (Full Album)


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I made a playlist called African Progressive Rock Afro-Funk Nigerian / Other.
You can find it by typing in African Prog Rock Playlist into youtube, it will be a few down on the list.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

Jacck said:


> Laurie discussed the Kronos Quartet somewhere in the main forum, so I googled it up and they produced this
> Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet - Ladilikan


Great album - I discovered it when they did a free concert near where I live.

Somehow I'm only just seeing this thread! I'm less knowledgeable than many, clearly, but some of my favorites:


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I saw Tinariwen live a while ago. A great band.


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