The Worldmusic Blog (Seckou Kouyate)

3 Nov 2012 - What I've been listening to over the last couple of weeks...

Tagged with: Glyn Phillips blog Joe Driscoll Seckou Kouyate Faya Analog Africa Diablos del Ritmo Blick Bassy Hongo Calling Jamie Smith Mabon Windblown Yasmin Levy Libertad Concha Buika Eva Ayllon Kimba Fa Tarkany Muvek Los Destellos C K Mann Fania

 Loads of great music being released currently.  Here's just a few things that have been in my cans, on my computer and in my car.

Joe Driscoll and Seckou Kouyate's "Faya" album -

This one's very much on repeated play.

Electric kora meets urban USA.

(see my review of their performance at Womad 2012 in the blog below this ("Womad - The Big Review" or click here:

www.worldmusic.co.uk/womad_2012_the_big_review_glyn_phillips).  

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Analog Africa's great compilation of 60s, 70s and early 80s Colombian music and old fusions: "Diablos del Ritmo - the Colombian Melting Pot (1960-1985)".

A mixture of Caribbean Funk, Puya, Afrobeat, Terapía, Mapalé, Cumbias etc, etc.  Fabulously groovy!  See review here: 

www.worldmusic.co.uk/diablos_del_ritmo_the_colombian_melting_pot_196

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Blick Bassy's "Hongo Calling" -

Smooth yet funky meld of Cameroonian, Beninese, Senegalese, Cape Verdean and Brazilian based tunes with jazz stylings and sensitivity.

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Jamie Smith's Mabon's "Windblown" -

Stylish British interceltic folk (see review of album here: 

www.worldmusic.co.uk/jamie_smith039s_mabon_windblown_cd_review)

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Yasmin Levy's "Libertad" -

The Sephardic singer hits gold with this mix of ladino with flamenco and shades of tango and fado and covers of Persian and Turkish songs.

 Beautiful.  

And to top it off, a duet with the wonderful Concha Buika!  Sublime.

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Eva Ayllón's "Kimba Fa" -

Three years old now but full of delicious afro-peruvian grooves and achingly romantic criollo music from Peru's coast.  

Saw her in concert last month and got to interview her too!  

Watch this space...

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Also grooving to Hungary's Tarkany Muvek, Peru's Los Destellos, the funky highlife of C K Mann and his Carousel 7, and the Empresarios dubplate especial of the Fania All Stars "Ponte Duro".  Wonderfulness!

So much music, so little time!

Glyn Phillips, WorldMusic.co.uk (3/11/12)

African Spring: Batida/Bariba Sound/Gnawa Diffusion

Tagged with: Batida Soundway DJ Mpula Analog Africa Angola Benin Super Borgou Parakou Bariba Sound Bariba Dendi Turn Again Music Gnawa Diffusion Amazigh Kateb Gnawa Chaabi reggae ragga soul pachanga rumba afro beat funk Algeria Morocco Nigeria Ghana Togo Glyn Phillips

Well, it certainly feels like the world music is waking up with the imminent approach of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere!  There seems to a mass of new releases, tours and projects pushing their nodding heads above the forbidding cold soil of winter.

On an African tip, for instance, one of my favourite labels Soundway have today announced the forthcoming release of the debut album by Batida (brainchild of Angolan/Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão) which combines samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music (check the link here for more info: www.worldmusic.co.uk/batida_soundway_70s_angola_updated_preview_dl_r)

"Batida" is due for release on 26 March 2012 (SNDW 038), but you can preview and even download one of the tracks "Tireí o Chapéu" here: 

soundcloud.com/soundway-records/batida-tirei-o-chap-u

On another African note, yet another of my favourite labels specialising in re-releasing old albums, Analog Africa, are set to issue a blissful treasure trove of 70s Afro sounds.  

This time, on its fifth expedition to the magical musical world of Benin, they open the vaults of the band Le Super Borgou de Parakou on an album entitled "The Bariba Sound".  

If you liked any of Analog Africa's previous releases (eg "Bambara Mystical Soul - the Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-79", the limited dance editions of "Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - The 1st Album"(1973)" and "ROB - Funky Rob Way (1977)", or "Afro-Beat Airways (Ghana & Togo 1972-1979)") then you will love this new album.  

It opens up yet another window onto part of the Islamic Funk Belt of the northern regions of Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Benin.  A raw but heady mixture of Bariba and Dendi folklore, Islamic melodies and soul, pachanga, breakbeats, rumba and afro-beat.  

Very much recommended.  Release date for this is 27 March 2012 (either as CD with 30 page booklet or as double LP gatefold deluxe edition).  AACD 071 / AALP 071

Finally, the French agency Turn Again Music have contacted me to announce the 20th anniversary comeback of band Gnawa Diffusion (led by founder Amazigh Kateb) with plans for a tour to start in May this year and a new album to be recorded this year and released in Autumn 2012.  As they put it: "a travel to chaabi through gnawi, reggae, ragga, rock...".  No other details as yet, but watch this space . . .

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