Skip to main content

Al compás del mundo - programa #101 - Sub-Saharan music of Africa

 

An incredible string band. Al compas del mundo has visited this vast region before. And like in my retrospectives of Latin American, European, and Asian music, I’ve taken a bite that’s almost too much to chew. Still, I believe I’ve done justice with this selection of studio recordings. Of course, I wanted to include every country possible within the parameter of a one-hour program. Sorry Angola…and the 35 others I’ve missed. Maybe next time!

Who I was able to feature are some of the heavyweights in the music biz, such as Geraldo Pino leading off by telling us about the new girl in town who, like Pino himself is “Heavy Heavy Heavy”. Mostly, the songs are sung in local indigenous languages, but English also appears in Orlando Julius’ homage “James Brown Ride On” when he says “Welcome to Nigeria”, “Soul brother number one”, and “We are proud of you!” I want it to read “Right On”, but no one asked me.

The influences upon the multitude of styles heard here are many and varied. Most have turned towards the global music scene and incorporated Western instrumentation, studio mixing and the latest trends, but always keeping their cultural roots as the core. I find most intriguing the songs of East Africa that often sound like a hybrid of Middle Eastern, Arab and Indian music. Pay attention to these tunes from Sudan, Somalia and Tanzania for a delicious education in the cross-cultural experience we find there and in, well actually, most any music on the planet these days. Rarely is found a musical style unadulterated and unchanged from its origins. As the world gets smaller, our reach to extend our grasp grows larger. - J.H.

Runlist for Sub-Saharan music of Africa - First Broadcast 11-9-2023

01 Geraldo Pino - Heavy Heavy Heavy (Sierra Leone)

02 Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas - Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'Awu (Ghana)

03 Abdel Gadir Salim – Sudani (Sudan)

04 Tewolde Redda - Wuba (Eritrea)

05 Zuhura & Zein Musical Party - Kuratu ayini (Tanzania)

06 anonima - titulo desconocido (Somalia)

07 Issa Bagayogo - Tounga (Mali)

08 Orlando Julius - James Brown Ride On (Nigeria)

09 Richard Flash - Gbedododa (Benin)

10 Wazimbo and Marrabenta Star de Mozambique - Nhimba Ya Dota (Pregnant Men) (Mozambique)

11 Hawa Boussim - Dolada (Burkina Faso)

12 Ihashi Elimhlophe - Uganduqandu (South Africa)

13 Akofa Akoussah - Maboulé (Togo)

14 Tarika Sammy - Revire (Madagascar)



 


 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guitarras del mundo

  Choosing music and writing about “the guitar” opens many doors. I could have gone off in any number of directions and with a singular narrow focus - but I didn’t. Instead, I threw a whole bunch of varied tunes against a wall to see which ones stuck. Sometimes there’s a continuity and other times none: just two aesthetically pleasing pieces that worked well in tandem and, hopefully, were preceded and followed with similar morsels. Usually, that is how these programs come together. I receive a divinely inspired revelation for a certain theme, region, or style of music and build it from there. Baden Powell, Brazilian beatnik poet and guitar master, seemed to me an obvious choice to begin the program. From there (as you can well see) we stick around Latin America a bit; segue into Spain, notorious as a guitar hotbed; head South to North Africa for the venerable Bombino (yes, again!) and more of that desert blues ilk; logically morph into a short blues set and settle at the bottom sid...
Post a Comment
Read more

Electric Chicago blues

  Al compás del mundo Run List   #172, 3-20-25 - electric Chicago blues   01 James Cotton - Love Me or Leave Me 02 Sonny Boy Williamson - Wake Up Baby 03 Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers - Wild About You, Baby 04 Howlin Wolf - You'll Be Mine 05 John Lee Hooker – Louise 06 Junior Wells - Snatch It Back and Hold It 07 Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle 08 Little Walter - I Don't Play 09 Jimmy Rogers - Walking by Myself 10 J.B. Lenoir - Don't Dog Your Woman 11 Otis Rush - Keep on Loving Me Baby 12 Muddy Waters - I Can't Be Satisfied 13 Sunnyland Slim - Shake It 14 Walter Horton - It's Alright 15 Buddy Guy - When My Left Eye Jumps 16 Magic Sam - She Belongs to Me 17 Johnny Young - Cross-Cut Saw 18 Eddie Boyd - Third Degree 19 Willie Dixon and Friends - I Cry for You   Got to feature the blues from time to time on Al compás del mundo as there seems to be a shortage of such on Mexican radio. Although RadioactivaTX.org, the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Al compas del mundo – programa #82 - Music of India and its admirers

The country poised to take the lead as the most populous on the planet produces plenty of music, naturally. And it has admirers from across the international spectrum of classical, pop, cinematic and world music genres. So in order to offer a proper representation of Indian sounds we're going to barely scratch the surface in this program - what else could you do in only an hour? Is it proper? Don’t know, but I like what I hear throughout, whether tunes from Bollywood, devotional singing, unvarnished sounds straight from the countryside, highly polished contributions to today’s popular music scene, ancient and structured classical instrumentals, or a sampling of what outsiders have done with Indian melodic and rhythmic structures. The music found here is profound, whimsical, elegant and vital, so sit back and meditate, dance, or however it moves you…but do listen to what 1/6 of the planet’s inhabitants have to say. Run list for Music of India and its Admirers - First broadcast 6-22-...
Post a Comment
Read more