Here on Al compás del mundo you’ve previously heard programs of music from Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and, of course, Africa. In the case of the latter, I’ve broken that down more narrowly to Northern or Southern Africa, music with Latin roots, the youth movement in Mali, and other genres from within the continent. At times I attempted to distinguish traditional sounds from the more modern studio recordings. But my distinguishing isn’t always up to snuff. This week’s program gives evidence to that delicate dance between the music of the elders and what the kids want to hear. The songs in this playlist come from all over Africa, including the remote island, La Réunion, off the eastern coast of Madagascar, and hail from the last quarter of the 20th century to the present day. I believe that qualifies as “modern”. And yet within that time frame we find those musicians that adhere to long established instrumentation and singing styles like the Akalé Wubé Krar Collecive, in contrast to computer created accompaniment as heard in Mbongwana Star’s lead off. In fact, while not a trend I favor, more and more recording artists have taken advantage of synthetic electronic sounds for bass, drum, backgrounds and most everything else. Like I said, I’m not terribly fond of the results, but under the direction of a talented producer good things can be heard. And I can understand the economics involved: a single music machine (or two) can take the place of an entire band and do away with the cost of hiring a gang of musicians. Something I’ve noticed in my research of 1950s-80s, mostly West and East African groups, was the sheer number of band members in these congregations. Ten to twelve musicians seemed par for the course, on average. How did they tour (travel, eating, sleeping)? Was there a living wage paid at shows that could support that many participants? Setting up and taking down equipment had to be a major hassle, etc. A labor of love.
Whether you have a preference for more organic, traditional sounds, or are attracted to the wizardry of electronica, this week’s program offers a select variety of both approaches. As the world around us evolves and changes, so does the music we are favored to hear. - JH
Playlist - Al compás del mundo, programa #143, “modern”
African music
First broadcast 8-29-24
01 Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa to the Moon (Congo)
02 Papé Nziengui - Gho Mitsaba Na Voko (Gabon)
03 Sogha Niger - Fulbe (Niger)
04 Ursulla & Black Star Music Club - Mpende Anaekupenda
(Tanzania)
05 Akalé Wubé Krar Collective (Ethiopía and USA)
06 Abdou el-Omari - Ahmed Malek (Morocco)
07 Hachalu Hundessa - Tulluu Jala (Ethiopía)
08 Dindia Official - Mouyanga ba mambangue (Gabon)
09 Ndenga Andre Destin et Les Golden
Sounds - Yondja (Cameroon)
10 Jonah Sithole & The Black Unlimited - Zvichemo
(Zimbabwe)
11 Sekouba Bambino - Ka Souma Man (Mali)
12 Rossy - Tsihai Akory Atao (Madagascar)
13 Jacqueline Farreyol - Roule Ton Maloya (La Réunion)
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| 1960s Benin 'jazz' group |
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