Africa Never Stand Still

After the last post some real African music now from a wonderful triple boxed set of cassettes I found the other day in the Red Cross shop for 60p! Its so jam packed full of the best and some obscure artists from all parts of the continent and includes folk like Salif Keita, Youssou N'Dour, Baba Maal.The Soul Brothers, Thomas Mapfumo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo etc.
It was released in 1994 on the Ellipsis label when interest in all things "Wolrd Music" were at it's height.

The excellent 46 page book enclosed is worth the 60p on it's own and I quote from it here-

"Pepe Kalle, from Zaire, became known to the general public through his work with the Kinshasa group Empire Bakuba before establishing his own form of soukous. His deep, throaty, vocal style was the perfect mix with Bakuba's high-energy Kinshas style of soukous where the voices and guitars are the main focus and the typical Congolese horns are held in the background."

"Abou Ouatt's group Le Zagazougou hails fromm the rural villages surrounding Abijan, the capital of the Ivory Coast. Established in 1990 by the sons and newphes of the late Mamadou Ouattara, the group play the rural traditions of the Dioula people. Ouattara, a Dioula originating fromm the country's central region of Dabakala but living in Soubre, was given an accordion by the missionaries and learned to play at local colonila trade fairs. He hones his skills playing shows mixing the local goombay (type of large drum) to beef up the sound of his accordion playing."

"Originally from Malawi, Robson Banda went to Zimbabwe to find work. After some time he came involved in a band which today has relaeased many successful albums. "Ngoma Ngairire" has been discribed as a "maximum mbira-style guitar workout ". Greatly influenced by fellow Zimbabwean Thomas Mapfumo , Banda has follwed his footsteps with his own style of chimurenga music. Influences of Zairean rumba can also be heard in much of his music."


Pepe Kalle & Nyboma - Nazingi Maboko

Le Zagazougou - Allah Ma Diana

Robson Banda & The New Black Eagles - Ngoma Ngairire


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Also check out The Misty Mr. Wisty over at Swapatorium.