Several readers have suggested that I post some tracks off Miles Cleret’s Ghana Soundz compilations. I waited this long because I couldn’t find a copy of the recently-released second volume in Dakar. When I was in Canada/US/France these last few weeks I bought about 25 new albums, one of which is Ghana Soundz 2. So here we are, two days of “Afro-beat, funk and fusion in 70’s Ghana” on Benn loxo.

In 2000 Miles Cleret of Brighton, England, decided to head to Ghana to do some crate-digging for 70s soul, funk and afro-beat. Unlike Nigeria where the music was picked-up by big labels and well-distributed, Ghana’s soul/funk scene was pretty small and is for the most part unknown these days outside of West Africa. Two years and four trips later he had a pretty serious collection of vinyl as well as some good friends among the past players in the scene.

There are loads of tracks off these albums that I could post, however my favourite of the first volume is by a guy we’ve already heard on this site, Gyedu Blay Ambolley. Alas, we’ve already heard him so you’ll have to buy the album to hear Simigwado, a track that he recorded with the Steneboofs. Today we’ll go with some serious Afro-funk from ROB, a now-gospel musician who could sing’n'dance a funk storm back in the 70s.

ROB - Make It Fast Make It Slow

I’m finally heading back to Dakar today after over six weeks of work and vacation in Canada, the US and France. In honour of this I’m going to answer my most frequent request at Benn loxo: Senegalese rap.

Here’s a relatively recent (mid-2004) release from a group of several Senegalese up and comers (”nouveau talent”) in the Dakar rap scene, Le Collectif. I can’t tell you who they all are, but the second-half of the first rap verse is definitely Fou Malade. He has one of the most distinctive sounds on the scene, as you may have heard on his great track Taxi Man with Vivianne N’Dour that I featured here a while back.

Anyway. I’ve said a lot about Senegalese rap already on this site so I’m going to cut it short today. But enjoy. I like this track, and it’s a great example of well-produced Dakarois-Wolof rap.

ps- if you haven’t already, check out the great Ayub Ogada track over at Akwaaba Sound System.

Le Collectif - SIDA

All the Franco lately really got me in the mood for some Kékélé.

Kékélé’s 2003 album, Congo Life, is right up there as one of my favourite West/Central African albums in recent years. Congo Life is Kékélé’s second album to date. It rips it up Latin-style with beautiful acoustic harmonies of various guitars, strings, multi-part vocals and rhythm.

Kékélé boasts several major Congolese musicians, my favourite among whom is the amazingly named Rigo Star. Mr. Star’s soukous guitar used to back up the likes of Mbilia Bel and Koffi Olomide in the 80s when they were just starting to hit it big. He’s mellowed out a bit since then but the skill remains.

ps- Apparently I’ve been nominated for something called the Bloggies. If you like what you hear, why not vote.

Kékélé - Bebe Yaourt

After yesterday’s slow-jam we need to up the tempo a bit. Here’s the promised third and last track of my Franco mini-series, Lisanga Ya Ba Nganga off 1983’s Omona Wapi.

Yesterday we featured Franco with fellow ex-OK Jazz member Sam Mangwana. Today we’ll have a listen to Franco with another one of his collaborateurs extraordinaire, Tabu Ley Rochereau of Africa Jazz fame. The production is a little off but the energy and musicality of these two guys shines in this soukous track. Nice harmonies over some electric guitar this time, and that rhythm you’re hearing is a classic Zairean rumba-obenda.

As this is the last day of Franco posts, it’s worth mentioning that Franco, born Luambo Makiadi, sadly died at the age of 51 in 1989. Though I don’t believe it was ever made public many believe that he died as a result of AIDS. Regardless, he left us with a massive legacy, loads of great music and many musicians that he personally trained or influenced. He is still seen as the most important fixture of contemporary Congolese music and will be for some time.

Franco and Rochereau - Lisanga Ya Ba Nganga

As promised, I’m back with some more Franco.

Today’s pick changes the speed and style up a bit. It’s also my personal Franco favourite. Why this is has something to do with the tone of one of the female backup’s voice. I can’t quite figure out what it is that affects me so much, but regardless this track has been on heavy rotation as I wander around the grey Parisian side-streets.

Likambo Ya Ngana was recorded in 1971. It’s a nice folky tune with acoustic guitar over a slow rumba beat, featuring some nice accordian work by Camille Feruzi. The track is a gentle reminder that Franco isn’t all about dancefloor explosions and soukous-speed guitar.

Franco - Likambo Ya Ngana

Benn loxo has been quiet lately because I’m still not back in Dakar. I promise that by next week we’ll be back in top form.

Anyway. I was on a train this morning listening to some music when suddenly I felt very homesick. I was struck by a sudden and strong desire to dance a Congolese rumba with my beautiful K at some dark, sweaty West African bar. You know, the kind of place where the whiskey pulses through your veins, assuring you that you’re a good dancer. K would be there in a light dress, twirling into my arms as the band’s 2-row deep percussion section looked on…

After this nice daydream I realized that I haven’t ever posted any Franco on this site. The founder and over 30-year leader of Congo’s famous OK Jazz dance band, Franco is one of Africa’s greatest musicians and will therefore get the next three posts. Afropop sums him up as follows:

“The sorcerer of the Congo guitar, Franco maintained one of the most powerful bands in Congo music.”
[source]

OK Jazz formed in mid-1950s when Kinshasa was still called “Leopoldville” after everyone’s favourite European villain. At the time Franco was only 18-years-old (and thin). OK Jazz started out as a Central African jazz dance band, with harmony-laden vocals backed up by acoustic guitars and a horn section over a variety of latin rhythms. Over the years both with and without OK Jazz Franco explored many styles but he’s most known for his Congolese rumba and, later, soukous.

I’ll write more about Franco tomorrow but for now if there was a song to go with my aforementioned daydream it would be Franco’s 1982’s collaboration with fellow OK Jazz musician Sam Mangwana, Cooperation. It has a classic Congolese rumba beat, some nice guitar and great harmonies. Play this on Monday morning on the way to work and I guarantee you’ll have a good day.

Franco & Sam Mangwana - Cooperation

I picked up a great Smithsonian Folkways album the other day during an impulse music purchase session. Many of you might know it since it was nominated for a Grammy, but either way Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda is worth a mention on this site.

This particular group of African Jews don’t claim to be one of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” like others from various parts of Asia and Africa. Their story is much more simple and charming: in 1919 a Ugandan tribal leader named Semi Kakungulu decided that he’d had enough with the Christian missionaries roaming around his countryside and that Judaism might be the better choice. He moved swiftly to circumcise his kids and convert the people of his community. Since then this group of Ugandan Jews has grown to about 600 people and has attracted considerable attention from both the Western media and the Jewish community at large.

Ethnography and novelty aside, the album itself is full of some great Jewish traditional music interpreted as Ugandan folk.

Hiwumbe Awumba God Creates And Then Destroys
Psalm 130

THE MP3 HAS BEEN FIXED

Back in an airport on wi-fi with some time for a quick post.

Yunasi is a contemporary group of six Kenyan musicians, often backed up by percussionists and orchestras of different shapes and sizes. They’re all pretty young - early 20s - and have a really fresh sound that’s very modern and distinctly Kenyan.

Over the last 3 or 4 years their popularity has steadily climbed both home and abroad following several successful gigs on some major European music festivals. They also scored several of Kenya’s Kisima awards in 2003 including “best overall group”, helping to give them a boost in their country.

They have several great tracks, including Kisumu 100 and Ji ogopore. I settled on another for today’s post, Yamala, since it’s currently my favourite driving song. Make sure to turn up the bass on this one - nice production. If you can’t find a Yunasi album, you can grab this track on the Rough Guide’s surprisingly excellent “Guide to the music of Kenya“.

ps- I used to be quite skeptical, but I’ve decided to give these Rough Guide Africa compilations a listen and I gotta say I’m pretty impressed with many of the picks.

Yunasi - Yamala

Benn Loxo listeners, sorry for not posting lately. I’ve been out of the continent for a few weeks. I’ll still be traveling for the next few weeks and may or may not have time for posts depending on my work schedule.

We’ll be back in full swing by late January. I have lots of great material, both old and new, for the new year.

-Matt