Comments on: The Ivoirian Middle East http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/ One hand can't clap: world music for the masses Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:03:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Benn loxo du taccu » Blog Archive » Ogopa Deejays http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-86699 Benn loxo du taccu » Blog Archive » Ogopa Deejays Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:14:30 +0000 http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/07/the-ivoirian-middle-east/#comment-86699 [...] and well-promoted hip-hop, reggae and RnB acts like PBS, VIP, Daara J, MC Solaar, Pee Froiss, Tiken Jah and many others. On the other side of the continent things have moved a bit slower in terms of [...] [...] and well-promoted hip-hop, reggae and RnB acts like PBS, VIP, Daara J, MC Solaar, Pee Froiss, Tiken Jah and many others. On the other side of the continent things have moved a bit slower in terms of [...]

]]> By: African Music Fan http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-13120 African Music Fan Sun, 05 Mar 2006 03:53:04 +0000 http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/07/the-ivoirian-middle-east/#comment-13120 Matt, Just discovered your site relatively recently, but am making up for lost listening time... What a treat to hear Tiken Jah again after so many years! It takes me back to Christmas/New Years Eve 1999 in Abidjan, where soldiers exhorted Ivorians to embrace Cote d'Ivoire's first-ever coup d'etat by playing Tiken Jah's "Nationalite" and "Ohba Ohba" on radios and boomboxes in their commandeered SUVs (I rode a goofy little moped that week to prevent my vehicle from joining them) ... Many thousands did initially celebrate the demise of what was generally agreed to be a corrupt and divisive Bedie regime and I met Tiken Jah and Alpha Blondy at one of those jubilant street parties. Maybe it was me, but Tiken Jah seemed to have almost the air of a modern-day African Bob Marley when he said, "Our music is all about combat. We fight anyone who commits injustice, regardless of who they are." Unfortunately the good vibes didn't last -- as they so rarely do when soldiers seize power -- and Tiken Jah was soon back to fighting with, and for his happy-angry brand of West African reggae. Political and regional tensions forced him to cancel concerts in Abidjan shortly after the coup and if I remember correctly, he and other popular northern musicians who were accused of using their music to criticize successive Ivorian leaders of entrenching a systematic policy of "xenophobie" were forced to go into exile for a time for their own safety. I wonder how often Tiken Jah has been able to go back home since. The last time I visited Cote d'Ivoire a couple of years back his music had been replaced on the airwaves by some much more forbidding, some might argue even hateful form of "patriotique" music. ("Liberez" by a group of southern Ivorians calling themselves Haut Les Coeurs is an extremely catchy, yet mildly disturbing tune that won't leave your head once you've heard it.) Music and power. Oh for the day when Abidjan bounces to Tiken Jah again ... Matt,
Just discovered your site relatively recently, but am making up for lost listening time… What a treat to hear Tiken Jah again after so many years! It takes me back to Christmas/New Years Eve 1999 in Abidjan, where soldiers exhorted Ivorians to embrace Cote d’Ivoire’s first-ever coup d’etat by playing Tiken Jah’s “Nationalite” and “Ohba Ohba” on radios and boomboxes in their commandeered SUVs (I rode a goofy little moped that week to prevent my vehicle from joining them) … Many thousands did initially celebrate the demise of what was generally agreed to be a corrupt and divisive Bedie regime and I met Tiken Jah and Alpha Blondy at one of those jubilant street parties. Maybe it was me, but Tiken Jah seemed to have almost the air of a modern-day African Bob Marley when he said, “Our music is all about combat. We fight anyone who commits injustice, regardless of who they are.”
Unfortunately the good vibes didn’t last — as they so rarely do when soldiers seize power — and Tiken Jah was soon back to fighting with, and for his happy-angry brand of West African reggae. Political and regional tensions forced him to cancel concerts in Abidjan shortly after the coup and if I remember correctly, he and other popular northern musicians who were accused of using their music to criticize successive Ivorian leaders of entrenching a systematic policy of “xenophobie” were forced to go into exile for a time for their own safety. I wonder how often Tiken Jah has been able to go back home since. The last time I visited Cote d’Ivoire a couple of years back his music had been replaced on the airwaves by some much more forbidding, some might argue even hateful form of “patriotique” music. (“Liberez” by a group of southern Ivorians calling themselves Haut Les Coeurs is an extremely catchy, yet mildly disturbing tune that won’t leave your head once you’ve heard it.) Music and power. Oh for the day when Abidjan bounces to Tiken Jah again …

]]> By: Rudolph Carrera http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-13038 Rudolph Carrera Mon, 27 Feb 2006 20:37:23 +0000 http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/07/the-ivoirian-middle-east/#comment-13038 I am absolutely enthralled by this blog! You do stunning work, and now you've got me hooked! Great work there... I am absolutely enthralled by this blog! You do stunning work, and now you’ve got me hooked! Great work there…

]]> By: Antti http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-12943 Antti Fri, 10 Feb 2006 23:18:37 +0000 http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/07/the-ivoirian-middle-east/#comment-12943 By the way, Kora Jazz Trio is not just supposedly great. I got their Part Two album a couple of months ago and it's easily one of the best blends between African music and western jazz I've heard. Fusion in the best sense. It's just downright delightful. The group certainly has a distinct, deep, beautiful sound. You should definately get the record and post a sample on Benn loxo!! Thanks for keeping up this great site! -Antti Helsinki, Finland By the way, Kora Jazz Trio is not just supposedly great. I got their Part Two album a couple of months ago and it’s easily one of the best blends between African music and western jazz I’ve heard. Fusion in the best sense. It’s just downright delightful. The group certainly has a distinct, deep, beautiful sound. You should definately get the record and post a sample on Benn loxo!!

Thanks for keeping up this great site!

-Antti
Helsinki, Finland

]]> By: mofuzz http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/06/the-ivoirian-middle-east/comment-page-1/#comment-12939 mofuzz Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:36:30 +0000 http://bennloxo.com/archives/2006/02/07/the-ivoirian-middle-east/#comment-12939 awesome! more african reggae please. awesome! more african reggae please.

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