Benn loxo listener, Tom, sent me some interesting music from Ghana the other day. He writes,

“I’m an avid reader/listener to Benn loxo. I’ve uploaded a couple of tracks of Batman Samini from Ghana. He’s absolutely massive there, and just received a MOBO award nomination for Best African Act – awards on 20th September. His “thing” is a hybrid of Highlife, Reggae/ Ragga, some calling it Raglife (!).

Lambori is from his 1st Album Dankwansere. Obaa Besia, meaning “My Ideal Woman”, is from his current album called Samini. You can buy it from iTunes.

There’s a story on him at ghanamusic.com.” ..and another one over at Benn loxo friends, fly.co.uk.

“He’s originally from the Northern Ghanaian town of Wa, where his name Samini means “Rain God”. That was taken with a pinch of salt until a few months ago he launched his new album in Accra and it literally started raining as the first song was played and didn’t stop for 2 whole days. So I’ve warned the MET office in the UK that he’s coming to London in a couple of weeks.”

Thanks for the music, Tom. So is Batman his real name? I particularly like Lambori. It’s a great example of the successful fusion of local instruments and sounds with a contemporary Western urban sound. It’s amazing how much the production has improved with this recent round of releases when compared to hiphop and reggae albums from Ghana and surrounding countries just a few years ago.

Batman Samini – Lambori
Batman Samini – Obaa Besia

I guess all my praise of the Rough Guide’s world music compilations caught someone’s eye. A stack of their 2006 releases arrived at my door the other day courtesy of the World Music Network. Big thanks for the gift!

The Rough Guide’s Tanzania compilation is, as usual, a collection of tunes featuring a variety of styles from across the country. Among other things, you’ll hear Tanzanian taarab, Xplastaz hip-hop, East African dancefloor pop and the danceband sounds of old.

Aside from taarab and classic Ethiopian, I’m still pretty weak on my East African musical knowledge so most of the album was new to me. Two tracks stood out: Saida Karoli’s beautifully simple singing over guitar, and Mohammed Issa Matona’s taarab rock-out.

This morning it was raining a kind of pissy drizzle that one only finds in Paris, but you wouldn’t have known it from looking at me. Halfway to soaking, I was near-skipping down the street to work as I listened to Mohammed Issa Matona on repeat. Benn Loxo listeners will already know I have a soft spot for Zanzibar and all things taarab. I can’t say what it is about this tune that grabs me so much, but give it a listen.. give it three listens because I didn’t like it the first time either.. and you might just hear what I mean.

The voice of the second track, Saida Karoli, is totally new to me. Far from the coastal taarab, she sings in Haya, a lnaguage spoken in the north-west of the country. Karoli has a clean sound that’s currently sweeping the airwaves in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. She’s very young, too, so hopefully we’ll hear much more from her.

You can grab the Rough Guide to the Music of Tanzania at Amazon or any decent record shop.

Mohammed Issa – Matona Msumeno
Saida Karoli – Omukaile Kilinjwi

Today we have a guest post from Benn loxo listener, Ian:

“Anyone who lives in New York, or anywhere else with a large Dominican population, will immediately recognize the sound of bachata. As a friend of mine put it, it’s “bodega music.” Indeed, the bachata blasted from corner stores, taxis, hair salons, cars and open apartment windows is an integral part of New York’s soundscape.

It wasn’t always so ubiquitous, though. In fact, until only recently it was practically banned from the radio as the music of pimps, prostitutes, drunks and thugs.

Bachata originated in rural Dominican Republic as a local variation on the bolero. Like the bolero, the bachata draws mostly from the Spanish tradition; the main instrument is the guitar, which plays arppegiated chords and tremolos reminiscent of those found in flamenco. African-derived instruments, especially the maracas and bongos, are essential to bachata as well, though the African influence is less obvious in bachata than in other Dominican styles like merengue and palo.

As rural “campesinos” migrated to the cities, they brought bachata with them. It was then that bachata earned its bad reputation. The slow, sensual dance and romantic lyrics made it popular in bordellos, and soon it could be heard practically nowhere else. It was shunned by “respectable” society. (Today this stigma remains with some older people, despite the music’s current popularity. A Dominican friend told me that her grandmother insists on changing the station whenever a bachata comes on, saying “Bachata! In this house? Never!”)

Bachata’s lyrics shifted away from the bolero’s romantic odes to the stories of the lower classes; typically, bachatas tell of heartbreak and disappointment, of jilted lovers and the poverty of the barrio. Because of this, bachata is often called “musica de amargura,” or music of bitterness.

Bachata broke into the mainstream only recently. In the early ’90s singer Juan Luis Guerra released an album that included merengues and slick, highly produced bachatas. It became one of the all-time biggest sellers, and bachata found its way on the radio for the first time. With its simple but sensual dance, it was an instant hit, especially with young people, and today bachata rivals merengue (and far surpasses salsa) as the most popular style in DR.

The success of bachata has led it to branch out into several styles. Frank Reyes and Zacarias Ferreira play a modernized version of bachata tipica that includes electric guitar and electric bass. Antony Santos (my personal favorite) is known for a fast style called “bachatarengue.” NYC-based group Aventura dominates the airwaves both in the US and the Caribbean with a smooth, R&B-inflected style and lyrics in both Spanish and English.”

Thanks for a great post, Ian.

Antony Santos – Por mi Timidez
Joe Veras – Corazon Partido
El Chaval de la Bachata – Linda mujer
Raulin Rodriguez – Dame tu querer

TPOK veteran Antoine Nedule Montswet was born on Christmas day so he always went by the name Noel. As his status as one of the Congolese rumba generation’s greatest guitarists grew he made the switch to Papa Noel.

Noel was Franco’s right-hand man right up until Franco’s death in 1989. Along with Dr. Nico, his guitar sound is synonymous with the Congolese rumba sound that reached its peak in Kinshasa in the 1960s and 70s.

Personally, I find that it’s the best way to wake-up in the morning. Paris is grey, I soon have to work, but I have a large coffee and some rumba is filling my apartment.

You may have already listened to Papa Noel on Benn loxo way back in October, 2004. If you want to hear more, today’s track and many others are available on the great Papa Noel compilation, Bel Ami.

By the way, the photo on today’s post has nothing to do with rumba. Instead, it’s one of my favourite shots by Malian photographer Malick Sidibe. I’ve been really into his work lately, and happened to bump into an exhibit of his photos down in southern France a few weeks ago. If you have any interest in West African culture in the 1960s and 70s I strongly suggest you check-out his photos. Beautiful stuff.

Papa Noel – Bon Samaritain

A family friend, Chana, recently got back from Kenya where she was working for a few months in a rural hospital. I bumped into her in Toronto about a week ago, Benn loxo came up, and next thing you know I find a compilation of Kenyan hip-hop sitting in my inbox. And a good one, too. Thanks, Chana.

Ogopa Deejays is a music production company run out of Nairobi, Kenya. It’s played a big part in promoting Kenyan urban music.

West Africa has long been known for its talented 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 musicians breaking into the international market. Labels and production companies like Ogopa Deejays are helping to finally raise awareness about East Africa’s urban music scenes.

Their first compilation was released in 2001 and was a huge success both at home at abroad. It kick-started the careers of many young Kenyan musicians, including Amani, Big Pin and the late hip-hop MC, E-Sir. You’ll hear some tracks off this compilation titled “Ogopa 1 – Kenyan Club Classics” on today’s post.

You can buy albums, see videos, hear clips and learn more about Ogopa Deejays on their official web site.

E-Sir – Leo Ni Leo
Vinnie Banton & Mr. Googs – Wasee (Githurai remix)
Amani – Move On

Remember Super Mama Djombo? A framed, original record jacket for their first release album, Na Cambança, hangs on the wall in my living room beside some Ernesto Djedje 45s and an Orchestra Veve LP.

Easily the best band to come out of Guinea-Bissau, Super Mama Djombo are one of my favourite contemporary African music innovators. Their kriol music rocked their young nation during the mid 1970s. Apparently you can still get the chilled-out, pipe-smoking residents of Bissau to dance-up a frenzy if you play Super Mama Djombo’s Pamparida in public.

Zé Manel was only seven years old when he started playing drums and acoustic guitar for Super Mama Djombo. The group split-up during the political firestorm in Guinea Bissau in the early 80s, however Manel went on to record and release his first solo album, Tustumunhos di Aonti, in 1982. (Do any of you have it?) The album’s politically controversial lyrics made his friends and family nervous. They were afraid he would be made to “disappear” by the government, so he went to study at a music conservatory in Portugal. A scholarship to study abroad was the easiest way out of trouble those days.

His 2001 solo album, Maron di Mar, marked the first time he returned to his country since he left in 1983. Manel is still actively recording. Though I haven’t grabbed it yet, he just relased a new album on August 1st, Povo Dormecido. Today’s track comes off his solid 2004 relase, African Citizen.

Zé Manel – Regulos na Democracia

I admit to knowing nothing about Guinean musician, Moma Wandel Soumah, until about 48 hours ago. I picked-up his album, Afro Swing, at random since I liked the look of the cover. Who knew it would end up being an amazing album by one of Africa’s greatest sax players, with super-original tunes and vocals that sound like Tom Waits on Rain Dogs? I love when that happens.

Unfortunately I’ll never get a chance to hear Soumah live; he passed away in 2003 at the age of 77. Unlike many great African musicians, however, Soumah did achieve international recognition and put down a few good recordings before he died. In the early 1990s the French radio station, RTI, mobilised to get some of his music recorded in Paris. The result was the album Matchowé on Buda, one that I’ll surely be buying this week if I can find a copy.

He released Afro Swing in 2001, his only album to achieve widespread success outside of Africa and Europe. It led to his nomination in 2002 for the BBC World Music Listeners Award.

Momo Wandel Soumah – Félenko Yéfé
Momo Wandel Soumah – Toko

Nearly two years ago, when Benn loxo was but a pup and audioblogs were just getting noticed, I wrote a post about early folk music from Mozambique. I mentioned how this music would later develop in a style called marrabenta, something you’ll hear today.

Marrabenta refers to an acoustic style from Mozambique that blends Portuguese and Mozambican folk traditions. It sounds like a more refined version of South African pre-apartheid hobo music, or even early palm wine guitar.

Dilon Djindji is one of the earlier marrabenta artists. His style is relaxed and all about the acoustic guitar jangle we’ve heard many times on this site.

As usual, the folks at Rough Guide have done an amazing job. Their album Rough Guide to Marrabenta Mozambique is a collection of marrabenta tracks in all styles, from its roots through its peak in the 1980s to newer musicians. You can also hear/buy much more Dilon Djindji over at Benn loxo’s favourite online music store, Calabash.

Dilon Djindji – Mariaria Ter Teresa

Not all Dutch-African musical ventures are a bad idea!

Fra Fra Sound are a cool Kora Jazz Trio-esque fusion band who’ve been around since the early 1980s. They started by fusing Surinamese kaseko, kawina and winti (music from everyone’s favourite Dutch ex-colony) with traditional Western jazz, but recent work has been more West African sounding, in particular their 1999 release, Mali Jazz.

They usually play as a seven-piece ensemble. While some of the tracks get a little too jazz-traditional for me, I enjoy a lot of their music. The track featured today featured a particularly good example of their command of both the instruments and rhythms of Mali.

I haven’t yet seen them live but they seem to be pretty active on the tour scene. If you’re interested, check-out their up-to-date concert listing.

ps- After much delay it’s time for some re-posts. If you have any requests for old posts that you’d like to hear please send me an e-mail or leave a comment.

Fra Fra Sound – Sosomali

Thanks again, many of you, for all the great music you’ve sent me over the past while. For example, Benn loxo listener, Ken, came through with a great find a while back: Paulo Flores from Angola/Portugal.

I use the “/” because Flores was born in Angola in the early 70s but moved to Portugal quite early. Despite this, he stayed true to his native musical heritage by fusing it with great success with styles from ailleurs. The title of this post refers to just that: fusing Brasilian Samba with Angolan Semba.

The track on today’s post comes off his 2003 release, Xe Povo.

Paulo Flores- N’Guxi