Oct 22/06
The post-mimosa sound
I have a great in with the Xhosa – I can pronounce the name of their tribe. While in Namibia a few years ago I spent some hours trying to perfect the various clicks and pops of the Xhosa language and it’s paid off.
I was just at a great brunch in Paris and there was a guy there who was born in Lesotho. What a great conversation starter: “one of my favourite African authors is Zakes Mda, a X(-pop!-)hosa author from South Africa…” See? Languages get you places, even if you only know a few syllables.
Today’s track has nothing to do with the Xhosa people, brunches, Paris or Zakes Mda. It’s off an album that many of you may have, but that I’ve recently rediscovered. I’m still riding the Dakar nostalgia after my week there.. memories of dancing late at night at the Kili to Thione Seck. Unfortunately the construction along the Corniche has killed the Kili and Soumbé vibe a bit these days.
Seck’s 2005 release, Orientation, is the result of his travels to Egypt and India. On the album he unearths oriental influences in his local Senegalese mbalax style and adds new Egyptian and Indian sounds to the mix. The result is mixed but some of the tunes, such as the one I’ll post today, are amazing.
I’ve had a lot of champagne and orange juice so I’ll keep it short. Have good Sundays..
Tags: mbalax, senegal
I thought this song was called “Jigeen”?
Anyway, Thione is one of my favorites, so if you have something from his album “Ballaago” I would like to hear.
Reading you postings and listening to all Dakar music I almost believed I have been there…
Thanks a lot!
Try this one,Gqongqotwane!The Afrikan Dung Beetle,made famous in Miriam Makeba s Click Song,and called such as whites could not pronounce Gqongqotwane. greentings samboerou
I really love that album. Thione is my favorite singer. I especially like the song “Kaye Fonema” from the tape “Tane Sa Boula Nekh”. I really wish that one was available on CD, although I’ve converted it to MP3 using Toast’s utilities.
magnifique album de reprises de ses anciens morceaux version Indo-Egyptienne dont il se dégage une fusion évidente tant la voix sublime de Thione Ballago Seck a toujours résonnée “orientale” . Kirsti le morceau original figure sur l’album “Chauffeur bi” et il y est bien question de “jigeen” (femme).
Greetings all, I so love Thione Seck, and a lot of his music isn’t available here in the US (I don’t think), so if anyone can let me know where I can get some more of his stuff or if anyone would send some to me, I’d be every so happy. I also like Youssou Ndour, and while I think that both artists have amazing voices, there is something about Thione Secks voice that is, well, I don’t know how to explain it. I think I first heard him in my ex-husband’s car, it made me stop whatever I was doing / thinking and say, “Who is that?” Same with Youssou. And to me, those are the people you never forget and if you hear another song of theirs, there voices are immediately recognizable. Take care all.
[...] danza è parte integrante della cultura senegalese. M’balax è il ritmo più conosciuto all’estero. Diversi cantanti hanno saputo unire strumenti [...]