Thanks to Pape down in Dakar for helping me brush-up on my Wolof this morning. Man, it’s amazing how quickly I’ve forgotten my grammar. Anyway, the title above translates into “use two hands to drum”.

Miki N’Doye was a well-known musicians originally from a Wolof-speaking village in The Gambia who was chosen to represent his country’s music abroad after independence in 1965. He toured around Europe during the 70s before eventually settling in Norway in the late 70s. His West African drumming skill led him to several successful collaborations with Norwegian jazz artists.

I would say more but I can’t read Norwegian. Feel free to fill my knowledge gaps, Nordic listeners..

And hey, does anyone have any Super Ballet Afric recordings?

Miki N’Doye Orchestra - Ousu Lion N’Jie

On my bike ride back from work every day I pass the Hotel Costes, Café Marly and other Costes brothers creations, filled with Americans and Gulf Arabs anxiously scanning the tables for Kate Moss over their oversized glasses of kir royales. Those who live in Paris regard the Costes thing with a (typically French) mix of disdain and mild amusement but let’s face it, I’ve met for more than a few apéro inside. Say what you want about the brothers, but they have singlehandedly revived Parisian boutique chic, for better or for worse.

So while you’re far more likely to catch me at the bar at the Sattelit Café or the New Morning, everyone has their velvet moments… even Africa. Over the last few years I’ve noticed a lot of “Africa chic” musical compilations and art exhibits in both Africa and the West. The Pompidou’s Africa Remix exhibit was a prime example of showing contemporary Africa as something trendy, really doing its own thing in a modern way. DJ’s are increasingly mixing African music, and African DJs themselves are getting wider recognition in mainstream chic culture. Look at the sucess of Konomo No. 1, or Tsotsi’s Zola or any number of the remix compilations like the multiple-volume Africa, C’est Chic and Frikyiwa.

I could easily imagine today’s track playing in a Costes establishment lounge. You know, the kind with lithe bright red-lipped 18-year-olds draped over the overstuffed sofas and angry looking bouncers with bad haircuts. In fact, the DJ who remixes today’s track is French. Llorca is a producer who was part of that whole late-90s French deep house scene à la Laurent Garnier.. that, I’ll admit, was great. His mixing skills combined with Malian Abdulaye Diabate’s rhythmic singing produces a great, soothing track.

Sit back, relax, and grab a martini. If you want more, grab this track and others on the Frikyiwa 2 compilation over at Six Degrees Records.

Abdulaye Diabate - Foronto (Llorca mix)

I’m not exactly sure how or when Charlotte Dada became the Benn loxo inside joke. It could have been when a particularly scratch-happy cat was named after her, or how I often use her cover of Don’t Let Me Down as a way to get people interested in that “other” side of 60s and 70s West African music… or how it has come to represent an important part of my life- that last year in Senegal and a transition to Paris.

The original Charlotte Dada post, way back in 2004, got some attention on other web sites, too. The result of those new hits was a bunch of new friends, some help from Quannum records, a gig at MTV and big media coverage. Much to my surprise, Charlotte and Benn loxo have brought me many good things over the years.

That said, it’s with great pleasure that I thank Miles from Soundway Records for bringing a little more Charlotte into our lives. The people at Soundway are responsible for bringing us many of Benn loxo’s favourites such as the Ghana Soundz compilations, TP Orchestre Poly-Rythmo re-releases and Benn loxo listener Natural Self’s Ghana Soundz remixes, one of which we heard a few weeks back.

The Cool Blaze Band feat. Charlotte Dada - Everything Cool

The last five seconds of the song featured in today’s post sounds a lot like Axel Rose’s unforgettable cry at the end of Sweet Child o’ Mine. And that guitar solo halfway through? Pure Slash. I wonder if Malouma used to have Appetite For Destruction on heavy rotation back home in Mederdra, Mauritania. You know, back when bike shorts were cool.

Probably not, but Malouma has nonetheless challenged the musical traditions in her native country. Originally she was scorned for introducing blues, pop and other outside influences into her music but now she’s considered Mauritania’s greatest musical success. She pretty much single handedly gave birth to contemporary Mauritanian music.

..with great results. Listen to the way today’s tune suddenly starts modulating halfway through, moving through a standard blues progression. It immediately perks the ears- a great blend of traditional instruments and style with a Western feel.

Today’s track comes off Malouma’s 2004 Marabi release, Dunya. Go grab some over at Calabash.

Malouma - Mreimida
Guns N’ Roses - Sweet Child O’ Mine

Chérif Mbaw has the voice of a young Youssou, the guitar of Pape & Cheikh and the feel of Cheikh Lô. In other words, he sounds like everything I like about contemporary Senegalese music.

You might have heard him already Benn loxo. If you didn’t here’s another chance with a track from his first album, Kham Kham, released in 2000 on Erato Disques.

Mbaw come a long way over the years. Born in Ziguinchor then raised in Dakar, he fought his way to the top. After working on his singing for years he earned a spot training with Youssou N’Dour. This led to a grant to go study in Paris but apparently it took him several years to get permission to go to France. Once he finally made it to Paris he had to busk in the metros to pay the bills. These bumps along the road didn’t seem to discourage him: after two successful releases Chérif is now touring with the likes of Amadou & Mariam and Tracy Chapman.

I love these kinds of stories and really I’m looking forward to his next release.

Chérif Mbaw - Kham Kham

In 1971 a bunch of big name American soul and rock musicians traveled to Accra, Ghana, for a live performance called Soul to Soul. Anywhere between 100,000 to 200,000 people showed up to Accra’s Black Star Square to watch the likes of Wilson Pickett, Tina Turner, The Staple Sisters, Santana and Roberta Flack perform for over 13 hours. A few Ghanaian acts such as Kwa Mensah and The Aliens got to perform too, but apparently the locals split a $1000 paycheck while the Americans earned a cool $50,000.

Regardless, the concert was a big success. An album of the live recordings was released and a documentary about the trip was produced, both of which were recently remastered and re-released. As a thoughtful Christmas present, Benn loxo listener and good friend, Rob, grabbed me a copy.

While most people will complain that Roberta Flack’s recordings and performances aren’t included on the DVD, I think I speak for all of us at Benn loxo when I say that the album is amazing except for the notable exception of easily the most important performer: Charlotte Dada. Once again, the unofficial voice of Benn loxo and the inspiration for a cat remains elusive. (By the way, if any of you could get me that film about her that screened at the Toronto film festival a few years ago you’d get Benn loxo love for life.)

The DVD is fascinating to watch, especially for the bewildered looks on the visiting musicians’ faces and the fine dancing of Tina and the Ikettes. The real gem of the film is Wilson Pickett’s performances. Apparently he was known as “Soul Brother #2″ down in Ghana in those days (obviously one step behind James Brown), and enjoyed enormous popularity. While the Ghanaian crowd looked stunned during Santana’s guitar solos and the avant-garde sounds of Les McCann, they brought down the house when Pickett took the stage.

You can buy a copy here and get more info over here.

Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances (live in Ghana, 1971)
Ike & Tina Turner - I Smell Trouble (live in Ghana, 1971)

Every one of the three Golden Afrique compilations is awesome. (Thanks, Network Medien.) All three of today’s tracks are awesome. Friday after work is awesome. This weather, even though it spells doom for my children, is awesome too.

The third in the Golden Afrique series was released last fall. It focuses on mid-20th century music from southern Africa. A lot of my favourites are in there. Sold-out at Stern’s with good reason, it’s just as strong as its predecessors. Thanks to Benn loxo listener, bullet-dodger and shiny brushed aluminum obsessor, Ben, I just got my hands on it.

If you were an early adopter you might have already listened to Tuku on Benn loxo. The Soul Brothers have played here before, too. Dolly Rathebe, however, is a new member of the club. She’s pictured on today’s post.

You can read more about Rathebe’s story here. I love that her name, Dolly, became South African slang for “okay”. Next time someone asks how you’re doing answer back, “I’m dolly.”

Soul Brothers - Bayeza
Oliver Mtukudzi - Rugare Rwamangwana
Dolly Rathebe - Kitty’s Blues

Fathy Salama is an Egyptian-born musician who is best-known for arranging and producing Youssou N’Dour’s successful 2004 release, Egypt, on Warner.

Salama makes his own music, too, and I like what I hear. He’s released a steady stream of tracks and albums since 1991, including his 1996 release that I’ll feature on today’s post, Sharkiat.

He’s known for mixing styles from Middle East/Africa crossovers to electro vinyl cuts, but there’s always an underlying Egyptian influence.

Though he now lives in Paris, Salama grew-up in Cairo. I noticed on a web site somewhere that he referenced Oum Kalthoum as one of his early childhood musical influences. I love the crackly, cinematic sounds of Kalthoum’s music from the 1930s and 40s so I’ll feature some today as well.

Fathy Salama - Fire Dance
Oum Kalthoum - Nasra Awita We Farha Haniya

It’s interesting to hear how West African musicians have changed their style over the years. The melodies remain the same, but gone are the synths of yesteryear. World music audiences these days are all about acoustic guitar, djembe and double-bass. They don’t dig the drum machine like they used to.

Listen to early 90s and 80s recordings by musicians like Omar Pene, Salif Keita, Cheikh Lô and even Youssou N’Dour (who admittedly still loves his Casio) and you’ll hear what I mean.

Today we’ll hear Cheikh Lô’s first release, Doxandeme, in two forms: from his 1990 debut cassette, and in its new form on his 1996 release, Né la thiass.

The word doxandeme is Wolof for immigrants and the lyrics in this song are about Cheikh’s difficulties in being a Senegalese abroad.

Cheikh Lô - Doxandeme (original)
Cheikh Lô - Doxandeme (new)

My lasting memory of Sierra Leone is watching UN personnel in makeshift camps beside my plane hang their laundry to dry. I feel like I got to know the soldiers personally as I watched them make breakfast and peg underwear to strings attached to their tents. During these predictably long layovers on Dakar-Lagos flights I would also admire the Freetown cityscape at a distance: the city rises right out of the ocean into a mountain range of traffic nightmares.

Sierra Leone has a mixed legacy. Some of my friends call it the friendliest place on earth and one of the more beautiful countries in Africa. Apparently Beach #2 is unrivaled for a good tan after a dose of aid work or a press scoop. That said, most people will immediately associate it with armless refugees, blood diamonds and Charles Taylor.

These days Sierra Leone is all over the media thanks in no small part to hype from Kanye West about the evils of Sierra Leone’s diamond industry. Indeed, a friend just published the cover story for Fortune magazine entitled “Diamonds aren’t forever“, a look at the diamond industry in Sierra Leone and the hapless masses who dig in the mud all day looking for a way out of a severe poverty.

Those of you who’ve read Benn loxo for a while will know that I’m big fan of music from places that most people associated with misery, violence and the rest of Africa’s dark side. This is because while most people won’t get a chance to visit Sierra Leone (or Angola, or Ethiopia, or Liberia, or….), everyone should have the chance to give it a second listen. Freetown has thriving clubs and a budding music scene, including some decent rap and reggaeton-esque musicians. The country is at a point now where, if its neighbours behave and politics hold together through next year’s elections, things could be looking a little bit up. All the more reason to pay some attention and give some respect, even if that just means sampling the music.

Benn loxo listener and good DJ Chief Boima agrees. A few weeks ago he gave me a copy of his latest mix, Diamonds From Sierra Leone. On the album, Boima, an American-Sierra Leonian, gives us plenty of reasons to listen to Sierra Leone. Where did you find that last track, Kimjimi? Fantastic. More on his myspace site.

I happen to have an album or two that he samples so I thought I’d follow up on yesterday’s post with some original/mix combos.

Emmerson - Borbor Bele (original)
Emmerson - Borbor Bele (remix)
Emmerson - Sugar Meresin (original)
Emmerson - Sugar Meresin (remix)
Unknown - Kimjimi

Happy new year.

I’m back from Canada, in a new apartment just down the street from the Paris SDFs, ready for another good 12 months as I hope you all are. Big love for sticking with Benn loxo for yet another year.

A few weeks ago a Benn loxo reader tipped me off about a good remix of The Uhuru Dance Band’s song, Olufeme, by Natural Self. I particularly like this mix because he keeps it simple. The original was already ready for the dancefloor, but boost the bass and add some loops and suddenly the hiphop kids forget they’re dancing to 70s Ghana groove.

In his own words, “Natural Self is an on going project by producer Keno-1 that involves various collaborators along the way.” More info on the MySpace page or here.

You might have already heard the original on that great compilation, Ghana Soundz 2.

Natural Self - Olufeme
Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band - Olufeme