Jun 22/07
Pre-benga, Pre-weekend
Great time in and around the Place Ste Marthe last night at Paris’ Fête de la Musique. From North African jams and South American dance sessions to aggressive street drummers and some damn fine Andean chicken.
Too many nights out lately. I need something simple to counter the weeks of wine in my system: old-school Kenyan sounds from Original Music’s first volume of Before Benga.
The first track reminds me a lot of that classic of classics, Swamp Thing by The Grid.
The second one is just, well, special.
Finally, Wiliamu Osale’s great tune rocks us gently into Friday morning. Only 10 hours until the weekend…
ps- couldn’t find a good shot of the Kenya Dry cover so instead to our left you’ll find Paul Nabor and Andy Palacio at their show in Paris last night.
Unknown – Thum Nyatiti Solo
Unknown – Chemirocha
Wiliamu Osale – Usimalize Mali
Great stuff! I heard Chemirocha on the radio years ago, loved it, have tried for ages to track it down on cd or vinyl with no luck. What a great way to start the weekend!
Matt, the world owes you for sharing those haunting little strange numbers from Kenya Dry.
Long live Original Music!
“Chemirocha” is a classic. It’s been remastered on one of the newer Sharp Wood Hugh Tracey collections, “Kenyan Sounds and Strings.” Plus, the whole “Chemirocha”/Jimmie Rodgers connection is incredible. I’ve heard rumor that other “Chemirocha” songs exist, but I have yet to track any down, or hear them…
JW
thanks for the (almost more so than usual) great tunes recently. the williamu osale is oh-so-perfectly chilled out. & the chemirocha is a gem.
The unknown nyatiti track sounds like one I have heard by Ayub Ogada from Kenya.
Well, its probably a traditional tune, but thats how I know it, its probably not Ayub. I think he did an album for Real World. I saw him at Womad and at a local community centre in Lancaster UK.
Hey Matt – have you heard that Kenge Kenge disc yet? I’m loving it, but even though it’s described as a mostly acoustic band that plays rhythms which are the “roots of benga” I can’t really see a clear connection. But whatever it is, it’s rockin’ my stereo.
I’m grabbing a copy from emusic as I write this.. thanks for the tip, David.
[...] I saw Andy Palacio and Paul Nabor perform this past summer in Paris at the New Morning. They were fantastic. [...]