I feel compelled to write again about Mariem Hassan. She’s really amazing.

I posted her song, La Tumchi Anni, when I featured the Rough Guide to African Blues a little while back. I’ve since bought her 2002 release, Mariem Hassan con Leyoad.

She’s one of the principal musical voices of the Sahrwai people from Western Sahara, or the Saharawi Democratic Arab Republic, as they and 76 other nations call/recognize it.

When she’s not belting out tunes, Hassan works as a nurse in the “occupied Sahara”.

This quote from World Music Central sort of sums things up: “Before the war, we did songs of love and beautiful things but the war and the lack of our land made us talk of more important thingsabout the kids, the martyrs, the war.”

You can learn more and buy this album at Calabash, National Geographic and Stern’s. There’s even a fan blog about her here.

Mariem Hassan – ID Chab

Today we’ll hear a couple tracks off Original Music’s compilation of Zambian miners’ songs, From The Copperbelt. The recordings were all made by the amazing Hugh Tracey.

I’ve always had a thing for southern African, mid-20th century music. George Sibanda and The Forgotten Guitars of Mozambique compilation were early favourites.

From The Copperbelt covers a range of styles present in the Zambian mines in 1957, all based around the European acoustic guitar. Most of the musicians are bards who traveled from mine to mine, entertaining the miners. Others are by the miners themselves. All are great, if you’re into this kind of thing.

Zambia occupies an interesting part of the continent. Its geography influenced its inhabitants’ music, especially at this early stage of “modern” African musical development, such that some music sounds distinctly South African, while much of the rest sounds very Congolese.

You might have already heard some John Lushi, who appears on this compilation, on Original Music’s Africa Dances release.

Isaac Matafwani – Eko Bali Mukanina Bamayo
William Siwale – Mayo Mayo
Four Pals – Nifwe Ba Four Pals

Two songs today. They have nothing in common.

First, I don’t know what made me think of Letta Mbulu this morning. Maybe it’s the below-zero morning temperatures that make me long for warm climates, or the blue skies outside, or the transport union strife in France. Who knows. Point is, Kube is what I need this morning.

Second, those of you who keep up with the Africanambiance forum may already have it, or you might have heard them on Soul Sides or Matsuli, but Wganda Kenya is also what I need this morning.

Ah, the mid-week playlist.

Letta Mbulu – Kube
Wganda Kenya – El Evangelio Calypso

The Rail Band’s Belle Epoque Vol. 1 is another compilation that arrived in the Stern’s box last week.

Mali’s famous Rail Band is the name given to the many groups who worked at the Buffet Hotel in Bamako, Mali, situated in an old colonial building just off the railway. The band was initially made famous by the singing of Salif Keita, but over the years included other great Malian musicians like Mory Kanté, Tidiani Koné and Djelimady Tounkara.

The track you’ll hear today is from the Rail Band’s “second period” in the mid-70s. At this stage Salif Keita had left the band and one of my favourite Malian musicians, guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, had just joined. Magan Ganessy was the new singer. The track also features some great drumming by Pacheco.

The lyrics translate to, “Mali, our dear country, is now independent. We have to enforce democracy, power cannot rest in the hands of a single party.”

Rail Band – Fankanté Dankélé

Today we’ll hear a few songs from Original Music’s CD re-issue of their 1983 release, Songs The Swahili Sing.

Initially I wasn’t so into it, but this morning I was really taken by the music.. particularly the music by Yaseen Mohamed and Juma.

The compilation explores the world of Swahili “taarabu” music, particularly its difference from Arab music.

I like this compilation because in a short span of time you get to hear a variety of major musical influences that shaped music from this area. The first track, Watetao, has hints of Cuba. The second, Egyptian pop. (The liner notes claim that Egyptian is a Swahili term for Arab-sound.) The third, Indian.

The last track I’ll post, Lala Mpenzi, is easily my favourite of the bunch. You can also find it on the Mississippi Records compilation, Lipa Kodi Ya City Counci.

O.I. Bampini and the Jauharah Orchestra – Watetao
Abbas Haji and the Egyptian Musical Club – Mahaba, Jamani, Yanaitilie
Juma Bhalo – Kem Kem
Yaseen Mohamed and Saada – Lala Mpenzi

Another disc that arrived in the Stern’s package the other day was one I’ve been meaning to buy for a few months: Ken Braun’s compilation of Tabu Ley Rochereau’s music, The Voice of Lightness. It’s even better than I anticipated.

Tabu Ley Rochereau was born Pascal Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabou in Belgian Congo in 1940. The liner notes taught me that Rochereau earned his name as a boy in Catholic school when he successfully named Colonol Pierre Denfert-Rochereau as a French hero in the Franco-Prussian war. His classmates found that hilarious, so the name stuck.

The compilation covers Tabu Ley’s career throughout the 1960s and 70s, including his work with African Jazz, African Fiesta, Afrisa International and Onaza.

I’d never heard Aon Aon, the first track I’ll post today. Amazing.

The second track, Savon OMO, isn’t necessarily my favourite on the compilation but anyone who has lived in Africa will know why I picked it. Ah, the heady scent of OMO on my badly washed clothes. N’daye of the purple brasier, where are you now?

My favourite track on the compilation is probably Karibou ya Bintou, but I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own…

Tabu Ley Rochereau – Aon Aon
Tabu Ley Rochereau – Savon Omo

We moved a little up-tempo yesterday.. let’s keep it that way.

Today we’ll hear some music by a class afro-funk group, Ice. They’re featured on several compilations, including Harmless’ Africafunk Volumes 1 and 2 and Comet Record’s aptly-titled, Racubah… but never played here on Benn loxo.

I don’t care if you’ve heard it already. It’s the end of the week, we’re all tired, and I need some bright brass and driving drums to get me moving.

Time Will Tell was original released by Epic in 1976.. the jacket, as you see to the left, is supah. Is that Geddy Lee in the middle or am I seeing things?

And does anyone have Ice’s 1970 release, Afro-Instrumental?

Ice – Time Will Tell

Farid from Colombia just sent me an amazing album: African System Orchestra’s 1981 RAS release, Canon Kpa Kum.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I can tell African System Orchestra is an Igbo Nigerian group who were playing at around the same time as groups like the Imo Brothers International and the Peacocks.

Editor’s note: turns out I was wrong: Ndongo Pecos and presumably the rest of African System Orchestra are apparently Cameroonian, living in Nigeria when this album was recorded.

But these tracks certainly don’t sound like your average 70s Nigerian highlife. I guess by 1981 much of Nigeria was in the throws of Afrobeat and disco, which must have rubbed-off on the Igbo highlife bands too.

Does anyone have any more music like this? I’m refering specifically to late 70s, early 80s Igbo music with a bit of an afrofunk-disco drive to it?

Great party music. Thanks, Farid.

African System Orchestra – Canon Kpa Kum
African System Orchestra – African System No. 1

Ooh.. a big package from Stern’s arrived yesterday.

A Benn loxo listener suggested that I have a listen to a new collection of Dar Es Salaam star Maestro King Kiki’s rumba from the 70s and 80s, Maestro of Tanzania.

It’s a great collection. My only gripe is the production quality; so much of what is going on in the background is hard to make-out because the levels and acoustics are all over the place. Still, a fun listen.

King Kiki is actually Congolese but he’s one of Tanzania’s most popular musicians from the older generation. We’ve been sort of working a Congolese music in other countries vibe recently, so King Kiki fits nicely into the mix.

I would tell you more but the lack of liner notes and my general lack of east coast African music knowledge leaves me hanging. Once again, I ask the more-knowledgeable-than-I Benn loxo listeners to fill us in.

And thanks for the tips- they keep my collection growing.

Maestro King Kiki – Salza

Back to the Original Music posts…

Jamilia: Songs From A Somali city is collection of music recorded in the Somali town of Baraawe, about 120 miles south of the capital, Mogadishu.

You heard a track off this album the other day, Dakhtar, since it also appears on the OM compilation, African Acoustic: Sounds Eastern & Southern.

Today’s track is about, in the words of John Low’s liner notes, “one more woman, one more love song.” It’s sung in Somali. I can’t figure out if it’s played on an oud or a standard six-string guitar, played in a way that makes it sound a bit like an oud.

I wonder if one day instead of posting about music from Somalia we’ll have to instead do mini-features on the sounds of Puntland, Somaliland, Maakhir and Galmudug.

While roaming around the net for pictures of Somaliland, I stumbled upon a great photo site. Check it out.

Amin Xaaji Cusmaan – Laiilaaf