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

Bob Brozman released a great album a few months ago called Lumière.

Every piece is based on an improvisation – he starts with a simple melody and builds on the idea, adding layer upon layer of various forms of stringed instrument. Styles range from classic American blues to calypso to music from the far east.

Normally I wouldn’t like such an ambitious fusion of styles, but he pulls it off on this record. He’s an amazing guitar player for starters, and if you’re at all into instruments the album is a great showcase of a variety of stringed sounds.

As we know here at Benn loxo, no “world music” tour of guitar music would be complete without a nod to Malian blues. I’m left wondering, however, why soukous was left off the list. I guess Bob is too laid back for that arpeggio wall of sound of Congolese electric guitar!

Bob Brozman Orchestra – Bamako Blues

I’m not too tired tonight.. might stay up late. Slept well after days in the sun in Marseille last weekend.

This song from Sublime Frequencies’ Bush Taxi Mali album is perfect for the mood.

From a review at Dusted Magazine,

“Bush Taxi Mali: Field Recordings From Mali is an aural tour through this West African country, a series of audio snapshots, made by Tucker Martine during 1998 as an attempt to capture one of Africa’s greatest cultural legacies. Martine has also been responsible for documenting the sounds of broken-hearted dragonflies in Southeast Asia, which appeared on the same label.”

Thanks again, Alex.

Autorail

Today we break from our Original Music series while I’m away with a guest post from first time Benn loxo contributor, Gerben:

“Some time ago i saw the movie Va, Vis Et Deviens which features the Mahmoud Ahmed song Yaselame Lalo. I had actually forgotten i have it on his album Live In Paris. But i did remember i have a very nice 20 minute live recording from him playing in Amsterdam that i recorded years ago from Dutch radio.

I later digitized the tape, the quality is not very good but the music is great. Apparently the Dutch radio station that broadcast it received the tape from someone who went to this concert.

There are two songs there, the first one is Yaselame. This version is more traditional than on Live in Paris (no saxophone but flutes) and very dynamic. No idea what the other song is but I am curious to find it out and I am also very curious if more if these live recordings of him exist, it tastes like so much more.

The other recording is also a tape transfer from a Dutch radio broadcast and features Super Biton de Segou with I.R.I. and Tere, equally great. Both recordings are somewhere between 15-20 years old, don’t remember exactly when i recorded them.”

This Mahmoud Ahmed track is truly amazing. I would’ve loved to be at that show. I can just see his shoulders rocking out to the rhythms. Thanks for the music, Gerben. If someone can help him out with identifying the music I’m sure he’d appreciate it. -Matt

Mahmoud Ahmed – Yaselame (Live)
Super Biton (Live)

I’ve been scanning hundreds of albums for the last 30 minutes desperately trying to remember the name of a 1960s American rock band. It’s on the tip of my tongue.. I can hear the song.. I can even see the song- an awkward, mid-1960s southern American singer with a high-pitched voice. It’s just not coming to me.

Luckily, Ibrahim Hamma Dicko’s voice also reminds me a lot of Neil Young. (And, by extension, My Morning Jacket, but I’ll leave that for the indie blogs.)

I’m always on the look-out for good mixtape pairings. You know what I mean- when that song slips into the next “like a bee to the motherhive.” Back when I used to take the time to properly mix it was all about levels, style and BPM.. less so now. But the order of the tracks is still very important. I remember a particularly successful mix many years back where The Zombies slid effortlessly into the Thievery Corporation which then fed some French female rnb. Suddenly someone from my father’s generation is grooving to downtempo that they’d otherwise never think to touch.

Similarly, I love the mental transition that happens when, say, I’m listening to Ibrahim Hamma Dicko and feeling like I’m on a bus in the middle of Mali. Suddenly, Heart of Gold comes on and I’m back in my parents car on a 24hr road-trip to the Atlantic for a camping trip. Both great road trips, both now part of my travel memory soundtrack.

What are your favourite African roadtrip tunes? Aside, of course, from “Youssou N’Dour: Live at Bercy”: the unofficial Only Tape Allowed in Senegalese taxis and buses.

Ibrahim Hamma Dicko – Badi Tiba
Neil Young – Heart Of Gold