tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13725906926543907362024-03-13T22:43:27.164-07:00Poly-Rythmo d'AfriqueSteffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-82670567993323453942010-06-11T11:34:00.000-07:002010-06-11T11:34:07.826-07:00PilgrimagesA former professor of mine and all-around great guy, <a href="http://www.abdourahmanwaberi.com/">Abdourahman A. Waberi</a> (or, if you can't read French, check out his Wikipedia page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdourahman_Waberi">here</a>), is getting ready to head off to Salvador do Bahia, Brazil for an amazing literary project called Pilgrimages. In the words of the project's organizers:<br />
<br />
"<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><strong>The Chinua Achebe Center for African Writers and Artists</strong> has chosen to celebrate Africa’s first world cup by sending 13 African writers to 13 cities for two weeks during the World Cup. Each writer will produce a book of nonfiction prose, Travel Literature, of 30,000 words, for publication in Africa and abroad.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Using multiple forms of media, the writers will first blog their journeys and create momentum online and on mobile phones while the World Cup is taking place. A media website will be created, with local correspondents introducing their cities to fellow Africans online. The climax of this process will be the launch of this new collection of thirteen books in four African cities in January 2012, during the African Cup of Nations Tournament.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The collection will be the most significant single addition to the continent’s archive of literary knowledge since the African Writer’s Series founded in the 1960s.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>At a moment in time when the whole continent is more visible to its inhabitants and to the rest of the world than at any other since independence, <strong>PILGRIMAGES</strong> will reintroduce Africans to the literary world in the same form that so many outside writers have employed to create a distorted idea of us to the world.</i></span>"<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Abdourahman Waberi will be the only writer not traveling to an African city. Other contributors to Pilgrimages include such prominent African literary figures as <a href="http://www.alainmabanckou.net/">Alain Mabanckou</a> (his Wikipedia page in English <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Mabanckou">here</a>), <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_481768963">Binyavanga</a></span><a href="http://www.binyavangawainaina.org/main/"> Wainaina</a> (or check out his blog <a href="http://thebinj.blogspot.com/">here</a> and his Wikipedia page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binyavanga_Wainaina">here</a>), and <a href="http://www.chrisabani.com/">Chris Abani</a> (Wikipedia page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Abani">here</a>), among others.<br />
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For more on Pilgrimages, visit their website <a href="http://www.pilgrimages.org.za/">here</a>.Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-37908656497876635722010-05-27T12:56:00.000-07:002010-05-27T12:57:23.098-07:00The Ethiopian Trend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASoUXHW8xr6cfzOVQBK67KGNxVsfXCYps-6K-aNplrECEMlTR9-OgZR3QXN7aRUjug4HIFyDU-zR4GJlHM_BnPTkL1mmo00jYYkqSQdB4nzfnJNtsKsDU41pozXkdm7JH1Rmd2HSrzp7B/s1600/0e9f50b30d3939069fa41d476e61bc5f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASoUXHW8xr6cfzOVQBK67KGNxVsfXCYps-6K-aNplrECEMlTR9-OgZR3QXN7aRUjug4HIFyDU-zR4GJlHM_BnPTkL1mmo00jYYkqSQdB4nzfnJNtsKsDU41pozXkdm7JH1Rmd2HSrzp7B/s200/0e9f50b30d3939069fa41d476e61bc5f.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcn_9AY_lq35TH-VoeDOWFsp2FmFJm5o_bkoaYuIuLl-pOfdIudoyfapCmU05Lnm5RMImHHrlEEemMVSvJKOxkCsDH44yuzc65UOKnNdC2IQwmL_dVxISOFmMKvQ1yYI37svimbAWn20q/s1600/IN6417039Dub-Colossu_59641s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcn_9AY_lq35TH-VoeDOWFsp2FmFJm5o_bkoaYuIuLl-pOfdIudoyfapCmU05Lnm5RMImHHrlEEemMVSvJKOxkCsDH44yuzc65UOKnNdC2IQwmL_dVxISOFmMKvQ1yYI37svimbAWn20q/s200/IN6417039Dub-Colossu_59641s.jpg" width="200" /></a>While browsing through a clothing store the other day, I noticed two racks of shiny new vinyl for sale. I began flipping through their selection and amongst all the trendy pop albums (Grizzly Bear, the Talking Heads, etc.) I found Oh No's (the younger brother of Madlib currently signed with Stones Throw Records) most recent album, <i>Dr. No's Ethiopium</i>. Finding this record reminded me that I've been meaning to do a post comparing it to Dub Colossus' <i>A Town Called Addis</i> ever since Oh No's album was first released.<br />
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The pop industry in the West has been appropriating African music into their creations (e.g. Paul Simon's <i>Graceland</i>, Radioclit's project with Malawian-born Esau Mwamwaya, The Very Best, among many others) to give their music that "exotic" air that is so often considered to be "cool" for as long as anyone can remember. As with everything else, this strategy can result in something creative and enjoyable or it can end up sounding uninteresting and unoriginal. In my opinion, <i>Dr. No's Ethiopium</i> and <i>A Town Called Addis</i> act as good representations of the two ends of the spectrum.<br />
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Both Dub Colossus and Oh No turned to Ethiopia as their source of exoticism. Oh No, a hip-hop producer, opted to sample the old Ethio-funk/jazz sounds of the 60s and 70s in his beats. It seems to me like he got most of his samples from the classic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopiques"><i>Ethiopiques</i></a> (<a href="http://www.budamusique.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,35/TreeId,1/category_id,28/page,shop.browse/">Buda Musique</a>) CD series, using clips of songs by such legends as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatu_Astatke">Mulatu Astatke</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmed">Mahmoud Ahmed</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getachew_Mekurya">Getatchew Mekurya</a>. The London-based dub producer, Dub Colossus, chose a different approach. Instead of sampling, he actually collaborated with many of the most popular contemporary Ethiopian musicians for his album, combining his dub sound in the studio with the vocals and instrumentals of the artists with whom he worked.<br />
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The two albums are very different, using Ethiopian sounds from two separate eras, but the basic idea is the same. I have my own opinion as to which one works better, but I'll keep that to myself. Instead, listen to a few songs off each album, form your own opinions, and then let me know what you think (Click on the song title to listen/download):<br />
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<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/pro905b7vh">Oh No - The Pain</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841306127"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/z4639cjs1v">Oh No - Great Oracle</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_841306131"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/jll9dvrj7g">Oh No - The Funk</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/9jgzinnchx">Dub Colossus - Azmari Dub</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/z9dr208lrp">Dub Colossus - Sima Edy</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/kf99fcf1a0">Dub Colossus - Neh Yelginete</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-74406516231230125982010-05-01T15:26:00.000-07:002010-05-01T15:26:45.934-07:00Indépendence Cha-ChaI've posted about <a href="http://rythmodafrique.blogspot.com/2010/01/karibu-ya-bintou.html">Baloji</a> before, but he has really out done himself this time. Below is the music video for his latest song, "Le Jour d'Apres/Siku Ya Baadaye (Indépendence Cha-Cha)." It is a remake of the famous song celebrating the DRC's independence, "Indépendence Cha-Cha," by the father of Congolese rumba, Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz.<br />
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<object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11233928&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11233928&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/11233928">LE JOUR D'APRES / SIKU YA BAADAYE (INDEPENDANCE CHA-CHA)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/baloji">BALOJI</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Here's the original version of the song (click to download/listen):<br />
<a href="http://www.box.net/shared/p3gpp28vpz">Le Grand Kallé et l'African Jazz - Indépendence Cha-Cha</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-76648930682543105692010-04-19T15:59:00.000-07:002010-04-19T16:01:05.949-07:00RIP Sotigui Kouyaté<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnTwlCvZNFbDJRuL0nuJJnteRv8jWJgupHIb5wdYaVxaLLCx7IK5vTDmluXkz6GIOTY2st2ZAIQbuO0Dx_P0FOMUJDgjh8YbHOrnmA8R0fT9ItcBiisSJupa3SddM28gPrPMOOHU9YE4n/s1600/Genesis_Kouyate_web-b6e06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnTwlCvZNFbDJRuL0nuJJnteRv8jWJgupHIb5wdYaVxaLLCx7IK5vTDmluXkz6GIOTY2st2ZAIQbuO0Dx_P0FOMUJDgjh8YbHOrnmA8R0fT9ItcBiisSJupa3SddM28gPrPMOOHU9YE4n/s320/Genesis_Kouyate_web-b6e06.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Malian/Burkinabé actor/griot/soccer player, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotigui_Kouyat%C3%A9">Sotigui Kouyaté</a>, died on Saturday in Paris. He was 74.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_998763476"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.afronline.org/?p=4747#more-4747">More here.</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-23001469192780107512010-04-01T14:28:00.000-07:002010-04-01T14:58:15.964-07:00"Makmende uses viagra in his eyedrops just to look hard"So, I'll admit I'm a bit late on this one. Below is "Makmende Amerudi," the music video for <a href="http://www.just-a-band.com/">Just A Band</a>'s new single, "Ha-He."<br />
<object width="550" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mG1vIeETHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_mG1vIeETHc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="340"></embed></object><br />
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The video has gained considerable popularity recently and is being hailed as "Kenya's first viral internet meme." It's not hard to see why it's so popular.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've had Just A Band's new album, "82," for a while now and it's quite entertaining. You can listen to the full album and learn more about the group <a href="http://www.akwaabamusic.com/#/category/artists/just-a-band/">here</a>.<br />
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Also, good article on the video's viral status <a href="http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2010/03/24/makmendes-so-huge-he-cant-fit-in-wikipedia/">here</a>.Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-83157222285092241332010-03-23T21:01:00.000-07:002010-04-01T14:06:30.949-07:00Show Dem (Make the Circle Bigger)Sorry I haven't posted anything new recently, it's kind of a crazy time for me. This is just a quick update to share a great song/video from South African artist JR featuring HHP. The song is called "Show Dem (Make the Circle Bigger)." Thanks to the guys over at <a href="http://ghettobassquake.blogspot.com/">Ghetto Bassquake</a> for putting me on to this.<br />
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<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XM_Ew6zsnDY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XM_Ew6zsnDY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="385" width="425"></embed></object><br />
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<br />
South Africa has been receiving a lot of attention in the blog world lately, presumably due to the upcoming World Cup. As a result, I've been turned on to its amazing and diverse music scene. There's a ton of great stuff coming out of the country right now, including Kwaito and all sorts of great Electro/Dance music (Pitori House, Shangaan Electro, just to name a few sub-genres). I'll try to put some of that up in the coming weeks, but this will have to do for now.<br />
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Lastly, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatu_Astatke">Mulatu Astatke</a>, the father of Ethio-jazz, just came out with a new album titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Mulatu Steps Ahead</span>. You can listen to the first single off the album, "Green Africa," <a href="http://www.thefader.com/2010/03/05/mulatu-astatke-green-africa-mp3/">here</a>.Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-25306011996964637372010-03-01T18:52:00.000-08:002010-03-01T18:55:35.799-08:00Fascinating<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://macromedia.com/cabs/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,246" id="zoopy-video-77018" width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://media.z2.zoopy.com/video-offsite.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="id=77018"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><embed src="http://media.z2.zoopy.com/video-offsite.swf" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="id=77018" bgcolor="#000000" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-35750136153565954382010-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:002010-05-26T13:29:14.861-07:00Congolese Sapeurs and South African SmarteezOver the past month or so I've been really taken up by two unique fashion sub-cultures in two very different African localities: the Sapeurs of both Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo (and the Congolese diaspora in France and Belgium) and the Smarteez of urban South Africa.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sapeurs:</span><br />
The word "Sapeur" comes from the acronym for the movement, SAPE, which stands for Societé des Ambianceurs et Personnes Élégantes (aka Kitendi-the religion/cult of the cloth). The term and acronym are also a play on the french verb "Se Saper," meaning "to dress." It is a culture of high fashion, with Sapeurs sporting suits and formal clothing in a style reminiscent of the 1930s with designer labels such as Armani, Gucci, and Versace.<br />
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La SAPE has been around for at least 25 years now and was popularized by the famous Congolese (DRC) musician Papa Wemba. The fasion cult was created in response to Mobutu's "authenticity movement," which was an attempt to break from European colonial identities and create a more "African" Congo. As part of this "authenticity movement," Mobutu advocated the banal <span style="font-style: italic;">abacost</span> uniform, a Zairian spin on the three-piece suit, as the official attire of the new Zaire (now DRC). Papa Wemba and other Sapeurs developed their style in opposition to this aspect of the "authenticity movement."<br />
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Here are a few pictures of Sapeurs:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC5fDuwcfIqgjLkYAVfXI_K0IkYvD8HXMT3SbRuHbeR08bsUb21k26z4Yp1Nn_w7OUHb1MNGKfzVa6Qv7XX3kGk17NUNzXEuoT5Nh1QqwNOEDeNIlW11IBsXTrNIEzl3arbUzzmx4dzaw/s1600-h/sapkid.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443841088744523266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC5fDuwcfIqgjLkYAVfXI_K0IkYvD8HXMT3SbRuHbeR08bsUb21k26z4Yp1Nn_w7OUHb1MNGKfzVa6Qv7XX3kGk17NUNzXEuoT5Nh1QqwNOEDeNIlW11IBsXTrNIEzl3arbUzzmx4dzaw/s320/sapkid.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 212px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFozH-dzuFeeaNv76pAOtiuYuH2CVKys9e2ZnXRc_NS1Vzzr_QtpReZNlXSLytDU_1l8czeRI2n11d2jeK8PfqFHc_woFgk7l2GCVwf2dMDd-GEs92lgY7gIn72cptPseb8vr5pS8_hqvx/s1600-h/sape.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443842496718389698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFozH-dzuFeeaNv76pAOtiuYuH2CVKys9e2ZnXRc_NS1Vzzr_QtpReZNlXSLytDU_1l8czeRI2n11d2jeK8PfqFHc_woFgk7l2GCVwf2dMDd-GEs92lgY7gIn72cptPseb8vr5pS8_hqvx/s320/sape.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2kmTnK23LeL4qG8dPtlNxrnjepz7jgcongWeQNXCWyCH2vDYOezYNl1zERT9GR3EGK-VpeqDcrKN_p3puiqJAsUlkiNr9HmApZ6OZARFASAxHu4dXDV62eAJZFaIDyXAG16tCnA1HY8e/s1600-h/sape2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443843316455742178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2kmTnK23LeL4qG8dPtlNxrnjepz7jgcongWeQNXCWyCH2vDYOezYNl1zERT9GR3EGK-VpeqDcrKN_p3puiqJAsUlkiNr9HmApZ6OZARFASAxHu4dXDV62eAJZFaIDyXAG16tCnA1HY8e/s320/sape2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 194px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>For more information and pictures:<br />
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<a href="http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/mediavilla/index.html">The Congolese Sape by Héctor Mediavilla</a><br />
<a href="http://www.colorsmagazine.com/issues/colors64/04.php">Colors: Paradise is a Fabulous Suit</a><br />
<a href="http://www.viewbookphotostory.com/2009/10/sape/">SAPE by Francesco Giusti</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">the Smarteez:<br />
</span>I know considerably less about the Smarteez of South Africa. I can tell you that the style originated in Soweto, that it is much more of a youth sub-culture and has little to nothing to do with politics. There tends to be an emphasis on color and a lot of the ensembles are seemingly "random"-an eclectic mix of colors, accessories and styles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Saw_sxzJh6Qwu4X33EG1ULAUZwc0Ctw8KvdWCbAWRUf7siQdqocnAFkwcdFzMhRK_RL4HKONn8JCVcQVcWBtf8wcA0PwFxC8ZxbRf69GxuoBC7wwyGJPUGnWkm4pwy20stuqAcdaS0W/s1600-h/smarteez1.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443857480448134786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Saw_sxzJh6Qwu4X33EG1ULAUZwc0Ctw8KvdWCbAWRUf7siQdqocnAFkwcdFzMhRK_RL4HKONn8JCVcQVcWBtf8wcA0PwFxC8ZxbRf69GxuoBC7wwyGJPUGnWkm4pwy20stuqAcdaS0W/s320/smarteez1.jpeg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 238px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB339Q7qKZpa6VgO0A715mTkfkgNdI6ShHLWC4BCvQ8T24utLxujIgY53B9uokYiWWudYyY2lUI5bt262egh-KboZCn-SACIKEtt024rAopLGQ-ZfnHdlaXC1ACYsK8VgwZiagYeuMjAG/s1600-h/smarteez2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443857677501262546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB339Q7qKZpa6VgO0A715mTkfkgNdI6ShHLWC4BCvQ8T24utLxujIgY53B9uokYiWWudYyY2lUI5bt262egh-KboZCn-SACIKEtt024rAopLGQ-ZfnHdlaXC1ACYsK8VgwZiagYeuMjAG/s320/smarteez2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 255px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdRbzMHyPkuD9GQLXZlYhuS9Mzp6Rv_IrOaZCzqkI57i68f27DdSI0oXWgwTXEoowx5JZqWkpCoIlTKmB4rt5OQLL2yKCz_l5QaeHjvLlI7MxHT2j9fN2oWxnVvaCQud2nkeJoSlLgj5F/s1600-h/smartiesgallery5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443853197243212786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdRbzMHyPkuD9GQLXZlYhuS9Mzp6Rv_IrOaZCzqkI57i68f27DdSI0oXWgwTXEoowx5JZqWkpCoIlTKmB4rt5OQLL2yKCz_l5QaeHjvLlI7MxHT2j9fN2oWxnVvaCQud2nkeJoSlLgj5F/s320/smartiesgallery5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0rj7R7xfGTe6X5x0NFlV0iu6Lyl5-EQkP-2tNoAJU-pygyu-yH7GXK9KV6utre2MVo6j_Duijd6HIjMyO3OfgTrRcTGCAee1FGMiP9NCbA4GcBTxEdupyhxWFNixD64S9mPXv58HkFwG/s1600-h/smarteez3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443853498110013106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0rj7R7xfGTe6X5x0NFlV0iu6Lyl5-EQkP-2tNoAJU-pygyu-yH7GXK9KV6utre2MVo6j_Duijd6HIjMyO3OfgTrRcTGCAee1FGMiP9NCbA4GcBTxEdupyhxWFNixD64S9mPXv58HkFwG/s320/smarteez3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 207px;" /></a>For more information and pictures:<br />
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<a href="http://southafricanstreetstyle.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/south-africas-harajuku-kids/">South Africa's "Harajuku" Kids</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-09-07-the-designer-buyer-and-irreverant-edge">Mail & Guardian: The designer, the buyer and the irreverent edge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ifashion.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1227&Itemid=43">What a lot 'o style they've got: A close analysis of the Smarteez</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-9480872845041155902010-02-13T13:37:00.000-08:002010-02-22T22:40:46.175-08:00Pitchfork and West AfricaPitchfork recently published an article titled "Killin' the Game: New Music From West Africa," which discusses some of the music that has been coming out of Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. It's not the greatest article I've seen, but it's still worth checking out. There are a few technical problems with it: some of the songs don't seem to work, and at least one of the songs is mixed up (the song titled "Chupa Chups" by Ofori Amponsah is really just another copy of Praye's "Angelina"). Also, a couple of the songs are likely played out by now (for example, the song "Zies Dedjas" by Nash and the group P-Square were popular in Cameroon when I was there a year ago, I highly doubt you would hear them being played in bars and clubs today). Minor criticisms aside, it's a solid article and it's good to see some contemporary West African pop getting attention on a popular American music site like Pitchfork. Not to mention there are some pretty good songs on there (I really like "Zies Dedjas," "Yahooze," and the production on the song "Kosoaa" is ridiculously catchy).<br /><br /><a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7682-killin-the-game-new-music-from-the-west-african-coast/">Killin' the Game: New Music From West Africa</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">***Edit:</span> Pretty much immediately after posting this article, I came across another article on Pitchfork. This one, titled "Africa 100: The Indestructible Beat," is simply outstanding. It acts as a sort of introduction to Afropop of all kinds from the 60s and 70s. In addition to giving you a brief history behind much of the music, the author directs readers to some of the best record labels and blogs to seek out if you want to find more music.<br /><br /><a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/6007-africa-100-the-indestructible-beat/">Africa 100: The Indestructible Beat</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-77131378727276142962010-02-11T17:50:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:17:10.842-08:00Good luck, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MZAXpKnzBJ-vottl46UiA1_SQq_7TyzJadNlwxI_QSxquPXaUlvLzdo3_V64-l8oIe-EvHj-DU2wuqFDglhMJmvTH1Rv4xCFgX6R9doesiO50iBQozV4GyAIFZIwRSb0G4gNEU1n5S33/s1600-h/yaradua3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0MZAXpKnzBJ-vottl46UiA1_SQq_7TyzJadNlwxI_QSxquPXaUlvLzdo3_V64-l8oIe-EvHj-DU2wuqFDglhMJmvTH1Rv4xCFgX6R9doesiO50iBQozV4GyAIFZIwRSb0G4gNEU1n5S33/s320/yaradua3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437174507582351010" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY83Ts3v8u7bEQ4kBcALUrloDLHQnOvrR3fyyoodhPvn-_pW3IQztQXMWemzIWmVjGkly_6Z7wxOnHtvy16biDIE6mOSAhi5xTNdLiI2DzNhQ653wDcBxGrViOXRpEx4c2Ca3LMWig24kw/s1600-h/Jonathan1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY83Ts3v8u7bEQ4kBcALUrloDLHQnOvrR3fyyoodhPvn-_pW3IQztQXMWemzIWmVjGkly_6Z7wxOnHtvy16biDIE6mOSAhi5xTNdLiI2DzNhQ653wDcBxGrViOXRpEx4c2Ca3LMWig24kw/s320/Jonathan1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437174605943797058" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Nigeria's president, Umaru Yar'adua (top), has been in Saudi Arabia for over 3 months now, where he is being treated for a heart condition. So Nigeria has effectively been without a president for at least 79 days. Then on Tuesday, the National Assembly finally passed a resolution that put the country's vice president, Goodluck Jonathan (bottom), in charge as acting president. It's about time! Full story here: <a href="http://www.afronline.org/?p=3457#more-3457">http://www.afronline.org/?p=3457#more-3457</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-46456608032689592702010-01-28T14:08:00.000-08:002010-01-28T14:46:32.185-08:00Not music, but still interesting.Talk given at the TED conference by the beautiful and brilliant author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Half of a Yellow Sun</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thing Around Your Neck</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Purple Hibiscus</span>, Chimamanda Adichie. She discusses what she calls "the danger of a single story."<br /><br /><object height="326" width="446"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/ChimamandaAdichie_2009G-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ChimamandaAdichie-2009G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=652&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story;year=2009;theme=words_about_words;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=master_storytellers;theme=speaking_at_tedglobal2009;event=TEDGlobal+2009;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/ChimamandaAdichie_2009G-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ChimamandaAdichie-2009G.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=652&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story;year=2009;theme=words_about_words;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=master_storytellers;theme=speaking_at_tedglobal2009;event=TEDGlobal+2009;" height="326" width="446"></embed></object>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-11951107873014330332010-01-27T21:26:00.000-08:002010-01-28T14:42:39.050-08:00Karibu Ya BintouI just wanted to share this great video I came across today. It's titled "Karibu Ya Bintou" ("Welcome to life in limbo"). The song is off the album "Kinshasa Succursale" by Baloji and features the incredible Konono N°1 on likembe (if you haven't heard of Konono N°1, I highly recommend you check them out-their album Congotronics is amazing). The video was shot in the streets of Kinshasa. Enjoy!<br /><br /><object height="220" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8907715&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8907715&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="220" width="400"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8907715">BALOJI feat. KONONO n1 - KARIBU YA BINTOU</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/baloji">BALOJI</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-48184260606042220052010-01-25T19:20:00.000-08:002010-01-26T10:18:56.688-08:00Kamba BengaSo it has certainly been a while since my last post. I have been a bit lazy (and busy), you'll have to forgive me.<br /><br />Anyway, today's post is on the Kenyan style of music known as benga. More specifically, the benga made by the Akamba of south-central Kenya. But first, a little background on benga is appropriate. Benga is not actually a Kamba creation, it was originally developed by Luo musicians in the area around Lake Victoria in western Kenya sometime during the 60s. Before I go any further, here is a song by one of the pioneers of benga music, Daniel Owino Misiani (aka "the grandfather of benga") and his band, Shirati Jazz. He sings in Dholuo and Kiswahili. The song is called Piny Ose Mer.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9fKw4NXvAd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9fKw4NXvAd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />It didn't take long for benga to catch on among other groups in Kenya and pretty soon benga was being produced by groups like the Kikuyu, Akamba, etc. I have had the most exposure to Kamba benga, so that will be the type of benga I present here. Most of the songs in this post are originally from the blog <a href="http://likembe.blogspot.com">Likembe</a>. Likembe is one of my favorite resources for all types of African music, I highly recommend that you check it out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/gtx5jr68ky">Peter Mwambi - Matatu</a><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/l92yxrhiv0"><br />Peter Mwambi - Mueni</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/9q4g6h7cc3">Peter Mwambi, Charles Mutiso, & Kyanganga Boys Band - Mwenyenyo</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/0rxbz6e92f">Peter Mwambi, Charles Mutiso, & Kyanganga Boys Band - Beatrice</a><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/zdzdaa0vs4"><br />The Kalambya Boys - Eka Nzasu</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/4rmg66i4t2">The Kalambya Boys - Mwendwa Losi</a><br /><br />Finally, to give you an idea of another type of music popular in Kenya around the same time, here is a song by a band called Super Wanyika. They play a Kenyan style of rumba that is directly influenced by the Congolese style known as Soukous (see posts below for more on the relationship between Congo and Kenya). The two lead members of the band are actually Tanzanians and Super Wanyika is an offshoot of an earlier project of theirs called Simba Wanyika, meaning "Lions of the Savannah" in Kiswahilli. Simba Wanyika and its two offshoots, Super Wanyika and Les Wanyika, were some of the most popular bands in Kenya in the late 70s and early 80s. They sang in Kiswahilli, a language understood and used by the vast majority of Kenyans. This made their music more accessible than most Kamba benga, which is usually in Kikamba, a language used only by the Akamba.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/j8ymgg5b2j">Super Wanyika - Nimesha-Kwambia</a>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-66719445743060327362009-11-27T20:38:00.000-08:002010-02-13T16:48:34.228-08:00Coupé-Décalé!!!I figured that this week I'd do a post on a more contemporary genre of music. Hopefully, some of you have heard of Coupé-Décalé, a type of popular dance music that is associated with Côte D'Ivoire, but that was actually invented in Paris. While I will admit that Coupé-Décalé can get a little repetitive, and some of the production is a bit tacky, it would be foolish of me not to include something about it on this blog.<br /><br />Coupé-Décalé, which emerged around 2002, has exploded in popularity over the past few years and can be found all over Francophone Africa as well as in France. The term Coupé-Décalé means something along the lines of "cheat and run away" or "cut and run" in Ivoirian slang. It can be very over the top and the culture associated with it seems to me to be very materialistic. For example, you often see videos of musicians flashing designer everything (right down to Versace underwear) and driving expensive cars. Many of the original Coupé-Décalé musicians returned to Abidjan and became known for doing things like handing out cash to people in the clubs where they performed. There was a certain emphasis on the idea that these musicians were cheating Europeans out of their cash by accumulating wealth in Europe and bringing it back to Côte D'Ivoire.<br /><br />Here is the music video for the song "Sagacité" by Douk Saga, one of the creators of Coupé-Décalé. I think it gives you a good sense of the kind of materialism I was talking about.<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TwBJ8_V0_TE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TwBJ8_V0_TE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Also, here is an example of the kind of dancing associated with Coupé-Décalé:<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S6pAfIs_-UA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S6pAfIs_-UA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />Finally, here are two songs that I have grown to love:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/h09gfqdbt2">Kedjevara - Tchoucou Tchoucou</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/5ognia7qvo">Dj Mix 1er & Eloh DJ - Bobaraba</a><br /><br /><br />***<span style="font-weight: bold;">Edit:</span> I recently got the opportunity to watch <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousmane_Semb%C3%A8ne">Sembene's</a> "La Noire de..." and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibril_Diop_Mamb%C3%A9ty">Mambety's</a> "Touki-Bouki" over again and as I was doing so, I realized something. I have been very critical of Coupé-Décalé for its inherent materialism, but perhaps I have been a bit unfair and, in a way, hypocritical. As I mentioned above, there is this reoccurring theme within the world of Coupé-Décalé of making it big in Europe and then going back to Côte d'Ivoire and parading new-found wealth around. In the past, I have been tremendously dismissive of this, writing it off as a kind of tasteless show-boating. Yet, in watching these two films over again I realized this same exact theme exists in so much of the West African cinema that I deeply respect and cherish. In this context, I have never thought of the desire to escape to Europe, get rich and then return home to show off and spread that wealth as tasteless. Instead, I have considered that very theme to be an integral part of what makes these films such brilliant social commentaries. So maybe I should be more careful in my analysis and opinions of this aspect of the culture of Coupé-Décalé. On the other hand, the fact that this theme is used by directors such as Ousmane Sembene and Djibril Diop Mambety to drive a point home makes a huge difference.Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-86180371095747593712009-11-16T21:57:00.000-08:002010-01-25T20:05:28.247-08:00The Congo-Kenya Connection<span style="font-size:100%;">I know that I said my next post would be on Biafran highlife, but it's taking me a little longer than I expected to put that entry together. Instead, this post will be about Congolese musicians in East Africa.<br /><br />As I said in the previous post, the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) experienced prolonged periods of civil unrest throughout the 60s. The majority of the unrest that contributed to the appearance of Congolese musicians in East Africa was seen during the period in which Joseph Mobutu* was president. He came to power after the two former heads of state, Patrice Lumumba (prime minister) and Joseph Kasavubu (president) had a falling out and Kasavubu kicked Lumumba out of office. Mobutu, who was the head of the army at the time, was able to manufacture a mutiny within the army in large part due to the fact that he payed his soldiers privately because he was receiving financial support from the US and Belgium. Thus, he took advantage of the crisis of leadership and took over the country in a coup. Interesting fact: Lumumba was kidnapped and executed by Congolese and Belgian troops who had the support of the CIA.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the music, I'm getting off-track. It was because of this unrest that East Africa (particularly, Kenya) was inundated with Congolese musicians. This golden age of Congolese music in East Africa lasted from the late 60s/early 70s to 1985 when the president of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, ordered foreign workers to leave the country (this included musicians).<br /><br />Here are a few songs by Congolese bands who were based in East Africa (click on the track title to listen/download). Some of the musicians may be familiar (e.g. Franco, Baba Gaston), while others will be less so.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/kq9idvxlmj">Baba Nationale (Baba Gaston) - Zala Reconnassant Fa Fan</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/dqr9u7gq7m">Orchestre Festival du Zaire - Shauri Yako pts 1 & 2<br /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/m68vcxapsu">Franco et le T.P. O.K. Jazz - President Leon Mba</a><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">*<span style="font-size:85%;">He later renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga, meaning something along the lines of "The Great Unstoppable Warrior Who Goes From Victory to Victory"</span></span><br /><br />-<span style="font-size:85%;">For more info on Congolese musicians in East Africa check out <a href="http://muzikifan.com/">Muzikfan's</a> piece <a href="http://muzikifan.com/shika.html">"congo in kenya"</a></span>Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1372590692654390736.post-16324421249536595842009-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:002010-01-25T20:06:50.346-08:00Welcome! Let's Begin!Welcome to Poly-Rythmo d'Afrique. First things first, let me tell you a little about myself: My name is Steffan and I come from Brooklyn, New York.<br /><br />This blog is a product of my obsession with African music of all kinds. I am by no means an expert, but collecting and learning about music from Africa has been a hobby of mine for a few years now. The idea behind this blog is to not only post music, but to give readers some historical and social context to the music as well.<br /><br />OK. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's begin! I would like to use this first post to give you a sample of some of the kinds of sounds you can look forward to hearing on this blog.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/kn4lvofk9i">Charlotte Dada - Don't Let Me Down</a><br />First up is Ghanaian singer Charlotte Dada with a great Beatles cover. I haven't been able to find much info on her, but I really love the song so I decided to post it. This is off a compilation album called "Money No Be Sand-1960's Afro-Lypso, Pidgin Highlife, Afro-Soul, Afro-Rock" (Original Music, 1995).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/n080g8dctd">Onesmus Musyoki & Kalambya Boys - Katelesa</a><br />This song is an example of the kind of music made by the Akamba (Kamba music) of south-central Kenya in the 60s and 70s. Kamba music, which is still popular today, is often grouped under a Kenyan style of pop music known as "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benga_music">Benga</a>." The Kamba forms of Benga are generally characterized by the presence of quick-paced, higher pitched rhythm guitar loops, as you can hear in this song. It is heavily influenced by a type of Afro-pop originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo called Soukous. I really like Kamba Benga and plan on dedicating a whole post to it somewhere down the road.<br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/vdghfl9mmx"><br />Orchestre Hi-Fives - Belina Mon Amour</a><br />This band formed in Lubumbashi, DRC under the name Bana Kibushi Batano. Then in 1965 they moved to Tanzania and changed their name to the Hi-Fives.<br /><br />East Africa saw a huge influx of Congolese immigrants in the 60s and 70s as a result of civil unrest in the Congo. These immigrants brought their music with them and East African radio waves were quickly saturated with music made by Congolese musicians living in East Africa. Ever since then, East African pop has been heavily influenced by these Congolese sounds. I plan on doing an entry in the very near future on Congolese musicians in East Africa so I will not include any more info here (you'll just have to wait for my post).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/sk6bjxykc5">Ashanti Afrika Jah - Onyame</a><br />This song acts as a more well-polished example of the legendary West African music genre called Highlife. You will be hearing plenty of Highlife of all kinds on this blog because of how good it is and because of how much of it there is. Highlife music was born in Ghana and developed out of the big band sound popular among European colonizers and the urban elite, as well as from palm-wine music. Palm-wine music is the term for the music that had its beginnings in the local palm-wine bars along Ghana's coast and was associated more with the country's lower class. True highlife, as we know it today, popped up in the mid to late-50s, but the golden age of highlife came in the years following independence (1957) and lasted through the mid-70s. Highlife has begun to influence a lot of American pop music (e.g. Vampire Weekend, High Places, etc).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/g2j9g87o0p">Tinariwen - Matadjem Yinmixan</a><br />I <span style="font-weight: bold;">love</span> Tinariwen. This is off their newest album "Aman Iman: Water Is Life" (interesting side note-the title of this album comes from a Tuareg proverb: "Aman iman, akh issudar," meaning "water is life, milk is survival." Some of the members of Tinariwen are in another band called Terakaft and they just released their second album: "Akh Issudar"-clever, right?). Anyway, this is an example of the type of music made by the Tuaregs of Mali, Niger, Algeria, and small portions of Libya and Burkina Faso. The music is often called Desert Rock. I will have a full post on this very soon, but this type of music is often very political and talks of the marginalization of the Tuareg people by the governments of the countries in which they live.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/qxux3q1sqr">Fool's Gold - The World Is All There Is</a><br />Finally, I wanted to include one example of how the West has adopted and integrated African music into their pop industry. Fool's Gold is an LA-based collective of up to 12 musicians. The band's lead singer, Luke Top, comes from Israel, so most of their songs are in Hebrew. Enjoy!<br /><br />Well, that's it for now. If anyone actually reads this, I hope they get as much pleasure out of these songs as I do. Look out for my next post (my first real post) which will be on Biafran Highlife.Steffanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00802115947652486570noreply@blogger.com4