Aziza Brahim 2016.May.09 in Koln (DE)

Just returned home, before leaving I wanted to post, but as usual before travelling ran out of time. So now with a little delay here for you: Aziza Brahim recently live in Germany, from a broadcast I catched from FunkHaus Europa, a very sympathetic station, which even broadcasts special news- and information-reports for refugees in their mothertongue (may be the only one doing this in Europe at the moment!?!).

Aziza Brahim in session for Spanish Radio3

I read about Aziza first in 2009 on the now closed tamasheq.net and related re-aktion label, really liked what I heard, so kept following her. Unfortunately she didn't yet come near to where I live(d), so never seen her live in concert, but listening to this recent recording encourages to travel a greater distance for her in the future.

About Aziza Brahim (summarized from wiki)

Born in 1976 in the Sahrawi refugee camps, in the Tindouf region of Algeria where her mother had settled in late 1975, fleeing from the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara. She has never been to her country nor knows her family who remain in the occupied zone. Growing up in the severe conditions of these desert camps, Aziza discovered music was both a source of entertainment and a natural way to express and communicate her personal emotions and thoughts of resistance.
In 1987 at the age of 11 she, as many Sahrawi students at the time, received scholarships to study in Cuba. After having spent 7 years in Cuba, she was rejected to study music. She left school and returned to the refugee camps in 1995, pursuing her musical career. Since 2000 she is living in Spain.
In 1995, she won the "1st National Song Contest", in the National Culture Festival of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. She then joined the "National Sahrawi Music Group", touring Mauritania and Algeria. In 1998 she toured Europe with and the Sahrawi group Leyoad, visiting Spain, France and Germany. In 1999 she returned to the refugee camps, recording a session for the Sahrawi National Radio with Touareg musicians from Tamanrasset, Algeria. Between 2001 and 2003, she toured again in Spain, France and Germany with Leyoad. In 2005, she collaborated with the Spanish latin jazz band Yayabo. In 2007 she created the group Gulili Mankoo, composed of musicians from Western Sahara, Spain, Colombia or Senegal, mixing traditional African music with blues and rock, recording with them in 2008 her first solo work, the EP "Mi Canto".

Listen to the first track:


BRAHIM AZIZA 20160509 - Studio 672 Koln

setlist: 1.Soutak / 2.La Palabra / 3.La Cordillera Negra / 4.El Wad / 5.Buscando la Paz - Searching Peace / 6.Ya Watani / 7.Calles de Dajla - Streets of Dajla / 8.Lagi / 9.Mani

Discography

1998: VA-A Pesar de las Heridas (CD, Nube Negra) incl.2 songs
2008: Mi Canto EP (digital, Reaktion/Tamasheq) reaktionrecords at bandcamp
2011: Wilaya OST (soundtrack of spanish film about a Sahrawi refugee family)
2012: Mabruk (CD, Reaktion) reaktionrecords at bandcamp
2014: Soutak (CD, Glitterbeat) glitterbeat at bandcamp
2016: Abbar el Hamada (CD, Glitterbeat) glitterbeat at bandcamp

More media more from Aziza Brahim:

• 2013.May.16 - BBC Radio 3 World Routes Session (listen)
• 2014.Sep.26  - BBC World on 3 Session (listen)
• 2016.Apr - live Ellas Crean by INMUSICA (watch)
• 2016.Apr.25 - live session Radio 3 Spain (watch / listen / download)
• 2016.May.23 - 'El Wad' in session at Funkhaus Europa (watch clip)

Disfrutar de su Música! Come Mango Siempre Crudo!!!

Ibro Diabaté - Allah Nana (K7, 1994)

Referring to the, return at last, post by WrldSrv with a compilation K7 from 1991, and the discussion about the artists, I present to you the famous debut K7 by Ibro Diabate.
Bought this one in 1993/94 in Guinee, you could hear the first song 'L'Islam' all over Conakry, as it was the big big hit of that time.

Originally I wasn't planning to post this K7, as I thought I had seen it posted elsewhere before (awesometapes?), but as I couldn't find it anymore and reading the discussion between WrldSrv and NGONI, decided to present it here for your pleasure.

About Ibro Diabate (source: facebook)

Born in 1966, Ibro Diabate is one of the most prolific and successful musician from guinea. He is also the most charismatic and contreversed of them! He hailed from the sea coast city of Boke. In 1981, he left for Conakry to persue his musical career. He started playing in weddings. His name became a household name in Guinea when he released his first album Alla Nana. Ever since then he has enjoyed tremedous success in Guinea and on the international scene. He is a guitar and kora player. He sings most of his songs in sousou language or in his ethnic group Jakhanké.
Some more short background available at musiques-afrique.

In the beginning of this years there were rumours in the Guinean news sources about Ibro having died, but immediately were clarified to be untrue by Ibro himself.

Listen to L'Islam


DIABATE-IBRO-1994-K7_Allah Nana

tracklist: a1.L'Islam / a2.Gate / a3.Womama / a4.Lilah / a5.Kenenyi // b1.Nidari / b2.Kolisokho / b3.Seydouba / b4.Allah Nana / b5.Kenenyi (instrumental)
notes: recorded at studio Harry Son in Paris / arrangements etc.by Boncana Maiga / produced in Canada (!?!)

Discography

1994: Allah Nana (K7, Production Gris-Gris #RB.001)
1997: Eh! Wotan (CD, Sonodisc #CDS.7018)
1999: Affaires (K7, Sonodisc) reissued as "M Maloloe"
2001: VA-Les Leaders de la Guinée (CD?, Syllart) 2 tracks
2003: Esclave de l'Argent (CD/K7, Syllart)
2006: Kéré Wali Gbaka (Amacif Prod.)
201?: Déranger pour Arranger (release date not clear, album already mentioned in articles from 2010, but in 2016 still mentioned as his new album)
New (?) song posted a month ago on youtube: General Sékouba Konaté (add.info wiki)

In the RTG Syliphone archives there are also some recordings by Ibro (probably mid/late 1980s recordings):
Syliphone4-747: 1.Tore / 2.Foya / 3.Womama / 4.Nidari / 5.Lila (all with acoustic backing)
and Syliphone4-079-07: 7.Tore (with organ accompaniment)

My wish: recordings of the songs of this K7 recorded in the acoustic setting of the first 5 songs in the RTG archives!!!

Kiran Ahluwalia - 2008 Sessions NL

This is a very good follow-up to the previous post, as I first heard Kiran Ahluwalia in this song she recorded in 2011 with Tinariwen:

clip of, in India born, Kiran Ahluwalia backed by Tinariwen covering Nusrat Fareh Ali Khan

Kiran Ahluwalia was born in India, moved with her family at an early age to Canada, after growing up in Toronto she went back to India to learn ghazal music from an Indian master musician. After having local success back in Canada with her first albums and having married her, in Pakistan born, husband Rez Abassi, who is also her main musical collaborator, she wished to wander more over our globe. She came in contact with the Dutch music label World Connection, who was interested in releasing her music in Europe and invited her in 2008 July for promotion and later in November of the same year for a 'World Sessions' tour to Holland.
On both occasions recordings and interviews were made for Dutch Radio6, which happily I could catch, before the station closed down at the end of last year.

Kiran with her group at World Sessions (2008.Nov.22)

Listen to a track from her first, unplugged, session


AHLUWALIA-KIRAN-2008_Sessions in Holland

2008.Jul.09 - unplugged session in Amsterdam
setlist: 1.Aks / 2.Merey Mathay / 3.Yakeenan / interview by Ben Mendes
2008.Nov.22 - evening - World Sessions, Podium Mozaiek, Amsterdam
setlist: 1.Vo Kuch [trad.] / 2.Mere Mathay [trad.] / 3.Jaag Na Jaag [trad.]
note: earlier the same day she performed at the India Festival in Amsterdam (from which I also have some recordings, for a future post....)

More on and from Kiran Ahluwalia:

• In 2012 she visited the Festival au Desert and performed with Tinariwen (read report at afropop)
• In 2012 she performed at Ragas Live Festival (listen nycradiolive)
• In 2015 she did a World on 3 session (listen BBC) 

Discography

2001: Kashish - Attraction - Ghazals and Punjabi Folk Songs (CD)
2003: Beyond Boundaries (CD)
2005: Kiran Ahluwalia (CD, comp.of first 2)
2007: Wanderlust (CD) in 2008 by World Connection in Europe
          watch live performance of Soch Ka
2011: Aam Zameen - Common Ground (CD) incl.Mustt Mustt (at top of post)
2014: Sanata - Stillness (CD)
          watch the beautiful clip of Hayat

Profiter de la musique! Always EAT them RAW!!!

Tinariwen 2001.Nov.13 - Momo's London

Ordering all music, noticed that of one of the 'styles' I really like, I hadn't posted any yet: Touareg - Tamasheq music. I first heard this music on the international debut release of Tinariwen and was immediately hooked.

Their guitar motivs, rhythms and vocals/chants give you this slowly forward moving circling feeling, like riding a camel, up two steps forward, than down one step back, again up two forward, down one back, and so on....
Now many years later, they are well known internationally and, despite the problems on their home soil, still going strong. Many other musicians from the Sahara are inspired by them and invited to perform all over our globe. One thing they all seem to have in commen, that longing to return home to their dry desert soil.

So as a opening post for the 'Tamasheq' music, I present you the oldest live recording I have, Tinariwen in the autumn of 2001 in Momo's London. Unfortunately I couldn't identify all tracks (to my ears they don't match the setlist mentioned by Andy Kershaw), so all help from you is welcome to get the correct titles.

Listen to the first track


TINARIWEN 20011113 - Momo's London BBC

tracks: 1.Amassakoul 'n' Tenere / 2.?? / 3.?? / 4.??
bc: 2002.Feb.08 - Andy Kershaw - BBC Radio 3
(setlist acc.outro by Andy Kershaw: ??Assouf / Amassakoul / Chatma / Afours Afours??, but couldn't match titles with tracks, all help welcome.....)
bonustracks (from early releases*): A l'Histoire - avec El Keltoum (1992) / Matadjam Anmiksan (1992) / Attaye (1993) / Mano Dayak (1999 live)

Tinariwen - Discography

1992: Ténéré - Abidjan 1992* (K7, self release)
1993: Ténéré - Bamako 1993* (K7, self release) - listen 1st track
2001: The Radio Tisdas sessions (CD, IRL/Triban Union)
2003/04: VA-Le Festival Au Désert (CD, Triban Union) (DVD, Wrasse Records)
2004: Amassakoul (CD, Triban Union)
2006: Aman Iman (CD, Independiente)
2008: Live In London (DVD, Independiente)
2009: Imidiwan - Companions (CD, Independiente)
2009: Azawad - Live 1999 (digital only release, Re-aktion) - at bandcamp
          some tracks previously on "VA-Les Nuits Toucouleurs 99"* (promo)
2009: iTunes Live - London Festival '09 (digital release only, Independiente)
2011: Tassili (CD, V2/Anti-)
2011: Live At Bouffes Du Nord (free digital download only, The Guardian)
2014: Emmaar (CD/2LP, Wedge/Anti-)
2014: Inside/outside Joshua Tree Acoustic Sessions (12" EP, Wedge)
2015: Live In Paris (CD/2LP, Wedge/Anti-) feat.Lalla Badi
*some tracks could be listened at now closed tamasheq.net (incl.in download)

Final question: do

trees grow in the Sahara Desert??

Papa Wemba remembered more (1999, live in Germany)

Just catched this Homage to Papa Wemba broadcasted on Funkhaus Europa - World Live, every day in the week at 23hr. Live Global Popmusic.
Previous day's broadcast you can listen on the LOOP, note that start is not at beginning of program but at the point where the loop is at that very moment.

Well last monday (May.02) they remembered the late Papa Wemba with a broadcast:

"GOOGLE translation (DE=>EN): Papa Wemba RIP - 2016.May.02 - King of Soukous
The King of Soukous and Congolese rumba is dead: Papa Wemba broke on April 24 in Abidjan on stage together. Now the world mourns Africa superstar. The national hero with the "magic touch" was one of the first international African Global Pop Heroes!
Papa Wemba was only 66 years old. The death of one of the most popular musicians of Africa was unexpected and much too early. The brilliant singer and bandleader with the high voice still had a lot going on: build schools in his country, fight child poverty, support as a mentor to the music scene. Since the 60s, the stylish all-rounder commuted in various formations between Kinshasa and Paris. With bands like Yoka Lokole or Viva La Musica. The Congolese superstar brought one of the first global pop stars the Soukous on the international stages: a fusion of Highlife, Afro-Cuban Rumba and West and Central African roots music. The ultimate breakthrough Papa Wemba with his "Emotion Album" at Peter Gabriel's Real World label in 1995: because there was more than 100,000 copies sold! Because he had helped African immigrants to enter France, the Congolese national hero arrived in France in 2004 even short jail.
Recorded in 1999.January, Bielefeld, Hechelei"
Note MANGUE: date not sure, in program is said 1999.September!!

PAPA-WEMBA-199909_Bielefend

setlist: 1.Shofele / 2.Espelo / 3.Sakana / 4.Bakwetu / 5.unknown title / 6.Yolele / 7.N´Fono Yami / 8.Awa Yókeyi / 9.Excuse Me / 10.Zero / 11.Oldies Are Oldies / 12.Maria Valencia (cut, end of program)

Note: unknow tracknr.5 has text "Yesu A PaPa, Buka Lenge ...", also Papa Wemba sayd something funny in between as the singers started laughing
Anybody here understand what it's about?

GUINEE - Musique du Fouta-Djalon (CD, 1988)

Came along this song:

• N’Djaba (The Person I Love) by Bina Koumaré & Madou Diabate
  from 'Every Song Has Its End: Sonic Dispatches from Traditional Mali' (2016, Glitterbeat)

That reminded me about an album I have from Guinee, which I put on my list to post, but still didn't come to that:

It's music by griots of (mostly) the Fouta-Djalon, the mountainous region in mid-north Guinee, inhabited mostly by the Fulbe people. In 1993/94 when I visited Guinee, I wanted to see more than only Conakry, so one early morning I took the bus from Conakry to Labe, distance by road some 400km meaning ca.12hr by bus, first east to Mamou and then up north to Labe, the capital of the Fouta-Djalon region. The town had a pleasant atmosphere, less hectic than in Conakry, a for me better climate, less humid, only the corruption seemed at the same infuriating level, but let's not get into that. The scenery around Labe in the Fouta-Djalon is quit spectacular with mountains, hanging bridges over the many small rivers and impressive waterfalls (see picture on cover of Map of Guinee). So enjoyed some trips around the town and surroundings.

 

For some time I had the feeling that my hair had grown a little too long, and a good haircut would be most welcome. In Conakry I had looked around already, but all I saw there were closed barber shops, which from the outside couldn't be jugded and you really needed to go inside to check them out. Well that's not what I wanted to do: when inside and you don't like the place, it could be a real hassle to get out of it. So when roaming through Labe I noticed a nice small open barber shop, and decided it's now or never. Asked the barber what it would cost, after the usual bargaining we agreed to a price and he started his job on my head. In the meantime locals had seen that a white man got his hair cut, which was very unusual, so got quit some public around the shop (see picture). After some time even a man with a flute came and started blowing some nice music, while the barber was still cutting my hair.



got my hair cut in Labe, great interest by the locals

Now I still imagine that this musician is one of the griots from Labe, who are playing some tracks on the subject of this post, the album "Musique du Fouta-Djalon".Unfortunately it is not clear when the music on this album was really recorded, not mentioned on disc nor booklet, only one thing is sure that is must be before 1988, when it was released in France through the PlayaSound label.

Now listen to Tambiru et Gnegneru (flute and tablas) by Griots from LABE


GUINEE - Musiques du Fouta-Djalon (CD, 1988)

Full tracklist, info and scans inluded in the download.
Note: actually not all tracks are from Fouta-Djalon, 2 are from Wassou in the coastal region Basse-Guinée and 2 other are from Guinée Forestière in the south-east of Guinée, but the remaining other 16 tracks are recordings of griots from LABE and PITTA (aka Pita, a small town some 40 km south of Labé)

Background info about Fouta-Djalon:

• Fouta Djallon on wiki
• Fulbe Art by Jacqueline Delange (1974) at webpulaaku
  missing pictures from page: Jubaade hairstyle in Fuuta-Jalon / Juulirde - Mosque of Yemberen, Fuuta-Jalon

Some other Fouta-Djalon (related) music:

• Koubia Jazz - Commissaire Minuit (5:40, 1987, Syliphone-4-022-03)
  Graeme Counsel: "Hailing from Melikansa, near Pita in the Fouta Djallon heartland, comes this troupe of Fulbé musicians. Featuring the button accordion, an instrument that was very popular in the region (e.g. Amadou Barry, “Petit Moussa” Diawara), the group are led by Yero Boye Diallo. After the death of Sékou Touré in 1984, Fulbé music made a resurgence in Guinea, and Koubia Jazz encapsulate that spirit."
• Binta Laaly Sow - 56 (5:01, rec.1986, Syliphone-4-581-09)
  Graeme Counsel: "The most popular Fulbé female vocalist in Guinea. Outside of Guinea very little is known about this artist, or about the song she performs - “56”. It was widely performed by Guinean musicians."
• Farba Tela - Niina (7:52, 1979, Syliphone-3-097-2)
  Graeme Counsel: "An analysis of Syliphone vinyl recordings reveals that just 3% were of Fulbé music, yet the Fulbé accounted for 40% of Guinea’s population. Evidence of the marginalisation of the Fulbé under Sékou Touré’s regime, it also meant that music such as this and that of Binta Laaly Sow etc was never heard outside of Guinea. Farba Tela, real name Oumar Seck, is the featured vocalist here and he also played the guitar and hoddu. Farba Tela was Guinea’s most popular Fulbé musician - an amazing talent who creates an intensity akin to that of Ali Farka Touré, who was an admirer."
• SAMBA GELADIO by Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté on 'Ali and Toumani' -  (listen at webpulaaku)
  from liner notes: "In the studio we asked Ali, “Is there another Peul song that you haven’t recorded before?” And he played around on the guitar and came up with this. That’s how a lot of the songs were chosen, on the spot. Samba Geladio (aka ‘Samba Gueladio Diégui’) was a Peul prince from the Fouta region of West Africa. After the death of his father, King Fonkobo, Samba Geladio was involved in a bitter struggle with his uncle Konkobo and his half-brothers for his share of the kingdom. These events apparently took place in the 17th century and have become the subject of an epic tale of heroism, which is often recited by the griots to musical accompaniment, with plenty of magical and mystical enhancements."

Travel info about Fouta-Djalon:

• Conakry - Labé - Mali Ville (Africa Tavel Magazine)
• Guinee 2012 incl.trek in the Fouta Djallon (by JKP)
• Party in Labé and Trekking in Fouta Djallon (watch Brendan van Son: party Labé / trek day 2)

Need your Hair Cut in GUINEE Best Go to the Lovely LABE!!