Rolling Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2016 Thread Once Known as World Music

I think me and the missus are gonna go see Seu Jorge doing his David Bowie songs in Portuguese tomorrow night at the Howard Theatre instead of watching election results at home

good call! pottery for me.

Seu Jorge did a nice if short set, an hour plus 2 encores of songs he had done earlier ("Rebel Rebel" and "Oh You Pretty Thing"). A certain non-David Bowie song got all the Brazilians in the crowd excited. Alas, I spent some of the time staring at twitter and 538 on my phone in disbelief and disgust and sadness.

Is it going to be harder for international musicians to come to the US now? Will have to see how this all plays out. Plus what will change with Cuba (or change back)?

Modern Brazil - s/d

Lots of Brazilian stuff for me to catch up on, plus some of those acts from that list I posted above on Nov. 1st

Brazilian singer Mahmundi's electro r'n'b pop with a touch of reggae is nice enough but only wows me on a few cuts. She's on Spotify.

I listened to Jupiter and Okwess (DR Congo) on Spotify. Despite being from the Congo, this band sounds more like Seun Kuti--sped-up afrobeats with horns.

love the bobo yéyé comp

I couldn't give it my full attention, but this Digital Zandoli comp sounded great: https://antillesseries.bandcamp.com/album/digital-zandoli

x-post-- will the reissue labels ever run out of old-school African music to reissue;

Thanks for the tip-- haven't listened yet to that Numero Group Bobo Yéyé: Belle Époque in Upper Volta

Oh, that comp Rob mentioned--80s zouk and more is a less researched area...

yeah I don't have the knowledge to talk much about it, but it was all new to my ears (I mean apart from the rnb and boogie influences) and a lot of fun

I listened to Kassav a bit way back when, but that's about the extent of my knowledge

Digital Zandoli is fantastic, maybe my comp of the year.

Was listening to current female artist Nakany Kanté (Guinée)...pleasant listen, need to listen again more closely

folks talking about Brazilian Rodrigo Campos on the Modern Brazil thread...Nice samba singer who sometimes gets a bit artsy

Thanks Rob for posting, been enjoying Digital Zandoli all week. Also looking forward to the Doing it in Lagos/80s Nigeria compilation on Soundway. Cuts I heard sound incredible

The opening track from Digital Zandoli , Puzzle Pulsion - Mwoin Ka Songe , has a bit of a Haitian konpa feel to it if you ask me even if the Dusty Grooves website description doesn't think so. Many Haitians were/are into zouk

WORLD MUSIC EUROPEAN AIRPLAY TOP 15
October’s most played world music albums, compiled from returns from radio DJs all over Europe World Music Charts Europe
© giftmusic 2016
1.NOURA MINT SEYMALI Arbina (Glitterbeat)
2.KRISTI STASSINOPOULOU & STATHIS KALYVIOTIS Nyn (Riverboat)
3.ELIZA SOARES The Woman At The End Of The World (Mais Um Discos)
4.ACID ARAB Musique De France (Crammed)
5.DZAMBO AGUVESI ORCHESTRA Brass Like It Hot (ARC)
6.ZOMBA PRISON PROJECT I Will Not Stop Singing (Six Degrees)
7.ALSARAH & THE NUBATONES Manara (Wonderwheel)
8.TUULETAR Tules Maas Vedes Tavaal (Bafe’s Factory)
9.VARIOUS ARTISTS Urgent Jumping! (Stern’s)
10.ORKESTA MENDOZA ¡Vamos A Guarachar! (Glitterbeat)
11.YISHAK BANJAW Love Songs Vol.2 (Teranga Beat)
12.LUISA MALTA Fio Da Memoria (Cumbancha)
13.DJ CLICK Labesse Club (No Fridge)
14.SÖNDÖRGÖ Live Wires (Riverboat)
15.CIGDEM ASLAN A Thousand Cranes (Asphalt Tango

TRANSGLOBAL WORLD MUSIC CHART TOP 15
October’s favourite albums compiled from a worldwide panel of broadcasters and writers.
1.NOURA MINT SEYMALI Arbina (Glitterbeat)
2.CONSTANTINOPLE & ABLAYE CISSOKO Jardins Migrateurs (Ma Case)
3.KALHOR, AYNUR, GAMBAROV, QOCGIRI Hawniyaz (Harmonia Mundi)
4.KRISTI STASSINOPOULOU & STATHIS KALYVIOTIS Nyn (Riverboat)
5.VARIOUS ARTISTS Khmer Rouge Survivors (Glitterbeat)
6.RICHARD BONA & MANDEKAN CUBANO Heritage (Qwest/Membran)
7.TANGA Le Trésor Des Ancêtres (Buda)
8.REFUGEES FOR REFUGEES Amerli (Muziekpublique)
9.VARIOUS ARTISTS Urgent Jumping! (Stern’s)
10.TUULETAR Tules Maas Vedes Tavaal (Bafe’s Factory)
11.QUEYRAS, CHEMIRANI, SINOPOULOS Thrace Sunday Morning Sessions (Harmonia Mundi)
12.ABOU DIARRA Koya (Mis & Metisse)
13.BARCELONA GYPSY BALKAN ORCH. Del Ebro Al Danubio (Satélite K)
14.VIEUX KANTÉ The Young Man’s Harp (Stern’s)
15.ORKESTA MENDOZA ¡Vamos A Guarachar! (Glitterbeat)

both of these from the folk roots zine website

Best thing about the "Bobo Yéyé" comp is the book it comes with - many of the recordings were financed by this photography studio and there's tons of pictures. Some of people standing in front of a painting of an airport - aspirational.

So in 1983 after a military coup, Upper Volta became Burkina Faso. Listening to that Bobo Yeye comp now on Spotify. The comp with book sounds tempting. Numero group does a nice job with all of their releases.

So a few folks over the years on ilx have praised German producer Mark Ernestus for his remixes of African music and more. I somehow missed out, but see his new Senegalese remix effort got a nice review from Andy B*ta . I think the "Yermande" track from this may have come out in 2015

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22461-yermande/

César Lacerda & Romulo Fróes – O Meu Nome é Qualquer Um (google translate says that means in English): My Name is Anyone

Nice, quiet & folky yet bossa-samba-mpb inflected duo effort from Brazil

playlist updated with songs from those best of lists; probably another 80 or so tracks.

Thanks

My quick look at the year-end 2016 thread shows very few non-Western world albums...

I think I saw Bombino on one list & maybe Noura Mint Seymali on another, but no afropop/afrobeats, nothing from Central or South America....

Ben Ratliff, former NY Times writer, usually includes a Brazilian album in his list, but his 2016 list (in Esquire) doesn't have any.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

NPR picked A-WA as their #23rd best album of the year!

I like some of that Yemeni pop, but not sure about the whole album

they put on a fantastic show. i really like them.

Noura Mint Seymali at #76 on Quietus list. Hoped she would have finished higher. I think the guitar playing on her album is as or more interesting than that on many of the rock and experimental albums that finished above it on that list

Afropop.org "stocking stuffers" list

The complete list of this year’s recommended records, and where to find them:

Bitori, Legend of Funaná: The Forbidden Music of the Cape Verde Islands (Analog Africa)

Elage Diouf, Melokàane (DEP)

Tiwa Savage, R.E.D. (Mavin)

Bisa Kdei, Break Through (BLMC)

Yishak Banjaw, Love Songs Vol. 2 (Terenga Beat)

Debo Band, Ere Gobez (FPE)

Various Artists, Bobo Yeye: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta (Numero Group)

Various Artists, Urgent Jumping! East African Musiki Wa Dansi Classics (Sterns Africa)

Le Tout-Puissant Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, Madjafalao (Because Music)

Vaudou Game, Kidayu (Hot Casa)

Bossacucanova The Best of Bossacucanova (Six Degrees)

Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, Dois Amigos: Um Século de Música (Ao Vivo) (Nonesuch)

Elza Soares, A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (Mais Um Discos)

Los Hacheros, Bambulaye (Chulo)

Ibrahim Maalouf, Black Light (Impulse)

Tiken Jah Fakoly, Racines (Universal)

Vieux Kanté, The Young Man’s Harp (Sterns Africa)

Bombino, Azel (Partisan)

Noura Mint Seymali, Noura Mint Seymali, Arbina (Glitterbeat)

Mohamed Abozekry, Karkadé (Jazz Village/Harmonia Mundi)

Osei Korankye, Seperewa of Ghana: Emmere Nhyina Nse (Akwaaba Music)

Richard Bona, Heritage (Qwest)

The Pedrito Martinez Group and Román Díaz, Habana Dreams (Motema Music)

Harold Lopez-Nussa, El Viaje (Mack Avenue)

Zomba Prison Project, I Will Not Stop Singing (Six Degrees)

Fatou Seidi Ghali & Alamnou Akrouni, Les Filles de Illighadad (Sahel Sounds)

Sahra Halgan Trio, Faransiskiyo Somaliland (Buda Music)

Aziza Brahim, Abbar el Hamada (Glitterbeat)

Rocky Marsiano, Meu Kamba Vol. Dois (Akwaaba)

Graveola E O Lixo Polifônico, Camaleão Borboleta (Mais Um Discos)

La Yegros, Magnetismo (Soundways)[i]

I couldn't give it my full attention, but this Digital Zandoli comp sounded great: https://antillesseries.bandcamp.com/album/digital-zandoli

― rob, Monday, November 21, 2016 3:25 PM (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

love this

Los Hacheros, Bambulaye (Chulo)

This is fun retro Latin dance music (from NY I think)

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/photography/finding-indias-lost-musicians/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_tw20161210travel-indiamusic&utm_campaign=Content&sf45735326=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe7-MYliEzM

Got the Music of Morocco box yesterday finally and don't feel like I've come up for air since -- disc 1 on repeat, read the deets of disc 1 contents while waiting for band practice, learned tons already. And the package itself is pure delight to look at and anticipate. I'm saving the major essay for later.

Yeah, it's an astonishing collection. Worked my way through three times and each time a different disc is my favourite.

Haven't dug into Music of Morocco yet, but I did dig into some albums on that afropop.org list--

Vaudou Game, Kidayu (Hot Casa) was a fun listen. This is a band based in France I think, led by a guy from Togo who go for a Seun Kuti meets Orlando Julius afrofunk-afrobeat sound most of the time, but suddenly sound Ethiopian on a track or 2.

Richard Bona, Heritage (Qwest) -- he's a studio vet from the Cameroon who has played bass with African, Latino and jazz groups alike. He has played with a who's who of artists in Paris and NY. Also plays balafon and guitar. Its pleasant and sometimes more. A few cuts play up the clave beat more.

Listened to these too: Elage Diouf, Melokàane (DEP)-- kinda all over the map, I need to hear it again; one song sounds like Springsteen kinda

Tiwa Savage, R.E.D. (Mavin)-strong afropop/afrobeats that I listened to earlier this year and again recently

Bisa Kdei, Break Through (BLMC)--Ghanaian funky afropop sorta. I like it and need to hear again

Thanks to folks on this list for some of the great finds throughout the year. I've only been lurking on this thread, but I appreciate it.

http://fastnbulbous.com/lucky-16/#breakdown

01. Thiago Nassif – Três
02. Dele Sosimi Meets Prince Fatty & Nostalgia 77 – You No Fit Touch Am in Dub
03. Noura Mint Seymali – Arbina
04. Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra – Abra Sua Cabeça
05. Anthony Joseph – Caribbean Roots
06. Fumaça Preta – Impuros fanáticos
07. Bombino – Azel
08. Alma Afrobeat Ensemble – It’s Time
09. Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force – Yermande
10. Saulo Duarte e a Unidade – Cine Ruptura
11. Mulatu Astatke + Black Jesus Experience – Cradle Of Humanity
12. Ukandanz – Awo
13. Céu – Tropix
14. Elza Soares – The Woman At The End Of the World
15. Rokia Traoré – Né So
16. Imarhan – Imarhan
17. Negro Léo – Água Batizada
18. A-Wa – Habib Galbi
19. Tom Zé – Canções eróticas para ninar
20. Metá Metá – MM3

didn't realize there was a new mulatu astatke project! thx for heads up.

Nor did I. The other Ethiopian pianist legend Girma Beyene has been sticking around on the east coast of the US for a bit. He's gonna do a January showcase gig in NYC for US arts promoters I think, plus more gigs there and a New Years Day one with Feedel band again backing him in DC. Someone needs to get them a show up your way Mordy.

i guess it's the time of making lists so i think this is my top world albums 2016 list:

1. A-WA - Habib Galbi (shocking I know) (Israel)
2. Noura Mint Seymali - Arbina (could've been #1 easily) (Mauritania)
3. Fatou Seidi Ghali, Alamnou Akrouni - Les Filles de Illighadad (Niger)
4. Imarhan - Imarhan (Algeria)
5. Sahra Halgan Trio - Faransiskiyo Somaliland (Somalia)
6. Volta Jazz, Coulibaly Tidiane & Dafra Star - Bobo Yéyé: Belle Epoque in Upper Volta (Upper Volta)
7. VA - Space Echo: The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed (Cape Verde)
8. Luka Productions - Mali Kady (Mali)
9. Aziza Brahim - Abbar el Hamada (Algeria)
10. Sunburst - Ave Africa: The Complete Recordings 1973-1976 (Tanzania)
11. Bombino - Azel (Niger)
12. Afrobeat Makers - Nu Guinea: The Tony Allen Experiments (Paris)
13. VA - Turntables on the Caribbean (Caribbean)
14. Debo Band - Ere Gobez (Ethiopia)
15. Naftule's Dream - Blood (Boston)
16. Africaine 808 - Basar (Berlin, Lagos, NY)
17. Ukandanz - Awo (Ethiopia)
18. Hailu Mergia, Dahlak Band - Wede Harer Guzo (Ethiopia)
19. Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra - Abra Sua Cabeça (Brazil)
20. Malawi Mouse Boys - Forever is 4 You (Malawi)

subject to change, order is loose, etc etc, apologies for any errors, did not split original releases + reissues this year

With you on Noura....

x-post

Ah, So Astatke recorded with an Australian band

that mouse boys album is a quiet heatseeker it's true
they're secretly one of my fave live shows of all time

Osei Korankye, Seperewa of Ghana: Emmere Nhyina Nse (Akwaaba Music)

Nice, pleasant acoustic Ghanaian music

Was also listening to the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra - Too Much Information - Laolu Remix on Spotify. That's a Dec. 2015 afrobeat goes club thing that is popping up on some 2016 year-end track lists.

Elza Soares – The Woman At The End Of the World

This seems to be the Brazilian effort getting the most crossover attention. But sometimes this is too avante-noisy for my tastes, and she sometimes shrieks too much. Romulo Froes who I like, wrote a song on this and Soares is hailed by many, so ignore my nitpicking if you want.

yeah I listened to a bit of that and it was pretty good, but it seems obvs that her life story is key to the attention it's getting. This is a reissue from 1970 but it was on bandcamp's list and is quite nice: https://josemauro.bandcamp.com/releases

Was also listening to the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra - Too Much Information - Laolu Remix on Spotify. That's a Dec. 2015 afrobeat goes club thing that is popping up on some 2016 year-end track lists.

It makes no sense to me to list that rather than the dub album, but it's good -- I found a FLAC version from some comp and just appended it to the dub album.

Afrobeat Makers - Nu Guinea: The Tony Allen Experiments (Paris)

Is this a compilation of the two volumes, which came out in 2012 and 2014?

Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra - Abra Sua Cabeça (Brazil)

I love this and am trying to find a way to officially buy it (lossless files or CD) with no luck so far.

Here's a few others that were just outside my top 20 or on other genre lists:

Mohammed Lamouri – MOMOstLAMOURI tape (Lamouri) | Algeria
Baaba Maal – The Traveller (180 Proof) | Senegal
Konono No. 1 & Batida – Konono No. 1 & Batida (Crammed) | Congo
Douglas Germano – Golpe de vista (Digitalize) | Brazil
Hailu Mergia & Dahlak Band – Wede Harer Guzo (ATFA) | Ethiopia
Susso – Keira (Soundway) | UK
Wardruna – Runaljod: Ragnarok (Norse Music) | Norway
Steve Lehman – Sélébéyone (Pi) | US & Senegal
The Eternals – Espiritu Zombi (New Atlantis) | US
Melt Yourself Down – Last Evenings On Earth (Leaf)
Luisa Maita – Fio de memória (Cumbancha) | Brazil
Horse Lords – Interventions (Northern Spy) | US
The Dwarfs Of East Agouza – Bes (Nawa) | Egypt
Laraaji & Sun Araw – Professional Sunflows – Professional Sunflow (W.25th) | US
Shabaka and the Ancestors – Wisdom Of Elders (Brownswood) | South Africa
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – We Be All Africans (Strut) | US