Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2018 Thread Once Known as World Music

that Sylla piece is excellent, thanks for posting that. It should probably go on that recent tuneyards thread, but maybe that thing is best forgotten

Ha. I need to listen to that Congolese/Canadian guy Pierre Kwenders you mentioned on another thread

x-post I wonder if any members of the Makgona Tsohle Band who used to back the Mahotella Queens are still alive and able to perform?

Fanta Sylla in Pitchfork Pitch piece linked above:

Growing up, I was ambivalent about what I perceived to be a general indifference towards African music. There was a rich history, a diversity of styles, and countless brilliant artists people didn’t seem to want to explore. It felt like people could only handle African music if it was mixed or filtered with something they recognized. But rather than calling out white artists who appropriate African music, I’ve always been more concerned that the African genres and artists that inspired them were given proper credit and financial support. I’m interested in the inclusion of African music in non-African publications, and in a passionate critical approach by African writers on the sounds that color their lives (look to Cameroonian writer Achille Mbembe’s beautiful piece on Congolese music for a great example).

It's nice that Pitchfork Pitch posted this, but alas I didn't see a single artist based on the African continent in the Pitchfork best of tracks or albums list for 2017. Periodically over the years they've posted stuff by Deej and others, but nothing consistently.

ANEWAL is the new trio of Alhousseini Anivolla, lead guitarist and singer of internationally renowned desert blues band Etran Finatawa. Formed in 2012

Listened to their 2017 album. They have that sound down.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/petite-noir-accuses-damon-albarn-project-africa-express-of-musician-exploitation/

Seems Africa Express isn't being too well received by some of the involved musicians.

Ouch. Terrible contract. No comments yet from Albarn or Zimmer or others associated with Africa Express

Zinner I mean

Here's the response:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/damon-albarns-africa-express-responds-to-claims-of-musician-exploitation/

"As we pay all the travel, accommodation and other costs for Western artists joining us on trips, we ask them to volunteer their time."

So Mr. Blur & Gorillaz's @africaexpress costs get paid for, but he can't afford to pay Africans for anything, or even promise them a specific percentage of any possible profits. Hmm.

http://www.nme.com/news/music/damon-albarn-accused-unfair-treatment-musicians-africa-express-project-2236879

Seeing complicating and contradictory comments about this Africa Express thing on Facebook . Some insisting this just relates to standard rules when recording a charity benefit album as they were apparently doing in South Africa in addition to the gigs. But the language in the contract seems problematic

well when africa express rolled thru addis 6 or so years ago, the ethiop musicians here were not happy with the way they were treated, felt disrespected in their own clubs by ppl like flea and others general dissatisfaction has been the sense i've gotten over the years, was surprised still going on

Oh. That's not good. I had seen various references to gig appearances in the UK and Africa, but until now did not know of any recordings as they just did in South Africa. Seems like Albarn and Africa Express brought a number of fellow (white) musicians like like Blue May, and Mr. Jukes in addition to YYY's Zinner to South Africa to work with young South African gqom dance folks as well as Mahotella Queens. Blue May's defense of the project on FB makes a few good points and provides a bit more info but overall it isn't that understanding or impressive.

just bought the Jupiter & Okwess album. nearly put off by the sticker on the front that mentions Damon Albarn.

Ignore that sticker.

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Maybe not for this thread but I just read the below articles and haven't listened to these acts yet

http://www.okayafrica.com/congolese-music-artists-new-killing-it/

I don't know any of these Congolese rappers and r'n'b acts-- Maître Gims and others

http://www.okayafrica.com/black-panther-album-south-african-artists/

Sjava and 3 others.

I don't know these folks either

I did watch the video of Ethiopian Jewish musician living in Israel Gili Yalo. Nice blend of funk, pop and Ethiopian grooves

http://www.clashmusic.com/news/premiere-gili-yalo-selam

loving the heck out of that yalo ethiojazz

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium-how-racism-changed-ethiopian-israeli-singer-1.5423209

Interesting interview with Yalo from 2016

There's a Nyege Nyege Tapes night happening round the corner from me in April. I knew I moved to a city for a reason :-)

Crash Fest in Boston, Mass Feb 24th includes VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ - Malian guitarist dubbed “The Hendrix of the Sahara”
MOKOOMBA - Afro-fusion from Zimbabwe
ZESHAN B – Chicago soul singer with Indo-Pakistani roots
FLOR DE TOLOACHE - Explosive all-female mariachi band
TAL NATIONAL - High energy rock ‘n’ roll from Niger
INNOV GNAWA - Trance music from Morocco
NEWPOLI - A modern take on music from the Mediterranean
SÓ SOL - Música Brasileira with an Americana twist
KOTOKO BRASS

If I was up there I would definitely see Vieux Farka Toure, Mokoomba, and Tal National again. Innov Gnawa are pretty good live too. Don't know the others really

oh is tal national gonna tour at all while they're here? i would def go see them again.

i would totally go see them again too

They are touring now through March (without a percussionist who I think played on previous tours). In Brooklyn Friday night the 23rd, Boston on 24th, Portland Maine on 25th, New Haven on the 27th, and later in March in Pittsburgh on the 16th, Baltimore on the 17th, West Virginia on the 18th.

Not seeing any DC or Philadelphia or Chicago gigs although they have nothing listed for March 19th & 20th, before they head south to Big Ears fest and elsewhere. I am trying to get their agent to add a DC date on one of those days, but not having luck.

Mokoomba's US tour is short too

Christopher Kirkley of Sahel Sounds (who was involved in that North African Purple rain movie adaptation)is presenting another film "Zerzura" on saturday night Feb. 24th at 7 pm at the Freer Gallery in DC. This movie he says " is a feature length magical realist folktale about a young nomad who sets off to find his brother in a lost Saharan city. It’s a collaborative film we wrote and shot on location in Agadez, Niger over the course of a month. Filmed entirely in Tamashek, it also features original improvisational guitar score from protagonist Ahmoudou Madassane (Mdou Moctar, Les Filles de Illighadad)."

Hailu Mergia's going to put out an album of new material and there's an interview with him in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/arts/music/hailu-mergia-lala-belu.html

Nice. I saw something on Bandcamp the other day. I thought that since Mergia is doing so many European tours he had given up his other job, but not completely I see:

He still drives the cab for extra cash. In idle moments, he hauls out the keyboard and sits alone in the back seat, his eyes closed, improvising.

this is cool https://sahelsounds.bandcamp.com/album/field-recordings-from-the-sahel

That looks cool.

Now in sad news, I see on the Stern’s music store & label blog that singer Medoune Diallo has died. He was in the great groups Orchestra Baobab and Africando.

http://sternsmusic.blogspot.com/2018/02/medoune-diallo-11021949-10022017-rip.html?m=1

The new Mergia album is mostly impressive. He’s on accordion on some tracks and various types of keyboards on others.

received the Pantsula comp in the post today. it's great huh?

Too much to keep up on. Have not heard that comp of 88 to 90 South African electronic dance (yet)

loving the new tal national btw

The Tal National album rocks. Feel like I should also post about it on some ilm rock thread

also new femi kuti & imarhan

Vieux Farka Toure is gonna be back in DC Tuesday night and he's a charismatic performer live, but I'm spoiled-- have seen him 3 times locally so might skip this one.

NY Times’ Jon Pareles tweeting about how much he loved recent gigs by Tal National and Mokoomba. He says both groups “transcend tribalism “ by bringing together multiple cultures/ minorities.

Onetime ilxor K*ith H*rris penned a favorable review of the new Tal National album in a Minnesota publication/site

some side eye at "transcend tribalism" like wtf is that supposed to mean but the new tal national is really good

Yeah, good point.

Meanwhile in Egypt, pop singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for saying the Nile River is too dirty to drink from

http://m.dw.com/en/egyptian-singer-jailed-for-insulting-the-nile/a-42759474?xtref=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F

I missed the Tal National and Mokoomba gigs. Vieux too, though I've seen him more than once. Hoping/half-anticipating that they were showcase gigs for larger presenters who will bring them back this summer.

Tal National playing in my town this Sunday. Looking forward to it. nice that they made it to the wilds of western mass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGLy6Vb0jwQ

they were so amazing. go see them if you have never seen them! so great to see them in my fave tiny bar in town. capacity only 100 and it was packed full.

https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/d3wdq7/robert-christgau-youssou-ndour-tal-national-review

Christgau likes Tal National too

could have listened to that drummer all night. between this and the xylouris white show i am really getting my drum on this year. best drum shows ever.

critic Richard Gehr has been reviewing international stuff for quite awhile. Perhaps I'm reading "once again on the rise" wrong, but North African/Sahel guitar has been around for a number of years now. Checking out BKO

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/review-tal-national-and-africas-high-octane-modern-rock-w517585

Sidi Touré, Toubalbero | ★★★ 1/2
BKO, Mali Foli Coura | ★★★ 1/2
Tal National, Tantabara | ★★★★
Imarhan, Temet | ★★★

With American rock bands looking to forward-thinking EDM and elsewhere for genre rejuvenation, African electric guitars and traditional instruments alike are once again yawping, screaming and blurting with new intensity after something of a genre hiatus. Over there, the romantic scenario of picking up chops down at the crossroads has been replaced by the vigorous international and inter-ethnic cultural trading going on in Mali, Niger and Algeria. Amid African music's myriad variations, rock is once again on the rise.

I posted the below on the Afropop thread but its relevant here too:

No respect...For the second year in a row, the Nabisco (N.A.) edited NY Times Magazine special issue 25 Songs that Tell Us Where Music is Going has no artists based in Africa (mostly all US & UK this year except for 1 K-Pop, a hiphop remix with Puerto Rican rappers, and a Scottish pop group with 2 members of Liberian heritage )

The issue does have nicely penned pieces on Chicago footwork DJ Taye and one on a remix with Farruko, Nicki Minaj, and Bad Bunny; SZA ,and Bruno Mars's Finesse remix. But I was expecting more from a former ilxor who writes well and is very smart and who got a bunch of talented writers from elsewhere to contribute. An editor doesn't have to like Scandinavian whatever(pop or metal) or Nigerian Afropop to recognize that it should be included in something with the heading "25 Songs that Tell Us Where Music is Going," but he didn't do that this year or last year (the first time he edited this). Instead, as when he was the music critic at New York Magazine he generally followed his interests-US and UK pop, rap, and r'n'b.

Just splashed out on the new album by Hailu Merga, 'Lala Belu'. Only 6 tracks at full price, which I feel is pretty steep but it's quality and I adore the title track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyuWRXoFCjY

Also picked up the Ernesto Chahoud compilation of Ethiopian cuts. Roll on 5 o'clock!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gmGL5SqhaY&t=150s

New Fatoumata Diawara from Mali video/song "Nterini" directed by Ethopian director Aida Muluneh. Lots of bright primary colors

Oops, video link not working. I like Fatoumata Diawara's voice. Sometimes she tries to hard to crossover to Western audiences, but this one mostly works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gmGL5SqhaY

http://www.transglobalwmc.com/category/charts/annual-charts/

Monsieur Doumani is their top North African/ Middle East winner

I still haven't listened to Doumani. Heard a little of the Finch and Keita record -- beautiful at times, too easy listening at other times

The Afro-folk of Madagascar group Teko Telo is pleasant enough

Transglobal WM Chart Best of 2018!
BEST ALBUM OF 2018: Monsieur Doumani
2-Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita
3-Fatoumata Diawara
4-El Naán
5-Ammar 808
6-Gabacho Maroc
7-The Turbans
8-SANS
9-Vigüela
10-Samba Touré

20 = Ammar 808 Maghreb United (Glitterbeat)

This on Folk Roots poll. I like it

Monsieur Doumani did not wow me. It turns out that they are a three-piece Cypriot band

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx4cRw6TIIg

Guitarist Ronnie Moipolai from Botswana has over a million views

Check out the flashy fingerwork, people!

That Jupiter & Okwess album from Congo is a keeper. Great guitar sound, unusual arrangements, head nodding but not typical rhythms

Some albums on the Quietus list of 100 that I need to check out. Heard a little of this one and liked it:

The sheer range of what Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca and Tamer Abu Ghazaleh are trying to combine on Lekhfa - trad chaabi, mahraganat, Nile Delta psych, classic Egyptian pop, Middle Eastern jazz, smoky... ...That's a choice by the Q editor who has posted here on ocassion

Listening to Qhizzo- Gqomm Plug now. More interesting than European techno, but still the club beats can get a bit tiresome. This is from South Africa and the vocals are melodic and interesting in how the interact

Ammar 808 Maghreb United (Glitterbeat) has made a few polls

looking for Mdou Moctar bookings in florida, charleston sc, savannah, open to house shows - get at us at booking (at) sahelsounds (dot) com

didn't know you were repping Moctar curmudgeon! Hoping to see him briefly at Drom early next month.

That was from a Sahelsounds tweet. I am just trying to help Moctar and Sahelsounds out. Have seen Moctar live 3 times and he and his band are wonderful. They deserve well-paying gigs in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Jason King in his year-end piece as part of the Slate discussion among critics:

Though Africa has largely fallen off the American news radar, the music rocketing out of the continent remains straight fire. Projects by GuiltyBeatz, Aka, Fatoumata Diawara, Seun Kuti, Femi Kuti, Emmanuel Jal, Burna Boy, Muzi, Tal National, and Ammar 808 are all worth streaming. My favorite contemporary record this year, however, was I’m a Dream, the sophomore set from Gambian-Swedish chanteuse Seinabo Sey.

https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/2018-music-both-directions-at-once-coltrane.html

xp ah, okay.

https://www.stereogum.com/2027032/barack-obama-best-songs-2018/news/

Jupiter & Okwess are on it; Fatoumata Diawara too

Rolling Global Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2019 Thread Once Known as World Music