Fire on the Mountain

I'm hurredly typing this out and have decided to put articles up piecemeal otherwise I will never get never get around to publishing updates. It's already March!

The first three months have really been a blessing, and it's all about the music. Italy and Mexico are the two countries selected to be included in the testing of a new music channel, NatGeoMusic, a station that plays only world music. There has been some commentary in the music press due to the fact that the record labels have to supply the videos to the TV channel for free and the artists therefore get no royalties for airplay. Critics argue that World music is already a struggling niche market and therefore artists need whatever money they can get to survive. In response to these voices, of which I am wholly understanding, the reality is that a potential listener can install and download the entire album from scratch in about the same time it is taking to write this article. Therefore I think it is better for World artists to get free exposure where possible. As a result of the music channel I have discovered new artists and bought their albums. The music industry needs to wake up a little to on-demand reality of the music marketplace and stop applying the old its old ways, otherwise people will just continue to download and everyone looses out.

In my view the best of all the programming schedules is a show called "from A to Zanzibar", which showcases artists with an African focus.

One of the artists that is being featured strongly goes by the name of ASA. She's from Nigeria and is a mix of Tracey Chapman and Bob Marley. Really great lyrics and here's a track from her album.




SEU JORGE: A new brazilian offering from a man called Seu Jorge entitled 'CRU' was released at the tail end of last year...Here is the title track from his album! plus the lyrics which follow the video.....pure positivity!


Here are the lyrics...
I was right
I can tell u
It wasn't nice, wasn't cool
I wanna cry, it hurts
Thinking she's not coming, just hurts
But I'm just fine, gonna have some fun
It's about begginings, gonna move on with my life
And I ain't fooling around,
And u know how it is, I´ll go.
but I can come back, whenever u want...

In the next post we'll be sticking with the Portuguese flavour with an absolutely amazing voice from Capo Verde and a compilation from one of Portugal's Fado legends that is in the same league as Antonio Carlos Jobin.

Music for December - Season's Greetings

This is a long overdue update to the Tolerant Traveler.

It is a good time of year for presents and gifts and WOW have I had the good fortune of listening to some amazing new music.

First out of the bag is a group not to be underestimated. Revered throughout Senegal, Orchestra Baobab have regrouped and issued a very special album out now on World Circuit records. But let’s rewind a second; are you in the dark about Orchestra Baobab?

Run now to your music store and purchase immediately "Specialist in all Styles" which offers the glamour of Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction', the soul of James Brown, and the poignancy of the arias of Anita O'Day. Their new album simply called "Made in Dakar" opens with a number unmistakably Baobab, ‘Pape Ndiaye’. But for me the real track of pleasure is 'Nijaay' with an opening guitar riff that rolls down the octave like Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D Minor.

For the second group we travel back Mozambique (land of the legendary Dilon Djindi, featured on TT 26/2/2007) and a group called Massukos. Their album, "Bumping" is a ball of energy, with a foot-tapping funky Hammond on ‘NDjango’ set against a dub-style groove. Back in Mozambique they are considered national treasures due to their instrumental artistry as well as their humanitarian work. They have been hailed as the next ‘Buena Vista Social club’, but this album leaves the tinny sounding drums very much in Cuba, and replaces them with solid African percussion. Other tracks such as ‘Pangira (unplugged)’ will just stop you in your tracks as the beauty of this guitar and voice cappella has this effect. The video below shows off one of their live performances and I encourage you to visit their website, http://www.massukos.org/, to discover more about this fantastic group.



Last, is a group from Tokyo that I discovered completely by chance. On myspace, http://www.myspace.com/setsubunbeanunit, they define themselves as "Traditional Space Funk" and I have to say that their music is a complete fusion of sounds and musical era’s from all music cultures. Think of Miles Davis's inspirational album ‘Bitches Brew’ crossed with Pink Floyd’s effects boxes against a backdrop of crackly old 72rpms from the 1930's. Interesting!



Have a great break during this festive season, see you for more great music in 2008.

London African Music Festival - and the Ngoni-ists

The London African Music Festival, takes place from the 18th - 30th May in the cultural hub that is the South Bank Centre. Featured artists include Ba Cissoko - a group that plug their Cora's into guitar effects boxes for some truly magical playing (see photo left) - Kekele (TT article ), giants such as Africando (TT article), and old faithfuls such as Roy Ayers. If you are in the metropolis this is something not to miss out on, see the full list of artists here.

Returning to the music releases, last month saw the Malian Ngoni master Bassekou Kouyate's album Segu Blue. Those familiar with the regions local artists may have noticed him appearing with Toumani Diabate where he accompanied on the Cora. Kouyate also had the honour of playing most of the Ngoni solos on Ali Farka Toure’s final album, Savane.

For those a little mystified by the Ngoni, it is an African lute with a plucked and drier sounds when played alongside the Cora. Segu Blue is receiving wide praised as it is the first time a Ngoni quartet has been captured in a single recording, it's clear also that the appearance of Kouyate is adding extra weight to this new world music entry.

For the uninitiated to Ngoni music I do have reservations about whether this is album represents a good entry piece for them as sometimes the recording suffers a little from being over cluttered due the number of Ngoni's in full swing. However for those of us deeply involved in Malian music this is a wonderful album that brings together some truly inspired vocalists and musicians capturing and documenting for us another classic slice of West-African music.

I'm sharing a single track, Sinsani from the album here, which features the sublime vocals of Kasse Mady Diabate. In true griot tradition the song tells a story, this time of a great ruler during the last days of the Bamana Empire. Malamini Sisse was dedicated this song by the griots to record the generosity and kindness he had showed to them.

Bassekou Kouyate (feat. Kassy Mady Diabate) - Sinsani

The Living History Book - Griot Tradition

The word "Griot" appears often in the sleeve notes of some of the albums featured on the TT in this first month. So, an explanation of this important character and their position in West African society is worthy of some further investigation.

In the days of the great Malian empire in the middle of the 14th Century the Griot's role was fundamental. They were the wise men who at the very senior level provided advice to kings and guidance on present-day dilemmas and problems, while at the grass-roots level mediated marriage rites or disputes that arose between families.

On top of this their hereditary linage meant that could lay claim to being living, breathing history books of the era and their position was elevated by this fact.

In the Epic of Sundjata, King Naré Maghann Konaté offered his son Sundiata a griot, Balla Fasséké, to advise him in his reign. Balla Fasséké is thus considered the first griot and the founder of the Kouyaté line of griots that exists to this day.

Over time the griot also became official musicians of society and would be called on to entertain the king and his entourage, as well as help to prepare warriors for battle with rousing stories - in fact a warrior king (jatigi) could not be without his griot.

Today the griot is still a revered character in West-African society.

Griot artists include: Mory Kanté (Guinea), Ba Cissoko (Guinea), Kasse Mady Diabate (Mali), Toumani Diabaté (Mali), Baba Sissoko (Mali).

(Picture featured: Fernand Allard L’Olivier, 1883–1933 Belgian, Kiyu Agricole date unknown, Oil on canvas)

African All Stars - TT Collective Mix

The TT collective mix brings together some of the major artists that have been featured in this first month of musical exploration (and shows off other faces that still have to have their own unique spotlight on these pages).

I hope that I've been able to share with you a taste of West Africa's contribution to global rhythm, extending to a depth only surpassed by Captain Nemo. Musical styles which borrow from Cuba, such as those from Kekele and Africando, melodies with their roots in Senegal and Mali copied and served up by the latest elected 24-hour pop sensation, and finally instruments such as the Cora that transcend rhythmic boundaries to offer something completely new and fresh

The African All Stars...(130MB download, 68 mins)

Track Listing: Cheikh Lo - Sou, Ba Cissoko - Allah Lake, Daby Balde - Mido Waino, Dianeba Seck - Bolokolonia, Kekele - Mace, Orchestra Baobab - Dee Moo Wer, Toumani Diabate - Mali Sadio, Tony Allen - One Tree, Tinariwen - Cler Achel, Mory Kante - Nafiya, Africando - Fatalikou, Nuru Kane - Talibe, Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - Kala, Amadou & Miriam - La Realite, Afel Bocoum - Alasida, Djeli Mouse Diawara - Almany, Ba Cissoko – Silany.

Kekele - Rumba in the Congo

It is to the Democratic Republic of Congo that the next musical focus belongs.

The roots of Congolese Rumba can be found in the city of Kinshasa (Leopoldville at the time) where local musicians started becoming familiar with Cuban music through radio broadcasts made during the 1950s. Hearing these imported sounds artists sought to combine them with their own local rhythms.

Congolese Rumba was born out of this musical cross pollination and it went on to dominate African popular music throughout the 1960s and 70s. Fast forward to the new millennium and for todays up and coming generation it’s been relegated to musical history.

However, Kekele, whose band members musical experience exceeds one-hundred years, have resurrected the Congolese Rumba. Their latest album Kinavana (and before that Rumba Congo) has first rate production and is sonically fantastic. They prove that’s it not just Tito Puente or Buena Vista Social club that know how to work those Cuban rhythms.

Listen to the track I’ve featured on this page, close your eyes and play guess the country.

Kekele - KinTokobuta Mikuwa

We could be sitting on a beach in Hawaii, cocktail in hand watching the hula girls swaying gently in the breeze. We could in Cuba playing dominoes in the street, or we could be in Africa? No way, we can’t be in Africa! But that’s exactly where we are!

The joy of this album for me is its ability to transport you to a place that leaves you guessing, albums like this remind us that we are all part of the same whole.

All Star Global Warming

Remember Global warming? that period in the 1990s that saw Governments and its communities creating a movement for being more environmentally conscious? That’s right you remember when people started to recycle, and they invented those enormous light bulbs that used less energy. Well, it seems that since the West captured Saddam and Osama has fallen out of the media spotlight environmentalism has made a welcome return to the global agenda. Now communities are made to feel that every freak weather condition is due not to industrial pollution or the seven litre car that has just pulled up alongside them at the traffic lights, but because they put a plastic bottle into a paper recycling bin.

Whatever the politics of it all here is a musical benefit, Rhythms del Mundo is a first for ‘Artists’ Project Earth' - the climate change and disaster relief charity.

The first album features a collaboration of artists including Coldplay, U2, Dido & Faithless, Sting, as well Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo from Buena Vista Social Club. It is the latter two stars that bring to the album the overall flavour: Buena Vista versions of the featured artists most well known songs.

The result is distinctive: Colplay's Clocks, gets a new lease of life with Cuban instruments dissolving the desperation found in the original version, and catapulting the song to a fresher, more positive level. Also Omara Portuondo’s version of the Fugees hit, Killing me Softly, is another notable performance.

Find out more about the album on their website www.rhythmsdelmundo.com

I hope that in the future APE finds a way to team up with artists such as Toumani Diabate, Vieux Farka Toure, Kelele, Africando and Tony Allen to bring these fantastic artists to the global stage.