| Various Artists / Rough Guide African Blues |
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| Album: | Rough Guide African Blues | Collection: | World | |
| Artist: | Various Artists | Added: | Apr 2014 | |
| Label: | World Music Network | |||
| A-File Activity |
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| Add Date: | 2014-06-27 | Pull Date: | 2014-08-29 | Charts: | Reggae/World |
| Week Ending: | Aug 24 | Aug 17 | Aug 10 | Aug 3 | Jul 27 | Jul 20 | Jul 13 | Jul 6 |
| Airplays: | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Mar 18, 2023: | Music Casserole Jef Jel | 4. | Jul 18, 2021: | No Cover, No Minimum: Monday Edition (rebroadcast from Jul 2, 2018) Dani Dou | |
| 2. | Jan 22, 2022: | Music Casserole Ahel Allel | 5. | Jan 17, 2019: | Hanging in the Bone Yard Niang Balo | |
| 3. | Jul 24, 2021: | Hanging in the bone yard Niang Balo | 6. | Nov 17, 2018: | Hanging in the bone yard Niang Balo |
| Album Review |
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| Eme O Reviewed 2014-06-24 | ||
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An exploration of African blues that extends beyond the genre’s West African roots. It’s blues, so guitar is a given. All good. No FCCs detected. My picks: 8,9,10,11,14--but really ALL GOOD. ~eme o. 1. Yer Mali Gakoyoyo - Ali Farka Toure, Mali (4:48) Finger-plucked electric guitar. Loping rhythm. Calm, thoughtful. Almost nasal vocal. 2. Jef Jel - Amadou Diagne, Senegal (4:42) Cool, late night, head-nodding rhythm. Guitar, strings, soothing m vox. 3. Dani Dou - Samba Toure, Mali (6:08) Chorus alternating with solo voice. Can almost hear this as a 70s era bongo-tinged peaceful protest song. But it also has the feel of storytelling. M vox. 4. Niang Balo - Nuru Kane, Senegal (3:44) Heel-tapping country blues sound. Solo voice, backing chorus. M vox. 5.Tamiditin - Tamikrest, Mali (3:35) Guitars, percussion, ululation, hand claps, a marching energy. Bluesy rock. M vox. 6. Lalumbe - West African Blues Project, Senegal (4:24) Honky-tonk guitar, a meeting of southeast and west, collaboration between Modou Toure and English guitarist Ramon Goose. M vox. 7. Adounia - Bombino, Niger (5:02) Desert feel, slow, heat-baked, moving into loping then dancing rhythm. Drums, M vox. 8. Miraisahina - Nogabe Randriaharimalala, Madagascar (5:38) Previously unreleased track. Slow, wistful tone, plea for unity. Hints of classic rock, maybe a tinge of Flamenco feeling. Guitar, maracas(?), M vox. 9. Blues Song - Lala Njava, Madagascar (5:39) Gentle, lovely, swaying rhythm. Guitar, deep Drum sound, F vox. Another story, talk-sung. Sounds like love (literally, that’s the one word I can make out) 10. Gueza Tabiya - Dominic Kakolobango, Zambia (4:10) Raised in Zaire (now Congo). Song title means ‘change your habits.’ Cheerful island or maybe highlife rhythm, harmonica accompaniment. Lilting voice. M vox, Elijah Wald on second guitar. 11. Sofala - Dilon Djindji, Mozambique (4:20) Marrabenta artist, released debut album at 75. Mid-slow song tells the story of meeting a woman who resembled his wife. Guitar, harmonica, M vox, gorgeous backing choral harmony of m and f voices. Moves into call-and-response. Sounds a bit South African, moreso than bluesy, to my ear. Ends abruptly. 12. Tezeta - Menelik Wesnatchew, Ethiopia (4:27) Song title means ‘memory’ or ‘nostalgia.’ Strummed guitar, lullaby rhythm, weathered yet soothing M vox, saxophone. 13. Ahel Allel - Amira Kheir, Sudan (4:27) F vox, a capella to start then slow guitar enters, rhythm picks up. Oud, Percussion. 14. Naile - Danyel Waro, Ile de la Reunion/Madagascar (5:32) M vox, a capella, in French. Voice soars gently, floats. Ends abruptly, mid-word(!?) | ||
| Track Listing |
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