Sunday, August 31, 2008
J.A. Adofo & City Boys—Adeasa
Side A
Enfa Odo Ndi Agoro
Adeasa
Ahoofe Di Wo Ko
Side B
Eka Pae Abusua
Ahenepa Enkasa
Bre Pe Wo De
More J.A. Adofo. The music on this tape sounds nothing like whatever they are doing on the cover, i.e. not much actual guitar- and percussion-playing. Instead we have synth-y sounds galore.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Yacouba Kante—Le Messenger Du Manding
Side A
Sadjou
Mamou Cissi
Beye Ekoumankey
Haidara
Side B
Djandjo (Manding N'Domba)
Djedeta Mangni
Salimana Diaby
Blaky
The marriage of electronic sounds and the griot tradition. Le Messenger Du Manding aka Yacouba Kante, a griot from Guinea, has made my morning.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bill Diakhou—Tani
Face A
Tani
Roboual
Djiguen
Pompiers
Face B
Prési
Kole
Gorgui
Take It Easy
Senegalese hip-hop BANGERS. Well, at least tracks 1, 2 and 6. Anyone who raps that hardcore over a kora and an 808 gets high marks in my book (see track 5). I appreciate the English-language hook on track 2, sung by someone with a lump in their throat or a taste for Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons). And track 7 is just plain smoove.
For more music from the youth of Dakar, check out the excellent compilations from Nomadic Wax. If you are obsessed with Africa's oldest and most internationally-established rap movement and/or are a teenager from Senegal, check out the underground universe of Senegalese rap blogs on Skyrock (French Myspace). Social networking works.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Obuoba J.A. Adofo & City Boys International—Medo Wiase
Side 1
Medo Wiase
Abrebrese
Side 2
Odomo Ayikoo
Onyunu Adwo
J.A. Adofo's City Boys was one of Ghana's great late-period highlife bands. This is a tape from the 80s (I think). Much of the music you hear around town—riding public transit (these over-stuffed trucks and vans called trotros), blasting from radios in shops—sounds like this. Perhaps an acquired taste. I like how J.A. Adofo (aka "The Black Chinese of Ghana") and his band draw from non-Ghanaian influences like reggae and soul. Stretching the boundaries of highlife during 80s helped set the stage for the hiplife explosion of the mid-90s. Thank you City Boys.
This band was so impossibly prolific, I could post a different City Boys tape each week for the next six months and we'd probably still be able to dig up a few more.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Pacotille—Taxi Bu Rouss
Face A
Taxi Bu Rouss
Guent Gui
Ninini
Tidjane Hann
Natou
Face B
Niani Baniatul
Guinar
Dine ak Diamono
Polio
Rap from Senegal. Admittedly not the most amazing example but it feels somewhat representative of this vast and important scene in African hip-hop (which I have all but ignored until now. My bad).
