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Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts

Saturday, 1 August 2015

Muyei Power - 'Wali Bena' / Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Lua Land'

'WORLD MUSIC' CORNER

A drum storm to make you dance like Roger Milla


Sharp!



I wish I had learnt to play the drums at school instead of chasing the dream trying to play either 'Careless Whisper' or 'The Heat Is On' on the sax. The sounds emanating from my horn, successfully murdered said songs and scuppered any chance of wooing any Molly Ringwald lookalikes with George Michael's love ballad. Keep your frontmen, I'd rather be a Keith Moon, Dave Grohl, Buddy Rich or....ehm Phil Collins any day....I'm a beat man.

I was blown away by 'Wali Bena's' frantic wall of drums in what is probably one of the best percussive tracks I have ever heard, proving that there's a lot more to Sierra Leone than all the bad press of civil war and Ebola. Indeed Muyei Power were one of the top dance bands of Sierra Leone in the 1970's but despite intensive touring, at home and abroad, they split in 1979 leaving only a handful of recordings such a this amazing single.

Muyei Power on Soundway Records....





Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Lua Land' (2015)

Speaking of frantic...fast forward some 40 years and we find one of my favourite recent bands, London/Nairobi's Owiny Sigoma Band with a sweaty, frenetic and quite frankly a bonkers track, which is taken from their 3rd, forthcoming album, Nyanza (out Aug 28th). I defy you not to find your nearest corner flag and shake them hips.

Owiny Sigoma Band on Bandcamp...

Legendary Roger Milla...his hips didn't lie!



You can shuffle just like Roger Milla to our 'World Music' Corner.

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Thursday, 22 August 2013

Rachid Taha / Gatanga Boys

World Music Corner

Here are a couple of gems from a couple of albums I've been listening to recently

What are you talking about Rachid, what bloody tape?

 
 


Rachid Taha - 'Algerian Tango' feat Mick Jones (2013)

First up is Algeria's king of Punk Rai, Rachid Taha and 'Algerian Tango', taken from his latest album, Zoom and with non other than The Clash legend, Mick Jones on chorus duty, delivering some great lines over a sinister dub track.

 

Rachid Taha is a big fan of The Clash and sites them as a big influence, it's also widely rumoured that Rachid was perhaps the inspiration behind the classic 'Rock the Casbah'. In 1981 after a Clash concert in Paris, Rachid gave band members a demo of his music (he was in a punk band at the time, singing predominately in Arabic) with Strummer and co promising to give it a whirl. Rachid never heard back from them thinking that was that but a few years later 'Rock the Casbah' was released, tenuous perhaps but spooky. Of course Rachid Taha recorded the sensational cover, 'Rock El Casbah' and has performed with Mick Jones notably at the Stop the War concert in 2005.


Gatanga Boys - 'Keep Change Kairitu' (1977)

Second up to bat is a veritable foot tapper, Kenya's Gatanga Boys with the funky 'Keep Change Kairitu', which I heard on Soundway Records', Kenya Special and it just hit the mark. These cats hail out of the central Kenyan town of Gatanga, funnily enough and the song is apparently about a local tradition where the tea and coffee farmers congregate at the local pubs on a big harvest. They'd have wads of cash and would show off splashing it about recklessly, buying drinks and ting. The 'keep change' bit refers to the big tips left to the honeys (Kairitus, meaning young girls) serving the men drinks. 'Buy one for yourself love', thousands of miles apart but we are all not so different eh?

I saw her first,

Soundway Records

 

Have a listen/subscribe to TuneDr's World Music Corner Spotify playlist below or have a look at some other WMC posts here..

 

 

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Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Magret Aloor' / 'Nyiduonge Drums'


Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Magret Aloor' (2013)

Jambo! This fantastic track is taken from the Nairobi/London Owiny Sigoma Band's latest album, Power Punch, released last week. They continue on from their impressive 2011 self-titled debut, with their blend of Afro psychedelia but the soundclash of traditional Kenyan music with electro, rock and dub is more assured, a band confident with their sound as the title suggests. Power Punch is a brilliant and innovative record, that's two contenders for album of the year in the space of a week for me (John Grant's 'Pale Green Ghosts' being the other). The perfect soundtrack to sizzling your sausages on a BBQ this summer or sizzling yourself on a sunbed sipping a cheeky cocktail.

Read about them on a previous post here, performing a live version of their excellent 2011 track 'Wires'.



On the subject of Kenya, I have danced with the mighty Masai warriors. Unfortunately it wasn't a victory dance, accepting me into the tribe as one of their own, after a successful hunt and kill on the plains of the Serengeti. It was more an embarrassingly feeble jig after being reluctantly hauled up on stage at the hotel's evening entertainment whilst holidaying in Mombasa. I hate all that participation nonsense and I was sure I positioned myself strategically so that I would not be found, but the expert hunters found their prey alright.

Hmmm where were the Owiny Sigoma Band back then! If you didn't move to 'Magret Aloor' then this will have you mashing up the dancefloor, 'Nyiduonge Drums' is the 'B' side to their first single taken from Power Punch, 'Owiny Techno'.


Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Nyiduonge Drums' (2013)



Grab your copy of their album at Brownswood Recordings.

Have a listen/subscribe to TuneDr's World Music Corner Spotify playlist below or have a look at some other WMC posts here..


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Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Wires'

World Music Corner


Owiny Sigoma Band - 'Wires' (2011)

I've decided I'm not going to mention the weather or the whereabouts of a British Summer anymore. Lord knows I've harangued long enough about it to the point of exhaustion.....rain, you utter bastard!!

Mixing traditional Kenyan Lou style music with other African and western influences, The Owiny Sigoma Band's mellow, bass heavy grooves and Afro beat drumming, have definitely kept me afloat and smiling over the last few weeks, especially the Soukouss flavoured 'Wires'. 




The Owiny Sigoma Band started off when a group of London musicians went to Kenya for a musical exchange, promoting local bands and Hip Hop Artists, before finally meeting Nyaiti (traditional Kenyan string instrument) musician Joseph Nyamungu. Along with Joseph and other local musicians they recorded a series of demos which caught the ear of Gilles Peterson who subsequently signed them up to his Brownswood Recordings label and commissioned the band to produce this album. Damon Albarn's organ skills feature on a few of the tracks too, in for me, was a thoroughly enjoyable album, it's well the time.r />

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Wednesday, 11 January 2012

WORLD MUSIC CORNER - Kanda Bongo Man - 'Zing Zong' / Nguuni Lovers Lovers - 'Cheza Ngoma'



Kanda Bongo Man - 'Zing Zong' (1991)



Great name, great song! Kanda Bongo Man, no, not a superhero you'd be a fool to mess with but probably one of the most famous Congolese 'Soukous' musicians. I've always loved that infectious guitar sound so synonymous with Soukous music but I just didn't know where to start, that was until I saw him play on Jools Holland some years back, I bought a couple of albums and it went on from there. It's a joyous form of music with a great feel which always makes me smile and move some part of my body, sometimes involuntarily. Despite this, it's unlikely I'll be doing any 'Kwassa Kwassa', the signature, 'all in the hips' dance associated with Soukous so watch the video instead. Taken from a day time Aussie show with presenter, Ray Martin, successfully channelling the Lego man look and a glimpse (1st second of the video, blink you'll miss it) of a young Russell Crowe, probably when he played a bad boy on Home and Away or something.

Kanda Bongo Man...It's all in the hips!
Kanda Bongo Man - 'Zing Zong'

Nguuni Lovers Lovers - 'Cheza Ngoma' (2011)



Here's the award winning video from another candidate for the best name in popular music, Kenya's Nguuni Lovers Lovers. Soukous is not only popular in West Africa but elements of the music have found their way to East Africa. In Kenya, it's Kamba music, where the guitar and fast rhythmic pace of the Soukous influence is unmistakable. I was first introduced to them by Cerys Mathews, unfortunately not personally but through a column she has in World Music magazine Songlines where she was talking about a perfect road trip playlist. So next time you're holidaying in Mombasa, mention Nguuni Lovers Lovers to the hotel barman and guarantee your supply of free Tusker beer for the duration.

Ngunni Lovers Lovers - 'Cheza Ngoma'

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Sunday, 23 October 2011

WORLD MUSIC CORNER - Boubacar Traoré - 'Mali Denhou' and Ayub Ogada - 'Dicholo'

Here are a couple of soulful beauties. Just let the music do the talking!
 
Boubacar Traoré - 'Mali Denhou'



There's definitely something in their chips in Mali, as it seems to produce a never ending plethora of musical talent. Malian veteran, Boubacar Traoré is no different, incorporating a heady melange of the Mississippi Delta with music from his local region creating a distinct blend of the 'Mali Blues'. Lucky for me, I found this on a sampler and I just love the feel of it, the simple guitar and harmonica accompaniment...Just one of those gems you probably wouldn't normally come across.


Boubacar Traoré...too many chips!

Ayub Ogada - 'Dicholo'


This track really wants to make you move and in my case, despite good intentions, very badly. I first heard this in the film the Constant Gardener and I just had to get it. I love the syncopation of the rhythm with his voice and the harmonious female singers, it's a great sound so synonymous with African music. Ayub Ogada has recorded for Peter Gabriel's label, Real World and has also collaborated with the Afro Celts Soundsytem. Born in Mombasa, Kenya and he's a damn site better than the hotel lobby band that used to do a Casio keyboard cover of 'I Just Called to Say I Love You', when I went on holiday all those years ago. But who knows maybe that's where I saw him when he was cutting his teeth.


No I won't do any Stevie Wonder


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