MAPFUMO, THOMAS & THE BLACKS UNLIMITED Gwindingwi Rine Shumba (Water) cd 15.98
Known as the Lion of Zimbabwe, Thomas Mapfuno is one of the most popular African musicians and next to Fela Kuti, one of the most politically outspoken. Leading a string of bands from the sixties to the eighties, Mapfumo is probably best known for creating and popularizing a form of African music called "Chimurenga" (meaning "struggle") that took its roots from the traditional rural Shona music of his upbringing but fusing it to Western rock instrumentation and styles. This mainly involved transcribing the sounds of the mbira to the electric guitar and singing in the Shona language instead of English. This also helped to disguise the inflammatory anti-government sentiments of his songs, but not for long. Wrongly imprisoned and his music banned from state controlled radio, the government couldn't stop his music being played in the discos and there was enough protest to warrant his eventual release. Having helped oust the government with the installation of free elections, Mapfumo helped Mugabe come to power only to later sing out against him and be forced to flee to America where he currently lives.
Gwindingwi Rine Shumba ("Lion In The Bush") from 1980 was released the same year that Free Elections took place and it's with the band that Mapfumo has remained with the longest. The first song "Shumba" is the stunner with a melancholy amplified mbira sound. The Chimurenga feel is definitely laid back, having more in common with Jamaican reggae than Kuti's Afro-funk extrapolations. Not as forceful as much political music can be, but like Brazil's Tropicalia movement, the power is in its popularity and giving the people their own voice!
MPEG Stream: "Shumba"
MPEG Stream: "Zimbabwe Yevatema"

MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA s/t (Genes CD Co.) cd-r 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Sidi Hamid Sherk "
MPEG Stream: "Boujeloud "
MPEG Stream: "Brian Jones "

MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA / TALVIN SINGH s/t (Point Music) cd 15.98
Bachir Attar and the Master Musicians of Jajouka are teamed up with producer Talvin Singh for this traditional Morrocan trance-music meets modern club beats experiment. If you've seen the movie "The Cell" you've heard some music from this album, used as the soundtrack to the "desert" sequences, all layered, massive, and wailing.

MASTER MUSICIANS OF JOUJOUKA Boujeloud (Sub Rosa) cd 14.98
The Master Musicians of Joujouka have had held a mystique on Western ears ever since they were first documented by Bryon Gysin in the 50's and popularized by Brian Jones when he released some of the first recordings on the fledgling (at the time) Rolling Stone imprint. This is the third in a series on the Sub Rosa label documenting the ritual of Boujeloud which celebrates the myth of a Pan-like deity-half man, half goat-who introduced music into their culture. The music on this disc was recorded between 1994 and 1996 in Northern Morocco from four generations of Joujouka Masters. The musicians start out with soft bamboo flutes or lliras and as more people gather, the musicians switch to the oboe-like rhaita. Backed by some seriously primal drumming, the playing intensifies into trance-inducing trills and whirls as village dancers act out the ancient story. It's little wonder that Gysin and Jones, mad explorers of altered consciousness, were deeply entranced by this ancient pagan-like music.
MPEG Stream: "Boujeloudia/Joujouka Ei Calihoun"
MPEG Stream: "Joujouka Ei Calhoun/T'werkia d'Boujeloudia"

MASTER MUSICIANS OF JOUJOUKA / GNOUA BROTHERHOOD OF MARRAKESH Moroccan Trance Music II : Sufi (Sub Rosa) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Plenty has been written about, and a handful of recordings exist of the Master Musicians of Joujouka, due in no small part to the attention lavished on them by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones who along with other musical wisdom seekers travelled to Marrakesh to record, play with and learn from the Master Musicians. And it's easy to see why from their intricate tribal drumming, soaring chanting vocals, trilling woodwinds, all very primal and inspiring. The three tracks from the Master Musicians are gorgeous, free and totally moving. But it's the Gnoua Brotherhood Of Marrakesh who knocked our socks off when we first threw this disc on. The Gnoua have an amazing sound, stringed instruments that sound like downtuned guitars, strangely heavy, warm and rich, buzzing and droning, lots of low overtones, riffing repetitively and hypnotically, with simple hand drums and rhythmic clapping, and then eventually joined by the raspy tribal chants of a main vocalist, and echoed by a chorus of complimentary voices. Sounds like some ultra pure, unadulterated early form of the blues. Which it basically is. Hard to describe (listen to the first sound sample) but that low droning strum is just so totally mesmerizing. As hypnotic and heavy as Earth or SUNN0))) or any of those modern guitar drone outfits, but accomplished without the aid of thousand watt amps and pick ups, just fingers and strings. Amazing.
MPEG Stream: GNOUA BROTHERHOOD OF MARRAKESH "Sidi Musakar"
MPEG Stream: GNOUA BROTHERHOOD OF MARRAKESH "Jilalay"

MAX-B s/t (Wah-Wah) lp 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Awfully hard to find any information about this unique afro-funk pioneer. The first track on the album "Bananaticoco" we had heard before when we got the popular "Club Africa 2" compilation in a year ago, but a search on google under Max B's (Max Boulois) name only comes up with several listings for some obscure action films, and a quick visit to imbd.com shows a Max Boulois -- originally of Madrid, Spain -- who was an actor, writer and director (his tour de force being "Othello: aka The Black Commando"). Anyway, we do know that this lp was originally issued in 1973 by Opalo records and that Max B apparently recorded this album in Spain. The music contained herein is an interesting blend, of up tempo dance-party-afro-rock numbers with a decidedly Brazilian flavor. Lots of mixed chorus chanting and latin percussion with the occaisonal piano thrown in to boot. Then there are the two totally uncharacteristic tracks which are almost worth the price of admission alone: a heavy acid-psych track, "Poker" (a bonus track to this issue) with swishy wah-wah guitars (the label's bias?) and sloshy organ and the following track "Free", which is another psych track, though less heavy, which features moaning female vocals to a pulsing beat. We wish there was an entire album of tracks by Max B of this sort, but alas we must be satisfied with these two. This reissue is courtesy of the Spanish label Wah-Wah, which also released that live Prince Buster lp we listed a while back, and they do an impressive job of pressing their records on nice thick slabs of vinyl.

MAYET, HISHAM Musical Brotherhoods From The Trans-Saharan Highway (Sublime Frequencies) dvd 22.00
The latest in the ever expanding Sublime Frequencies collection of audio and video sonic treasures from around the world. This most recent dvd focuses on "ancient mystical brotherhoods' in Morocco, small groups of stringed instruments and drums, players managing to create intense and intensely emotional sounds and songs, that range from dark and simple, sweetly contemplative, to fierce and fiery and jubilant, explosive and over the top.
As always, the scenery and setting is as breathtaking as the music., lots of amazing shots of Morocco, crumbling buildings, bustling harbors, cobblestone streets, vast deserts, winding highways, cozy apartments and most importantly, bustling street markets, lit by fires and lamplight, a huge after dark celebration, story telling, eating, socializing but most importantly making music...
Small lantern lit clusters of people gather around old record players, home made amplifiers, rusty old speakers, strange (to our eyes) stringed instruments, all manner of drums and percussion, the crowd eager to bask in this amazing music, and just as often to participate, whether it be as another drummer, a singer, a dancer or even just as an onlooker.
The music, is a stripped down blues, the buzzing strings, the gorgeous hypnotic melodies, looped and cyclical, so hypnotic and catchy, the vocals soulful and impassioned, from solo crooning to strange harmonies, to chanting, and lots of festive sing alongs. The focus is the buzzing strings and the pounding drums, and there are plenty of both, but there are also buzzing snake charmer style horns, wild dancing, costumes, and of course the usual outdoor crowd sounds, folks talking and laughing, cars driving past. It's so much like wandering through Morocco, it's amazing. And sonically, WOW. The rhythms and the melodies, a constant barrage of groove and drone, simple percussive thumps and shuffles, haunting melodies, huge tribal drum jams and of course some incredible riffing.
Our favorite segments feature what appears to be a traditional banjo, but electrified and plugged into a rusty old handmade amplifier, turning the banjo into an awesome buzzing sitar like beast, emitting intense almost metallic chunks of incendiary riffing, raw and emotional, super distorted and intense, underpinning the wailing vocals and dense drumming.
As awesome as this is to watch, the sounds themselves are plenty, so even after a few viewings, you'll end up listening to this dvd over and over. Fans of the sadly out of print Group Inerane lp, also on Sublime Frequencies, as much of the music here has that same feral blues buzz and dark looped riffing.

MEKURYA, GETATCHEW & THE EX Moa Anbessa (Terp) cd 17.98
We joked in some past reviews that Dutch experimental world music label Terp must be paying our salaries considering how much love we give their releases, but c'mon, you've heard them! You've bought them! LOTS of them! And like us you've played them all to death. Every single one is amazing, so exciting musically, so emotionally resonant, some of the most unique and moving music we've EVER heard. And as if to drive the point home, we have not one, but TWO new releases from Terp on this week's list, one, a gorgeous final live recording from blind Ethiopian vocalist Mohammed 'Jimmy' Mohammed who passed away recently, and this, a wild live blowout from legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria, jamming with Dutch avant rockers The Ex and other like minded friends...
We've been trying to list this forever, but we kept selling out of them in the store before we could get it reviewed and up on the site. Finally though, we have enough, so it's time to once again get your Ethiopian groove on...
But with a twist. The twist being The Ex, everyone's favorite Dutch avant rockers who have always had a thing for world music, so much so that members of the Ex are directly involved in the running of Terp. So it makes sense that given the opportunity, they would jump at the chance to jam with the legendary Getatchew Mekuria. So here we have it, what sounds like one of the wildest musical parties ever! Oh how we would have killed to be there. Must have been a stone cold blast, but at least we have this here recording to ease our pain...
The record seems to be split right down the middle, half the songs are Ethiopian classics, given a bit of an angular post punk vibe, due in no small part to the fact that the band playing them is in fact the Ex, and the other half, the ones with vocals, sound like Ethiopian flavored Ex songs... We lean more toward the former, but both are pretty great. 
Imagine your favorite Ethiopiques record, but way more bass heavy, a fuzzy distorted throb, along with jangly angular guitars, all underneath that oh so recognizable sax, wailing and soaring, practically singing, emotional and gorgeous. A few tracks are groovy and smokey and sultry, sounding like they could have come straight off of Ethiopiques 4, and even the all time Ethiopian groove classic "Musicawi Silt" here gets a sort of funkgroove makeover, with percussive guitar clang, blooping bass, the song was already funky, but in a different way, the new version is a little more tightly wound, but in a good way, you could maybe call it Ethiopian postpunkgroove or something. And there's also an amazing solo jam "Tezeta", with Mekuria just making the sax sing, an extension of his being, going from full on skronk, to melancholy drift, oozing emotion and passion. The crowd reaction afterwards says it all. The rest of the record is packed with the above mentioned Ethiopian Ex style jams, which are awesome and wild and are definitely kinetic and ebullient, but the vocals are definitely an acquired taste... 
As with all Terp stuff, tons of photos and extensive liner notes...
MPEG Stream: "Musicawi Silt"
MPEG Stream: "Aynamaye Nesh"
MPEG Stream: "Tezeta"

MèKURYA, GéTATCHèW Ethiopiques Vol. 14 : (The Negus of Ethiopian Sax) (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
I'm sure that, by now, we're way passed that point that divides the completists with those that are content with two or three volumes of this series. And yet, though speaking partially from a completist's viewpoint, volume 14 might be one that anyone who's enjoyed previous Ethiopiques releases to take note of. Volume 14 is a re-release of a 1970 Philips Ethiopia recording of Gétatchèw Mèkurya. Mèkurya, a saxophonist, is apparently considered the Albert Ayler of Ethiopia. But before y'all non-free jazz aficionados get scared off by thoughts of atonal scree, you can rest assured that there's not a lick of that here. Probably what was most likely intended by such a comparison was either Ayler's propensity for using folk melodies in his works, or maybe even... marches. The cornerstone of Mèkurya's style is derived from a strictly vocal style associated with war known as "shellela". Apparently Mèkurya got the idea of transcribing this singing style to saxophone. Brash and insistent as it is, it's really nothing like even the tamest "sheets of sound" from Coltrane's pre-free jazz days. Entirely instrumental, the music of Gétatchèw Mèkurya is, while familiar in the scope of Ethiopian music we've come to know and love, also much different than all that's preceded it. It probably most resembles Ethiopiques Volume Four in respect to their both lacking in vocals, but there the similarities stop. The band is stripped down to organ, guitar, bass and drums and accompaniment usually consists of a steady, uptempo ostinato over which Mèkurya then plays his rapid and rococo melodic improvisations (often alternating with the squealing farfisa-like organ). Also included as a bonus track for this CD issue is a late fifties rarity from Mèkurya. Yet again, we highly recommend this newest Ethiopiques release for both sometimes fans and -- it goes without saying I suppose -- completists as well.
MPEG Stream: "Yegenet Muziqa"
MPEG Stream: "Shellela"

MOHAMMED, MOHAMMED 'JIMMY' Hulgizey - In Concert (Terp) cd 17.98
We joked in some past reviews that Dutch experimental world music label Terp must be paying our salaries considering how much love we give their releases, but c'mon, you've heard them! You've bought them! LOTS of them! And like us you've played them all to death. Every single one is amazing, so exciting musically, so emotionally resonant, some of the most unique and moving music we've EVER heard. And as if to drive the point home, we have not one, but TWO new releases from Terp on this week's list, one, a live disc from legendary Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria, jamming with The Ex and friends, and this, a sadly posthumous live release from blind Ethiopian vocalist Mohammed 'Jimmy' Mohammed. 
We raved about Mohammed's other release on Terp, the completely mind blowing Takkabel! And as we mentioned before, his life story is just as dramatic and intense and emotional as his music. He became blind as a child, an apparent curse after his parents had him baptized against the warnings of a local fortune teller (God wanted him to be Muslim), spent years homeless on the streets, eventually rescued and cared for, enrolled in a school for the blind, where money was raised to help restore his sight, but the money was stolen, and his eyesight never restored, eventually becoming a nightclub singer renowned for his interpretations of songs by legendary vocalist Tlahoun Gessesse (who you probably remember from several volumes of the Ethiopiques series).
But whereas much of Takkabel! was tangled and angular and complex, recalling Aavikko weirdly enough, with guest drumming from improv legend Han Bennink, this live disc is much more laid back and dark, a very personal sounding and intimate recording, the band spreading out a lush tapestry of sound over which Mohammed weaves his magical moods. His voice is divine and as powerful as it is subtle, distincitive and expressive, soaring and dancing nimbly across impossible melodies, the interplay between the vocals and the instruments is divine. The guitar like krar unfurling simple melodic fragments, the percussion simple and propulsive, a simple spare framework for Mohammed to explore as he sees fit, his vocals wild and acrobatic, intense and passionate, so mysterious sounding, but also utterly warm and inviting. 
The last two lengthy tracks are the most reminiscent of Takkabel!, with the addition of sax, the rhythms a bit more off kilter and danceable, the whole sound a bit more funky and groovy, VERY Ethiopiques sounding. Hard to imagine the crowd in attendance not dancing wildly in the aisles...
The proceeds from sales of this cd will go toward a just-founded Jimmy Fund, created to care for his wife and his children, one of whom was born right after his death.
MPEG Stream: "Sethed Seketelat"
MPEG Stream: "Mela Mela"
MPEG Stream: "Eywat Setenategagn"

MOHAMMED, MOHAMMED 'JIMMY' Takkabel! (Terp) cd 17.98
It must seem like we're on the Terp payroll or something by now, this being the second record they've put out that's received record of the week honors here at aQ. And the fourth or fifth that we've raved about. And to be totally honest, the Terp releases that ended up -not- being records of the week, could very well have under different circumstances, as they are equally as amazing. What can we say, everything Terp has put out so far has totally and completely blown us away! The live Konono record, the gorgeous Lanaya record and this newest release from blind Ethiopian vocalist Mohammed 'Jimmy' Mohammed. His story is just as amazing as his voice and the music he makes. After becoming blind as a child, supposedly as a curse for his parents' decision to ignore the warnings of a fortune teller and baptize him, as God had willed him to be a Muslim, Mohammed ran away and spent several years on the streets, homeless, begging for food, finding solace in the songs of legendary vocalist Tlahoun Gessesse (immortalized in several volumes of the amazing Ethiopiques series) who not only sang beautifully, but whose songs addressed the plight of the poor and suffering. Mohammed was eventually discovered and cared for, enrolled in a school for the blind and raised by a kind hearted surrogate father. After money was raised to help restore his sight, he was heartbroken to discover the funds were stolen and his eyesight was never to be restored. Mohammed spent a brief stint in the national theater before becoming a nightclub singer, where he became more and more popular. Mohammed mostly sings Tlahoun Gessesse's pop songs from the '60s / '70s, being as those are the songs that most affected him throughout his life, but it's his voice and the unique arrangements that make him so special.
He appeared briefly on Ethiopiques 2 but this is his first proper full length. The first track here is a mindblower. The music is so squiggly and complex, so dense and tangled, angular but so lovely, our first thought was that it sort of sounded sort of like the maniacal casio exotica of Aavikko. Part of it might be the fact that Mohammed's band is augmented on that track by legendary European free jazz drummer Han Bennink, and Massimo Pupillo from Italian drone jazz combo Zu. SO amazing. There are plenty of immediately recognizable melodies and distinctly Ethiopian elements, but the way it is played is so strange and lovely. But it's Jimmy's vocals, high and clear, swooping into an impossible falsetto and back again, warm and rich and so gorgeous, that makes this so magical. Bennink drums on a handful of the other tracks as well (he apparently told Jimmy that the reason they clicked so perfectly was because, he said "I'm blind as well when I play with them") but even when it's just Jimmy and his band, the sound is still totally unique and so very special. Little delicate curlicues of electric krar (5 string harp), shuffling skittery drumming, smooth slithery riffs, warm smooth sax from Ethiopian legend Getatchew Mekurya, all weaving a rich intricate tangle of classic Ethiopian melody and irresistibly groovy rhythms, above which Jimmy just soars, so totally emotional and intense, so passionate and absolutely breathtaking.
MPEG Stream: "Aykedashem Lebe"
MPEG Stream: "Sethed Seketelat"

MRWEBI, GWIGWI Mbaqanga Songs (Honest Jon's) cd 17.98
An amazing release in this new series from the always kick ass Honest Jon's label. An offshoot of the equally amazing London Is The Place For Me series (which we've yet to review, but we're working on it!), Gwigwi Mrwebi is a sax player from Johannesburg, who moved to London in 1960 to appear in the musical King Kong (!) and who back in South Africa had recorded with Hugh Masekela among other jazz luminaries. We've been listening to this for months and months and are only now finally getting it reviewed and listed!
Mbaqabga Songs is a reissue of an impossible to find lp, and is totally delightful, groovy, jazzy, danceable, playful, rambunctious, a bit boppy, super happy and most certainly sets the toes a tapping. While this definitely has some African elements and will appeal to fans of all things Ethiopiques and Zanzibara, it's much more of a straight jazz record, performed in the Kwela style popular in Africa at the time, a happy, lilting, jazzy bounce with a definite fifties big band vibe (we even hear some rocksteady in there too), the melodies exuberant, the playing smooth and crisp, just so fun with a totally carefree vibe. It's easy to imagine a warm summer evening, the sun setting on an outdoor dancefloor, strung with multi colored lights, Mrwebi and his band playing on late into the night, everyone dancing and drinking and celebrating life. So great!
Beautifully packaged in a 8 panel digipak, packed super extensive liner notes from Steve Beresford.
MPEG Stream: "Good News"
MPEG Stream: "Nyusamkhaya"
MPEG Stream: "Lily Express"

NAKED PREY, THE (OST) (Latitude) cd 14.98
Soundtrack to Cornel Wilde's 1966 film. Shot on location in Africa (Rhodesia, South Africa, Bechuanaland & Mozambique) -- often hundreds of miles from the nearest village -- with a cast composed almost entirely of non-professional actors (most had never acted before in their lives), a minimal budget and a whole lot of blood, sweat & tears (literally), The Naked Prey brought method acting to new levels. The music chosen to be the score for the film is every bit as authentic as the shooting locations, for it is all composed and played by the N'guni clans amongst whom the crew worked and filmed. While Wilde of course selected the tracks from what the N'guni played for him during the filming, the music is just as they performed it. The entire score is merely recordings of drums, chants, strange animal imitations, and the natural ambience of the bush, ie: field recordings. Thank god this preceeded the medling interference of the world beat puveyors Peter Gabriel et. al. And actually, the score in and of itself was a bit of cutting edge concept. As is pointed out in the liner notes, this was released the same year as Nonesuch began their Explorer series and long before any kind of major world music industry. Another fine release from Latitude.
MPEG Stream: "Puberty Song"
MPEG Stream: "Animal Imitations"

NIGER Magic and Ecstasy in the Sahel (Sublime Frequencies) dvd 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Sublime Frequencies videographer Hisham Mayet strikes again! This time Hisham takes to the Sahel region of Niger to witness for ourselves a culture in resistance to environmental hazards (severe droughts) and extreme poverty, and a country that's at the cultural crossroads of Subsaharan Africa and the Middle East. Like all of Mayet's films there is no authoritative narrator to disrupt the flow, or otherwise direct our interests. Which isn't to say Mayet leaves us completely in the dark as concerns his motivations and whereabouts in shooting this footage. For that we are given ample liner notes detailing the film's unfolding in chronological order of events. The video begins in rural Dogondoutchi where Hisham documents the music of the Mawri people. Several performances are caught here of musicians playing a banjo like instrument which is simultaneously struck across the drum as it is strummed and plucked, turning the performer into a veritable one-man-band. Also taped are some amazing fiddle players using an array of instruments, each seemingly unique to its possessor. Across the river Niger, Mayet takes us to the village of Boubon to a cowry shell divination, a spirit posession ceremony, and a truly strange performance of sexual coming of age by the young girls of the village in which they taunt the boys with... Ahem! Rather "randy" dance moves. As the film progresses it moves further from acoustic / rural / animist Niger to urban / Christian / electric Niger. We're witnesses to a gospel revival meeting at a Pentacostal church combining both traditional instruments and percussion with electric bass and keyboards. Almost directly from there Mayet takes us to a dive bar to hear a beautiful pick-up band of electric guitar, bass, drums and percussion. The sound is almost like that of a punk rock Ali Farka Toure, if you can imagine that. And in the end we are taken to the compound of Bibi Ahmed to hear some very Nubian sounding trance rock, like a dronier version of Ali Hassan Kuban. Excellent!

NZOMO, DAVID TRIO The Sweet Soul Of Kenya (Latitude) cd 14.98
Sweet soul is right. This music on this disc was originally released on vinyl in the 1950s by Smithsonian Folkways, and now Latitude (the new, 'world music' sub-label of the prolific and generally amazing Locust label) has done us a treat by reissuing it. Melodious East African traditional music, with gentle male-female vocal harmonies sung in the Kikamba tongue, accompanied by guitar chiming like a thumb-piano. An enchanting disc... however we feel that despite doing the good work of reissuing this music, Latitude/Locust is deserving of some constructively-intended criticism regarding the packaging. First off, the cd 'booklet' isn't, it's a single square of paper (fairly stiff, but still qualifying as a violation of my personal cd packaging pet peeve number 493), and more importantly, there's no liner notes. Nothin'. Doesn't even say what year this was recorded, or who, besides David Nzomo presumably, was in the Trio! We are directed to the Smithsonian Folkways website, where apparently the record's original liner notes can be purchased. Huh? C'mon, if you're gonna license the music to reissue on cd, can't you license the liner notes too? Or write your own at least. I just don't understand. What with all the downloading worries so many labels have, you'd think one good idea would be to make the physical cd package as desireable and complete as possible. If I've gotta download the liner notes, that's not too far removed from just downloading the audio tracks too...
MPEG Stream: "Nzembelukye"
MPEG Stream: "Syimbithi (Secrets)"

ONDAR, KONGAR-OL & PAUL EARTHQUAKE PENA Genghis Blues (TuvaMuch) cd 14.98
Soundtrack to the fabulous documentary movie, which hopefully you were lucky enough to see. Blind blues musician Paul Pena travels to Tuva (Central Asia) to compete in their national throat-singing competition, a skill in which he is entirely self-taught. A funny, touching movie, and of course blessed with some great music! So, here's the hard-to-find soundtrack album.

ONENESS OF JUJU African Rhythms 1970-1982 (Strut) 2cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Spanning the years 1970 to 1982, this is a wonderful double-disc collection of cuts taken from Plunky Branch's career as the bandleader of such acts as Oneness of Juju and Juju & the Space Rangers, also as a principal behind such personalities as Roach Om and Ndikho Xaba. Generating a big big sound that drew as much from African rhythms as it did from James Brown-style funk and soul / r&b, gospel and free jazz, the various Juju projects made use of African percussion, smooth velvet voiced female divas, Rhodes organ, clavinet, piano, synths, violins, you name it. (It might be a little too "jazzy rare groove" sounding for some, so listen to the soundclips first.) The name Oneness of Juju may not be household to us, yet at the time, a lot of important musicians were super into them. Ornette Coleman, whose free jazz was a lot weirder than Juju's consistently rhythmic appeal, gave the band use of his legendary NY loft complete with recording equipment; Sun Ra used some of the Juju musicians for Space is the Place; they played at Sam Rivers' loft; even legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan did a remix for them. And in the '80s, Branch made it out to Africa where he played with King Sunny Ade and Fela. What a career. Lots of liner notes, as is usual from the excellent African diaspora reissue label Strut.
RealAudio clip: ONENESS OF JUJU "African Rhythms (Album Version)"
RealAudio clip: OKYEREMA ASANTE FEATURING PLUNKY "Asante Sana"

ONENESS OF JUJU African Rhythms 1970-1982 (Strut) 2lp 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Spanning the years 1970 to 1982, this is a wonderful double-disc collection of cuts taken from Plunky Branch's career as the bandleader of such acts as Oneness of Juju and Juju & the Space Rangers, also as a principal behind such personalities as Roach Om and Ndikho Xaba. Generating a big big sound that drew as much from African rhythms as it did from James Brown-style funk and soul / r&b, gospel and free jazz, the various Juju projects made use of African percussion, smooth velvet voiced female divas, Rhodes organ, clavinet, piano, synths, violins, you name it. (It might be a little too "jazzy rare groove" sounding for some, so listen to the soundclips first.) The name Oneness of Juju may not be household to us, yet at the time, a lot of important musicians were super into them. Ornette Coleman, whose free jazz was a lot weirder than Juju's consistently rhythmic appeal, gave the band use of his legendary NY loft complete with recording equipment; Sun Ra used some of the Juju musicians for Space is the Place; they played at Sam Rivers' loft; even legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan did a remix for them. And in the '80s, Branch made it out to Africa where he played with King Sunny Ade and Fela. What a career. Lots of liner notes, as is usual from the excellent African diaspora reissue label Strut.

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB African Classics (Sheer Sound) cd 14.98
This collection of sure-shot classics from this veritable Senegalese institution has been making us seriously crave hammocks and sunshine. All you're gonna want to do when you hear these songs is rock back and forth ever so gently as the wind blows and the sun shines and you forget all your worries at least for just a little while. The way Orchestra Baobab mix their Senegalese musical roots with elements of Latin, Caribbean and Cuban musical styles meshes so perfectly. Soulful vocals, call and response delivery, and a masterful use of horns. So good! All too often horns are brash and upfront and nothing but a shiny annoyance, but Orchestra Baobab know how to use horns, subtly and seductively, making them ring in our ears with such delight. The perfect lazy Sunday afternoon record for sure. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Liiti Liiti"
MPEG Stream: "Ndeleng Ndeleng"
MPEG Stream: "On Verra CA"

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB Made In Dakar (Nonesuch) cd 17.98

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB N'Wolof (Dakar Sound) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Seeing as how Orchestra Baobab had just released a brand new album, we thought we'd pick up their first album (recorded between 1970 & 1971) for kicks and it's so damn good we've decided we ought to just list it. Orchestra Baobab's namesake is derived from the club (its interior decorated like the trunk of a gigantic baobab tree) where the group backed up a fluid collection of vocalists who would sing for drink and cash. Unlike the group's later recordings, the tracks on N'Wolof have a much more subtle Latin influence with the exception of a few numbers (the vocal chorus for "Cheri Takama" sounding a great deal like "La Bamba".) At times, during the longer, contemplative numbers, they sound strikingly like Mali's Rail Band (itself the house band at a Bamako hotel) during this same period. Which should probably not come as much of a surprize considering Mali shares Senegal's Eastern border. It's these longer tracks -- some 7 and 8 minutes -- where Orchestra Baobab really shines; the vocals dropping out, leaving rhythm guitar, bass & drums to play unbelievably sensuous back up for laid back sax and guitar solos. And it's the guitar solos (by the amazing Barthelemy Attiso, who still plays with the group) that are truly *gorgeous*. It's that unmistakable African pop electric guitar sound: hollow body electric guitar with lots of reverb & tremolo. But then, on top of that, there's these insane psychedelic, fuzzed out solos with heaps of echo that fairly raises the hairs on your skin. It's almost painful when these tracks end, and you're awoken from your opiate like reverie. And it was all recorded live (sans audience I'm pretty sure) at the Club Baobab. The surviving tapes and albums -- originally released on the club's own Bao label -- are in varying states of decay -- you can distinctly hear some tape drop out more than once (but I personally love that such analog anomolies will forever survive in the digital realm.) But fidelity schmidelity, this album is absolutely fucking essential!
RealAudio clip: "N'Diaye"
RealAudio clip: "Aduna Jarul Naawo"
RealAudio clip: "Lat Dior"

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB Pirates Choice (World Circuit) 2cd 23.00
Orchestra Baobab was formed in 1970 in Dakar, Senegal to inaugurate the opening of The Baobab Club. The band was made up of musicians from Dakar's Star Band (formed in 1960) and numerous other big players in Senegal's fertile music scene played parts in the group as well. The music of Orchestra Baobab and much of the Dakar scene was heavily influenced, ironically enough, by Latin songs and rhythms. Three of the songs on Pirates Choice are reworkings of Cuban songs and much of their music is sung in Spanish as well (so, it's very recommended to Buena Vista Socail Club fans). Kit drums and percussion lay the backbone of the Baobab sound, a deep and muted bass fills the room while a warm and reverberant guitar plays laid back solos, betraying even the fastest of the band's numbers. Occasionally a saxophone will add its two cents as vocalists sing in Wolof or Spanish. Though the Latin influence is always present, the songs here are much less drum taut, more likely to swing with an off the cuff ease. The tracks on these two discs were recorded in 1982, but only the six tracks which comprise the first disc were ever released on lp or cd. Lovely.
RealAudio clip: "Utrus Horas"
RealAudio clip: "Soldadi"
RealAudio clip: "Ngalam"

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB Specialist In All Styles (World Circuit) cd 17.98
Brand new recordings from Senegal's legendary Orchastra Baobab. The group, which got its start over 30 years ago, had a huge comeback with the reissue of their 1982 release "Pirate's Choice". It seems that the global attention the band received via this trip to the vaults inspired the band to reform, tour, and finally, to cut a new album of songs. Those fearing a watered down, world beat shadow of the band's legacy should sigh a heavy sigh of relief. "Specialist" could well have been recorded 20 years ago as much as it was several months ago. It's nice to know that the grubby little paws of Peter Gabriel and other homogenizers of music still can't destroy everything. Orchestra Baobab still stick to the same instrumental arrangements: airy & echoey electric guitars, deep & warm bass, saxophones, drums (along with congas, maracas & timbales) and vocals. The Latin influence in their rhythms and melodies is still ever present and, thankfully, they still opt for a live sound in their recordings, as they have since their earliest recordings. A fine return from a great band.
RealAudio clip: "Dee Moo Woor"
RealAudio clip: "Hommage A Tonton Ferrer"

ORCHESTRA ETHIOPIA Ethiopiques Vol. 23 (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
Formed in 1963 in Addis Ababa, Orchestre Ethiopia took on the task of bringing traditional Ethiopian folk sounds back into the limelight at a time when modern music ensembles were at the height of their popularity. However, rather than simply performing traditional songs for a wider (and eventually international) audience, the Orchestre's sound was unique as it took elements of a number of different folk traditions and mixed them up into a joyous, celebratory blend of Ethiopian cultures. The group itself was as diverse as its musical inclinations: it was initially assembled and led by a series of Americans including an ethnomusicologist and a Peace Corps worker (although it found a native leader in 1966 when Tesfaye Lemma took over leadership) and its membership included singers, dancers and musicians from a diverse array of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The result is a sound that falls squarely between the two styles that the Ethiopiques series has done such a remarkable job of documenting: Orchestre Ethiopia weren't a traditional folk group, nor were they a modern groove ensemble. Instead, they played an inspired pastiche of traditional sounds in a very modern way, never committing to one particular sound or groove.
Although Orchestre Ethiopia released two LPs between 1969 and the group's disintegration in 1975, the majority of the tracks included on this disc are previously unreleased archival material - a fact which is reflected in the less than stellar fidelity of the recordings. However, the lack of polish adds a wooly, mysterious air to the music, and further emphasizes the group's outsider status. For all of the reasons above, this latest installment of the mighty Ethiopiques series has quickly become a favorite of the aQ staff, and it includes the extensive liner notes, personal essays, and archival photographs that one would come to expect from the fine folks at Buda Musique. Whether this is the first Ethiopiques cd you pick up or the 23rd, the fact of the matter remains: this is a brilliant, gorgeous and haunting collection of music from the golden age of one of the world's most culturally rich regions. Essential!
MPEG Stream: ORCHESTRE ETHIOPIA "Yèhetsanu Lèqso"
MPEG Stream: ORCHESTRE ETHIOPIA "Besetchet"
MPEG Stream: ORCHESTRE ETHIOPIA "Aba Balano Shanka"

ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU The Vodoun Effect: 1972-1975 (Analog Africa) cd 24.00
One of our favorite cuts from the recent African Scream Contest compilation was from the Benin based Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Contonou, a stellar Afro-funk collective that in various line-ups recorded over 500 tracks between 1970-1985. This is part one of a planned two volume release, this one focusing on a prolific string of singles released on various private labels between 1972-1975. As the story goes, the band were signed to a major African label and recorded at a high quality studio (which will be the focus of the second volume), but while the label head was away on business, the band would take matters into their own hands, recording various singles for small independent labels, often at people's homes with only one microphone for the singer and the band in a close semi-circle behind him. The sound quality with such limitations is actually quite amazing and really displays the group's tight -knit musicianship. Like Fela Kuti's legendary band, the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou deal in heavy James Brown inspired Afro-funk, but more centered on guitars and organ than the horn section. This is one of the best and most consistent anthologies of West African music from a single group we've seen in these parts all year! Highest recommendation!
MPEG Stream: "Mi Homlan Dadale"
MPEG Stream: "Mi Ni Non Kpo"
MPEG Stream: "Iya Me Dji Ki Bi Ni"

ORCHESTRE REGIONAL DE KAYES The Best Of The First Biennale Of Arts & Culture For The Young (1970) (Mississippi) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Thus far Mississippi Record's bread and butter has been seriously deep blues and gospel compilations, with the occasional pre-war Hawaiian tune or Balkan folk ensemble. However, with the reissue of Orchestra Regional de Kayes, originally released in 1970, and the sterling soon to be re-pressed Lipa Kodi Ya City Council comp from a few lists ago, Mississippi is finding a bit of flexibility in their catalogue, with no drop in quality whatsoever.
In 1960, after Mali won Independence from France, the government specified that each of the eight regions of Mali be represented by an orchestra comprised of, naturally, their very best musicians. The orchestras convened once a year from 1962-68, and subsequently every other year until the mid-eighties, to determine who was the best. This record documents a portion of the repertoire performed by the Orchestra Regional de Kayes, representing a region in the northwest of Mali bordering Senegal. It is their only recording, and was originally released in the Barenreiter-Musicaphon series. The bulk of the songs are renditions of traditional Mande folk songs, interpreted in the context of Mali's burgeoning modernity. And now, with a bit history under our collective belts we feel more justified in saying casuallyŠ holy shit, this is beautiful.
After a few listens, it comes as no surprise that we are listening to players that were determined most officiously and perhaps ridiculously, to be THE best. Sit with that for a moment... THE BEST. What comes as a surprise, therefore, is how soulful, sensitive and lyrical every performance is. Though technically flawless, the musicians' chops are always employed in service of taste and spirit. The guitars alone are worth the price of admission, and are deployed in a seriously vast and nuanced manner; sometimes darting through the mix with insect-like dexterity, other times languidly careening across the chorus with zen-like patience, and most often threading their way adroitly to a soft spot between rhythm and melody, tradition and innovation, in which the players freedom is found in a limitless palette within and through the manipulation of convention. And in this way, the guitar playing is always very musical, but also lyrical and mimetic, as though the players are talking to you, or hinting at some emotional quantity embedded in the form. And that is just the guitars!
The vocals are also fantastic, with plenty of excellent call and response dynamics between a lead vocalist and a chorus. A few of the tracks feature lead vocalists that spill untamed and urgent phrasings that harken to recent Aq fav Omar Souleyman, and also hint at the kind of rabid flows some of us have come to love in the grime explosion. However, most of the vocals are more soulfully paced, and sometimes a bit mournful and bluesy. Needless to say they are all very moving performances. The vocals are also supported by some gorgeous and syrupy accompaniment from an array of wind instruments, and a terrifically spare but present percussion ensemble. Something particularly exceptional in this collection compared to some of what we've heard in the Ethiopiques series, and more recently with the Nigerian Trilogy on Soundways, is the sense of space and continuity. This is one band, in one room, and as a result there is a sense of atmosphere and spaciousness that makes the record effective. Rather than a survey of style, it is an invitation to inhabit a space that is entirely elegant, and lyrical. It's hard to believe that it has taken this so long to find re-release, so don't miss this limited opportunity to gain a fleeting glimpse into a truly powerful and nascent period in Mali's musical history.

PATTON, CHARLEY Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues: The Worlds Of Charley Patton (Revenant) 7cd 160.00
This is seriously one of the most amazing packages we've ever seen. And lucky for us the music easily lives up to the breathtaking packaging. This is the ultimate Charley Patton collection, finally giving props to the man who was tearing it up when Robert Johnson was still a kiddie. 5 discs of every issued and unissued track by Patton and his sessionmates Son House, Willie Brown, Louise Johnson, Henry 'Son' Sims, Bertha Lee, Delta Big Four, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Edith North Johnson as well as talent scout HC Speir. Disc 6 is Pattons contemporaries: Ma Rainey, Howlin' Wolf, Poor Boy Lofton, Kid Bailey, Walter Rhodes, Rube Lacy, Blind Joe Reynolds, Tommy Johnson, and Pops Staples. Disc 7 is all interviews with Pattons associates: Staples, Wolf, Speir, and Booker Miller. Also included is a 128 page book John Fahey wrote about Patton in 1970, as well as liner notes from Fahey, and a host of blues scholars, lyrics, full size reproductions of 6 original 1929 ads, a full set of 78 record label stickers and tons more. But it's the packaging that'll knock your socks off. A huge green fabric 78rpm-style hardcover (something like 14" x 11") slipcase, complete with a pocket for Fahey's book, and all 7 cds mounted on faux 10"s, in old fashioned 10 inch sleeves, which along with the liner notes are all bound on one side just like old multple set 78s. So unbelievably nice. For those unfamiliar, Patton was one of the founders of Mississippi Delta blues. With a palpable anger just below the surface, Patton combined gruff gravelly vocals, heavy handed guitar style, amazing bottleneck slide, and lyrics made up on the spot, into some of the most important music in our history.
RealAudio clip: CHARLEY PATTON "Pony Blues"
RealAudio clip: CHARLEY PATTON "A Spoonful Blues"
RealAudio clip: CHARLIE PATTON "Down The Dirt Road Blues"
RealAudio clip: SON HOUSE "County Farm Blues"
RealAudio clip: UNKOWN CONVICT "Blues"

PEKOS / YORO DIALLO s/t (Yaala Yaala) cd 14.98
First release from Drag City sublabel Yaala Yaala, a new Sublime Frequencies style series of West African musics culled from field recordings, found sounds and tapes purchased at flea markets. And much like Sublime Frequencies, these mostly low fidelity recordings are allowed to remain mysterious, no liner notes, very little information about the artists, just a brief bit of text, mostly about the discovery of the music itself, and one can only assume, no system in place for providing the artists with royalties. A sticky situation for sure, one we can only hope the label will eventually address and make right. In the meantime though, these recordings are so fantastic. Raw and intense, gritty and gorgeous. 
Yoro Diallo is from Mali and is a well known singer and here is paired up with Pekos, who plays a guitar-like lute, an instrument whose sound is absolutely mindblowing, a fierce buzzing rhythmic riffing, crunchy and heavy, warm and resonant and so so powerful. Strummed and struck, picked and rubbed, weaving a totally hypnotic groove, on the first track it takes the form of a raw blues jam, the melody looped and repeated mantra like while Diallo, wails over the top, his voice deep and intense, as powerful and raw as the music beneath it. The two trade verses, Pekos offering up a never ending patter, almost scatting, while Diallo swoops in every few measures and destroys, his delivery a super intense almost toasting. The first track has been stuck in the cd player on repeat since we first got this in. All the intensity and emotion of Konono No.1 and the same sort of festive vibe, as well as the same song structure, a looped cyclical jam that could go on forever and ever and oh how we wish it would. The second track is like a slowed down back porch version of the first. The strings weaving a loping laid back backdrop, with simple percussion, and the same vocal interplay, Pekos more subdued, Diallo a gorgeous intense roar. 
Besides the first track, the other highlight is probably the track, a sprawling midtempo jam, way in the background, simple metallic rhythms and softly strummed guitars, while over the top, another guitar is pounded in and out of tune, warbling drunkenly, intertwined with the vocals, eventually dropping most of the melody and becoming another percussion instrument, emitting occasional squalls of tangled melody before returning to its motorik pulse, until eventually evolving into an almost James Brown like detuned funk jam, with the crowd watching going wild. So intense and emotional. One of our favorite 'new' recordings, we can hardly wait for the rest of the series...
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 1"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 3"
MPEG Stream: "Untitled 4"

PHIZMIZ, ERGO The System Of A Down Sessions Vol. 1 (Mukow) cd 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The return of the truly genius and truly wild and weird Ergo Phizmiz. You may have read about him in the most recent issue of the Wire. Or you may have picked up one of his cd-r's that we listed here in the past, including a disc of interpretations of The The songs. Well, if you dug that one here's another one for you. Tweaked and twisted versions of songs by nu metallers System Of A Down! Fear not, the songs are barely recognizable, in fact a couple of times it made us laugh out loud these "versions" were so bizarre. Jungle rhythms, soaring soundtrack strings, skipping exotica records, creepy holiday music, and bleating trombones are smeared wildly over sliced and diced chunks of the original songs. Sounds like something that would be right at home on Tigerbeat 6 or Violent Turd.
MPEG Stream: "Chop Sue Me"
MPEG Stream: "Fucked Kirkus"

PSYCO ON DA BUS s/t (Platform) cd 16.98
The press release for this record claims that it attempts to "fill the gap between the 70s and the new millenium, blending gospel & soul vocals, Afrobeat rhythms, jazz & funk licks with wicked electronics", but uh... they forgot to confess it's *bad*. This is just limp throwaway material, too fragmented and half-thought-out to warrant a cd release, too spaced out to be funky, too loungey to be anything more than cocktail party background mood music at some yuppie watering hole. Legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen deserves better than that, doesn't he? Granted, the album was made between a tour that Allen, Doctor L, and various other guys embarked upon in 2000, and it was probably hard doing stuff on the bus or in living rooms in between soundchecks. But that's no excuse for releasing this when it sounds so obviously halfbaked (or totally baked, if you know what I mean). Sorry, I'd recommend you pass on this and pick up Tony Allen's recently reissued older albums -- No Accommodation For Lagos / No Discrimination and Jealousy / Progress -- which are certifiably great Afrobeat classics.
RealAudio clip: "Afropusherman"

RAGAB, SALAH & THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND Presents Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard) lp 25.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl!
Wow! What an artifact. Here's some Egyptian jazz from the late '60s-early '70s courtesy of of the man who founded the first jazz big band in Egypt and later accompanied Sun Ra on tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain. We're pretty sure you must be damn curious by now, so we should tell you that beyond those enticing facts this is some seriously fine jazz played by a band made up of some of the best musicians in Egypt during that era. Five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums and percussion all coming together to form a super rich and tasty sound. Incorporating Middle Eastern melodies and mystique into its sound, this is the kind of jazz that's pretty impossible not to fall for. Like the best instrumental Ethiopiques tracks, Sun Ra's big-band era and Randy Weston's multicultural approach to hard bop. Incredibly pleasing!
MPEG Stream: "Dawn"
MPEG Stream: "Oriental Mood"

RAGAB, SALAH AND THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND ...Present Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard) cd 23.00
REPRESSED, BACK IN STOCK!
Wow! What an artifact. Here's some Egyptian jazz from the late '60s-early '70s courtesy of of the man who founded the first jazz big band in Egypt and later accompanied Sun Ra on tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain. We're pretty sure you must be damn curious by now, so we should tell you that beyond those enticing facts this is some seriously fine jazz played by a band made up of some of the best musicians in Egypt during that era. Five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums and percussion all coming together to form a super rich and tasty sound. Incorporating Middle Eastern melodies and mystique into its sound, this is the kind of jazz that's pretty impossible not to fall for. Like the best instrumental Ethiopiques tracks, Sun Ra's big-band era and Randy Weston's multicultural approach to hard bop. Incredibly pleasing!
MPEG Stream: "Dawn"
MPEG Stream: "Oriental Mood"

REFAT, MAHMOUD Miramar (100Copies) cd-r 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We like a label that is totally upfront about their intentions, no beating around the bush, a label like 100 Copies, who are simply and succinctly letting us know, that this is in fact, a drastically limited release, and once we run out, we will not be able to get more. So be warned, we tried to order a ton of these, and ended up with a little more than a dozen. So why should you care? Well for the 12 or 13 of you who are quickest on the BUY IT NOW button, the work of Mahmoud Refat is a series of soundscapes crafted from the sounds of daily life in Egypt, conversations, calls to prayer, street musicians, portable power stations, the sounds of children playing, the bustling market, all woven into fuzzy glitchy dronescapes, some dark and lugubrious and barely moving, others skittering and looped sounding, while still others are funky jazzy Autechre-ish jams. Chopped up voices, sampled instruments, soft indistinct drifts of ambient sound, ultra minimal abstract glitch and rumbling cavernous whirs all woven into a gorgeously mesmerizing whole, from the distinct sonic threads of people's lives, halfway around the world.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES (duh) and we have less than ten...
MPEG Stream: "Wrong Information 1"
MPEG Stream: "Mirimar"

ROGIE, S.E. The Palm Wine Sounds of... (Workers Playtime) cd 15.98

SOM IMAGINARIO s/t (Rev-Ola) cd 16.98
Oh how nice! Want to feel the glow of summer's warmth no matter what it feels like outside? Som Imaginario have got the golden rays for all of us to bask in. Brazil, 1970 - and yeah start thinking Os Mutantes and the Tropicalia revolution of sound. While they never got the wide attention that some of their peers would end up receiving, their music was just as dazzling, delightful and adventures as those whose names are now much more known (Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, etc). Som Imaginario were a six piece who initially came together to back up Milton Nascimento for his short lived Brazilian TV show. This, their debut, was never released outside of Brazil until now, and with Os Mutantes launching a reunion tour this spring, the time is ripe for other wonderful sounds from that scene to finally resurface. Equal parts sun soaked pop, fun-freak-out and an underlying irreverent spirit make this one of those reissues that doesn't just sound cool in theory but you actually want to listen to it over and over.
MPEG Stream: "Super-God"
MPEG Stream: "Tema Dos Deuses"

SPIRITUAL SINGERS Ntsamina (Mississippi) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert! MISSISSIPPI Alert!
Wow! This is unlike any gospel or African music we've heard. The Spiritual Singers were (are?) an evangelical pop group hailing from Brazzaville, that fused Afropop, R&B, garage rock, high off-kilter vocals and epic harmonies into a strange amalgam of groovy far-flung devotionals. Fronted by Berthe Loudi, whose amazing vocal quality borders on the endearingly outsiderish: raw, passionate and high keening at times, almost out of tune but in a way that goes perfectly with the music, tempered by the lovingly angelic quality of the back-up harmonies. The combo features two guitars, bass, organ and some really amazing drumming that kicks up the grooves on the faster numbers and highlights the epic devotional quality on the slower ones. Released in 1980, this is another highly worthwhile entry in the Mississippi catalog. Remember, these are limited!

STAFF BENDA BILILI Tres Tres Fort (Crammed Discs) cd 16.98
What is it about Kinshasa? The capitol city of the Democratic Republic Of The Congo first brought us the mind blowing Konono No.1, who fashioned PA's and amps out of old car parts, and rigged up thumb pianos with home built pick ups, crafting one of the most unique and fascinating and exuberant sounds we had ever heard. Now, also from Kinshasa, comes Staff Benda Bilili, an even more unique musical combo (as if that were even possible). A group of senior paraplegic street musicians, who live in and around the grounds of the zoo, who travel in cool custom built wheelchairs that look more like motorcycles, they sing and play guitar, and are backed up by a young all acoustic rhythm section, featuring a 17 year old prodigy, who plays wild psychedelic leads on a one string 'guitar' made from a tin can. There are pictures in the booklet, it's hard to believe anyone could conjure such amazing sounds from this little bit of scrap and string, but the proof is right here.
The music itself is not as far out as Konono No.1, it has much more of a traditionally folky feel, a distinctly highlife vibe, the vocal harmonies form the core of the sound, lush and laid back, stunningly intricate and gorgeous, the various stringed instruments buzz and twang, simple drumming holds it all together, and the occasional wild tangled squiggly solos on the tin can lute, sounding slippery and super high, the songs build to festive codas, and just as often slip back into something much more contemplative.
Feel good, sunshiney sounds that make you want to dance or drift off, you can almost imagine these guys all parked in their motorcycle wheelchairs, rocking late into the night around the campfire or under the streetlights. But you don't have to imagine, there are a handful of live videos too, so you can watch these guys create these amazing sounds live, sitting on the grass in the park, under the trees, hanging out in after dark lit only by firelight, and seeing that little kid rock out on the tin can lute, WOW. Also includes a really cool trailer, for what could either be a documentary about the band, or it could just be a short film / trailer for the record.
Needless to say, but we will anyway, TOTALLY recommended, especially for anyone who loves Konono No.1!!
MPEG Stream: "Sala Keba"
MPEG Stream: "Moto Moindo"
MPEG Stream: "Staff Benda Bilili"

TARTIT Abacabok (Crammed Discs) cd 16.98
There is no doubt that we have a big soft spot for so much of the music that comes out of West Africa and Mali in particular, so we were not sure how we missed the first album from this great Mali outfit called Tartit, but we are more then pleased to jump on their fan wagon with their new outing Abacabok. Recorded in the northern Mali desert by Congotronics producer Vincent Kenis, this is a record that keeps you captivated from start to finish. Call and response vocals, handclaps and percussion creating the perfect back-beat, three-string lute and one string fiddle, a few moments of electric guitar. It all comes together to form a record that feels so coherent, hypnotic and grounded to the salt of the earth. Fans of Tinariwen and Ali Farka Toure will be thrilled to hear this record. And just about everyone here at AQ has caught the Tartit fever with a fury! This is really great!
MPEG Stream: "Eha Ehenia"
MPEG Stream: "Tihou Beyatene"

TEMBO, CHRISSY ZEBBY & NGOZI FAMILY My Ancestors (Hummingbird) cd 24.00
We've been getting all riled up over some hot Afro-rock releases lately, first from those killer Nigerian comps put out by the Strut and Soundway labels and then The Peace's Black Power reissue. But the lo-fi fuzz that's really rocking our world is this gem from Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi family, 1974's My Ancestors. Though included on the Love Peace and Poetry African psych compilation, Chrissy Zebby Tembo may not be so memorable from that because their track was the one instrumental track from My Ancestors, and though it's great, it's not as good as the tracks where Tembo sings. Like an odd hybrid of Malcolm Mooney from Can and Sabbath-era Ozzy Osbourne, Tembo's English delivery over these fuzzed-out groovers is the reason to take notice. Hailing from Zambia, same as The Peace and The Witch (another Afro-rock group we'd like to see get more affordably reissued), Tembo wails over these rhythmically charged but largely western-style rock structures. The best being the Sabbath gone to South Africa "Trouble Maker". In constant rotation, since this first arrived a few weeks ago, we've finally managed to get enough to share with our customers. Don't hesitate, this whole record kills!
MPEG Stream: "My Ancestors"
MPEG Stream: "Trouble Maker"
MPEG Stream: "Feeling Good"

TEMBO, CHRISSY ZEBBY & NGOZI FAMILY My Ancestors (Hummingbird) lp 30.00
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Good thing too, since the cd reissue is now out of print. Our review of it follows...
We've been getting all riled up over some hot Afro-rock releases lately, first from those killer Nigerian comps put out by the Strut and Soundway labels and then The Peace's Black Power reissue. But the lo-fi fuzz that's really rocking our world is this gem from Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi family, 1974's My Ancestors. Though included on the Love Peace and Poetry African psych compilation, Chrissy Zebby Tembo may not be so memorable from that because their track was the one instrumental track from My Ancestors, and though it's great, it's not as good as the tracks where Tembo sings. Like an odd hybrid of Malcolm Mooney from Can and Sabbath-era Ozzy Osbourne, Tembo's English delivery over these fuzzed-out groovers is the reason to take notice. Hailing from Zambia, same as The Peace and The Witch (another Afro-rock group we'd like to see get more affordably reissued), Tembo wails over these rhythmically charged but largely western-style rock structures. The best being the Sabbath gone to South Africa "Trouble Maker". In constant rotation, since this first arrived a few weeks ago, we've finally managed to get enough to share with our customers. Don't hesitate, this whole record kills!
MPEG Stream: "My Ancestors"
MPEG Stream: "Trouble Maker"
MPEG Stream: "Feeling Good"

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN s/t (Virgin) cd 13.98
Damon Albarn has quietly emerged from the shadows of 90's MTV fame with Blur's hit (No. 2 Song) to become one of the more interesting musical figures in the more mainstream realms of modern rock. From his travels to Africa that resulted in the great Mali Music album, his collaborative efforts in The Gorillaz, and even the last Blur record, Think Tank which was pretty much a solo endeavor and contained some really smart and somewhat somber pop songs. He's also been running a great record label Honest Jons who have released some amazing records old and new from the likes of Moondog, Candi Staton, Tony Allen, Las Malas Amistades, etc. The Good The Bad & The Queen is his latest project and he's assembled quite the all-star cast including Clash bassist Paul Simonon and legendary drummer (of Fela Kuti fame), Tony Allen, with production duties handled by Danger Mouse. Together they've created a really nice album of subdued pop songs with layers of warmth and an expansive and moody disposition. At times it even made us think of a more polished version of Three Mile Pilot's Another Desert Another Sea, and this for sure should appeal to fans of Pinback and Radiohead. This keeps growing on us listen after listen, revealing something more each time. For sure one of our favorite major label records in quite a while.
MPEG Stream: "Kingdom Of Doom"
MPEG Stream: "Behind The Sun"

TINARIWEN Amassakoul (Harmonia Mundi) cd 21.00
About time we listed this, people have been raving about this North African band for a while, and this new domestic cd came out last fall...we've been selling 'em pretty steadily but our review slipped thru the cracks until now. So here's the lowdown if you haven't yet heard about these folks. The members of Tinariwen are Tuareg, nomadic people from the borderlands of Libya, Algeria and Tunesia. Formed in 1982, the group can probably boast the most interesting circumstances under which they met: in a rebel training camp of Colonel Ghadaffi's while fighting in an insurgency against the Malian government! So it may or may not seem odd that the most distinctive sound they share with another is the lilting electric guitar of Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure. After 22 years Tinariwen have fused shades of Taureg music with Bo Diddley like rhythms and traditional instruments with electric bass, guitar and drums. Andee thinks the rhythm they keep returning to throughout the album sounds a lot like 50 Cent's "In The Club"!
MPEG Stream: "Amassakoul 'N' Tenere"
MPEG Stream: "Aldhechen Manin"

TOUMAST Ishumar (Real World / Ryko) cd 16.98
We are huge fans of Tinarwien, that amazing ensemble out of the Saharan desert who so effortlessly integrate electric guitars into their West African hypnotic blues. So we were super excited to check out Toumast when we learned that its leader, Ag Keyna, was not only once a freedom fighter in North Africa but also spent time as a member of Tinariwen. It's no surprise that musically this shares a lot in common with Tinariwen, which is not a bad thing at all! From impassioned foot stompers to entrancing and spacious songs full of soul, the music of Toumast is rich with a survival spirit that one can hear and latch onto even when you don't understand the language.
Keyna was severely wounded by military fire in the early '90s, and was airlifted out of Africa to France for medical care. He began to channel his fighting spirit into music making with the aid of his niece who is a great percussionist, along with the amazing vocal styling of Aminatou Goumar. And thus Toumast was born.
The songs on Ishumar all catch such tasty grooves and make for a listen that is both immediately satisfying and constantly growing on us with each repeated listen. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Ikalane Walegh"
MPEG Stream: "Maraou Oran"

TOURE, VIEUX FARKA Fondo (Six Degrees) cd 16.98
Vieux Farka Toure's music resonates with a strength, power and wisdom well beyond his years. While the shoes he's had to fill being the son of the late great Ali Farka Toure are quite enormous he's done so with an equally gifted ability to create songs that ring with a universal truth and strength that anyone can understand no matter what language you speak. We were instant believers in after hearing his debut a couple years ago and our appreciation of him grew when we saw him live opening for Tinariwen at the Palace Of Fine Arts shortly after that record came out. There was no doubt that this was a man filled with passion, remarkable guitar playing skills and a voice that is both peaceful and commanding of attention. Fondo is further proof that we will be hearing great music from Vieux for many years to come. While continuing the great tradition of Mali music that his dad helped bring to the ears of many across the globe, he is carrying on that legacy with a richness all his own.
MPEG Stream: "Fafa"
MPEG Stream: "Mali"
MPEG Stream: "Sarama"

TOURE, VIEUX FARKA Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako (Mobida) cd 14.98
Cheesy remixes, unfortunately.

TURNER, OTHA & THE AFROSSIPPI ALLSTARS From Senegal To Senatobia (Birdman) cd 14.98
'Mystical goat dancer' is an apt describer of Otha Turner, an ageless creation of the Mississippi earth whose musical mastery is over a simple fife carved out of a bamboo cane fishing pole. Together with his Rising Star Fife & Drum band, Turner has for years fashioned shrill whistles around the militant snare march of the drum core, reconstituting the rhythmic hypnotism of lost slave songs. This album is a much more sedate outing for Turner as he has been joined by a handful of Senegalese musicians, beautifully linking the two divergant African sounds. Turner's domineering presence is neccessary for the success of these fusions, but at times, he seems to wander off (to feed the chickens? after all this was recorded at his farm) on two tracks which snap back to traditional Senegalese rhythms. Regardless, an excellent document.

UWAIFO, SIR VICTOR Guitar-Boy Superstar (Sound Way) cd 17.98
The mighty Sound Way label (the fine folks who brought us the killer Nigeria Special compilations) is back with another fantastic reissue of classic West African popular music, this time documenting the mid-1970s output of the enigmatic and flamboyant Sir Victor Uwaifo, the guitar-boy superstar! You might recognize Uwaifo from his appearance on the Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump compilation where his track "Dododo (Ekassa 1)" was a real skirt blower. These days, when most of us have access to this kind of music only through curated compilations featuring dozens of performers, it's a rare treat to get a more well-rounded picture of a single artist; big ups to Sound Way for delivering the goods!
The majority of tracks on this collection are based around Uwaifo's unique hybrid of the traditional rhythm of the 'ekassa' coronation dance with highlife instrumentation. The result is something joyous, funky, and soulful that manages to maintain a laid-back, upbeat feel that is distinct from the frenetic rush of Afrobeat and the other scenes happening in mid-'70s Lagos. In fact, there's a sweet, classic pop element to Uwaifo's songwriting that has more in common with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens than it does with the American funk, soul and disco that inspired his contemporaries. Valens is actually a pretty good jumping off point for comparison, as the electrified version of the ekassa rhythm lends a Latin flourish to the music that recalls Valens' Chicano rock styles saturated with fuzz, wah and a distinctly Nigerian rhythmic sensibility.
Unsurprisingly, it's Uwaifo's guitar playing that stand out as the real centerpiece of the record as it skips from traditional highlife accompaniment to psych-tinged, fuzzed-out solos to primitive delay and wah-wah experimentalism, sometimes all within the same song! Uwaifo's jangling open-string solos, jarringly nimble riffing, and ability to switch effortlessly between rhythm and lead again recall Buddy Holly and also classic US surf rock (in fact, the track "Agho" goes so far as to quote parts of "Tequila" - weird, but fantastic!), but there's a lot more going on than that. Check out "Igboroho (Ekassa 24)" to hear Uwaifo pushing his guitar into fractured, no-wave territory; given that it still sounds completely freaked out now, it must've been thoroughly mind-expanding at the time.
As with all things from Sound Ways, this disc comes with lavish packaging; meticulously researched and compiled liner notes replete with archival photographs, album art; and song-by-song gloss by Uwaifo himself. It's a fantastic package highly recommended for anyone who's been enjoying the goldmine of reissues of African popular musics we've been seeing over the past year. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Igboroho (Ekassa 5)"
MPEG Stream: "Egbe Natete"
MPEG Stream: "Agho"

UWAIFO, SIR VICTOR Guitar-Boy Superstar (Sound Way) 2lp 23.00
Now available on vinyl!!
The mighty Sound Way label (the fine folks who brought us the killer Nigeria Special compilations) is back with another fantastic reissue of classic West African popular music, this time documenting the mid-1970s output of the enigmatic and flamboyant Sir Victor Uwaifo, the guitar-boy superstar! You might recognize Uwaifo from his appearance on the Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump compilation where his track "Dododo (Ekassa 1)" was a real skirt blower. These days, when most of us have access to this kind of music only through curated compilations featuring dozens of performers, it's a rare treat to get a more well-rounded picture of a single artist; big ups to Sound Way for delivering the goods!
The majority of tracks on this collection are based around Uwaifo's unique hybrid of the traditional rhythm of the 'ekassa' coronation dance with highlife instrumentation. The result is something joyous, funky, and soulful that manages to maintain a laid-back, upbeat feel that is distinct from the frenetic rush of Afrobeat and the other scenes happening in mid-'70s Lagos. In fact, there's a sweet, classic pop element to Uwaifo's songwriting that has more in common with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens than it does with the American funk, soul and disco that inspired his contemporaries. Valens is actually a pretty good jumping off point for comparison, as the electrified version of the ekassa rhythm lends a Latin flourish to the music that recalls Valens' Chicano rock styles saturated with fuzz, wah and a distinctly Nigerian rhythmic sensibility.
Unsurprisingly, it's Uwaifo's guitar playing that stand out as the real centerpiece of the record as it skips from traditional highlife accompaniment to psych-tinged, fuzzed-out solos to primitive delay and wah-wah experimentalism, sometimes all within the same song! Uwaifo's jangling open-string solos, jarringly nimble riffing, and ability to switch effortlessly between rhythm and lead again recall Buddy Holly and also classic US surf rock (in fact, the track "Agho" goes so far as to quote parts of "Tequila" - weird, but fantastic!), but there's a lot more going on than that. Check out "Igboroho (Ekassa 24)" to hear Uwaifo pushing his guitar into fractured, no-wave territory; given that it still sounds completely freaked out now, it must've been thoroughly mind-expanding at the time.
As with all things from Sound Ways, this disc comes with lavish packaging; meticulously researched and compiled liner notes replete with archival photographs, album art; and song-by-song gloss by Uwaifo himself. It's a fantastic package highly recommended for anyone who's been enjoying the goldmine of reissues of African popular musics we've been seeing over the past year. So good!
MPEG Stream: "Igboroho (Ekassa 5)"
MPEG Stream: "Egbe Natete"
MPEG Stream: "Agho"

V/A 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Sublime Frequencies) cd 16.98
Another out of print, previously vinyl only Sublime Frequencies gem gets a long overdue cd reissue. We wanted to make this a Record Of The Week when the lp first came out, but there are still so many folks out there sans turntable, we figured we oughta just wait for the cd, and now it's here, so we can indeed finally lavish this record with the Record Of The Week honors it so totally deserves.
Yet another winner from Sublime Frequencies (have they ever released a loser? We think not). And like many of the Sublime Frequencies before it, we find it hard to not think that maybe folks don't need to be making so much music, releasing so many records, when so much amazing outrageously creative music is already being and has been made all over the world, for so long, much of it never heard outside of a very few people. Maybe we should have some sort of national policy, where bands can turn in their instruments, and in exchange get a recorder, a plane ticket, and an expense account, with which they can roam the world bringing back some of that unheard and lost music. Heck, sign us up right now!
Anyway, this new release is a collection of Rai music from the early seventies, from Algeria, and these particular cuts are samples of some of the sort of "outlaw" Rai performers, a modern strain that has been neglected and ignored, and takes this classic Algerian music form, and adds electric guitar, trumpets, wah wah pedal, and whips it all up into an infectious brew equal parts Ethiopiques, Bollywood and garage rock. Or something close to that. This stuff is truly hard to describe, and the liner notes, while informative, are printed on an eye popping blue on red old school 3-D colored background which makes the text swim and sway before your eyes. And offer more on the history and the players than what Rai music actually is (there's a good description on Wikipedia). But for the purpose of this review, as it should be, we'll just focus on the sound. And what a sound!
Warm whirring organ drones, trumpets EVERYWHERE, really the defining sound, wild chaotic tribal drumming, crooned dramatic vocals, groovy, soulful, funky, raw and lo-fi, like a garage rock Ethiopiques, but with a strangely raw Bollywood vibe, the trumpets peppering the murky grooves with strange fanfares and jazzy melodies, here and there distorted guitars surface, wrapped in wah wah, reverb and echo all over the place, some songs super frenzied, others laid back and dreamy, Indian melodies draped over almost surfy grooves, really pretty fantastic. Hard to imagine that folks who have been digging all the Sublime Frequencies releases, or the Yaala Yaala reissues won't go crazy for this stuff.
Group Doueh, Group Inerane, and now this, a pretty mind blowing, near perfect, far out world music three-fer, and that's not even counting the 30+ release that came before. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED.
MPEG Stream: BELLEMOU & BENFISSA "Li Maandouche L'Auto"
MPEG Stream: GROUPE EL AZHAR "Mazal Nesker Mazal"
MPEG Stream: GROUPE EL AZHAR "Touedar Aakli"

V/A 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Sublime Frequencies) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another winner from Sublime Frequencies. And while we made sure to stress that past "vinyl-only" were indeed vinyl only, lately, those vinyl releases have been slowly making it to cd. BUT, for the vinyl folks out there, these do disappear fast, and fetch big bucks on eBay once they're gone, so you're not gonna want to snooze on this one. Listening to this again, now, for maybe the 20th time in 2 days, it's becoming clear we'll probably have to make this a Record Of The Week as soon as it comes out on cd, but for now, even though it's only a highlight, it really couldn't be more of a MUST OWN.
And like many of the Sublime Frequencies before it, we find it hard to not think that maybe folks don't need to be making so much music, releasing so many records, when so much amazing outrageously creative music is already being and has been made all over the world, for so long, much of it never heard outside of a very few people. Maybe we should have some sort of national policy, where bands can turn in their instruments, and in exchange get a recorder, a plane ticket, and an expense account, with which they can roam the world bringing back some of that unheard and lost music. Heck, sign us up right now!
Anyway, this new release is a collection of Rai music from the early seventies, from Algeria, and these particular cuts are samples of some of the sort of "outlaw" Rai performers, a modern strain that has been neglected and ignored, and takes this classic Algerian music form, and adds electric guitar, trumpets, wah wah pedal, and whips it all up into an infectious brew equal parts Ethiopiques, Bollywood and garage rock. Or something close to that. This stuff is truly hard to describe, and the liner notes, while informative, are printed on an eye popping blue on red old school 3-D colored background which makes the text swim and sway before your eyes. And offer more on the history and the players than what Rai music actually is (there's a good description on Wikipedia). But for the purpose of this review, as it should be, we'll just focus on the sound. And what a sound!
Warm whirring organ drones, trumpets EVERYWHERE, really the defining sound, wild chaotic tribal drumming, crooned dramatic vocals, groovy, soulful, funky, raw and lo-fi, like a garage rock Ethiopiques, but with a strangely raw Bollywood vibe, the trumpets peppering the murky grooves with strange fanfares and jazzy melodies, here and there distorted guitars surface, wrapped in wah wah, reverb and echo all over the place, some songs super frenzied, others laid back and dreamy, Indian melodies draped over almost surfy grooves, really pretty fantastic. Hard to imagine that folks who have been digging all the Sublime Frequencies releases, or the Yaala Yaala reissues won't go crazy for this stuff.
Group Doueh, Group Inerane, and now this, a pretty mind blowing, near perfect, far out world music three-fer, and that's not even counting the 30+ release that came before. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED.
LIMITED TO 1500 COPIES, 180 gram vinyl, super thick gatefold sleeve, full color, with tons of photos and liner notes inside.