Posts Tagged Africa
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November 22, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 102: Youssou N’Dour – “Immigrés”
I guess my real intro to Youssou N’Dour, perhaps as with many people, was hearing Seven Seconds – the duet with Neneh Cherry. Many years on I got to ask Cherry all about that song. From there I heard N’Dour in the context of compilations – it was great in-store play back in the day […]Archive
June 26, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Ebo Taylor: Yen Ara
Ebo Taylor Yen Ara Mr. Bongo Ebo Taylor, “Mr Highlife” – the Ghanian bandleader, composer, guitarist and singer now in his 80s – might have just made the best album of his career; certainly a highlight, one of several high points, granted. But the effortlessness, the joy, the political energy and anger, the sheer musicality […]Archive
June 25, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Angelique Kidjo: Remain In Light
Angelique Kidjo Remain in Light KRAVENWORKS Angelique Kidjo is African Music Royalty – even if she’s suffered some claims of (somehow) not being “Authentic”. Hers is a fine body of work, moving and political, so often utterly joyous and accessible too as she creates a version of Afrobeat that integrates mainstream international music; hers then […]Archive
March 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
NZ Festival Writers & Readers: Teju Cole – Blind Spot
Teju Cole: Blind Spot Circa One; Circa Theatre Saturday, March 10 This Writers & Readers session was Teju Cole in conversation with Paula Morris. Chiefly the discussion was about his excellent new book Blind Spot but from there Cole found his way to talking about his work in a more general sense, his motivations, his […]Archive
November 7, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 473
Tamikrest, Kidal (2017) I should probably write an actual review of this – since it’s new and all – but every now and then I like to go in to the store and just buy a brand new record, the LP – with no real focus on ‘reviewing’ it as such; this is just me […]Archive
September 25, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Tony Allen: A Tribute To Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (ep)
Tony Allen A Tribute To Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (ep) Blue Note Records Originally released as a 10” EP – two tracks per side – this tribute to Art Blakey by Tony Allen is full of magic; for a start it welcomes Allen to Blue Note and has him playing his version of […]Archive
August 30, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 8: Miriam Makeba – “Miriam Makeba”
I have no idea when I first heard Miriam Makeba – but I know I was quite young. Her nickname was “Mama Africa” and I remember being hooked on African music at a fairly young age – quite possibly as a result of Paul Simon’s Graceland which arrived at the right time for me; music […]Archive
April 26, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Guest Post: Gig Preview – Mulatu Astatke with the Black Jesus Experience [by Lucien Johnson]
Wellington Jazz Festival, Opera House, Friday June 10th Returning to Ethiopia in the late 1960s after years abroad studying music at Berklee, and gigging and recording in New York, Mulatu Astatke discovered a flourishing music scene. It was the period of the final years of the Haile Selassie reign when the country’s capital was nicknamed […]Archive
February 13, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Mdou Moctar: Arounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai
Mdou Moctar Arounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai [Original Soundtrack Recording] Sahel Sounds It’s easy enough – and fair enough – to have a lighthearted chuckled around some of the absurdities of this project – a remake of Prince’s Purple Rain movie in a language with no word for ‘Purple’; crowd-funded and starring the guitarist that penned […]Archive
January 9, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
Africa Express: Presents Terry Riley’s In C Mali
Africa Express Presents Terry Riley’s In C Mali Transgressive Records It’s been fifty years since Terry Riley’s magical/important/influential In C and here we have a fresh spin on it via Africa Express’ recreation/tribute/rendition. It takes the concept, the mood, the mode and places it in an African context – or places an African context around […]Archive
August 17, 2014 by Simon Sweetman