Back in Town Bringing African Sound - 21 Essential Tunes

Yeah, I’m back in town like Rufus Thomas and I am ready for a new long season here at Musicselections. We are going to deliver you more music, more knowledge, more fun than ever. You don’t have to do anything, just sit back and relax, we are working for you. The only thing we ask you is to leave a comment once in a while, It’s always highly appreciate and don’t cost you a thing .

Ismael Seck & friends:

I have bought some nice compilations in Senegal so today how can I not push some African sound. It’s a terrible cloudy day here in Turin and I already miss the sun, plus I am back to work, what can be worst than that?

As I told you before I don’t consider myself an expert of African music. Afrobeat, Highlife, Mbalax are just kind of new words for me but I like it. They got rhythm, they got soul, they got funk, they basically have the three main ingredients to prepare a main course. The sound is just apparently primitive, is rather stylized and essential. I like the rough way they play, the sound is often dirty, the voice is repetitive and patchy. Like Joppa said in his Reggae post: “Let these vibes surround you, and tell me, after listening these ones: who needs modern music?”

More Afrobeat here & here

Tracks 1-8

Tracks 9-16

Tracks 16-21

Let me know what you think about it. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

01 - The Ogyatanaa Show Band – Disco Africa

02 - Manu Dibango – New Bell

03 - Rob - Make it Fast, Make it Slow

04 - Ice – Time Will Tell

05 - Fela Kuti & The Africa 70 – Open & Close

06 - The Rwenzori’s – Handsome Boy (E Wara) (Parts 1 & 2)

07 - Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band – Bukom Mashie

08 - The Funkees – The Dancing Time

09 - Fela Kuti – Expensive Shit

10 - William Onyeabor - Better Change Your Mind

11 - Koola Lobitos - Ololufe Mi

12 - Alhaki K Frimpong & his Cubanos Fiestas – Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena

13 - The African Brothers – Self Reliance

13 - Fela Kuti – It’s No Possible

14 - Ebo Taylor Junior – Heaven

15 - Segun Bucknor & His Revolution - La La La

17 - Antibalas With Jojo Quo - Uprising (Parts 1 & 2)

18 - Fela Kuti – Upside Down

19 - Manu Dibango – Ceddo and Title

20 - The Apagya Show Band – Tamfo Nyi Ekyir

21 - Moussa Doumbia - Keleya

The video below has been the soundtrack of my holiday. It’s not what I consider a great tune but look at the singer (Mbaye Dieye Faye, the Youssou N’Dour’s percussionist), he gots more style than Sonny Cheeba from Camp Lo.