Interactive poll #22: The Africa edition

My impressions after a runthrough of the playlist:

The Anders: Kokoko! (the French guy is Xavier Thomas, aka Débruit) are creating an interesting blend of captivating music out of their selfmade instruments and with the electronics. Great choice! Prefer them over the tractor, which remains a bit low in the mix...

Meltdowner: Wow, that's electrifying! Like that rolling bass rhythm underneath it. This one is captivating too, although in the long end the jam-feel is maybe lingering on a bit too much. Must be great to see and hear this live though. (YT proposed Arabia from the same album, which was a good listen too...)

Mathman: Yes, this poll will deliver us some great rhythm sections, percussionists and drummers. Stewart Copeland is one of them. Great playing, but the song leaves me a bit underwhelmed - it sounds a bit too standard to me - until that fantastic final kicks in! Another great drummer with Ginger Baker and I find his African Force much more captivating, from the beginning till the end, also thanks to the electric guitar and the soundscapy things and more so when the sax sets in. Great rhythmic interplay between the percussion and the drums. Wonderful track! Tribe After Tribe are not my cup of tea, a bit too ridicule (both the clip and the music). Kronos Quartet on the other hand cannot do much wrong with me, mainly because of their interpretations of contemporary music. With this one we find Hamza el Din again and I prefer this one over the song proposed by BrufordFreak.

Easy Money: King Sunny Adé gives us an intriguing mix of styles with the african rhythms, some reggae, hawaian, steel... and electronic sound effects. Intriguing, but not entirely my blend.

The Dark Elf: Ali Farka Touré was one of those great African musicians breaking through in the west. Savane is a nice trailing piece in which we hear his wonderful playing. It wouldn't be my first choice though. Ladysmith Black Mombazo are another exemple of African greatness, here with a typical Paul Simon written/inspired song. A very pleasant listen. Miriam Makeba gives us the blues here with Hugh Masekela. This is my favourite if she wasn't talking through it (here is another live version...). Very powerful song.

BrufordFreak: Samite's Night Stories are enchanting. Very ambient, which normally would not be my thing, but Samite's kalimba(?) and the vocals make something very beautiful of this song. Hamza El Din is proposing another intriguing piece: he makes the mixing of different rhythms (percussion, hand claps...) sounds so easy. Very nice, but I prefer Samite.

Lewian: Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela (him again!) deliver us a wonderful homage to the great Fela Kuti. Who better than Tony Allen could do this? A perfect blend and a nice homage to Tony Allen to put it up here - another one of those great African musicians!
Dissidenten deliver a very upbeat Fata Morgana. It has something captivating, but it is a bit too straightforward for me to be a real contender. Rokia Traore is one of these great voices; this song is nice but she has done better than this I think.

dwill123: And another great artist, Manu Dibango! (and another one who passed away this year...) Although Soul Makossa wouldn't by my choice of his, it remains a great listen.

TCat: Sonia Dada is a very nice surprise. This song has some Paul Simon's Graceland flavor over it but stands on its own as a soulful beautiful original song. Rentstrike by the Groove Collective is very groovy indeed. A nice match these two songs, but I prefer Sonia Dada. Talking Heads are in a league of their own (I didn't dare to put up some TH, but instead I offered Angélique Kidjo's cover...); always fantastic, but they would be out of competition for me. Karl Jenkins is nice to hear but lacks the originality of the other songs, and I find Paul Winter's song a bit underwhelming too.

Snicolette: I'm really impressed by Seckou Keita's song: it is beautiful. Is this only a kora we hear or is there a subtle interplay with an acoustic guitar? Very great singing too, which makes this a captivating song! I actually prefer this one over his collaboration pieces, despite their richer instrumentation: nice too, but less surprising. It's been a while that I've heard this song of Johnny Clegg; yes, very 80s and very festive, but not what I prefer (not then, not now).

Cristi: Tinariwen has some nice guitar playing over more traditional percussion and bass sounds. A kind of Tunisian americana... very nice!

Logan: With Lokonon Andre Isidore et l’ Orchestre Les Volcans we're travelling back in time a bit with a kind of African funky pop. Nice to hear, but not entirely my thing. Fela Kuti's Unknown Soldier on the contrary is for me an all time classic, poignant piece of music (in its two parts!).

Snicolette wrote: Very nice to read your thoughts, suitkees, and compare with how I heard the pieces.  For those who haven't been around as long, we do not expect breakdowns this detailed, although a couple of us do them, it is not a requisite!

Damn! If I'd known that... Seriously though, if/when I have the time, I like to comment on the songs proposed here as I like to read feedback. These polls are a nice music exchange (as we did way back when with audio cassettes...), and it is nice to read - positive or negative - comments from others on all the music suggestions here. But indeed, there is no obligation at all.

This video of Finch and Keita playing together is quite enjoyable: it is nice to see them produce that rich sound palette with kora and harp alone, those intertwining melodies and rhythms... I understand better why I could suspect an acoustic guitar on his solo piece, but now I see how versatile the kora is as instrument (or how versatile he is playing it). Thanks!

Logan:  Lokonon Andre Isidore et l’ Orchestre Les Volcans "Glenon Ho Akue"  Very city-scape feeling to me, here. Lots of horns, percussion and male voices over all, with a dissonance to all.  Fela Kuti “Unknown Soldier”  Begins with some fingersnaps, brush sounds, then adds piano keeping to that beat and electric guitar, handclaps and more electric guitar, holding yet to that beat.  Adds some shaker sound and male voice intoning, cowbell!  Singer and female chorus come on full, very hypnotic piece, with political/social commentary.  Horn section comes in about 5 minutes in, with more cowbell and scatting from Fela, all keeping with the continuing hypnotic rhythms and the return of the horns, about halfway. Lots more political/social commentary with some magic thrown in.  The singing intensifies, and some piano comes in, improvising, it sounds like, along with the horns again and the shaker instruments (and the guitar lines have never really stopped underneath).  Horns come in with flourishes and interplay with piano for a bit near the end, then it abruptly halts.  Had to hear it all.  😊 

George:  Tribe After Tribe “White Boys in the Jungle”  Definitely in rock-land here.  Heavy guitar riffs, steady beat and and an alt-rock vocal.  Made me curious about what lead guy would do with space rock setting.  Kronos Quartet “Escalay – Waterwheel”  Very different than your other Kronos Quartet piece…I love the deep sound at the beginning (not sure if it’s actually oud or not), beautiful with the understated oriental orchestra feel to this, as the various other instruments kick in, great tension build and gets into some plucky back and forth between the percussive and string elements.  Lovely and my favourite of yours here. 

Sadly, your video doesn't work for me here, can you give me the name of the piece and I can look it up that way on my own?  

And thank you for your thoughts here, as well, and the continued widening of my horizons.