Interactive poll #22: The Africa edition

Another cool enjoyable selection here and once more I have a hard time deciding. The one that hit me strongest is the very first one "Malembe". Apart from that there are many good ones that deserve a vote. Black Bombain is very solid good music with a strong dynamical element. I didn't get much out of Tinariwen when listening to it for the first time but it has become better and better and now I am very much tempted to vote for it. King Sunny Ade - I don't like how it starts and missed at first listening (while doing other things) how much this turns into something very enjoyable with its long instrumental part. The Mau Mau one always gives me a good mood. The three tracks I already knew, of Seckou Keita, Ali Farke Toure, and Manu Dibango are all amazing (probably Seckou Keita just about wins among them), but I won't vote for them to make my job easier. The Pili Pili one, at repeat listening, is good, but seems to much like a rehash of their most famous track titled Pili Pili itself, which was a great, great discovery at the time. Ginger Baker does some cool no-nonsense stuff and also the Poly-Rythmo of the appropriately named Orchestre is fun.

At the end I think I'll go for Malembe, Tinariwen, and Mau Mau. Black Bombain is of top three quality but not that African really, therefore I won't vote for them, but I will check out more of their material. Could have voted Ginger Baker as well but he's more of a known name around here.

     

By the way I agree with Nicky that Samite's Night Stories was among the best in the nomination round and I'd have liked to see it in the final poll, although that would have made things even more diffiicult.

This was a nice trip again and many good musical suggestions to listen to and to discover. So many good songs that didn't get nominated... I very much liked the mix of influences and genres in many of these songs.

Today I listened twice to the playlist, and the three that stand out for me are Kokoko!, Tinariwen and Ginger Baker, but this playlist is a very pleasant listen overall!

Original lyrics:

Yes, I have presented him before, The Anders, but in a different context.  Definitely a kora, a beautiful instrument, which he plays superbly.

My votes:

Seckou Keita - "If Only I Knew"

mathman0806 wrote: Honorable Mentions: the rest

But very true. This is the pleasure of these interactive polls: there is so much good music coming by... and so eclectic...