Please recommend some good African music

[Artificial Emotion]

I don't really know much about African music at all (and what all the different types are called etc.), but still I was wondering if someone could recommend some happy, up-beat African songs that I can download?

 

[AmorRoark]

Fela Kuti & Femi Kuti are both excellent places to start. I really like

Confusion/Gentleman and Expensive Shit/He Miss Road are really good albums from Fela.

 

[Pander Bear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX21YIMBbPI

Orchestro Polyrhythmo de Cotonou Dahomey is my very favorite

This is a great comp

I've been digging "A town called addis" too, for EAST african dub

much more later

 

[StarOceanHouse]

I just picked up this CD today. Now these guys are really good. It sounds like a combination between arab music and afro drumming.

 

[carl]

Ouh, this thread has great potential.
I'll add my little bits. I know I'll be on a downloading spree after this.

The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best

Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali

Geoffrey Oryema - African Odysseus The best feel-good sterotype "African Savanna" music. It's really good too! :D

Alèmu Aga - Éthiopiques vol 11 - The Harp Of King David (bèguèna)

Budos Band - Budos Band I and Budos Band II Afro-Soul-Rock. Highly recommended.

Konono No1 - Congotronics

There are many compilations being put out right now focusing on African music in the middle and late 20th century, mostly jazz, funk and rock. Check some of those out. I'll be back later to add some more.

 

[Pander Bear]

might be a little quaint and anglocentric for the thread, but Graceland is chock full of great south african musicians, especially if you get his Live from zimbabwe concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqrKejQTynk

 

[Finder]

Check out Antibalas.

 

[Pander Bear]

also, i endorse most of carl's pics, esp esau mwamwaya

 

[organicmusic]

King Sunny Ade

He is the man, and FROM Africa

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

Fela Kuti & Femi Kuti are both excellent places to start. I really like

Confusion/Gentleman and Expensive Shit/He Miss Road are really good albums from Fela.

I'll second this recommendation. I'd say Fela Kuti's two LP greatest hits is pretty essential for anyone who dabbles in west African music.

 

[carl]

also, i endorse most of carl's pics, esp esau mwamwaya

Grab the record for free, from here if you don't have it already.

Anyone waiting to dump a load of goodness in this thread, I'm waiting. I have a few more secrets to share, but I'm holding out until I get more from the thread! heheh.

 

[Pander Bear]

carl has alreayd POMed me and told me to stay off of Ade, and he's already posted some of my faves, so I say Dump Away. I'll come in later with more.

 

[carl]

^Hey now, I'm not dissing the King. Sunny Ade set a standard for African music. I'm just looking to explore the continent further.

Some compilations worth considering:
African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo 70s
Ghana Soundz Afro Jazz
Nigeria Disco Funk Special
Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock and Fuzz Funk in 1970s Nigeria

You can generally count on any of the records in the Éthiopiques collection to be top notch.

Some more artists I'm currently digging:
Thomas Mapfumo
Lèmma Dèmissèw
Mamani Keita & Marc Minelli (jazz)
Mulatu Astatke (jazz)

 

[Pander Bear]

yes: keep naming the comps you only have because you snoop them off of me, rob.

 

[Ody]

Papa Wembe is a nice musician.

 

[Pander Bear]

this is good, just got it.

lukas ligeti - Afrikan Machinery

 

[Dtergent]

Now stealing music based on this thread.

carl, did you really like Welcome to Mali? Do you not feel it's hyper Damonified?

 

[Dtergent]

might be a little quaint and anglocentric for the thread, but Graceland is chock full of great south african musicians, especially if you get his Live from zimbabwe concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqrKejQTynk

Hey I was just watching some clips from this the other day! Their dance moves are fabulous

 

[Olyn]

Not strictly African, but an amazing blend. One of my favorite bands.

http://www.myspace.com/toubabkrewe

Listen to "Maliba".

 

[Pander Bear]

Now stealing music based on this thread.

carl, did you really like Welcome to Mali? Do you not feel it's hyper Damonified?

I though it was a bit much, too. You're not alone.

More names to learn:
Hugh Masekela
Manu Dibango (and anything else called makossa or bikutsi)
radioclit
Toumani diabate
Ballake Sissoko
Victor Démé