NPP Yebo Ho Biom Side 1 Yebo Ho Biom Dwewohoe To Aba Pa Side 2 Asodwie Yebo Ho Biom (Inst.) Asomdwie (Acapella) Oh no it's election time in America. Hillary asked her pals to vote for her campaign song earlier this year to amusing effect . Back in 2004, John A. Kufuor's presidential re-election campaign in Ghana was bolstered(?) by this tape—with or without [...]
Tiken Jah Fakoly Françafrique Face A Françafrique Missiri Balayeur Balaye Soungourouba Africa On A Tout Compris Face B Nazara Charnier Houphouet Reveillies-toi Justice A Wouli Y'en A Marre Best African reggae right now. (RIP, Lucky Dube.) [...]
Kumasi Bantama Christ Revival Singers Wo Pe Nye Ho Side One Wo Pe Nye Ho Meka Masem Akyere No Su Gu Meso Me Nyame Kae Me Bisa Me Ho Hye Den Na Mensuro Side Two Mewo Anidaso Wone Nyame Nam Mensuro Na Aden Ni Komm Yi, San Behwe Wo Mma Agya Bedi Manim This one's for the holiday coming up. Xmas in Hawaii, by way of Kumasi, Ghana. Bantama is the neighborhood in [...]
Dr. Orlando Owoh & His Omimah Band Side One Ero Ki Yeye Mi Omiye Lala Osupa Roro Side Two Iyawo Olele Omo Ni Ye Mo Baju Wo Oju Orun/Irawo Mi Ko Ni Ku Orlando Owoh is a pretty big deal. Nigerian highlife is a pretty big deal. This tape enjoys that floaty highlife levitation thing [...]
Amagnon Koumagnon Musique Traditionnelle Du Benin Face A Aya Obakiwe Lodo Face B Gbessou Sublime polyrhythms and snappy vernacular for the year's first snowy Sunday.
Mariam Bagayogo Vol. 2 M Side A Miniyan Ye Koloni Mme Anytie Tjilalou Kodialani Side B Bara Et Golo Yayoye Massafing Um, yeah. This is scary. The other-worldly pentatonic balafon and its apocalyptic overtones repeat toward infinity, and I can't help but think of Reich's marimba ostinatos and Partch's microtones here. This is so good. And don't get me [...]
Wakimbizi Raha Side 1 Intro Hallo Hallo (Radio Edit) John Raha Nishike Pole Pole Kwa Nini Side 2 Wajidanganya Baby Baby Mika Kumi Track 10 Track 11 Hallo Hallo (Latin Mix) Track 13 [...]
Moolobali Traore Moolobali Traore Side A Samadona Joulaou Bakilou Fezin Side B Labankassi Delimagni Djagneba A good friend let me borrow some tapes. This is my favorite of the bunch so far. From Mali. This is all very amateur-sounding in a way (rough guitar, rough production quality), but we [...]
Ata Kak Obaa Sima Side A Obaa Sima Moma Yendodo Adagya Medofo Side B Daa Nyinaa Yemmpa Aba Bome Nnwom By popular demand, here it is. These are mostly love songs, by the way (as if you couldn't tell).
Esther Smith Gye No Di Side A Yesu Kristo Asore * Adze Ko * Ma Wo Nsa So Gye No * Side B Gye No Di (Sharp One) Befa W'asem Siesie Me Agidifour Ataban * Gye No Di * *choice cuts It was only a matter of time before we delved into the most important force in [...]
Awesome Tapes from Africa visits DJ /rupture DJ /rupture has so kindly invited me to co-host his WFMU radio show, Mudd Up! this Wednesday October 17 at 7pm EST. It'll be an hour of awesome tapes from africa and a bit of discussion. I'll be playing lots of music which has yet to make it on the blog, along with some catalog favorites. See rupture's blog mudd up!, one of the most thoughtful and informative sites I've seen. Big ups. [...]
Boubacar Traore Face A Mariama Benidigmamogo Mantjini Diarabi Face B Kele Kayes-Ba Khobe Natouma Pierrette This might just be the best of all the awesome tapes from Africa I've heard thus far. The film about Mali's Boubacar Traore, I'll Sing For You , [...]
Souley Kanté Bi Magni Side A Bi Magni Sirakadjan Fanga Diamanadia Side B Kumadugu Numuw Suw Teni Be Djiguissaw These are jams by which to live. Especially tracks 1, 4, and 5. PS—While you're checking these songs out go ahead and buy yourself that Souley Kanté [...]
Look out for the new issue of Tokion Magazine There's an article about awesome tapes from africa in there.
Who is this? What's this record called? Side A Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Side B Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Arabic-reading friends, can you help us identify this tape? Thanks again to Haab for these sick cassettes from Egypt. (see also: here and here ) Lovers of circus-y melodic [...]
Kante Manfila Diniya Side 1 Diniya Gelena Denko Alikanala Side 2 N'Tesse Moh Kan Coh Coco Jere Lon Been wanting to post this for ages. I love these often epic masterpieces of Mandinka electric funk. It reminds of Steve Coleman records from the eighties (in a good way). Although [...]
Alhassan Ibrahim (Zilindoo Lunsi-Naa) Naa Mahama-Kpema Side A Zuu Mahamu Akonsi Tugulana Iddi Kari-Naa Bukari Naa Mahama-Kpema Bukari Kantanparim Side B Kari-Naa Alhassan Oun Be-Nkpang Naa Mahama-Bia Naa Omariga Naa Yakubu This is praise music from Northern [...]
An Ata Kak music video for freaks, by freaks Clearly based on one of the most bizarre (and best) awesome tapes from africa, the now (in)famous Ata Kak cassette, this video is completely fucked. I never post youtube links, but this one is just too much for me. Oh, and this too:
WFMU's Listener Hour this Saturday at 9am EST will be hosted by Awesome Tapes From Africa Easily the best thing Jersey has going for it these days, this is WFMU . Freeform and listener-supported. That's the deal. Find the playlist and archive here .
Daouda Dembele El Hadji Sekou Oumar Vol. 2 Side 1 Side 2 Some more of the incredible Malian griot Daouda Dembele. A man, his n'goni and a story. See my earlier Daouda Dembele post . That's where you'll find vol 1.
Awesome Tapes from Africa
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Highmountain – “I Will & Above You”
