Yeah, Are Nigeria's Musicians Selling Out?

Seun Kuti (hope he comes back to London soon!) is "disgusted" with musicians getting money from politicians.

I wonder home much Cocoa Tea took from Obama for this! ITT!

Back to Blogging in 2010

Blogging is a challenge, but determined to get back into it in 2010.

What's been great since my last post five years ago...

This, which my wife saw. Holy shit. Love that he commemorates the 41 shots on such an occasion. Plus, this is even better. Obama may not have earned it, but he's got potential and loved his this speech. Worth watching many times.

And this, which I highly recommend. No shows yet for 2010, but watch this space.

And a lot of this, even if I am embarrassed to admit that.

Mostly just this and this, however. Both have enhanced my life greatly.

Dying to see this in 2010.

Art’s Own Kind

Very excited to see this exhibit tomorrow, Art's Own Kind - Afrobeat and the Art of Lemi Ghariokwu, which is on at Rich Mix in London for the next month.

There's even a blog to teach me something before I go...

Bamako...and Samuel Bosso

Strolling through the streets of Barcelona, and what do I see? A photo exhibit of African artists entitled Bamako. (There seems to be a common theme here...) Of all the amazing images, I was most surprised by the story and work of Samuel Bosso, who has lived and worked in Bangui, Central African Republic since leaving Nigeria at the age of 10 as a result of the Biafran War. He opened his own photo shop at 13 and would send his maternal grandmother photos to let her know he was OK.

"He used scraps of film to photograph himself posing disguised and playing different roles. He sent the pictures to his family in Nigeria. For thirty years, he has been making self-portraits, which express a reflection about identify, otherness, unspeakableness, and correctness."


Little did I know he was the iconic image on the 2005 Africa Remix CD, which I own. (I need to pay better attention!)

With this photo, I wanted to say to westerners, 'Look, we had our own democracy before you came, we had our own rulers, our own presidents, but it was our ruler that you came and got rid of, and in his place, you set up your hierarchies, your systems.' It's about the things they did in the past, and the things that they continue to do. On the surface they cover it up, but beneath the surface it's the same as ever.

Great 2002 article in the Guardian.

Sorry I missed the full story when he was here...and when I was in Bangui. But never to late to learn more. This book has these images and many of the other amazing work from the show in it.

Miriam Makeba

Singing her heart out to the end. Miriam Makeba 1932 - 2008. A farewell tour that lasted three years!

I love this album.

All in one night?!?!

Independent review and one from the Guardian. Previous night sounded better, but I ain't complainin'!

Way too short of a performance by Amadou & Mariam!

Bassekou Kouyate and Toumani Diabate were extraordinary.

Finally, I got to see Oumou Sangare. Dying to see her again.

Wow.

Then Baaba Maal with Oumou.

And even more griots!

With a bit of Rachid Taha rockin' the casbah to end.

Africa Now!

This could be the most exciting line up I have ever seen in my life! I will see this tomorrow!

Thanks, Nuru!

My favorite part of last night's show was when he reminded us that his grandfather fought in the second world war and even though no Englishman or Frenchman said thank you, he wanted to say "thank you" to his grandfather since winning the war allowed us all to gather in a democracy for last night's show.


Photo Credit: Me

Merci, Salif Keita!

Another mind-blowing experience with the The Mansa of Mali last Thursday...



I think Albeo liked the show.


It is cruel that he only played for 90 minutes!

Just found that his myspace profile has lyrics to some of his songs!

Nuru Kane

I can't tell you how much I dig Nuru Kane. I just found an amazing postcast with Nuru describing everything from his religious inspirations to great in-studio recordings of songs on his first CD.

I actually hope I have a business trip to Russia canceled so I can see him at Cargo in London on May 23.

Hmmm, argon oil!

What they fail to mention about Argon oil is that the seeds/stones are collected from goat shit. And they really do climb trees!

Le Moroc and new love!

Back from almost two weeks in Morocco and had an inkling that the music would be good...little did I know I would have a new love!

Nuru Kane (playing in London on May 23!) had introduced me to Gnawa, but know I know where it came from, Le Moroc! And one source was a man from Essaouira named Mahmoud Guinia. Can't find any of his stuff online, but is a serious coincidence that it seems Guinia is in the picture I posted a few weeks ago! Which means I must go to the Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde as this seems to be the place to hear it!

Our new friend, Nabil, gave us some instruction on the finer art of the guembri and I am quickly becoming an expert in the krakebs. M loved it. I almost bought a guembri, but thought I might want to learn just a wee bit of guitar before such an investment. But I was that moved and clearly with good reason...if wikipedia is to be believed, Jimi Hendrix himself stayed on with Guinia to play and learn from him.

Morocco bound!

Any random passers by have wise advice on my next week's holiday destination?

Hard African Sunday...

This is a crushing story about a former child soldier from Sierra Leone that is in the NYT magazine today. I noticed it after watching The Last King of Scotland so its been one of those afternoons. Whitaker as Amin is very intense and, as one review put it, this is a horror movie. I am shaken. The closing clip's reminder of the estimated 300,000 dead during Amin's rule seems more unsettlingly understandable reading about Ishmael Beah's story of killing and cocaine from the age of 12-15.

I appreciated the end of David Denby's review in the New Yorker...

after this movie and “The Constant Gardener,” one would like to whisper ever so gently into the ears of all Western filmmakers that Africa, in its tragic condition, is perhaps not the most appropriate place to stage the moral redemption of dopey Europeans.

Electric Griot Land

Not exactly the kora as I have know it, but Ba Cissoko makes me wiggle. Here is a full BBC concert at WOMAD, which doesn't sound as good as the CD, but it is still good. For the newer stuff, here's a few samples from the new CD, Electric Griot Land. I shall see him in a few weeks when he performs with Amadou and Mariam in London at the Roundhouse.

More Mali, that's my motto!

I suppose I need to do more than listen to NPR and post links to music I like, but I can't pass sharing this one. Salif Keita is certainly not a young Malian rocker, but the interview is insightful. I love hearing musicians talk about what their music means to them, particularly as it relates to change in them and their society. I saw him in London last winter and it was a fantastic show. First numbers were acoustic, lulling you into thinking he was old. But he was bouncing around the stage like a 10-year-old (with 50 people from the audience) by the time it was over. It wasn't a good show to be trapped in the balcony.

Song of the Day (a few days ago)

Nuru Kane was a great find a few months ago when Songlines magazine put one of his tracks on their monthly CD. NPR highlighted him as the song of the day last week, so you can get a sample. Also on my space.