African Saturdays

[johncorrigan]

Just noticed Ethiopia's great singer Alèmayèhu Eshèté's obituary in the Guardian today.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/10/alemayehu-eshete-obituary

A spot of his James Brown inspired 'Tchero adari negn' for an African Saturday wouldn't go amiss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4IKkaAssnk

[Globaltruth]

Just noticed Ethiopia's great singer Alèmayèhu Eshèté's obituary in the Guardian today.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/10/alemayehu-eshete-obituary

A spot of his James Brown inspired 'Tchero adari negn' for an African Saturday wouldn't go amiss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4IKkaAssnk

Sad news, but a great track any day of the week...

[johncorrigan]

Around the time he made 'Life in the Bush of Ghosts' with David Byrne, Brian Eno went to Ghana and recorded Afrojazzfunk outfit, Edikanfo. The record has just been reissued - got a copy for my birthday and mighty enjoyable it is. This is 'Moonlight Africa'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myILfZZqGuw

Happy African Saturday.

[johncorrigan]

Soon be Saturday - here's something that comes courtesy of Peel jr...could be from Ghana, but I might be making that up. Who cares...it's great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbeLYHMKuSs

[johncorrigan]

Mrs C and I had a wee trip to the cinema mid-week, masked-up and distanced. Saw a very enjoyable Black and white film 'C'mon. C'mon' featuring Joaquin Phoenix and I was utterly delighted to hear the beautiful strains of Ethiopia's Emahoy Tsegue Maryam Guebrou playing 'Evening Breeze' - seemed like a good reason, if required, to play it for this particular African Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkIErW5EVgs

[johncorrigan]

Happy African Saturday. For my first contribution of the new year, here's N'yanyan by Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee. Recorded in Bamako. Rokia says: "N’yanyan is based on a very old song created by our ancestors, acknowledging our limits and our mortality. I sing it for all human beings, to tell them that we are in the middle ground and all this will end one day. This difficulty is only a moment in time, and all things will pass.” A hope filled message to take us into 2022, and a fine performance too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5s1aycXu74

[Globaltruth]

This year may well be the year of the return of the Western to our screens - if the early portents from Hollywood are anything to go by. (e.g. Power of the Dog ).

Why is this on the African Saturday thread?
Because one of the upcoming new takes on an old theme is called the Harder They Fall, and uses Fela Kuti extensively for the soundtrack.

Containing gratuitous gun violence from the off, plus LET'S START by Fela Kuti...the official trailer

https://youtu.be/pKz5kZr8mrg

PS most of the characters are based on real people from that time

[johncorrigan]

Peel Jr plies his trade on Friday evenings on BBC 6 and I tune in from time to time, essentially because he has a habit of playing a selection of African tunes in the first hour among his rather esoteric selection...in other words, not unlike his old Dad. Last evening among some real delights he played this terrific bit of Rumba from the Congo (DRC nowadays), by the great Tabu Ley Rochereau with M’bilia Bel & Afrisa International. A total delight of a tune to get the blood flowing on this chilly mid winter African Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T-RG8ClRfw

[johncorrigan]

Bit of the late Mamady Keita's amazing djembe has got me going this African Saturday - one to get the blood flowing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsq5PHoik-s

[Globaltruth]

the ending is so neat...just a shame there is one.

Enjoyed that JC.

[johncorrigan]

Heading west tomorrow early, so thought I'd leave this delight for an African Saturday even though it's still Friday - 'San Tome Ploduzu' by Africa Negra - top notch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBrkcHrOj3s

[johncorrigan]

Painting the bedroom yesterday, I stuck on a playlist to help me along, compiled from present and previous members of this wee bit of the Forum, and very enjoyable it was. I had it on shuffle and this total belter came on...the mighty Salif Keita in epic form with 'Madan'. All I can advise is 'Play Loud', but you don't need a paint roller in your hand to enjoy this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vmLW8Tqg14

[johncorrigan]

Here's something that doesn't often happen on an African Saturday - a song in Afrikaans. When the John's old-time radio show didn't work yesterday, I had a dig through the old cassette drawers. I got a tape deck connected back up last year and really enjoy digging through old tapes, especially old radio programmes with very little information on them - I have one that only says 'Stalin wasn't Stallin'' on it - old Kershaw stuff. However, I found a tape with nothing written on it...thought I'd see what was on there. I was absolutely delighted that it was a Charlie Gillett 'World on 3' - from November 2007, I worked out. Absolutely top notch throughout, well presented and informative. What a loss he was. I'll post a couple of other tracks from the tape in various places over the next few days.
Here's Gert Vlok Nel with 'Beautiful in Beaufort' - great stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH4pT6JWnhY

Happy African Saturday.

[johncorrigan]

What's your favourite version of Gershwin's 'Summertime'? According to the very enjoyable 2009 programme about the song that aired on BBC4 last night you've got over 25,000 versions to chose from - the most recorded song of all, apparently, performed in all genres of music and many languages. For this Saturday, however, it's hard to beat Benin's Angelique Kidjo's version in Fon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYk670bY2-s

Happy Beninian Saturday.

[johncorrigan]

Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper's 'In the Midnight Hour' given the soukous treatment by Vincent Nguini and Maloko in 2013 for a windy African Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKXmQk-Cgm4