Ernie's African Odyssey Pt 33 - Mauritania

We took a break from our virtual journey around Africa while I made an actual journey to Africa, but now I'm back and we're ready to resume. Picking up where we left off in Mali it is just a short trip north-east on the information and real highways to our next destination: Mauritania.

Mauritania is a big old place but one of the least densely populated countries in the world, perhaps not surprisingly given three-quarters of it is desert. One third of the population live in the capital Nouakchott on the Atlantic coast, and most of the rest in the temperature regions south of there down to the border with Senegal.

Despite the relatively small population Mauritania has produced a lot of great music, as you are about to hear. None more so than that created by our first artist, Noura Mint Seymali. She comes from a distinguished musical line - her father Seymali ("mint" means "daughter of") composed the national anthem and her stepmother Dimi Mint Abba was known as "the Diva of the Desert". 

Noura herself has been performing since 2004 and has produced a series of stunning desert blues records since then. This track comes from her 2016 album "Arbina", released on the excellent Glitterbeat label. Today is Bandcamp Friday so if you are looking for things to buy you could do a lot worse than start with that.

We will stick with the distaff side of the Mauritanian scene for our next selection. Malouma is a performer, activist and politician (including a stint as an opposition senator in the national parliament). She has been recording on and off since the mid 1980s. Today's track is the opener on "Desert Of Eden" (1998), her first album released outside the region (on the Shanachie label in the US).

Some men for you now. Two of the three have "Ould" in their name, and using the clue above you can probably work out what that means. The first selection comes from a fantastic 2010 compilation called "Wallah Le Zein!" that brings together some wild and rough and ready sounds.

Featured artists include Noura Mint Seymali's guitarist (and husband) Jeich Ould Chighaly, but I have gone for something by Luleide Ould Dendenni, who carried out similar musical duties for her stepmother the Diva of the Desert. 

Next, some WZN for you. As you hip folks undoubtedly already know, WZN is an electronic take on traditonal music that has apparently become very popular in Mauritania, leading to much head nodding in Nouakchott. Jeich Ould Badu & Ahmedou Ahmed Lewla are among the leading lights of the scene - that's Jeich on the lute with phasers and Ahmed on the keyboards - and this track comes from their modestly titled album "Top WZN". 

"Top WZN" was released on Sahel Sounds who usually have a 'name your own price' offer every Bandcamp Friday so you may want to dash over there now. While you are in the Sahel Sounds site why not check out the eponymous album by L'Orchestre National de Mauritanie as well. 

The orchestra learnt its trade in Guinea under the tutelage of Bembeya Jazz (who we featured when we there), and was active from 1968 and 1975 when one of the many miltary coups in the country's history put an end to it at all. George may wish to note that the chosen track features some decidedly wonky flute. 

We round our visit off with some Mandatory African Reggae from Siré Camara, who describes himself as a storyteller, writer and musician. He has uploaded a selection of tracks to Bandcamp, including this one from 2022. Don't be confused by the title. Despite the spelling it concerns the Russian despot and not the popular Canadian dish of chips, cheese curds and gravy. Both inhumane but one much more so than the other.

"Ghizlane" - Noura Mint Seymali

"Ya Habibi" - Malouma

"Wezin" - Luleide Ould Dendenni

"Kenwall" - Jeich Ould Badu & Ahmedou Ahmed Lewla

"Kamlat" - L'Orchestre National de Mauritanie

"Poutine" - Siré Camara

PS In unrelated news, we lost the great Duane Eddy yesterday. I was lucky enough to see him live once. Top man. RIP Mr Eddy.