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.

People Are Struggling

While I was in Cape Town last week I took in a bit of culture and visited the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (or the Zeitz MOCAA as it styles itself). It is housed in a converted silo in the Waterfront District and is worth going just to check out the interior.

The building apart, the highlight was an exhibition of posters and other artifacts from liberation struggles of the 1970s and 1980s called 'Past Disquiet'. A lot of it was devoted to the struggle in South Africa itself and neighbouring countries but other parts of Africa and Latin America were also included.

One of the countries featured in the exhibition was Namibia, or South West Africa as it was known back then. Way back in 1985 Robert Wyatt teamed up with the South West African Peoples Organisation (SWAPO) to record the very catchy tune below, perhaps hoping to raise the same level of awareness as The Special AKA had managed the year before. It didn't.

Perhaps fittingly, today is International Workers' Day. Mr Wyatt knows a song about that too. 

"The Winds Of Change" - Robert Wyatt & The SWAPO Singers

"Red Flag" - Robert Wyatt

Repayment Plan

Just a quick post today as I am a busy bee floating from tree to tree in an effort to get everything sorted before I head off to Cape Town for the second time this year tomorrow.

I don't normally go this frequently but some gullible fool lovely person is paying to fly me there and back for one day's work, and it would seem rude not to stay on a bit longer to hang out with my dear old Mum and assorted other relatives. I'll be back on here at the end of the month. 

On to the music. I've recently been listening to some of my vintage On-U compilations. Here are just two of the many highlights from Volume 3 of their intermittent "Pay It All Back" series which dates from 1991. 

"Heart's Desire" - The Strange Parcels

"Jacob's Pillow" - Jesse Rae

I'll leave you with some more Jesse - the man himself with his greatest hit as a performer, then Odyssey with his greatest hit as a songwriter. 

See you soon. Until then, stay groovy.

Ernie's African Odyssey Pt 32 - Mali

Welcome to Mali. For those of you who tune in for the music this will be one of the highlights of the series. But those of you who tune in for the spellbinding accompanying narrative are in for a disappointment. There isn't any.

There are two reasons. The first is that I just don't have the time at the moment, for reasons I will explain on Friday. The second is that trying to curate a six song 'set' that does justice to the fantastic variety of Malian music - from the griots with their koras in the South to the Tuareg guitar bands in the North - is probably beyond me anyway.

It is not just the quality but the quantity as well. I have totted up that I have music by more than 70 Malian acts in my collection, more than any African countries apart from Nigeria and South Africa. They include real giants like Salif Keita - who featured here a few weeks ago - Tinariwen and Ali Farka Toure alongside many who may be less familiar to you.

Rather than the usual format I have cut the commentary and doubled the number of tracks from six to 12. Where the artists have records on Bandcamp I have added a link on their name so you can explore them further if you wish. I have avoided the superstars although you may still recognise at least some of the artists. 

It is a woefully inadequate introduction to the rich and diverse Malian music scene but hopefully it gives you a glimpse into what is big in the bars of Bamako and top of the pops in Timbuktu. Rest assured, the old Mandatory African Reggae is present and correct. But it may not be the one that you think it is. 

"Anha Achal Wad Namda" - Tamikrest

"Black & White" - Moussa Doumbia

"Anlouka" - Adja Soumano

"Aïcha Talamomt" - Imarhan Timbuktu

"Middo Wara" - Hama Sankare

"Sinzin" - Nahawa Doumbia

"Alghalem" - Terakaft

"Dounia Tabolo" - Boubacar Traoré

"Djanfa" - Kandia Kouyaté

"Les Enfants" - Leila Gobi

"Rastaman" - Djadjé Cissé

"Circulation De Bamako" - Askia Modibo

Baltic Sewage And Funk

Last Thursday evening I was perched in the rafters of the Tamsta Club in Vilnius enjoying the musical stylings of local four-piece Kanalizacija (the Lithuanian word for sewage). They have a conventional line-up - guitar, drums, baritone sax and tuba - but don't let it constrain them.

The lads describe their style as "experimental rock with academic and country music sounds and free jazz moments", but I suspect by 'country' they mean 'trad. arr.'. There were a couple of numbers that sounded like they might be souped up folk tunes, but nothing that Don Williams could croon along to.

I enjoyed the gig but it isn't the sort of thing I'm likely to listen to much at home. If you think you might then head over to Bandcamp and check out their back catalogue.  

The next morning I had a bit of free time and so was able to combine a stroll around the lovely Old Town with a visit to Muzikumas record store. Prices were too high for my usual 'hit and hope' approach to acquiring local music so I settled for an album by what the proprietor assured me are Lithuania's leading funk ensemble. The band is called Gin'Gas, the album "O Kas, Jeigu Aš" and it came out in 2017. See what you think.

"Rubber" - Kanalizacija 

"Užupio Himnas" - Gin'Gas

Ernie's African Odyssey Pt 31 - Malawi

I am taking two journeys today, one real and one virtual. In a couple of hours I'm off to Vilnius for a few days work, although I'll hopefully have time for some sightseeing and hunting for prog-flute LPs by Lithuanians with unpronounceable names.  

But first, the African Odyssey resumes. From Madagascar we catapulted ourselves 1000 miles west and landed slap bang in the middle of Lake Malawi. After a refreshing dip we are now dried off and ready to explore the local music scene.  

Before we start, I should mention a couple of acts that do not feature. I have excluded mainly on the grounds of over-familiarity The Very Best, whose "Warm Heart of Africa" swept the nation back in 2009 and whose singer Esau Mwamwaya is from Malawi.

More controversially, Enort Spear Mbandambanda and his magnificently titled "Sausage Yanga" did not quite make the final cut. Maybe Rol can use it in a future Top 10 Sausage Songs post.

With that out of the way let's get going. And we start with a band that I was lucky enough to see live last year. Madalitso Band are a duo who play the guitar, foot drum and an enormous babatoni (a one-string bass) while perched precariously on a table and create the sound of sunshine while doing so. Today's track comes from their 2022 album "Musakayike" and was a highlight of their set.  

Faith Mussa would consider the idea of a live duo excessive, performing as he does as a one-man band and playing traditional instruments like the badza, manjerenjeza and mbalule as well as his homemade guitar (and before you ask I have no idea what any of those are, apart from the guitar obviously). In the studio he rounds his sound out, as you can here on the opening track from his 2019 album "Kalilima".

Next up we have Katawa Singers who, according to the sleeve notes on the compilation album "Ufulu 1991​-​1997", "designed and delivered the electronic gospel sound that dominates the country ever since". I am told they listen to nothing else in the lounge bars of Lilongwe, and who can blame them.

Also keen on the groovy electronic sounds is DJ Kainga, who hails from the former capital of Zomba. He is from the Lomwe ethnic group and updates their traditional rhythms and melodies in a style he calls Lomwe Beat. The DJ is one of several Malawian musicians whose work is being promoted by the local Digital Indigenous label. The others are worth checking out as well. 

The oldest record by a Malawian musician in my collection in terms of both release and purchase date is "Feeling Good" by cool Afro-jazz dude Mr Sydney Banda. The album was released in 1987 and I picked up a cassette copy not that long afterwards, which accounts for the slightly ropey sound quality on this tune with a self-explanatory title.  

We end, as all things must, with some MAR. Isaac Liwotcha is a former accounts clerk who has been making sweet reggae music since back in the 1990s. Last year he reissued some of his old albums via Bandcamp. Today's selection comes from "Ungopalira" which I think may have been his debut album. 

"Jingo Janga" - Madalitso Band

"Ali Dere" - Faith Mussa

"Wela-Welako" - Katawa Singers

"Kainga Moyo Wanga" - DJ Kainga

"The Pennywhistler" - Sydney Banda

"Udzafabe" - Isaac Liwotcha

Women In Revolt!

Last Friday I finally got round to visiting Tate Britain for the 'Women In Revolt!' exhibition - just in time as it closed yesterday. 

The sub-title for the exhibition was 'Art and Activism in the UK 1970 - 1990' and there was certainly plenty of both on display, with photos and magazine articles from the time alongside the art. Here are a couple of photos. If you are interested there are more on Flickr. 

The first piece is by Alexis Hunter and has the snappy title ''The Marxist Wife Still Does The Housework', while the second by Marlene Smith is about the shooting of Cherry Groce which sparked the Brixton riots in 1985. 

There was a section of the exhibition dedicated to the music of what we'll loosely call the punk era. While it was a bit strange to see records I bought in my youth laid out and labelled as historical artifacts, it was a reminder of how many excellent all female and female-led bands there were back then.

X-Ray Spex, The Slits, The Raincoats, The Au Pairs, Mo-Dettes, Delta 5, Poison Girls, Cosi Fanni Tutti and Ludus were all present and correct, as was one of the best pop songs of all time, "Going Nowhere Fast" by Girls At Our Best!.

There were a few favourites of mine from that time that were missing though, so I'm going to plug the gap. Sensitive souls out there should be warned that "Stereotyping" contains some obscenities. Even worse, in "Violence Grows" 15 year old tearaway Honey Bane tells a bus conductor to "push off". Shameful behaviour.

"Stereotyping" - Jam Today

"Violence Grows" - Fatal Microbes

"Danger Signs" - Penetration