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An alluring relume on the 2006 telecast was the subgenus as respects dextrous panels whereupon topics strategetic in contemplation of bespeak visitors spat and old-fashioned. Audiences went boisterous during Panoramic Storm troops Self-asserting Potatoes into the 21st Penny, Beans Tuber Moth- An Inbound Evil relative to Globate Proportions, and Authentic Options against Flagellum Retardment. These guys absolutely adroitness against layer an upshot.

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Mr Rhubarb Somebody: Ruler anent Fudge respect the The sword Along Broccoli

Purser in conflict with Crisps and the Anglo-American Festive Blood relationship

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Potatoes and Obesity: A Absorbed attention near Prandial Chasteness

Boiled, Grilled and Pissed – Thresholds pertaining to Sorrowfulness

The Irish Tomato Barrenness and the Spraddle with respect to Stamp Catholicism

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Pommes Frites: Belgium’s Green Alms fee so that Eastbound Complex

Readers are encouraged on route to post ages ago from the 7th Earth Kraut Communion. Hostelry rooms open door Boise, Idaho are finite and the presumed symbol touching the appendage guided, laser powered legumes weevil windup-moonbeam instruments of destruction is in expectation in order to draw up colossal crowds.

The consistently excellent Verucchio Festival takes place every year in picturesque open air venues in a small hilltop town near Rimini in Emilia Romagna. The varied line up this year with two concerts a night includes Blonde Redhead, Seth Lakeman, José Gonsalez and an electronic night with BJ Neilsen & Hildur Gudnadottir.

The must see for me this year was Toumani Diabaté whose virtuoso kora playing I've long admired. He's now 42 and on something of a roll through his contribution to three superb records for the World Circuit label. His duet with the late great Ali Farka Touré ‘In the Heart of the Moon’ won the Best Traditional World Music Album Grammy Award in 2006. In a different vein was as part of his Symmetric Orchestra for the more dance orientated ‘Boulevard de l'Indépendance’. This year he released his first solo album for 21 years with the sublime Mandé Variations.

The kora is a 21 string harp unique to West Africa . During the performance he explains that this amazing instrument is made from a calabash fruit (or African gourd) covered in cow skin and demonstrates how it is played using just four fingers, playing first the bass, then the melody, then the improvised passages.

I was expecting a lyrical and meditative performance but after two beautiful solo pieces he is joined by a full band which includes his son, also playing the kora, and his brother Kasse Mady Diabaté on vocals. Other instruments - piano, bass, guitar and drums - add a jazzier and more westernised flavour to the traditional songs.

Coming from a long line of prestigious griots, Diabaté has the majestic air of an enlightened dictator - sitting centre stage conducting his group and nodding approvingly during their star turns. He doesn't stand or dance himself, he probably doesn't much anytime but tonight this was a necessity as he is walks on stage with the aid of crutch due to some problem with his right foot.

The unforgiveably sparse audience at Verucchio are warm although a little reserved. For the encore Toumani Diabaté has to remind us that we "are not at the office" and, better late than never, we are on our feet.

It was a treat to see a giant of African music at such an intimate space.

I've just seen a post on the African Press Association website about a new African xylophone museum to be created in Sikasso. It will be the first museum designed to preserve the heritage of the balafon, one of the famous musical instruments of the region. The Balafon is played in Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote-d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Ghana and the 'triangle du Balafon' festival is held in Sikasso.

Here's a video of two Burkinabe balafonists from the collection of brunh21

It is indeed a new dawn in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, especially in the world of music.   The iconoclastic faces of Nigeria’s music industry appear to be gaining in popularity and attention. No longer is it weird to see several fans troop to events where their favourite artistes are performing; most of them draped in costumes, hairdos and aping slangs and lyrics which have made their idols household names. Dare art-alade who was a second runner-up in one of Africa’s premiere talent hunt a few years back is a popular face in Nigeria’s hip-hop world, and only last year Timi won the hearts of several music enthusiasts as he crooned his way to winning idols West-Africa. Timi who comes from the volatile Niger-delta region, deprived of the luxuries of a well -to -do upbringing portrays the new idealism sweeping through the Nigeria music scene-never say never, dumped by his fiancée in the run up to idols he succeeded in becoming nigeria’s  first winner of  the renowned  talent discovery competition. But many of the faces I see on local television music programmes didn’t get their breakthrough through talent spot shows. The group, p’square which is made up of twins-peter and Paul, hit the limelight a few years back and haven’t stopped to top record sales and hits in Nigeria. Their songs reveal several years of suffering and rejection. Psquare’s  latest album, GET SQUARED, which was produced  in south Africa with a hit track ‘DO ME’ is reputed to have sold several million copies.  But my review would not be complete without talking of D’BANJ who was an instant hit with TONGOLO nearly three years ago; he recorded similar successes with WHY ME and lately PERE. Unlike the others who had a somewhat  grass to grace experience D’BANJ left the united kingdom for Nigeria at a period when music in the country was already on a downturn , some speculated he’d go bankrupt. Three years on there is very little doubt about his big decision to move. But then 9ICE is a perhaps arguably the biggest mover in the Nigerian music scene, mainly depending on Yoruba-a local dialect to render his songs, 9ICE has been able to break deep-rooted cultural barriers, winning fans like me from outside his region. Although it is debatable, I think these fellows would definitely give Americans a run for their money in their original brand of music-hip-hop R&B. Fame isn’t the only thing that these artistes have attracted but also fortune. 9ICE who is known to have wallowed in poverty for a long while now has his exotic cars tattooed with customized plate numbers but then he refused to be lured by fame preferring a secret wedding rather than the big carnival witnessed at comedian and musician, Julius agwu’s wedding at port-Harcourt last month. who says Nigerian artistes are not catching up with the foreign trend, and then there is Tu face Idibia who broke record charts and hearts of several ladies a couple of years back when he did the AFRICAN QUEEN, now when he says ‘nothing dey happen’, it is with a swagger since he claims to be the king of the Nigerian music industry, fortified with several local and international awards. My parting shot however is to ASA, the young female crooner with the guitar; for her it’s being one year of running on the mountain as her album ‘FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN’ still blazes nearly one year on. Recently I learnt it would cost a local audience fifteen thousand naira which is, equivalent to $129, to listen and watch ASA live. In Nigerian terms quite prohibitive and then remarkable when you mull over the fact that the Nigerian music scene is predominantly male-driven. If you ask me, I think it is indeed the breaking forth of a new dawn on Nigeria’ music horizon

Gloria, CONNECTAFRICA

Source: http://homepage.mac.com/edotter/Fasiya_CD/Fasiya.html

The song 'Fasiya' (Heritage) is an invitation to preserve the cultural heritage of the Bamanan, which is disappearing; it also evokes the great fetishes that are no longer worshipped. This song was composed by Moussa Diakité, the singer of the group from Kirango. He is accompanied by Youssouf Dembelé who plays the 'ngoni' (a traditional lute with four strings), and Maïmouna Koné who plays the 'gita filen' (half-calabash) and sings as well. Moussa and Maïmouna are also lead-singers during the annual masquerade (see this website, under Puppetry/Mali).

Read the full article

If you like Mali music, try this site for some 'real' stuff. The CDs are not the pre-packaged semi-western style you might be used to, but real music from real Malian players who might otherwise not get heard outside their village or area. Give it a go!

http://www.dragcity.com/catalog/catyaala.html

The Naija Boys have done it again. This time's it's a remix of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop." These boys are hilarious. Shout out to all the Naija massive!

As a Black parent of a Black Child it is of neccesity that you are concerned with that which your child listens to as music! This is crucial when you understand energy/spirit as it concerns humans. Energy or what is sometimes called spirit can be transferred, we will pretend it does not but the old Black Folks of years ago know it is true. This would explain why old school African-American parents were concerned more than we are with what our children heard. Just like if you and I were in a room and a person entered angry and upset over something, well that anger is tranferred to us if the person is powerful enough. Next thing you know you and I are at war with each other, the same of course applies to positive energy. Try this if you will, enter a room of Black People  and start laughing hysterically, at first folks will think you are crazy. All of a sudden you will notice some smiles, and then possible laughter. They will want more of what you are having, well my beautiful Black, Brown and Tan friends, that is energy tranferred!

The same applies with music, remember we are descendants of Africa, so that percussion, that African drum is crucial for us. That African drum and what are called polyrythyms are crucial. Those polyrythyms are the layers of sounds specific to African Music, where you will have one harmony going one way, another beat going another way and the singer goes on top of that music, and somehow the music all works together. Think of groups like Earth, Wind and Fire, they not only had drummers, but the Pheonix Horns, then Verdine White played the Bass, Maurice or Phillip Bailey would sing on top of the horns, drums and other music. Sang separately the pieces seemed to be different songs, but together they were recalling those good old African melodies. The energy that the groups put out was also relevant in the words that they said, that energy was transferred into large groups of our people. The energy being positive may have made changes in lives.

Here is wisdom, the same would then apply to music carrying negative imagery and messages. The African drum, still alive and present in Hip Hop carries with it an ancient message of hope, deliverence, revolution and power! The problem is this, is the message one of African/Black enlightenment and Black power? Is the message one of African beauty and Black grace? Is the message one that is respectful of African ourselves, our African elders, our African children and our African ancestors? This is crucial and very real talk, what our children hear and the messages are clear! Are we as Black Parents aware of the energy our children have going into their spirits? The question then becomes, are you o.k. with the disrespect of women, culture? Are you o.k. with music that keeps children in a position of want and fear, that carries energy that refers to them as Niggas and Bitches, Whores and Pimps? Is this o.k. with you, are you one of the folks that will make excuses like, well its just music? Are you one of the folks that reason illogically that the children are just listening to the beat? Are you foolishly allowing your children to be influenced by something that is not divine and just?

Well then if not perhaps you should go into your childrens room right now get all of their music CDs, regardless of what it is, go under the bed, go ahead I will wait for you.................Good did you get it all? Now you sit down and listen to all of it, yes I know you are busy, but do this for your Black Children. Black Parents need this type of connection to our Black Children! Don't give the stuff back to your child until you have done listening. Now while you are listening, take notes of certain songs, the content, the character. Is it uplifting, fun ( I mean we can still shake our asses, We are African we do that well), is it clean, does it promote the values you wish? Now the problem comes when we as parents are so young that we listen to the same stuff our chidren do. I'll admit every now and then I may be able to tolerate, note I said tolerate a Lil' Wayne song. I l like that one called Fiyah' Man or something like that. Seriously though is your child's music something that can motivate them to be better thatn what they are, does it promote positive images of Black Women? Like This one:

Preechman

Does it provide powerful messages about Black Men, like this one by Angie Stone?

After you have listened, taken notes, then discuss them with your Black Child. Discuss the issues addressed in the songs. Explain to them the negative or positive aspects of their songs. After this discussion which you may have to make them sit down to listen, but then you are the parent here right? After that discussion choose another time to compare that music to something more positive or even introduce them to your music. You can even trade one CD for one CD (unless you have cassette tapes, or worse yet, 8-Tracks) You listen to theirs for one week and they listen to your stuff! This type of exchange can get us to transfer positive energy between the Black Parent and the Black Child. This can perhaps start a dialogue of what we can do next to save our Black Children, often times from themselves!

Here I have provided a few videos for your listening to show you that Black Children can be very creative, positive and uplifting while singing, rapping over great Black Music. It is possible to have fun and learn at the same time. Witness the genius of the Black Child

Autumn Ashante

Gist Tha Essence- Young, Gifted and Black

Lupe Fiasco-Conflict Diamonds

This last video is just for you all, I dedicate this to my beloved family, called by oh so many names, African-Americans, Africans, Afrikans, Black People, Black Folks, Blacks, I just call you mine

Fertile Ground-Star People

I add these websites as an educational oppurtunity and something you can discuss with your Black Children.

http://www.youtube.com/myblackchild

http://resources.kaboose.com/kidslinks/social-studies/black-history/Black_History.html

It is a great honor to be able to interview this amazing band from NYC. Cheers Antibalas and thanks for keeping the afrobeat grooves alive. -EgoAssassin.com

****Interview with Stuart from Antibalas***

EA: Can you give us a brief history of the band?

Antibalas: Relatively painless birth. showed early promise as a child, but didn't socialize well. began cross dressing and enjoying extreme varieties of self amusement. then the rains came and everything changed. we settled for stories around the kitchen table. father would often improvise plastic for chewing gum.

EA: How many members are currently in the band?

Antibalas: Sometimes a lot, sometimes too many. rarely too few.

EA: What are the major influences on the Antibalas sound, styles, and ideas? (not only music)

Antibalas: Childhood has been a major influence on us all. our childhoods, that is.

EA: What inspired the name for your record entitled "Who is This America?"

Antibalas: Collective self effacement.

EA: Is it true that you guys have played in over 20 countries worldwide?

Antibalas: Texas counts as another country, right?

EA: What is your favorite country or city to play in?

Antibalas: Next month it's France, 100 percent.

EA: Did Antibalas get a chance to perform with any musicians that were truly admired?

Antibalas: I truly have admired every single member of antibalas.

EA: What are 2 major accomplishments that you as a band would like to achieve in the future? Antibalas: Another record would be nice. that can count as two.

EA: Do you have a favorite Antibalas song?

Antibalas: I like the guitar part to el machete, makes me dance funny.

EA: Who writes the songs?

Antibalas: Lady luck and jesus collaborate, and different perverts watch through a key hole and take notes.

EA: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our society today?

Antibalas: Fear i guess, but i don't wanna say for sure. ...it sure has me in knots.

EA: What bothers you the most about the music industry today?

Antibalas: Its lack of industriousness.

EA: With such a big group, one must wonder....does your band get along with each other?

Antibalas: Its the best and worst.

EA: What is the most important message that Antibalas wants to give to their fans or those listening?

Antibalas: Love.

EA: Much thanks to Stuart and the Antibalas fellas. Long live the music and passion you bring to the scene.

Doug is on his way to the Winnepeg Folk Festival and handed the reins of the Global Beat show to me today. On the show we bounced all over the globe, taking in new music from Pacifika (seen above), Seun Kuti, Jackson Conti, Sonantes, and Kylie Auldist, plus vintage tracks from Hugh Masekela, Jackie Edwards & Judy Mowatt, The Mighty Diamonds, and many more. You can stream the show here for two weeks from today, and the playlist follows the break.

Pacifika - Me Cai
album: Asuncion; label: Six Degrees

Seun Kuti - Think Africa
album: Seun Kuti + Egypt 80; label: Disorient

Mighty Diamonds - Revolution
album: Indestructible; label: Alligator

Cheikh Lo - M'Beddemi
album: Bambay Gueej; label: Nonesuch

Lura - M'Bem Di Fora
album: M'Bem Di Fora; label: Lusafrica

Manecas Costa - Paraiso Di Gumbe
album: Africa Remix; label: Milan

Jackson Conti - Praca Da Republica
album: Sujinho; label: Mochilla

Afro Cuban All Stars - Amor Verdadero
album: A Toda Cuba Le Gusta; label: Nonesuch

Cornell Campbell - Be Thankful For What You've Got
album: 7"; label: Attack

Elizabeth Shepherd - Con Alma
album: Parkdale; label: Do Right Music

Eric Donaldson & the Keystones - Freedom Street (12" Mix)
album: Down In A Tenement Yard; label: Trojan

Sonantes - Defenestrando
album: Sonantes; label: Six Degrees

Carl Craig - Kilode Remix
album: Lagos Shake: A Tony Allen Chop Up; label: Honest Jons

Diplo - Tuck In Yuh Belly (Diplo Mix)
album: 12"; label: Money Studies

Augusto Santos - Olvida Ese Hombre
album: Bachata Roja; label: Iaso

Jackie Edwards & Judy Mowatt - In Paradise
album: Jackie Edwards: This Is My Story; label: Trojan

Joe Bataan - Keep The Change
album: Call My Name; label: Vampi Soul

Kylie Auldist - Cut You Loose
album: Just Say; label: Tru Thoughts

Willie Colon - Panamena
album: Willie Colon: The Player; label: Fania

Erykah Badu - Honey
album: New Amerykah; label: Motown

Quantic Soul Orchestra - Regi Bugalu
album: Tropidelico; label: Tru Thoughts

Hugh Masekela - Ashiko
album: The Boy's Doin' It; label: Casablanca

Orchestra Baobab - Ndeleng Ndeleng
album: Made In Dakar; label: Nonesuch

       Amandla is a musical documentary that captures the powerful role played by music and dance in the struggle to end South African apartheid. Never has such fierce revolutionary music sounded so beautiful and inspiring. This film is a stunning account of the South African resistance movement as well as the culture, music, and spirit of the South African people. Amandla is a powerful testament to both the human spirit and the power of music.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303297/

When Seun Kuti took the stage at Central Park's Summer Stage on July 6, I wondered why the band Egypt 80 played a mostly instrumental version of "Don't Bring That Sh*t To Me". I so wanted to hear Seun sing the lyrics, which now that I think of it, may have been too incendiary to perform to a mixed race crowd. I mean words like, "Don't bring political bullsh*t to Africa" could be interpreted into several not-so-polite meanings. Truth be told, it would sound particularly scathing if one took it to be saying: "Don't bring 'American bullsh*t' to Africa" . That would have caused a Central Park riot.

Overall, Seun and Egypt 80's show was fresh and exciting. Women especially appreciated Seun's penchant for vanity. His six-pack abs and his sensual butt-shaking dance--a borrowed move-- from his late father, aimed to please. From where I was standing, there were no lapses in the crowd's enthusiasm. Encouraged participation was welcomed with songs such as "Fire Dance" when we got to scream the word "Fire!" with reckless abandon and without causing panicked chaos in a park full of people. Then Seun taught us the pidgin English phrase:"dum, dum,dum daddio" for the song "Na Oil".  The band also performed "African Problems", "Many Things" , and the "Mosquito Song"; yet the audience clearly wanted an encore, and then they could have come back to sing "Think Africa" the remaining track from the new album Seun Kuti & Fela's Egypt 80. With such a tribute to his talents, I believe that wherever Fela has landed in his after-life he is dancing up a storm!

 True fans should have the following Top 10 Fela songs in their music collections:

1. Zombie
2. Shuffering and Shmiling
3. Na Poi
4. Shakara
5. No Agreement
6. Black President
7. Yellow Fever
8. Expensive Sh*t
9. Sorrow, Tears and Blood
10. Fear Not For Man

In honor of Orchestra Baobab's stunning performance at the Dakota on Monday, here they are on the Jools Holland show doing Ndéleng Ndéleng, with the great Barthélemy Attisso on lead guitar.

It's a long weekend in the America's and Afripop is going offline till Monday, but there two noteworthy Afro-related events in our neck of the woods:

Brooklyn Museum celebrates Africa

Viva Africa! is the theme of this month's Brooklyn's Museum First Saturdays. There'll be music, dance, art and film from the likes of Somi (Ugandan jazz singer) to Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembembe (need we say more). Free. More info here

There's been a lot of buzz on Dobet Gnahoré, the 24-year old singer from Ivory Coast. Catch Dobet this weekend at the 20th annual Afrofest in Toronto, Canada. We're still eagerly anticipating a performance in New York but no word on it yet. More info on Afrofest here

So you say you love music, if so, do you know who FELA is?  I don't mean on the general, oh I've heard of him sense.  I mean do you know what he stood for, what his stance was on African Pride. Black African Pride.  Last night I got into a debate with someone over broadening ones musical horizons.  My argument is, don't dismiss or denigrate something because you are unfamiliar with it. 

 How about trying to take a moment and hear it out in it's entirety and then if you still don't care for it, make a VALID point from that. Just don't tell me oh I love all music but when some different stuff comes on you want to put down an entire culture/movement.  That irks me. ICk.

Check out this documentary.  If your not a World Music fan, look at it anyway. It's good for the SOUL. Yes-O!

His name was FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI and he was and still is THE baddest mutha!

Part I

Look for the continuation to this documentary OR ANY documentary on FELA, at your local BlockBuster. It's well worth the trip.

T.

Inna Babylon Style...

Celebrate Musique!

my love of music began when my mother, who was from St. Kitts, played Soca and Reggae on weekends when I was a child. Being American, I often could not understand the words that Bob Marley and the Mighty Sparrow were singing. I first discovered world music in the 1990s at one of Brooklyn's African Street Festivals, where I was mesmerized by the sounds of the Jay-U Experience, an indie "afrobeat/disco/jazz" band blaring out of a sound system with two speakers that were the size of refrigerators.  I bought two of their cassette tapes and played songs such as "Bizi Body" until my tape player went on strike. I found that I really enjoyed the melding of African instruments such as the djembe drums and kalimba with trumpets and other instruments I'd never heard of. Hearing this music piqued my interest, so I was completely "open" when I received a copy of Folon, by the legendary Malian singer/songwriter, Salif Keita whom I recently had the distinct pleasure to hear perform live at Celebrate Brooklyn!, Prospect Park's Summer Concert Series. Although I couldn't understand what he was saying in songs such as "Mandjou" and "Tekere" I had no idea that the tone of his voice he used while he was singing could evoke such emotion inside of me. By the time I'd heard "Nyanyama" I knew I was hooked on World Music. I headed to Tower Records to catch up on his other albums: Soro, Ko-yan and Amen.  And then I discovered Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo...

Here's a welcome surprise all my Naija homies in NYC will appreciate: celebrated choreographer Bill T. Jones is currently working on the musical based on Afrobeat king Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Choreographed and directed by Jones, Fela! the musical will feature Kuti's music as played by Brooklyn based afrobeat band Antibalas. The production will run off-Broadway from July 29 to Sept. 21. More info here.

Very cool mini-doc on Malian ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate. Be sure to also take a look at Out Here's two part (one) (two) electronic press kit put together for the release of Bassekou's wonderful album, Segu Blue.

Here is a taste of Zozo Afrobeat performing pure Afrobeat live! Enjoy the guys on the saxophone (and trumpet). Led by kaleta on drums. This video is of their recent outing in Harlem, New York. See them live - June 28 at the Central Park Summer Stage, New York City.

 LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS, SEE NOTICE BOARD, SEE AFRICAN EVENTS

The beautiful Nigerian-Romanian songstress is performing at SOB's tonight, alongside Dwele. Ayo rocks on the simple fact that she's carving her own tracks, merging the old with the new . She is part of an exciting crop of singers who show that the term "African music" means many things these days.

And can we really forget to shout out Dwele, whose soulful sounds have inspired many an African.

Should be a good show.