I'm doing a vaguely safari / africa themed dinner soon and need background music suggestions. As tempted as i am to camp it up and just have Disney's The Jungle Book and The Lion King soundtracks, really we should play some proper stuff. Um, all I know is Albarn's Mali Music and that dude who did '7 Seconds'. What else would you recommend? Fusion stuff is cool - I'm not super bothered by 'authenticity'. The tunes just need to be suitably bourgeois and condusive to occasion. The trip hop of the Dark Continent or something.
Cheers
just stick Toumani Diabate - The Mande Variations on repeat
fuckinghell
just buy one of those god-awful "morrocan nights" compilations from a texaco shop cd bin.
or get "the master musicians of joujouka" for some tribal insanity.
Do
not speak ill of Texaco's music selection.
No, wait, it does actually suck.
Thank you thank you!
I heard him on Jools Holland's show the other night and was transfixed, but I couldn't remember his name.
Thank you!
Oh, and to the original poster, try some Juluka.
Jesus H Christ, this sounds like a
Guardianista hellfest of epic proportions!
Get
Expensive Shit/He Miss Road by Fela Kuti. 10 min + afro funk jams that are fucking ace ace ace.
Otherwise, go for some top faux afro gear a la Remain in Light by Talking Heads.
yup! :)
checkit: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16176608342
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
or graceland - paul simon
hahah
Vampire Weekend
They're meant to be all about the 'afrobeat' aren't they? I heard the bassplayer was once a Masai Tribesman.
Haha
Oh my word.
That was hilarious.
.
Salah Ragab and the Cairo Jazz Ensemble?
he asked for background music man
Salah Ragab is NOT background music, just fucking killer.
Charlie Dark's African Beats
is very much the triphop of africa I saw him live in March and he was awsome.http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/daddydark/?action=view¤t=2004356778663409920_rs.jpg I am still looking out for some kinda CD though, maybe there are some mp3s on websites some place.
erm
http://awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com
Reccing the Amagnon Koumagnon (sp?) Benin album and the Boubacar Traore album as GREAT.
thanks everyone
i'll have a listen to some of those soon, once i've stolen them off the internets. cheers!
ali farka toure- the river
is amazing and it doesn't matter as much if you steal his music off the net, 'cause he's dead and can't recieve the royalties.
oh and cesara (spelling?)evora- angola (carl craig remix) is great.
Konono no. 1 - Congotronics
:D
listen to this man
astonishing album...will probably result in your guests running from the house screaming like banshees though
If they don't like Konono no. 1
then they don't deserve to eat.
alright, for you dayshift people -
any ideas?
something chilled out, 'african'-sounding if you know what i mean (i am well aware of how stupid that is), not too intense
ta
hmm, i should check last.fm or summat
Best of Ethiopiques
Fantastic compilation. Also this:
http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2008/03/africa.html
this
is a brilliant compilation
http://www.amazon.com/Nigeria-Special-Highlife-Afro-Sounds-Nigerian/dp/B000WM8IAU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1209026006&sr=8-1
Konono no1
Definitely
Nothing depresses me more than the thought of the amazing
variety and energy of african music being reduced to bland pap to soundtrack your dinner party.
Saying that you could do worse than download some of these and see what takes your fancy:
http://awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com/
There's like a million incredible tapes to choose from that range from Nigerian highlife to Moroccan gnawa.
Yep
go for the Nigeria Special comps. Or the Ethiopiques ones. They make my garden on a shitty council estate in Bethnal Green feel so much more exotic.
Another vote for the Ethiopiques
Some truly amazing stuff on there.
Or you could get the "In The Name Of Love: Africa Sings U2" CD that's just come out! It's for CHARITY! Yeah!
I would like to hit Bono with a spade.
Tinariwen, Fela Kuti, and something with a Kora being played
instantly spring to mind, though Tinariwen maybe a bit too 'desert'. Maybe put it on for afters..
Oh god....
There's also:
Hue Masekela
Miriam Makeba
What kind of sound are you looking for because there is a township genre called 'Kwaito' (this is supposedly what Vampire Weekend have based their sound on - utter rubbish) Anyway that's more upbeat. There are also a few hardcore African bands like Skwatta Kamp and Zola (he does most of the Soundtrack in Tsotsi) which are more 'youth' based.