Tag: west africa

Music from Togo – Jey Liba

Jey – Liba is a duet of artists from Togo (BEN and BILL), two young modern griots who inspire from various traditions. They make us discover « Cool Catché », the new tendency making the Togolese people proud. To move forward and gain their place among African music leaders, the group has worked to become the best in their genre. « Cool Catché » simply means « cool » in the hood. Just like Coupé-Décalé, « Cool Catché » is a dance from Togo which is becoming as famous and as entertaining.  Here is their song “Coloniser”

 

 

Music from Ivory Coast – Meiway

Meiway, aka Fréderic-Désiré Ehui, leaves Abidjan for Paris in 1985 to improve his music skills. He records his first album “Ayibebou” in 1989 including the premises of Zoblazo, a style Meiway invented inspired from traditional rhythms from Grand-Bassam, his native city. Meiway receives the award for Best Male Singer of Ivory Coast for this album but it is with the following album “200% Zoblazo”, released in 1992, that Meiway gets his first hit in the African diaspora.

Throughout the years, his success increases following inflation to reach 900% Zoblazo with the eponymous album released in 2006. Meiway has become a superstar in Ivory Coast, Western Africa and in the African diaspora in Europe. Here is song “Golgotha”

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Music from Cape verde – Bau

Rufino Almeida (12, 1962), best known as Bau born in Midelo, Cape Verde. Bau’s father was a stringed-instrument maker in Mindelo, the port of São Vicente island, the most famous in the Archipelago since the success of Cesaria Evora, also a native of this scrap of land that is also the home of many of Cape Verde’s greatest artists and composers.

At the start of the 90s, he recorded his first album with the Mindel Band, including the first pieces he had written himself – “Mindelo” (Lusafrica) – and performed on “Mar Azul”, the album that launched Cesaria Evora in 1991. In 1994, he joined the singer’s orchestra and, two years later, became its musical director, before passing the baton to pianist Nando Andrade in 1999. From the beginning of the 90s, Bau has published 6 solo albums of a sparkling beauty. Here is the song “Filosofia”

Music from Burkina Faso/Belgium – Zita Swoon Group

The Zita Swoon Group, formed in 1993 in Belgium is a great indie band. In 2010 Stef Kamil Carlens and Zita Swoon Group traveled to Burkina Faso in West Africa to play and create with Mamadou Diabaté Kibié and Awa Demé, griots from Bobo-Dioulasso. Listen to their nice song “Tasuma-Ji”:

Music from Mali/Senegal – Habib Koité

Habib Koité (born 1958 in Thiès, Senegal) is a solo singer, songwriter and guitarist, based in Mali. His band, Bamada, is a super-group of West African musicians, including Kélétigui Diabaté playing balafon. Here is the song “Takamba”

listen also Batoumambe and Desert Blues

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Music from Burkina Faso/Belgium – Zita Swoon Group

Zita Swoon Group, formed in 1993 in Belgium is a great indie band. In 2010 Stef Kamil Carlens and Zita Swoon Group travel to Burkina Faso in West Africa to play and create with Mamadou Diabaté Kibié and Awa Demé, griots from Bobo-Dioulasso(YouTube information) the nice song “Subabu“:

Music from Guadeloupe – Kassav

Kassav this giant of 80´,  fused native Antillean rhythms such as gwa-ko, kadans and biguine with Western elements such as rock guitar and a funk horn section as well as West African guitar and percussion styles. Here is their song  “Doubout Pikan”

 

Music from Israel/the U.S. – Jemen Blues

Jemen Blues is an original and fascinating meeting of traditional Yemenite melodies with the world of blues, jazz and funk. Flavours of West African roots and enhanced modern compositions are creating a breathtaking experience and a mixture of beautiful complex grooves with an amazing live energy where ever this band enters the stage(^^myspace). Here’s their song “Trape Le Verite“: