My end-of-2008 compilation was of African music. All compilation making is necessarily a process of exclusion as much as inclusion, and this is nowhere more the case than a compilation attempting to represent a continent as musically diverse and prolific as Africa. Thus, although I tried to represent the various major regions of Africa, I feel the need to indicate some of what this compilation does not include: rural music (as endlessly diverse as Africa itself), Afropop, Afrobeat (most identified with Fela Kuti), Afro-Cuban music, Afro-rock, Afro-jazz, Afro-hip hop, and all the stuff I haven’t discovered yet. Due to space limitations, I also did not attempt to cover the islands of Madagascar, Zanzibar, and Cape Verde, which have their own distinctive musical traditions. The majority of this compilation is urban African music incorporating Western influences and instruments, primarily from the late 60s and early 70s, before the glossier production of Afropop became predominant.
For further context, a good quick read is this entry on the Aquarium Drunkard music blog.
Click below to stream the compilation:
1.Louisa Tounsia “Ya Ourda” (Tunisia)
2.Aziza Brahim “Dios Mio” (Western Sahara)
3.Nahawa Doumbia “Sifolo” (Mali)
4.Tinariwen “Imidiwan Winakalin” (Mali)
5.Orchestra Baobab “Jin Ma Jin Ma” (Senegal)
6.Bembeya Jazz National “Wisky Soda” (Guinea)
7.Broadway Dance Band “Broadway Special” (Ghana)
8.Ignace De Souza “Suru Lo Dara” (Benin/Ghana)
9.Orlando Julius Ekemode “Olulofe” (Nigeria)
10.Flash Domincii and the Supersonics “Owuro Lojo” (Nigeria)
11.Pierre Akendengué “Sesi” (Gabon)
12.Franco “Nini Cherie” (Congo)
13.Tabu Ley Rochereau “Mama Ida” (Congo)
14.Miriam Makeba “Nomeva” (South Africa)
15.Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens “Amaqhawe Omgqashiyo” (South Africa)
16.Chicken Run Band “Manheru Changamire” (Zimbabwe)
17.Salim Abdullah & Cuban Marimba Band “Ndio Hali Ya Dunia” (Tanzania)
18.Frida Sonko “Mwani Gew” (Uganda)
19.Fadhili Williams Mdawida “Wee Jane” (Kenya)
20.Peter Tsotsi and Nashil Pichen “Pole Musa” (Kenya)
21.Alemayehu Eschete “Ayalqem Tedengo” (Ethiopia)
22.Les Musiciens du Nil “Bambi Saidi” (Egypt)
Send me a message (or complete the form on this page) for more information.
To give you a sense of the sound, here are a few videos with songs from the compilation:
Wonderings 