Unless you're going to hold me to a 148 day gap between posts then I think this is still true, though yes, it is Sunday and yes, it's a long overdue return to a Sahel Sounds selection.
Ten songs and just under three quarters of an hour of music culled from the increasing number of compilations and albums that I've been picking up most Bandcamp Fridays.
As ever, an eclectic selection of sounds. According to Iffypedia, "Takamba is a music and dance native to the Songhai and Tuareg peoples of Niger and Mali. It is both a musical composition and a dance [...] The Takamba dance includes graceful and rhythmic movements performed
both seated and standing where the shoulders and arms sway with the flow
of the music." What more could you want?
Well, how about an individual take on Hey Joe, first recorded by The Leaves in 1965 then covered and completely owned by The Jimi Hendrix Experience when released as their debut the following year? You get the impression that Azna De L'Ader's frontperson Mona doesn't know the words but frankly who cares? This is an archival undated live performance from the band, who had been around for over four decades before their first recordings were released in 2016.
2015's compilation Uchronia: Field Recordings From Alternate Realities is another winner. Sadly, none of the musical performances are credited to the artists as there are some intriguing pieces, a couple of which I've featured here. Takamba With Modular Synth, immediately follows on from Mdou Moctar's more 'rock'-based interpretation and then flows into Torodi by Hama, whose opening moments could almost be Brian Auger.
Whatever you're doing today can only be enhanced by time in the company of these artists and their music.
1) Aicha: Bayta Ag Bay (2011)
2) Hey Joe (Cover of The Leaves): Azna De L'Ader (2017)
3) Zinezju Meghdem: Abba Gargando (2010)
4) Agrim Agadez: Etran De L'Aïr (2017)
5) Takamba: Mdou Moctar (2019)
6) Takamba With Modular Synth: unknown artist (2015)
7) Torodi: Hama (2019)
8) Balani Compositions, Rhythm Box: unknown artist (2015)
9) Tinariwen: Group Anmataff (2011)
10) Toumast: Ahmoudou Madassane (2021)
2010: Ishilan n-Tenere: 3
2011: Music From Saharan Cellphones: 1, 9
2015: Uchronia: Field Recordings From Alternate Realities: 6, 8
2017: Agrim Agadez: 2, 4
2019: Ilana: The Creator: 5
2019: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler: 7
2021: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler 3: 10
