Give Our Ears A Rest

The title is a line from the Amadou & Mariam song Wily Kataso featuring in today's selection. Usually meant as a request to shut up (as in the context of the song), I'm instead claiming it as a celebratory balm for the next 75 minutes.

 

Sixteen songs designed to relax, uplift and take you beyond the day-to-day noise before bringing you gently back down to earth. Half a dozen are lifted from the ever-dependable Sahel Sounds label, others from Real World, Nation Records and Honest Jon's Records.

Some artists - Etran De L'Aïr, Mdou Moctar, Songhoy Blues, Transglobal Underground - are regulars here. Others - Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré, Amadou & Mariam - are surprisingly (to me, at least) making their first appearance on this blog. 

 

This selection is dedicated to beautiful soul and inspiration Sheila Chandra, who provides the closing song.

1) Paisano: Nkumba System ft. Mamani Keita (2020)

2) Adounia: Etran De L'Aïr (2022)

3) Niger: Mali Music (Damon Albarn, Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté & Friends) (2002)

4) Eliss Wan Anas Douban: Les Filles De Illighadad (2016)

5) Gomni (Live) (Cover of Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder): Songhoy Blues (2013)

6) Anar: Mdou Moctar (2013)

7) Wily Kataso (Radio Edit): Amadou & Mariam ft. Tunde Adebimpe & Kyp Malone (2012)

8) My Heart, My Life (Album Version): Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook (1996)

9) Tromba Marina: Transglobal Underground (1994)

10) No Waiting: Les Frères Smith ft. Seun Kuti (2020)

11) Sukunyali: Oumou Sangaré (2009)

12) Jarabi: Wau Wau Collectif (2022)

13) Moribiyassa: Kaba Blon (2011)

14) Penda Yoro: Ali Farka Touré (2006)

15) Kayraba: Amadou Binta Konté & Tidiane Thiam (2014)

16) Om Namaha Shiva: Sheila Chandra (1992)

1992: Weaving My Ancestors' Voices: 16

1994: International Times: 9

1996: Night Song: 8

2002: Mali Music: 3

2006: Savane: 14

2009: Seya: 11 

2011: Music From Saharan Cellphones: 13

2012: Wily Kataso EP: 7

2013: Music From Saharan Cellphones: Volume 2: 6

2013: Songhoy Blues Live (bootleg): 5 

2014: Anar: 6

2016: Les Filles De Illighadad: 4

2017: Waande Kadde: 15

2020: Bailalo Duro: 1

2020: Mutation: 10

2022: Agadez: 2

2022: Mariage: 12

Give Our Ears A Rest (1:14:41) (KF) (Mega)

Sahel Sounds Souvenir

Yes, it's Sahel Sounds Sunday. No, it's not the start of a series.

November was the first Bandcamp Friday in a long time that I didn't buy anything from Sahel Sounds, more a case of blowing my budget on other music, rather than the well running dry. I'd previously been focusing on catching up with the vast number of Sahel Sounds compilations that have been made available over the years. 

 

However, in October, I did buy a trio of artist albums by Mamman Sani Abdoulaye, Les Filles De Illighadad and Mdou Moctar. The former was a recommendation by The Swede (thank you!) and dates from 1978, sounding like something that would have come from Sheffield via The Human League or Cabaret Voltaire, rather than Niamey, Niger. Hama, hailing from the same capital city, is a natural successor, with an Eighties sound to match anything Jan Hammer and Harold Faltermeyer could put on a TV or movie soundtrack.

I've greatly enjoyed the Les Filles De Illighadad and Mdou Moctar albums and the remaining selection here continues to highlight artists that I want to explore further. And of course, it would be remiss of me not to include King Ayisoba (albeit here in a guest appearance with Atamina) as a thank you to Ernie at 27 Leggies. 

 

If you enjoy this and missed my previous Sahel Sounds selection, you can find it here.

 

1) Hey Malale: Andal Sukabe (2022)

2) Lidda: Mamman Sani (1978)

3) Afashee: Prince Buju (2015)

4) Ahiyana: Idassane Wallet Mohamed (2008)

5) Erilegh Ifanata: Les Filles De Illighadad (2016)

6) Home Witches: Asaa Naho (2016)

7) Ndougou: Fagaru Evolution (2010)

8) Terroir: Hama (2019)

9) Kamane Tarhanin: Mdou Moctar (2019)

10) Africa Problem: Atamina ft. King Ayisoba (2016)

11) Souvenir Nam Adjosa: Koudédé (2006)

2010: Ishilan n-Tenere: 7

2013: La Musique Electronique Du Niger: 2

2013: Music From Saharan Cellphones: Volume 2: 11

2016: Les Filles De Illighadad: 5

2016: This is Kologo Power!: 3, 6

2019: Ilana: The Creator: 9

2020: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler 2: 4, 8, 10

2022: Music From Saharan WhatsApp: 1

Sahel Sounds Souvenir (46:12) (Box) (Mega)

Africa Needs Africa

Today's Sahel Sounds selection would not exist but for three things:

 

1) the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdown in 2020;

2) the introduction of Bandcamp Friday; and

3) the rather wonderful 27 Leggies music blog.

Actually, there's a fourth: Sahel Sounds itself would not exist had Christopher Kirkley not been inspired to start a blog in 2009, then a record label before evolving and expanding further to encompass an artist collective, film production house and arts organisation.

 

But, for me, it all kicked off in 2020 with being at home, trying to work (a story in itself) and not annoy Clan K (another story in itself), whilst attempting to preserve my sanity. The blogosphere was incredibly important to the latter. I began to expand my reading and start to engage a bit more with comments and contributions before going full on with this blog by the end of the year.

Along the way, I was - and continue to be - introduced to music from all over the world that I would never have discovered otherwise. Case in point, the Sahel Sounds label, based in Portland, Oregon and promoting music and artists from (deep breath for Wikipedia quote) "northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger, the extreme north of Nigeria, Cameroon and Central African Republic, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, the extreme north of South Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia".

 

Of course Ernie, the creator of 27 Leggies, was onto Sahel Sounds several years before, but this Johnny Come Lately picked up on it in the early weeks of the UK lockdown in March 2020 when Ernie highlighted the Bandcamp Friday promotion. 

Since then, I've been getting one of the Sahel Sounds 'name your price' compilations pretty much every other Bandcamp Friday. After taking a break earlier year, the promotion started again last Friday (2nd Sep) and I bought Music From Saharan WhatsApp, released in June. I've a few more to get - Field Recordings From The Sahel and Gao Rap: Hip Hop From Northern Mali, to name two - but with nearly a hundred songs amassed so far, I figured a Dubhed selection was (over)due. 

 

Before I started following Ernie's recommendations on 27 Leggies and then buying the compilations, I'd only heard of one artist on the Sahel Sounds roster, Mdou Moctar. I'm very glad that I've had the opportunity to delve more into his catalogue and also open my mind and ears to the diverse and exciting sounds coming from the Sahel. 

 

Bandcamp Friday will continue for at least the rest of 2022 and I'll be moving onto buying individual artist albums. My bank balance will hate me, my musical brain will love me. Love always wins.

 

Today's title is the name of a 2017 song by King Ayisoba featuring Wanlov The Kubolor & Big Gad. It's not featured on the Sahel Sounds compilations I own, but I've included the video for your viewing and listening pleasure.

 

This one's for Ernie, with heartfelt thanks for the continuing education and entertainment at 27 Leggies.

 

1) Bahouche: Amaria Hamadalher

2) N'Dianguene Demngal Men: Tidiane Thiam

3) Elyn: Jeich Ould Badu

4) Inigradan: Les Filles De Illighadad

5) Waihidjo: Pheno S.

6) Akokass: Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou

7) Girma Girma: Fati Niger

8) Inizgam: Mdou Moctar

9) Taliat: Intriya Ag Babo

10) Iban Mano D'Ikhya: Etran De L'Aïr

11) Africa: King Ayisoba

12) Abandé: Yeli Fuzzo

2010: Ishilan n-Tenere: 9 

2011: Music From Saharan Cellphones: 12

2013: Music From Saharan Cellphones: Volume II: 5 

2016: This is Kologo Power!: 11

2017: Agrim Agadez: 1, 10

2019: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler: 4, 8

2020: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler II: 7

2021: Sahel Sounds Label Sampler III: 2, 6

2022: Music From Saharan WhatsApp: 3

 

Africa Needs Africa (46:08) (Box) (Mega)