I don't even have any words that can come close to describing how special this collection is. Vol 1 graced these pages last year, but I don't want to tell you that one is better than the other because both are absolutely essential. Beautiful, innocent, brilliant sonic missives from all over the Continent, this vinyl compilation from Mississippi came and went in a heartbeat, but we are fortunate to have some entrepreneur who thought that $5 bootleg tapes were their ticket to Easy Street....fortunate to have someone who sees the importance of a collection like this one. Just hitting the highlights, you'll hear FRANCIS MwaKITIME, SIBANDA, JEAN BOSCO MWENDA, DANIEL KATUGA, ABDUL KARIM EL KABLY, and FRANCIS BEBEY's epic "Black Tears," a track that simply defies description. Several pieces from uncredited (and/or unknown) artists ("Kru Song" is particularly engrossing) round out almost 90 minutes of essential sounds that are so far above my humble ceiling that I feel like a fool even talking about them....so just listen.
1 comment:
Hey ya,
I got the 1st round of this that you posted in the past. The volume number 1.
Through some searching, I found that some of the same songs popped up on this album.
African Acoustic Vol. 1 - Guitar Songs from Tanzania, Zambia & Zaire on OMA (Original Music Record Label)
You can find a number of other amazing albums under this label on Discogs. The Sound Of Kinshasa. The Tanzania Sound. The Nairobi Sound. ETC. It goes on and on. I don't point to the Discogs website as a rabid collector. It's more that when you search for stuff there, sometimes they have the YouTube video pop ur right there for listening.
Or this one from Somali on the same label is one of my favorites.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Jamiila-Songs-From-A-Somali-City/release/1556816
All of this in service to say that ONE YEAR AGO (and a few weeks now) my son was born. And in his first hours on this planet I rocked that Volume One African guitar tape you posted. It was a very jelly sound and, I think, a very welcome sound to hear upon entering this very chaotic world. He responded favorably, and rightfully so. Ever since, he has been keen to music. And is to this day.
Again, I don't write all of this as any sort of scholarly "one-upmanship" or "hey, I know that thing you know music talk talk talk etc." Just writing to you as a fellow head and traveler. And wanted you to know that your posting music has literally played a formative part in a new humans existence. Not to put too much on your shoulders.
But again, I notice no one posts any "thanks" any more. No comments on any of the posts. It's a bummer for me. I feel more folds should be leaving a note of thanks for the free downloads you take time to put up. So, I don't know where you stand on said issue.
I'm just one person out here who still relies on this dot on the interest (your little place you've carved out) as a source of "new" music and will continue to say that it is IMPORTANT and VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
I'll stop for now. My name is Doug McQueen and you can find me on the interwebs. Thanks for constantly mining the landscape for new sounds. Some of us out here are always hungry, just like you.
Thank you and have a good day.
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