happy endings

February 21, 2008 11:40 AM

Soukous Radio is an online radio station that plays/streams this energizing, joyous, African fusion music, known for its bright guitar sound and rumba/salsa beat. The name, Soukous, is derived from the French word secouer, to shake. A popular, recent Soukous video by two Ivory Coast singers, DJ Eloh and DJ Mix, The Bobaraba (which means “big bottom” in the local Djoula language), celebrates booty shaking.

Just makes you want to get up and dance.

Those who are less amply proportioned have been looking to create a bobaraba.

Girls do it, guys too.

Kedjevara's version.

A selection of CDs from Soukous Haven.

Soukous on Wikipedia. This latest Soukous dance, the Bobaraba, is pronounced bob.araba.

posted by nickyskye (25 comments total)

Love it - great music, and added to my music bookmarks...
posted by twsf at 12:27 PM on February 21

awesome. i love celebrating booty shaking.
posted by gnutron at 12:48 PM on February 21

All hail BootyFilter!
posted by onalark at 12:56 PM on February 21

Thanks for sharing - enjoying this immensely on this cold, frigid Chicago gray afternoon.
posted by mctsonic at 1:07 PM on February 21

Sadly, I can't get the radio station thing to work on my work machine. I am, however, going to save this for the joy I know I'll need on Saturday, when the forecast is torrential rain and high winds, and I should really do some housework. Booty-shaking + housework = painless housecleaning!
posted by rtha at 1:14 PM on February 21 [1 favorite]

This is fantastic! I'm listening to "Ma Fille Jessica" by Aurlus Mabele right now. Thank you, wonderful nickyskye!
posted by languagehat at 1:20 PM on February 21

Kady Meite, one of the DJ Eloh & DJ Mix dancers, says the song is a message for women.

"There are women today with large bottoms who are embarrassed, so it's to say don't be ashamed - be comfortable"

ButterbuttocksFilter. Musical sunshine.

Dancing in my chair and happy to be "comfortable". So pleased you're pleased languagehat.
posted by nickyskye at 2:05 PM on February 21

How could I not be?
posted by languagehat at 2:44 PM on February 21

"Currently playing" as I post this comment is something from Oliver Mtukudzi, who I did an FPP on a while back. Sadly, though, this player isn't working for me. Looks like a good station!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:10 PM on February 21

nicky: given your previous post on african music videos, thought you might like some of these here.
posted by progosk at 4:46 PM on February 21 [1 favorite]

Thanks kindly progosk, how nice of you.
posted by nickyskye at 4:54 PM on February 21

Yay! Nice one nickyskye; I've been away for awhile. What a happy post to come back to.
posted by adamvasco at 6:14 PM on February 21

Oooh boy, that lifted my spirits on an otherwise bleh Friday morning! :-D

( Steps away from the keyboard to shake some booty)
posted by the cydonian at 6:14 PM on February 21

Great music. I still prefer the kwassa-kwassa style & Diblo's guitar sound.
posted by mike3k at 7:24 PM on February 21

Damn, I sure wish this player would do something besides sit in stony silence. Drag!

Your Girls do it link is killing me, though. Damn!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:59 PM on February 21

Cover THIS, Mr. Coulton, if you dare. (Ah, I kid because I love.)

Absolutely lovely and sunny -- thanks!
posted by maudlin at 8:47 PM on February 21

also: museke looks like an interesting place for african music updates.
posted by progosk at 12:08 AM on February 22

oh, and: download fader's march 08 africa issue for free here.
posted by progosk at 12:14 AM on February 22

aside from which: awesome tapes from africa.
posted by progosk at 1:01 AM on February 22

nicky--you rawk!
posted by hadjiboy at 1:03 AM on February 22

not to forget negrophonic, and kolleidosonic, and africolombia, and, and...
posted by progosk at 1:21 AM on February 22

Great post, nicky - I love soukos, it is indeed some of the happiest music in the world. When I lived in Portland, Maine, there was a little club that featured a lot of African bands - some of my happiest experiences were going to dance to the band Loketo and your post sent me searching - happily, one of my favorite numbers is online.
posted by madamjujujive at 3:34 AM on February 22

Should you like to watch African ladies shaking their bottoms, perhaps a full hour of (Pepe Le Pew lookalike) Dr Sakis will cure you of this proclivity ; ) It's worth a try!

Anything mapouka related will also suffice.
posted by asok at 8:20 AM on February 22

whoa asok, that was quite an education. Had no idea about the whole baby's got back dances of mapouka. So funny about Dr. Sakis, he's more like a grandaddy of Pepe Le Pew hairstyles (always loved that cartoon). But the thing is I love the friendliness of the soukous music and dance genre, there's a playful innocence too, not so hard core and simplistic as mapouka.

And rather than curing me of any "proclivity", soukous leaves me exhilarated, batteries charged with joie de vivre and wanting more fun.
posted by nickyskye at 12:08 PM on February 22

Thanks Nickyskye, Soukous Radio is great stuff! I'm one of a lucky select 11 people who are currently tuned in and smiling.
posted by algreer at 5:55 AM on February 26