Somali funk, pre-pirate days

January 2, 2011 2:54 PM

Iftin, a Somali form of funk, was popular from the early 1970s until the time of the civil war there in 1991. It's just one of many examples of little-known (outside of Africa) African popular music found preserved at Likembe. Found while falling down the world music blog rabbit hole here, after stumbling on a rock here.

Please note that each blog linked has a policy of only making out of print music available, and will readily take down anything if requested by the author/performer.

posted by Burhanistan (8 comments total)

Those are both truly fascinating blogs. Thanks sincerely. I had never previously heard Tahitian ukulele music. Now I have.
posted by LucretiusJones at 3:54 PM on January 2, 2011

Languagehat just blogged about this today too.
posted by Think_Long at 4:07 PM on January 2, 2011

Radiodiffusion and Excavated Shellac are both amazing blogs, but the term 'world music' does them a disservice as it conjures up bad new-age-with-ethnic-instruments-added records.
posted by jonmc at 4:21 PM on January 2, 2011

Thanks so much, that’s definitely a rabbit hole that I may never come out of.

@johnmc; I don’t have that association with the term "world music", I guess it’s a personal thing. It’s not a great descriptor, but neither is "Rock".
posted by bongo_x at 4:51 PM on January 2, 2011

I don’t have that association with the term "world music", I guess it’s a personal thing. It’s not a great descriptor, but neither is "Rock".

Actually, that's an interesting analogy, since I also hate the term 'classic rock' which I've heard applied to, say, both the Byrds and King Crimson, who are very different bands. But like 'world music,' it's a marketing term, not an actual genre.

(sorry for th pedantic derail. The music available on both these sites is amazing, dowload as much as you can)
posted by jonmc at 4:58 PM on January 2, 2011

COOL


I was just talking about Somali music with a friend the other day, specifically Axmed Cali Cigaal (who now lives in Minneapolis) and a little bit of Xaawo Hiiran.


SO GOOD
posted by louche mustachio at 5:35 PM on January 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Ah yes, Iftin! Iftin apparently was a big band, and the band members are more or less spread out about the world now -- the former manager lives in Portland, Oregon, while the guitarist is in Denmark and one of the popular singers is in Saudi Arabia. The masters, however, are even more elusive...
posted by iamck at 7:00 AM on January 3, 2011

All music is world music
posted by mike_bling at 6:49 PM on January 4, 2011