Around the World Circuit
April 18, 2013 11:20 PM   Subscribe

An effortless melding of Malian and western styles topped off by the gorgeously smoky voice of Fatoumata Diawara. The infectiously brisk tempo, chiming guitar artistry and tight, rapid fire harmonies of Shirati Jazz. The warmly grounded choral expression of South Africa's Black Umfolosi. The delicate, calmly unfolding wellspring of melody (starting off with a classic Morricone spaghetti-western quote!) of kora master Toumani Diabate. The loping, balafon-driven groove over which the majestic, declamatory voice of Oumou Sangare soars. The classic, Cuban-inspired rhumba (but with the distinctively African feel and sound) of Orchestra Baobab... all these modern treasures of African music and much, much more from Africa and beyond at the World Circuit Soundcloud page. Enjoy the ride!
posted by flapjax at midnite (5 comments total) 32 users marked this as a favorite
 
I own several World Circuit CDs. Brilliant curators and producers.
posted by Wolof at 1:38 AM on April 19, 2013


FanTAStic post. Thank you! Ali Touré is one of my favorites.

By the way, for the four or five MeFites who sometimes visit West Africa, Jazz à Ouaga starts a week from today.
posted by solotoro at 2:28 AM on April 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


Thanks (again) Flapjax. Always interested in checking out new sounds from West Africa and Mali in particular. I was lucky enough to see Toumani Diabate perform a few years ago in Chicago with an all-star jazz lineup called the Chicago Transilience Ensemble, which included some of my favorite Chicago players like Hamid Drake, Josh Abrams, Jeff Parker, and Nicole Mitchell. Free concert in the park, at the super-modern, Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavillion. It was transcendent, you can get a little taste of it here (although, you really had to be there - there's not enough Diabate in this little clip).
posted by crazy_yeti at 6:54 AM on April 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


About 20 years ago I spent a month hanging out and jamming with Toumani. He is the most generous, most musical person you could hope to meet. He is a 72nd generation cora player. Just ponder that fact for a moment.
When I was there, Bassekou Kouyate was playing n'goni in Toumani's band. He and Toumani used to toss the Morricone theme back and forth as a joke. Bassekou's I Speak Fula is a work of transcendent beauty.
One more thing. Oumou Sangare's voice is one of the great gifts of my life. I have seen her numerous times and her voice and her regal presence never fail to knock me on my ass.
posted by Jode at 4:18 AM on April 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


When I lived in Kinshasa a few years ago I met a guy who was on a sort of modified Fulbright, in that he was a guitarist (from somewhere on the East Coast, USA) and his course of study was to essentially find as many African guitarists as he could and play with them. Anyway, he introduced me to the music of Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabaté, Cheikh Lo and many others. All of them are still on heavy rotation and whenever I listen to their music I'm transported back to those warm, beautiful West African nights. I miss those days.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 6:16 PM on April 23, 2013


« Older The cars catching on fire probably had something...   |   Photographer Takes boy with Muscular Dystrophy on... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments