I bless the [covers] down in Africaaaaaa

December 7, 2018 11:44 PM

Toto's Africa played on Japanese traditional instruments - koto, tsugaru-shamisen and steel drum (via NHK Blends).

Africa covered by one guy on five different horns (Seb Skelly).
Africa covered by four guys on beer bottles (The Bottle Boys).
Africa covered by one barefoot guy with hand and foot percussion, a grand piano and a loop pedal (Peter Bence).
Africa covered by one guy, a rubber chicken and an actual chicken (Big Marvel).
I HEAR THE METAL DOWN IN AFRICA ( Leo Moracchioli at Frog Leap Studios).
A cappellafrica (Angel City Chorale).

Toto previously: 1, 2, 3, 4.

posted by His thoughts were red thoughts (25 comments total)

Caribbean steel drums are considered traditional Japanese instruments?
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 12:07 AM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Ignore that, just watch the METAL DOWN IN AFRICA. You won't be disappointed.
posted by figurant at 12:14 AM on December 8, 2018 [6 favorites]

Yes! Leo Moracchioli deserves an FPP of his own, if one hasn't been done before. I once fell down a hole of watching all his excellent nui-ish metal covers and he is ridiculously talented and charismatic (plus his family/occasional support are too!)
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 12:36 AM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Caribbean steel drums are considered traditional Japanese instruments?

Steel pans are apparently surprisingly popular in Japan, a phenomenon that is probably deserving of their own FPP, but that will have to be done by someone more knowledgeable than me.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 12:44 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also, Toto's Africa on the Floppotron.
posted by fairmettle at 2:39 AM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

While I was falling in love with the Irish language, I found "Africa" le Toto as Gaeilge.
posted by andreaazure at 3:17 AM on December 8, 2018 [7 favorites]

andreaazure- thanks for that one! that choir is having the most fun ever.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 4:57 AM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Steel pans are apparently surprisingly popular in Japan

Othello Molineaux toured there with Jaco Pastorius in the 80's; I wonder if that had an effect
posted by thelonius at 5:56 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Those were all so awesome. My wife is like "what the hell are you doing today?"
posted by chasles at 6:46 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

Solo guitarists like it. Andy McKee did it twice, differing mostly in tempo.
posted by BWA at 7:25 AM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Caribbean steel drums are considered traditional Japanese instruments?

I just fell down a hole watching NHK blends (highly recommended!) and other traditional Japanese instrument covers of Western music. They are often adding in a support interment to make the song make more sense in these.
posted by phlyingpenguin at 7:40 AM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Toto on a koto?
posted by chizzledizzle at 7:52 AM on December 8, 2018 [7 favorites]

The Blends version of Smooth Criminal is also amazing.
posted by HumanComplex at 8:09 AM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Toto's Africa played on Japanese traditional instruments yt - koto, tsugaru-shamisen and steel drum

I want this as a shortcut labelled GOTO TOTO KOTO.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:28 AM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

I want this as a shortcut labelled GOTO TOTO KOTO.

In Kyoto!
posted by chavenet at 8:36 AM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

It seems that YouTube has suspended NHK Blends' channel which bummer because I can't link you to my favorite cover (King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man) but if you want more music in the same vein you can hit KOZANGUMI (Telephone, Despacito), Wagakki Ensemble MAHORA (X Japan's Kurenai, this is the original live if you aren't into J-rock) or Kyounosuke (Let it Go).

At least it looks like NHK Blends released a record on Amazon.
posted by sukeban at 9:05 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

RE: GOTO KYOTO KOTO TOTO, now, this is the kind of cultural appropriation (and alliteration, consonance, and assonance) I can support!
posted by darkstar at 9:19 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

On a barely related note I have a tendency to replace lyrics with as similar sounding words as possible in my head as a sort of creative challenge and then sing it out loud without realising beforehand what words my brain has chosen and anyway that is why the phrase "I piss champagne on the paprika" is forever etched into me and my partners minds and now also in yours.

You're welcome.
posted by Dee Grim at 10:51 AM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

That Japanese chick paying the banjo with two strings missing is damn good, but using an ice scraper instead of a pick is just showing off.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:23 PM on December 8, 2018

That's a shamisen and them's fighting words.
posted by sukeban at 1:34 PM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

(The shamisen has three strings. What has two strings is the morin khuur, the Mongolian horsehead fiddle, which also sounds extremely kick ass in folk metal)
posted by sukeban at 1:42 PM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

The Angel City Chorale, traditional Japanese instruments, and Gaeilge versions all give me frisson, so lovely. The metal one is, well, so metal. 🤘
posted by limeonaire at 2:25 PM on December 8, 2018

Sure as Mt. Fuji rises like an empress above Shizuoka Prefecture.
posted by 4ster at 3:41 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Always a super song. MTV days ... le sigh.

In what may have been my first YTube choral experience ... Angel City *kicks ass*.
posted by Twang at 6:11 PM on December 8, 2018

Thanks to andreaazure, I have fallen down a rabbit hole of Gaelic covers. This version of "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis is A. MAZE. ING.
posted by hanov3r at 12:47 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]