On any post, if the link is no longer good, leave a comment if you want the music re-uploaded. As long as I still have the file, or the record, cd, or cassette to re-rip, I will gladly accommodate in a timely manner all such requests.

Slinging tuneage like some fried or otherwise soused short-order cook

31 May 2013

Congo-Kinshasa







Pascal Lokua Kanza was born April, 1958 in Bukavu in the province of Sud-Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the oldest of eight children. In 1964, the family went to live in Kinshasa in a middle class area. After his father died while captaining a ship at sea, his mother then moved to a much poorer area of the city. Pascal had to feed the family & help provide for them by taking part-time jobs while he was still in school. Setting aside a few hours each day to teach himself guitar, he soon began playing with friends in local bands.

As he got older, his approach to music grew more serious. After studying at the Kinshasa Music Conservatory & performing with Abeti in D.R.of C., Kanza moved to the Ivory Coast for a fresh start. For three years, he played guitar & handled vocal duties for a handful of African bar bands.


After being accepted to Paris' prestigious CIM, Pascal moved there to study jazz & was given the opportunity to perform with many of his role models. Working with Franky Vincent, La Mafia, Ray Lema, & Papa Wemba, he continued to carve out his own style. In 1991, he joined the Soul Makossa Gang after adopting his middle name as his performance moniker.

1992 saw Lokua debut his own material, first in a performance with Angélique Kidjo & later on his first self-titled solo offering. This caught the ear of Youssou N'Dour, who invited Lokua to sing on Womat. In 1994, he reunited with Papa Wemba at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios to lend his talents on Emotion. In December 1994 he was awarded Best African Album for his solo debut. In 1995 Kanza released his second effort, Wapi Yo.

Lokua Kanza sings in French, Swahili, Lingala, Portuguese, & English.

 Lokua Kanza – Wapi Yo, We Yo Music, 1995. 
decryption code in comments

Tracklist –

Mungu
Yoka
Shadow Dancer
Wapi Yo
Ping Pongo
Sallé
Just to Say I Love You
Liteya
C’est Ma Terre
Anata O
Molili
Kumba Ngaï
Réunion
Life 
bonus track –
Oh, Shadow Dancer (Version Francaise)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


Sam Mangwana was born July 18th, 1945 in Kinshasa, Congo. A protégé of Tabu Ley (aka Rochereau) & Franco, vocalist/composer Mangwana is one of Zaïre’s least conventional stars. He is known as Le Pigeon Voyageur, the traveling pigeon. He is a musician who constantly travels, side-stepping the usual stereotypes. He has no regular band, he doesn’t own fancy cars or palatial homes or designer clothes. He places no value on any of that. When in Zaïre he couch surfs with his friends.    





He started his career with a five-year stint with Rochereau’s Africa Fiesta, before leaving for L’Orchestre Maquisards. In 1969, after several hits, including ‘Zelangaina Sala’, the band folded. Mangwana formed Vox Afrique with Dalienst. He then went solo while also working as musical director & arranger for Rochereau, even standing in for him during his absences abroad & recording the harmony parts for him in the studio.


His career has provoked controversy & violence. In 1972, he changed camps & moved to Franco’s OK Jazz. The switch caused unprecedented uproar. Rochereau & Franco were considered to be polar opposites. They each had their own individual styles & their own fans in opposing camps. The change was viewed by many as musical treason. Mangwana received threatening letters, & was forced to hide in a hotel guarded by gendarmes. Finally the furor proved too much for him. In 1976, he moved to Cote D’lvoire. There he formed a band called Amida, with the intention of modernizing Zaïrean music.

When Amida fell apart, Mangwana formed the African All Stars, with guitarist Syran Mbenza & a large fluctuating membership that included, at various times: Nyboma; Lokassa Ya Mbongo; Syran Mbenza; & Bopol (some of whom would later form Les Quatre Étoiles). This band created a hugely influential new style. Rather than stick to the old Zaïrean rumba, African All Stars blended it with highlife, Afrobeat, & above all, biguine, to create a formidable Afro-Antilles crossover.

In Zaïre, when "Georgette Eckins" grabbed the country by the ear, Mangwana & his band were heralded as major stars & creative stylists. After this came a string of hits, each mixing Zaïrean guitars with a solid beat & a singing style from the sweetest of tenors to the most swaggering of middle registers that was to become Mangwana’s hallmark.

In 1979, Mangwana recorded the album Maria Tebbo which mixed the tenderness of the title track with the political exultation of "Chimurenga Zimbabwe", a song in celebration of Zimbabwe’s new-found independence. In 1982, Mangwana traveled to southern Africa to throw himself further into the great political struggles of the region. That same year he released Co-Operation with Franco, & joined him onstage at a concert in Kinshasa. Politically, Mangwana has shown himself as a strong champion of African liberation, through albums such as 1983’s Canta Moçambique (Vamos Para o Campo), which he recorded as a tribute & an encouragement to the revolution that had ousted the Portuguese in favor of a new, independent Mozambique.


I am including both the two song Abidjan-recorded rumba set Consommez Local, & the two song Canta Moçambique (Vamos Para o Campo) recorded at Radio Mozambique Maputo. All four songs appeared on a 1989 re-release called simply Canta Moçambique. I have posted the two separately because of their differing styles that don’t really seem to go together, other than both being Sam. The first two songs are fine rumbas built for dancing, while the second two are the pointedly political homages to the anti-colonial struggle in Moçambique, sung in Portuguese with a completely different musical character.

 Sam Mangwana – Consommez local EP, Badmos International Records, 1982.
decryption code in comments


Side A –
Liwa Ya Nickesse

Side B –
Faute Ya Commercant


decryption code in comments

Side A –
Vamos Para o campo

Side B –
Moçambique Oyé

Enjoy,
 

29 May 2013

Congo-Brazzaville




Although the Congolese rumba style became most popular in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), Zaïre (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), it actually began across the river in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. A sonic chain linking the two closest capitals in the world began on the 15 of August 1959, one year exactly before independence was granted to the Republic of Congo. Les Bantous de la Capitale played their first concert in Brazzaville. At that time, quite a lot of local music fans were surprised to discover that the famous musicians who had founded this ensemble actually ranked among their fellow countrymen.


At that time, Jean-Serge Essous, Dieudonné ‘Nino’ Malapet, Saturnin Pandy, Edouard ‘Edo’ Ganga, Célestin ‘Célio’ Kouka, & Daniel “De la Lune” Loubelo were the forerunners of a musical movement which was to turn the culture of Central Africa upside down, which would spread to the four corners of Africa & beyond. Suave voices, elegant guitars, sensual melodies, a discreet beat…this was the style which became a musical expression of the Pan African ideal borne of the struggle against colonialism.


Kinshasa has often been the focus of much musical interest, often at the expense of Brazzaville. This release should highlight the unique & irreplaceable role of the Le Bantous de la Capitale in pushing rumba onto the world stage.

decryption code in comments

Tracklist –

Tokumisa Congo
Mobali Liboso
Camarade Mabe
Bantous de la Capitale
Celia
Nanite
Gigi
Maria Linda
Mayite
Mon Coue rest Occupe
Pitie
C’est la Vie
Libala Ekeseni
Samy Ozwi Ya Sika
Alphonsine
Mbanda, Tu Perds Ton Temps

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%




Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Ballou Canta, & Shimita El Diego formed the Soukous Stars with master guitarist Dally Kimoko in 1989 as an outgrowth of their experiences playing together in Les Quatre Etoiles in the 80s. The band performs Congolese grooves & dance crazes as well as a healthy dose of rumba Congolaise, featuring originals by Lokassa Ya Mbongo & Ngouma Lokito.





Soukous Stars moved on to Paris & then more recently the US. They have had many personnel changes & they play a slick style of Paris soukous these days, but are hugely popular. This is from 1989, the year they formed. Primal & fantastic.

 Ballou Canta et Soukous Stars – Sadia, Saxone Music S 1829, 1989.

Face A -

Bolingo Sonia
Amour Madinina
Kumbe Kumbe

Face B -
Sadia
Si Tu Me Vois

Enjoy,

 







28 May 2013

São Tomé & Príncipe




The Republic of São Tomé & Príncipe consists of two small equatorial islands in the Gulf of Guinea about 270 kilometers off the coast of Gabon in West Africa. Like Cape Verde, these two islands were uninhabited when the Portuguese discovered them in 1471. The islands were soon occupied by a mixture of Portuguese adventurers & West African slaves brought to work the plantations.

The language that evolved with the blending of Portuguese & African dialects is Creole, similar to Haiti & New Orleans except that is a Spanish/African blend. There are three distinct dialects of Portuguese/Afro Creole spoken on São Tomé & Príncipe: Angolar; Santomé; & Lunguia, which, together with the official language of Portuguese, are the common tongues.

The music scene on São Tomé & Príncipe is still in its infancy compared to other regions of Africa I have previously covered. There was no native populace, so there was no traditional music of the islands. The Portuguese had their musical tradition, but because of the separation of the cultures of slave-owners & slaves, there was not a lot of cultural sharing. The West Africans brought as slaves were from all over West Africa & so therefore there was a diluting of their traditional music. Since its independence in 1975, São Tomé & Príncipe have been financially strapped, dependent on cocoa exports & tourism. Therefore there is no real music industry.


The popular music of São Tomé had not been broadcast in many other places outside the islands. Local bands rely on cassettes, usually in limited runs, only enough for the small market they will reach. There are several types of dances in the traditional culture of São Tomé. The lundum is prevalent in their singing & dancing. It is similar to the rumba. Also like Cape Verde, because they are situated in the Atlantic, there is a heavy influence of styles from their nearest neighbors to the west, the Caribbean Islands.

First I will post up a compilation of various São Toméan artists: Os Úntués; Conjunto Mindelo; Pêpê Lima; Xinha; & Kalú Mendes. Prior to São Toméan independence from Portugal, the godfathers of São Toméan popular music was the band Leoninos, which was founded in 1959 by Quintero Aguiar. The group was well known as spokesmen for the people of São Tomé & Príncipe. Leoninos was banned by the Portuguese radio station after they released "Ngandu", which criticized the Portuguese colonialists. I was not able to lay my hands on any of their material. Leoninos broke up in 1965, but were followed by Os Úntués, led by Leonel Aguiar. Os Úntués added American, Argentinian, Congolese, & Cuban musical influences. They also introduced the electric guitar & other innovations. Pêpê Lima, Kalu Mendes, & Xinha are all prolific musicians still making music today. Pêpê Lima & Xinha headlined shows at last falls 15th Annual Lusophonia Festival. Kalú Mendes just completed a video Lado a Lado- Hino da Campanha de Educação Cívica (Side by Side - Hymn of the Civic Education Campaign). It was inspired by the style of the song “We Are the World“. Renowned musicians from São Tomé & Príncipe unite singing a theme by Kalú Mendes, titled “All Side by Side for the Future of Our Country”. The music covers all Creole languages from the islands to re-enforce the concept of unity in São Toméan society, regardless of ethnic background.




decryption code in comments

Tracklist –
Os Úntués – Placela
Os Úntués - Come de coco bebe de daua
Conjunto Mindelo – V. Centenário de São Tomé
Pêpê Lima - Qua Fulana
Pêpê Lima - Mary Luizi
Xinha - Tudu cua cu deçu fé
Xinha - Fia n'guion
Xinha – Lamboco
Kalú Mendes - Cacharamba só
Kalú Mendes - Ladron

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%




Agrupamento Sangazuza was an early 90s Soukous from the islands of São Tomé & Príncipe. They sang their songs in Santomé Creole.

Sangazuza are: Alvaro Lima, Dany Aguiar, & Dedinho – vocals; Humberto Santos – lead guitar; Josè Coelho – rhythm guitar; João Teixeira – keyboards; Marco Teixera – bass; & Mario Domingos – drums, with Fernandinho – tumba & Virgilo- wooden stick.


 
Sangazuza – Soukous 92 cassette, 1992.
decryption code in comments

Side A –

Luneta
Alice
Kenguê cela madela
Dona mu flá
Zumba Cue
Alva subli
Coneta

Side B –
Moçu sá n´gola
Aflicon
Fuba
Migo d`home
Caso sá danado
Lulia chigaza
Amadeu

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%



In the early 1970s a butcher from the town of São Tomé (the capital city) named Horacio & his friend Emilio Pontes decided to start a music group. Whenever Horacio could get away from his butcher shop, he would meet Emilio in the town of San Guembo located 3 km from downtown São Tome. The two would kill a few hours playing guitars & writing songs. The two friends quickly pulled together the first lineup of musicians who, in 1974, would officially become known as the Conjunto África Negra. The group’s greatest hits were built around the melodic & languid lead guitar playing of Imidio Vaz, the steady rhythm guitar of Leonildo Barros, & the raspy voice of João Seria. 

By the 1980s they had perfected their version of São Tomé Rumba, what their fans call ‘MamaDjumba’ music. África Negra’s MamaDjumba sound was immortalized in a series of 40 or 50 songs, that the group recorded at Radio São Tomé in the early 1980s. The broadcast & recording studios of Radio São Tomé were located at the eastern edge of the capital city of São Tomé in a small house overlooking the ocean. The broadcast & recording booths were too small to accommodate a large group of musicians, so África Negra would set up in the courtyard, facing the incoming waves, & lay down tracks surrounded by their most loyal fans. 


The golden years of África Negra came to an end when the group toured the Cape Verde Islands in 1990. The tour was so successful that it tore apart the Conjunto África Negra. When it came time to return to São Tomé the lead singer João Seria along with the bass player Pacheco decided to stay in Praia. Without their front man, África Negra started to slowly drift out of the limelight.
Today, the group is still together. The only original band member still in the group is the lead guitar player Imidio Vaz.

decryptrion code in comments


1. Bodja Matomadalena-meu-amor_
2. Madalena Meu Amor
3. Ia Bo La Guelo Muala
4. Muala Di Be Cuami Gabon
5. Manu
6. Gina Me Mu Mole Un Mece Punta Txi
7. Viantelo Ve
8. Inem Mina Santo Malo
9. Mece Di Olga


 África Negra 83 –Carambola, Intercontinental Fonográfica IeFe 043, 1983. 
decryption code in comments

Side A –
Carambola
Epô Sá Cata Pabô Manda Mum
Náo Náo Senhor

Side B –
Um Coveta Quá Culenta Tela
Mino Bô Bé Quacueda
Defunto

Enjoy,
NØ 



26 May 2013

Gabon




Almost all Gabonese people are of Bantu origin. That being said, Gabon does however have at least forty ethnic groups with diverse languages & cultures. The Fang are generally thought to be the largest, although recent census data seem to favor the Nzebi. Others include the Masango, Myene, Shira, Pounou, & Kande. There are also various Pygmy peoples: the Bongo, Kota, & Bayaka (who I touched on in Central African Republic). The Bayaka speak the only non-Bantu language in Gabon.  


Here is another of the Ocora releases of field recordings of various ethnic groups.

Various - Musiques Du Gabon, Ocora OCR 41, 1968.
decryption code in comments

Side A –
Arc-En-bouche Masango
Chant funèbre Masango
Ensemble Fang avec Xylophone
Orchestre de Xylophones Fang
Chant épique avec "mvet" Fang

Side B –
Chant de marche Obamba
Danse sur échasses Ndjabi
Récit chanté Pounou
Musique d'Initiation Kota
Chant avec Harpe Pygmée
Chœur de Femmes avec Tambour Pygmée

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%




Hilarion ‘Mister Dynamite’ Nguema was born on December 31, 1943 in Nkoltant in the province from L’Estuaire, Gabon. When he was just an infant, his mother gave him up to missionaries to give him a good education. His education was closely followed by the Reverend Louis Le Dis. The church school had an excellent choir, led by Jean Marie Effene. Hilarion soon became the choir’s star.

In 1958, at fifteen, Hilarion quit high school for the bars & clubs of Libreville where he made his debut as a guitarist. In 1960 he joined l’Orchestre Jeunesse Band led by John Paul Adiwa. With the ‘Youth Band’ he honed his chops. Two years later he founded his own group, The African Succes(s). They became hugely popular. But his rapid rise brought with it unwanted government scrutiny & Nguema was throw in jail without real explanation other than comments by the Government about ‘protest songs’ though many in the private sector said ‘jealous politicians’. He languished in prison for several years. He was held first in Tchibanga, then Makokou, finally Bakoumba. It is with this last experience that inspired ​​the song “Atmosphere at Bakoumba”.


He was released in 1967 by President Omar Bongo when he came to power. After his release in 1967, Hilarion Nguema recorded many songs in the soukous & makossa stylings: "Hope"; "Libreville"; "When a Woman gets Angry"; "When a Man is Happy"; all were big hits. Then in 1972, while playing at the Cathis bar, he & his band were attacked. Four of the group, including Hilarion, were wounded with knives. The group fled Gabon for Cameroon. Nguema stayed in Cameroon until 1976.



Returning to his native country, ‘Mister Dynamite’ reformed African Succes(s), bought the  nightclub La Noya, & revived his career as musical star & now famed club owner. In 1977, a fire broke out in the dancing bar, La Noya, destroying the bar & Hilarion’s house, including all the bands instruments. The fire was determined to have been the result of arson. Disheartened, Hilarion quits music & starts a small food delivery service, becoming driver, courier, & seller.


By 1981, Hilarion Nguema can’t resist the call of the muse & rekindles his music career, recording two albums with Orchestre de la Gendarmerie Nationale Gabonaise. But his real relaunch takes place four years later when he crosses paths with producer Moussa Haissam who runs Editions Haissam-Records in conjunction with Sonodisc. Departing from his old soukous & makossa beats, Hilarion Nguema’s new sound is Afro-zouk crossed with Congolese rumba. He is one of the early practitioners of the Afro-zouk style (African rhythms blended with the fast tempo carnival style of zouk originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique) which is extremely popular today.

 Hilarion Nguema - Crise Économique, Editions Haïssam-Records MH 107 Sonodisc SD 16, 1987. 
decryption code in comments

Face A –

L'Amour Est Avenugle
Edzing Ya Nem
Bong-Be Yafrica

Face B –
Crise Économique
Il Faut Connaitre
Espoir

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%



Oliver ‘Noli’ N'Goma was born in Mayumba in south-west Gabon in 1959. In 1971, he entered the Orchestre Capo-Sound, together with singer François N'Gwa. During this period he started playing guitar & composing his first songs. After a brief period where he was part of a group called Kounabeli, he was recruited by the Gabon National Television as cameraman. Although he had a full-time job, he didn't abandon music. He met producer Ray Lema in Paris while there on assignment. He eventually recorded his first album, Bané.


One of his biggest hits, the song "Bane" continues to receive huge airplay on African radio stations more than 20 years after its release. It is still popular on the world-wide dance floors, though most who enjoy it don’t know it is by a Gabonese musician. The album became one of the biggest sellers in the history of African music.


Oliver is probably the best known Gabonese singer, hailed as the ‘King of  Afro-Zouk”. His Afro-zouk hits have been (& still are) extremely popular in large parts of Africa. After Bané  he made a second album Adia, also produced by Ray Lema, with the same easy-going Afro-zouk style for which he had become famous. His third album Seva, which I am posting here, offers a different perspective with more variation in styles. Here, he works in new rhythms that range from his mellow brand of Congolese soukous to salsa, indigenous dance rhythms of Gabon, as well as his trademark Afro-zouk.

Oliver N’Goma died from renal failure, an ailment he had battled for the last two years of his life, on 7 June 2010 at Omar Bongo Hospital in Libreville, Gabon. In his home country, he is regarded as “a monument of Gabonese music”.

 Oliver N’Goma – Seva, Lusafrica 36246-2, 2001.
decryption code in comments

Tracklist –
Sal’
Seva
Secret d’Amour
Bijou
Shado
Elie
Mayes
Sandzy
Melia
Witse
Ultime Appel
Barry

Zouk to youk,


 



 


25 May 2013

Equatorial Guinea







A small country about the size of the state of Massachusetts on the west coast of central Africa, Equatorial Guinea comprises the mainland territory of Río Muni (where most of the population live) & five volcanic islands. The largest island is Bioko, on which the country's capital, Malabo, is located. After independence from Spain in 1968, Equatorial Guinea fell under the rule of Francisco Macías Nguema, who plunged the nation into ruin. He was overthrown & executed in 1979 by his nephew Obiang Nguema. President Nguema continues the family dictatorship. There is widespread civil unrest over flawed elections. New oil wealth masks stagnation in the rest of the economy & the widespread endemic poverty.


The largest ethnic group are the Fang, though there are also numerous Bubi & smaller populations of Bisio, Bujeba, Ndowe, Combe, & Annobónese people. The Fang are known for their mvet, a cross between a zither & a harp. The mvet can have up to fifteen strings. The semi-spherical part of this instrument is made of bamboo & the strings are attached to the center by fibers. Music for the mvet is written in a form of musical notation that can only be learned by initiates of the Bebom-Mvet Society. The mvet plays a role in traditional Fang society very similar to that of the kora among the Mandinka peoples of West Africa, as an accompaniment to epic ballads, the performance of which many times lasts all night. Music is typically call & response with a chorus & drums alternating. Musicians like Eyi Muan Ndong helped to popularize folk styles.

Here is Ekien Ndong Ela, one of the epics of the late Mvet master Eyi Muan Ndong. 
decryption code in comments

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is little popular music coming out of Equatorial Guinea. Commercial recording remains scarce. The bands that I would like to post up are mostly available elsewhere.

Hijas del Sol (Daughters of the Sun) are aunt Piruchi Apo Botupá & niece Paloma Loribó from the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. They sing in Spanish & their native tongue, Bubi. It is a blend of traditional, Afrobeat, & Afropop. They have eight or more albums to date. Kchaba is a great place to begin. This release is dedicated to the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti. 

Here is “Sibolló” from that album.
decryption code in comments






 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Concha Buika was born 1972 in Palma de Mallorca. Her family is originally from Equatorial Guinea. Her father was a political exile from Equatorial Guinea, from one of the most repressive regimes in Africa. The fusion of flamenco with jazz, soul, & dance rhythms in Buika's music mirrors the story of her own life. She grew up in Mallorca, where the population includes American millionaires as well as many German & English tourists. She was the only person of African descent in her neighborhood & her school.




"I was always the only black in the movie theater, the only black in class, the only black in the library, the only black in the discotheque," she says. "I always felt observed and judged."

She was raised among poor Spanish Romani people (Gitanos or gypsies) in the barrio where her family lived. They introduced her to the traditional 'cante' flamenco music that became part of her style. Her family sang African tunes at home & her mother had an entire wall filled with jazz records. Her album Niña de Fuego was nominated for the 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year. 

 
Here’s No Habra Nadie en el Mundo from that album.
decryption code in comments

 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


Anastasio Bickie was born into a musical family in Bata, on the mainland Rio Muni district of Equatorial Guinea in West Africa. Bickie immersed himself in music from an early age. His father played guitar & often his home would be filled with people singing, dancing, & playing drums. There was a popular musician, Ecuaga Miko who along with his wife, would travel from village to village singing & dancing to traditional Fang rhythms & melodies. The town’s people would supply the drummers & be the backup choir for Miko & his wife to perform. Bickie was influenced greatly in his early years through these musical experiences. This environment contributed to his decision to make a career in music.

While growing up there was not a lot of local recorded music available. The radio stations mostly broadcast popular music of neighboring countries like Cameroon, Gabon, & Nigeria, soukous of Zaire, music from Spain, South America, & Cuba, or European & North American pop music. These musical styles along with the traditional 'elon' rhythms & other indigenous musical styles of Equatorial Guinea combined to create the unique sound of Bickie’s music.


Here Annax Bickie & Zalang are: Anastasio Bickie – vocals & guitar, Simon Akirov – lead guitar; Howard Goldbach – keyboards; Steve Perzow – bass; Daniel Shlagbaum – percussion; & Maurizio Valente – drums.

decryption code in comments

 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

With the political & economic conditions after independence from Spain in 1968, many musicians, like Hijas del Sol or Concha Buika’s family moved to Spain or like Anastacio Bickie, to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The commercial popular music scene, as I said earlier, didn’t amount to much.

Here is a look at the music of Equatorial Guinea today. This is a compilation of young artists from Equatorial Guinea. Some live there & some are as far flung as Spain (Lion Sitte) or Texas (Narkelly Pana) or China (D.3.F.). This is hip-hop, reggae, & other urban styles from Equatoguinean artists scattered around the world.

Most of the songs featured on Pequeño corazón de África (Small Heart of Africa) have lyrics about Guinea & Guinean identity, which is very important to the new younger musicians. 

We come from Guinea to a country that isn’t ours,” says Lion Sitté, “Liberation, immigration, or things that have happened in Guinea – those themes come out naturally.

decryption code in comments 

Tracklist –

CNC ft Emily y Lui G - Un largo viaje
Negro Bey – Gaou
Narkelly Pana - G.E. Ghetto
West Barna – Guineanismo
Kultama ft Primizia y Maika Sitté - Destrucción del mundo
Black Bee - Ecua Nation
Barby - Super Nzalang
Reactable Global Sound - Dorado Life About
Jordana Mba - Olé Olé África
Dnoe - Amor infinito
Maelé - Dónde vas Guinea
Baron Ya Búk-lu – Panafricano
Duddi Wallace ft. Phone - Una vida
Diff Days – Terapia
D.3.F. - No voy a llorar
Lion Sitté – Despiértame
Tanci - Sin ti
Piruchi Apo - As de corazones
Betty Akna - Mira tu vida

Enjoy,