The Night: World Music

I– Afel Bocoum. (46:11 min)
From his early teens, Malian singer and guitarist Afel Bocoum played in the band of his compatriot and mentor Ali Farka Touré. The title Lindé is released on the World Circuit label. The album is tightly and variedly produced, featuring beautiful instrumentation and interesting guest artists. The pleasant mix of local and Western music sounds hopeful and cheerful. The lyrics are written in various dialects from the severely divided Malian territory. Anyone reading the translations will learn that they are primarily socially critical and that Afel Bocoum is deeply concerned. Social cohesion is our social security, is the message he wishes to impress upon those around him.
CD. Lindé – Afel Bocoum.
LABEL: World Circuit (2020) code: WCD095. VIDEO

II– Manou Gallo. (46:19 min)
She was born in Ivory Coast in 1972. From a young age, Manou hit anything that made a sound. One day, she saw a bass guitar for the first time and immediately fell in love with it. Her percussion background is therefore clearly audible in her playing. In 2003, she moved to Belgium to play with Zap Mama. Since then, Manou has grown into one of the major stars of Afro-European music. She flawlessly combines the music of her native region with Western music. Bass legend Bootsy Collins was impressed by her playing and wanted to produce Afro Groove Queen. Under his guidance, Manou Gallo got the most out of her sound, combining funk, jazz, soul, and blues. In addition to Collins, Manu Dibango, Chuck D., Zap Mama, and Dutch percussionist Lucas van Merwijk can also be heard on this album.
CD. Afro groove queen – Manou Gallo.
LABEL: Contre Jour (2018) code: CJ033. VIDEO

III– Jungle by Night. (55:08 min)
A Dutch band from Amsterdam, their music is typically instrumental and consists of a mix of various styles inspired by funk, jazz, dub, and rock, among others. Whether it is rock, soul, jazz, or reggae: the Amsterdammers imitate the music so perfectly that it seems as if the music originated in the Netherlands. In fact, Jungle By Night plays Afrobeat, the Nigerian funk variant invented by Fela Kuti. With their own afro-grooves, these nine young Amsterdammers rocked many a festival, and with the release of their second album Hidden (2012), their schedule is once again quite fully booked. The summer tour took the band to the international festivals Istanbul Jazz and Szigret, among others.
CD. Hidden – Jungle by Night.
LABEL: Kindred Spirits (2012) code: KS 037 CD. VIDEO

IV– Manu Dibango. (61:45 min)
At the age of fifteen, the young Manu Dibango (1933-2020) was sent from Cameroon to France by his parents to pursue a technical education. In the Paris and Brussels of the 1950s, young Manu became acquainted with blues and jazz. He studied classical piano before switching to the saxophone. Upon returning to his native country, he managed to combine his love for jazz with African folk music. In 1972, with the album Soul Mokassa, Dibango personally ensured that interest in African music arose in the Western world. He is regarded as a true superstar on the continent. Manu’s never-ending musical curiosity ensured that even influences from reggae and hip hop found their way into his music.
CD. B sides – Manu Dibango.
LABEL: Melodie (2006) code: 859082. VIDEO

V– Vusi Mahlasela, Norman Zulu, Jive Connection. (73:40 min)
A 2002 collaboration between renowned South African folk singer Vusi Mahlasela, singer-songwriter Norman Zulu, and the Swedish jazz/soul collective Jive Connection. Sweden was one of the most supportive European countries in the fight against apartheid; the government funded the ANC for decades, and Mandela visited the country during one of his first European stops after his release from prison. Sotho folk singer Vusi Mahlasela performed at Mandela’s inauguration and maintains a long-standing relationship with Sweden himself. This “lost” recording, discovered in the archives of producer Torsten Larsson, also features contributions from songwriter/vocalist Norman Zulu and showcases their natural musical chemistry together. Jive Connection provides variety to the soundtrack, with elements of reggae, jazz, and post-punk alongside traditional township arrangements.
CD. Face to face – Vusi Mahlasela, Norman Zulu, Jive Connection.
LABEL: Strut Records (2023) code: STRUT211CD. VIDEO

VI– Tony Allen. (65:11 min)
He was born in Lagos in 1940. He taught himself to play the drums, being heavily inspired by jazz drummers such as Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Kenny Clarke. In 1964, his life changed when he met the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Allen accompanied him for 15 years. Together, they were at the cradle of afrobeat, a combination of Yoruba rhythms and funk with revolutionary lyrics. In early 2017, Tony Allen began preparations for The Source, which he describes as the best album he has ever made. He assembled a team of French jazz musicians around him, the horn section of which is particularly heavily influenced by the sound of New Orleans. This results in a peculiar yet highly effective combination.
CD. The source – Tony Allen, [NG]Mathias Allamane, Jean Phi Dary, Daniel Zimmermann, Indy Dibongue, Yann Jankielewicz, Nicolas Giraud.
LABEL: Blue Note Records (2017) code: 5781091. VIDEO

VII– Dele Sosimi, The Estuary 21. (10:55 min)
The album The Confluence by Afrobeat ambassador Dele Sosimi was recorded and produced with Essex musician Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly; and a specially assembled team of musicians under the name The Estuary 21 – where the name of the nearby river and the year serve as a hint towards future Confluence projects. Recorded during multiple sessions in 2021, these new songs flow from the sounds of Afrobeat, jazz, and worldly pop, radiating feelings of freedom, strength, and collaborative dynamics as a source of comfort for life-changing events.
CD. The confluence – Dele Sosimi, The Estuary 21.
LABEL: Wah Wah 45s (2023) code: WAHCD041. VIDEO

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