Blues Run the Game

(special shout out to my man John R. aka DJ Gnosis over at Black Century for this posting's title.)

As infrequently as this blog is updated, rest assured it is even more infrequently read. Surprisingly, that didn't stop the good folks at World Circuit Records (of Buena Vista Social Club fame) from stopping by to drop off a copy of their latest release from two musical legends. 'Kala Djula' is an instrumental number from Malian recording artists Ali and Toumani (not to be confused with this duo), better known as Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté. The tune displays the virtuosity of these two incredibly diverse African musicians, with Touré on guitar, and Diabaté on the countrymen's native stringed gourd, the kora. The result is a beautiful balance of dancing melodies, more reminiscent of an 19th-century Italian drawing room than a 21st-century "digital single." The album Ali & Toumani is available on itunes, amazon, etc. and "Kala Djula' is streaming on World Circuit here.
I first heard Ali Farka Touré on 1994's Talking Timbuktu with perennial "world musician" (and guitar legend in his own right) Ry Cooder. Although Touré passed in 2006, he is still recognized by many as one of the greatest guitar players to walk the planet. The link between West African music and the American blues is all but invisible when Touré picked up his instrument. I'll let him explain it in his own words...

Scorpio Sound System

Ten full minutes of Jamaica's Scorpio Sound System in the yard at Hellshire Beach back in 1993.

¡Roomba!

Few places better define the musical diaspora than Cuba. African and Spanish rhythms conspired here to create countless genres, one of the most popular (and exportable) being the rumba. Of course, anybody with a Lowery Odyssey is familiar with the "Rhumba" setting, but the beat's origins are a far cry from ballrooms and big band LPs.
1984's Roots of Rhythm, hosted by none other than Harry Belafonte, highlights the global success of Latin music, but more importantly finds the rumba alive (at least alive 25 years ago) in the streets of Matanzas, Cuba...


Perhaps the streets of Matanzas still breathe these rumba roots, as 2006's La Fuerza del Tambor provides us with this glimpse of Cuban life...


(further reading at, and props to ¡Vamos a Guarachar!)

Fuego means Fire...

Columbia's Bomba Estereo light it up with the lead single off of their latest album, "Blow Up." Thier brand of la cumbia sicodelica presented in video form pretty much sums up the party Polyrhythmiques wishes it could be: A pulsing beat that begs your partner to dance a little closer, vocalist Liliana Saumet with an uber cute haircut spitting tough rhymes, and a dude break dancing with a patio chair. Out now on Nacional Records.

Windy, Rainy Lagos

Tony Allen invented Afrobeat alongside Fela Kuti over 40 years ago.

We'll let that statement stand alone. Today, Tony is still deep in the game, making the music that made him famous and staying relevant (but not corny) with collaborations from all sorts of younger artists. Back in 2001, he worked with French producer Doctor L to create Psycho on Da Bus. I remember buying the disc from Hoodlum's music, where the stoner-owners called it "electronic Miles Davis." Recently, Allen's work received the electronic treatment again, as perennial Polyrhythmiques favorite Honest Jon's Records presented Lagos Shake. It was through this project that Tony encountered Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, a nine piece that plays syrupy jazz with a head nod towards the head nodders.
Tony, Hypnotic, great LDN emcee Ty, and the legendary Baaba Maal all got together for a party thrown by Red Bull's Music Academy (your guess is as good as mine). Stream that here, or check out Elewon Po, a single from Tony's upcoming album Secret Agent, over on his myspace.

Skylarking

Horace Andy has been blessing the mic for over 40 years. He's done it all, from cutting singles (and his teeth) at the legendary Studio One, to collaborating with that other band from Bristol. These days, he's teamed up with UK producer Ashley Beedle for a little Inspiration Information. Ashley hasn't had a quiet career himself, he gave us several soul-inspired disco house classics in the 90s, and went on to remix Amadou and Mariam's "Coulibaby" before most of us knew who they were.
Now I might leave their version of "Angie" over there on that side of the pond, but bringing in yet another Bristol artist, DJ Pinch, for a dubsteppy remix of "Watch We" is a definite right-on.

(download it vowels and all at RCRD LBL)

Revival

David Murray here calling Jesus through the tenor sax. Y'all know I got a soft spot for some Chuuuch. Revival in a green field, a first breeze blowing through the tent flaps, taking the spirit out to the passing clouds. Whatever makes this music makes this music.