Rita Ray
November 2006 - Heatwave tour, Netsayi, Ba Cissoko, BBC Awards for World Music
Greetings and welcome to Africa On Your Street. As well as a competition with a very cool prize, you will find out about:
The Heatwave tour
Well, here we are smack bang in the middle of autumn and it's still warm out there and musically this season promises to be a scorcher. Some of the hottest dates coming up are part of the latest edition of Heatwave which this time features two fantastic young guitar talents from two African islands: Tcheka from Cape Verde and UK-based Madagascan Modeste .
Tcheka , real name Manuel Lopes Andrade, is spearheading the new generation of Cape Verde artists making an impact in world music. He comes from the home of the great Cesaria Evora who is known for the bluesy evocative morna style of the island. Tcheka takes another path with his superb playing style, which transposes beats usually played on percussion on to the guitar. His latest release Nu Monda explores the more indigenous rhythms of Cape Verde including Batuque, a popular rhythm usually played by the women of the island after work. Check out the song 'Djan Kre Bejabu' is a sun-tinged musical evocation of his home of Santiago, Cape Verde
One of my favourite artists, self-taught guitar hero Modeste Hugues completes the Heatwave line-up. He has a unique uplifting style and somehow manages to play rhythm and lead guitar all at the same time! Modeste's sound is rooted in the traditional music of the Betroka region of his native Madagascar which provides a cushion for his lovely smoky voice. Have a listen to 'Fomba' from his gorgeous second release Fomba / Living Our Destiny .
Look out for the Heatwave touring the country from November:
Friday, 17th November - Ystradgynlais, The Welfare/ Y Neuadd Les (www.www.thewelfare.co.uk 01639 843 163)
Saturday, 18th November – London, Purcell Room (part of the London Jazz Festival and the Atlantic Waves Festival) (www.rfh.org.uk 0870 264 9988)
Sunday, 19th November – Brighton, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome (www.brightondome.org 01273 709 709)
Tuesday, 21st November – Derby, Assembly Rooms (www.assemblyrooms-derby.co.uk 01332 255 800)
Wednesday, 22nd November – Canterbury, Gulbenkian (www.gulbenkiantheatre.co.uk 01227 769 075)
Thursday, 23rd November – Southampton, Turner Sims Concert Hall (www.turnersims.co.uk 023 8059 5151)
Friday, 24th November – Southport, Southport Arts Centre (www.seftonarts.co.uk 01704 540 011 / 0151 934 2141)
Sunday, 26th November – Gateshead, The Sage Gateshead (www.thesagegateshead.org 0191 443 4661)
Check out www.heatwave.org.uk for more information
Ba Cissoko and Netsayi
The London Jazz Festival also kicks off in November and my pick of this year's crop of artists is the singer
Netsayi
with her exciting blend of jazz, African soul with a touch of folk. On Sunday, 19th November 2006, 9pm, she will be headlining with her full band at Pizza on The Park . Admission is £15 (+ booking fee) and you can find full info on the London Jazz Festival site . For those that don't mind travelling a little bit further: Netsayi will be at
Sauti za Busara (Sounds of Wisdom) Festival
, Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Saturday, 11th February 2007. Find out more about this event on the Busara Music site. 
Netsayi's debut album Chimurenga Soul
Netsayi's debut album Chimurenga Soul has been getting rave reviews and even plays on Radio 1. Have a listen to the track 'Kwazwai'. There is a buzz about this UK-born Zimbabwean-bred artist and she is on a mission - addressing issues of black identity and all the baggage that goes with it. 'Chimurenga' is Shona and means 'liberation struggle'. Netsayi says:
'Aside from my songs being about all the pressures people are faced with in life, it’s also a chance for me to explore the stereotypes about music, genre and people’s concepts of culture. We are all influenced by things beyond our immediate context. There are no neat boxes.'
Ba Cissoko are one band you have got to see, and if you can't, then get your mitts on their new album Electric Griot Land . This is a powerhouse foursome from Guinea made up of two gifted kora players, the virtuoso griot Ba Cissoko who plays in the delicate traditional style, his young cousin the scintillating Sekou Kouyate (remember him from the African Connection project?) who has electrified and customised his instrument – the Jimi Hendrix of the Kora. The other two members are bass and bolon player Kourou Kouyate and percussionist Ibrahim Bah . These are urban griots that have created an original sound that's grounded in tradition yet outward looking and very much of the 21st century sonically and lyrically. Electric Griot Land features some top special guests including Tiken Jah Fakoly . Check out the track 'Griot Ba' from the new album.
You can catch Ba Cissoko in concert with K’naan and Amadou & Mariam CISSOKO and special guest DJ, BBC Radio 1's Rob Da Bank , at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH, on Monday, 11th December 2006 (doors 7pm). Tickets for the show cost £17.50 in advance and are available from the venue (0870 389 1846/ www.roundhouse.org.uk ) and Ticket Web (0870 060 0800/ www.ticketweb.co.uk ).
BBC Awards for World Music
The nominees for the BBC Awards for World Music have just been announced. The Africa category includes some real heavy-weights including a posthumous nomination for legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré as well as a deserved nomination for Ali's country man and collaborator kora king Toumani Diabaté , check my March 2006 column . Mahmoud Ahmed , the soul man from Addis who's been at the forefront of Ethiopian music for 30 years and Bongo Maffin from South Africa, one of my recommended CDs in my last column . Go have a listen to the award-winning South African's track Kura Uone (Grow Up & You Will See) from the latest release New Construction that's full of social commentary set to great tunes and kwaito and hip-hop beats. What's really pleasing is that the four nominees in the newcomer category are all African: K'naan (Somalia), Nuru Kane (Senegal), Sara Tavares (Portugal via Cape Verde) and Etran Finatawa (Niger).
If you haven't had the chance to see these artists you will have read about them on this site and there will be profiles on the Awards for World Music page . I’ve been wowed by some great performances from most of the nominees including the don of the kora, Toumani Diabaté, Nuru Kane and the brilliant K’naan , the Dusty Foot Philosopher. New to me is Sara Tavares who is spearheading a talented generation of Africans in Lisbon– I have just got her new album Balance and it's got me looking forward to seeing her perform at the Purcell Rooms in London on the 17th of November, so more later. Look out for Etran Finatawa who are totally awesome. This band from Niger represent a coming together of Tuareg and Wodaabe nomad musicians mixing the rich heritage of North African and sub–Saharan traditions in an irresistible blend of traditional instruments, electric guitars and mesmerising polyphonic arrangements.
COMPETITION : Three lucky people will win a copy of the brand new indispensable Rough Guide To World Music Vol.1 Africa And The Middle East compilation . All you have to do is answer this simple question:
Email us your answer and address. (PLEASE NOTE THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.)
That's it from me. Enjoy the great music out there.
Rita
Rita Ray's recommended CDs
Etran Finatawa – Introducing Etran Finatawa
Tchecka – Nu Monda
Modeste – Fomba / Living Our Destiny
Netsayi – Chimurenga Soul
Ba Cissoko – Electric Griot Land
Sara Tavares – Balancê
Check out my recommended CDs this month in the CD Reviews section or go to Music Search to look at our archive of recommended CDs.