Rita Ray
April 2005 - African Twang, Alfred Kari Bannerman, Atongo Zimba
Greetings! 2005 is an explosive year for African music. Let's take a look at some legendary guitarists.
- Great African Live Music
- African Twang
- Alfred Kari Bannerman
- Atongo Zimba
- Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Great African Live Music
There has been so much great live African music already since the new year started - Koffi Olomide, Baba Maal, the list goes on and there's much more to come. Papa Wemba plays at the Barbican this summer, and Abyssinia Infinite are on tour, with Ethiopia's hottest new vocal discovery Ejigayehu Gigi Shababaw.
African Twang
Africa has always had a great guitar tradition, from the Congo's charismatic Franco to Mali's award-winning band, Tinariwen. Their talents tap into a rich musical history of stringed instruments that have provided the harmonic and melodic foundation for African sounds.
Paying homage to these strummers, London's Somerset House hosts African Twang, a series of free gigs in the beautiful fountain courtyard. It features guitarists from all over the continent, taking place early Friday evenings in June.
3rd June: Nuru Kane
10th June: Shyani Ngcobo
17th June: Abdul TJ
24th June: Modeste
If you can't make it to the live performances, hear them online at BBC World Service , Artbeat. I'll be co-presenting the African Music Review with Max Reinhardt and am looking forward to interviewing the guitarists about their lives and what it takes to be a musician these days.
Kicking the Africa Twang series off on the 3rd of June, is Senegal's Nuru Kane who plays the four-stringed zalam, a guitar made of cowhide and wood. Depending on how he plays, the zalam can sound like a double bass - or a rocking electric guitar. A dashing singer-songwriter, Nuru has a strong spiritual make-up and is a member of Senegal's Bayefal religion. I hope some of you caught his electric performance on BBC 4's Festival in the Desert, I met him out there in the Sahara - and what an impression he made!
Then on the 10th June we have Shiyani Ngcobo, probably South Africa's greatest exponent of Maskanda - urban Zulu Blues. Created by migrant workers in the early 20th Century it reflects how they reminisced about their much-missed rural life and used the instruments they discovered in the city to make music. Shyani has been developing his rapid guitar style for over 30 years, and is blessed with a rich deep voice. He arrives in the UK to promote his excellent new album, Introducing Shyani Ngcobo. Have a listen to 'Izangoma' for a taste of earthy Maskanda.
I've long been a fan of the talented UK-based Sierra Leonean musician, Abdul TJ who takes to the stage on the 17th June. And I'm looking forward to another dose of his gloriously funky brand of the Palm Wine music of West Africa. Take a look at Jamie Renton's article on Abdul and listen to some of his music; there are songs from his Palm Wine A GO GO project and his band Rokoto.
UK-based Modeste Hugues, our favourite Madagascan guitarist is the last but definitely not least of the series and he plays on the 24th June. Modeste is having a terrific year and his song 'Agapi Mou' won 1st prize in the World Music category of the International Songwriting Competition. He deserves all the plaudits he gets and lots more and I'm looking forward to hearing the new album he's currently mixing.
Alfred Kari Bannerman
We really do have some terrific African guitarists based here in the UK and I can't go on without a 'big up' for Alfred Kari Bannerman, the gifted Ghanaian Hi Life and jazz guitarist. Kari's impressive track record includes working with outstanding artists like Afro-rock giants Osibisa, Hugh Masekela, Ronnie Laws and Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green. In great demand, he is currently touring his latest project: Seprewa - The Soul of Hi Life.
The Seprewa is a 10-stringed harp-lute played by the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. It is from this soulful instrument that modern Hi Life guitar techniques evolved. I'm not alone in my admiration for Kari; there's an ode to this splendid musician on a song called 'Old Kaiso' from the album Small Talk, by Fimbar Bravo & Kadialy Kouyate. Kari himself plays on the track, which is a delightful calypso with a twist, and it's fun hearing him play while he's being praised to the skies, have a listen.
Atongo Zimba
Also featured on the Small Talk album is the charismatic Atongo Zimba from North Ghana, who is a master of the molo - a two-stringed calabash guitar that he makes himself. What a joyous sounds he produces! We were so impressed when we first saw him play that we invited him to perform with us as part of the Shrine Synchrosystem. Atongo will be playing with us again on the 17th of June at the Spitz in London. If you want to hear him before then he's got a new album out called Savannah Breeze, have a listen to his version of 'Onikpa Shwarp', a groovy slice of funky Hi Life.
I nearly forgot to tell you about our new compilation - The Shrine Presents Indestructible African Beats, on the Manteca label. It's a look at new urban music across the continent and includes 'Electric Likembe' from Konono No1.
Well, that's it from me, thanks for logging on and do feel free to get in touch.
Peace
Rita
Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Shyani Ngcobo - Izangoma
Modeste Hugues - Agapi Mou
Fimber Bravo & Kadialy Kouyate - Old Kaiso
Atongo Zimba - Onikpa Shwarp
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.