Rita Ray
February 2005 - Africa Remix, London African Music Festival
Happy New Year, and here's to a massive year for all things African.
- Radio 3 Awards for World Music
- Africa 05
- Africa Remix
- UK Talent
- New CDs by Amadou & Mariam, Konono No.1 and Ikwunga
- Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Radio 3 Awards for World Music
It's only February and it feels like the New Year is whizzing by. 2005 began in hectic style, believe it or not the winners of the Radio 3 Awards for World Music have already been announced and I have to say that I'm thrilled that the guitar driven desert blues of Tinariwen won the Africa category - do check out their album Amassakoul. Youssou N'Dour takes the Critics Award with his sublime ode to the Senegalese way of Islam. I can hardly wait for the Award Winners concert on the 9th of March at the new Sage Centre in Gateshead.
Africa 05
The rest of the year promises to be an exciting cultural celebration of all things African - Africa 05 where the UK zones in on Africa and explores the great continent's diversity and cultural riches. It's going to be massive, involving just about all the cultural, political and social organisations that have an African interest and even those who don't usually. Here is how big it is, the entire BBC - that's television, radio, and Internet will be devoting large chunks of programming to telling the other side of the African story, from daily life and soaps to high art and pop.
Africa Remix
Kicking off with Africa Remix: Contemporary Culture of a Continent at the South Bank Centre. The Hayward Gallery hosts the largest ever exhibition of contemporary African art featuring the work of more than 60 artists from 25 African countries spanning art, literature, design, dance, and film. To complete the experience a super jukebox compiled by World Routes presenter Lucy Duran and Afrotronics DJ Dudu Sarr provides a kind of soundtrack to the continent - from traditional roots music to the latest popular urban sounds of Africa.
Meanwhile at the Royal Festival Hall Joyful Noise provide the heart beat of Africa Remix with The London African Music Festival, presenting over a period of 2 months, a staggering range of African music, by virtuoso traditional musicians and cutting edge pioneers. Not to be missed especially if you like the blues are guitar legend Boubacar Traore, Kar-Kar's sparse, Malian blues strum and pluck emotions to tingling attention; the spell-binding master of the oud from Khartoum, Abdel Gadir Salim; Teofilo Chantre, the long-standing guitarist and writer for Cesaria Evora will be playing his unique style of Cape Verde blues, Morna.
The big names are all there, including Baaba Maal who's been commissioned by Africa Remix to write music based on his reaction to some of the works he viewed at the exhibition for this special performance of music and visuals. King Sunny Ade, probably Nigeria's most popular musician (apparently 40% of the 200 million population own at least one of his records) is bringing his guitar drenched Juju rhythms for a very welcome gala performance. The festival gives us a rare chance to see South African star Yvonne Chaka Chaka, a huge star who made her name singing Bubblegum, the urban dance music of 1980's South African townships. She shot to fame with 'I'm In Love With a DJ' and has been pumping out the hits ever since.
UK Talent
It is so good to see UK-based artists playing centre stage during this festival. The opening act for Yvonne Chaka Chaka is the charming UK-based Madagascan singer songwriter, Modeste Hughes; one of my favourite guitarists and a purveyor of fine uplifting Malagasy influenced music.
The fiery South African jazz trumpeter Claude Deppa and his band come together explore and celebrate their shared and differing musical heritage with three African divas: from Ghana Pauline Odura; Ayinke Martin from Nigeria; Uganda's Rachel Magoola. This is a project that has each singer writing lyrics to the music from Claude's album Toi Toi and promises to be a night of surprises and great music. By the way Rachel Magoola, once of Afrigo, Uganda's top dance band will be performing in her own right with her own band at a later date.
Abdul Raheem, the gifted Nigerian trombonist, one time member of Osibisa who also played with legends Fela Kuti and Dudu Pukwana, showcases his Hi Life meets Afrobeat album Catwalk (Amaani Music). With the 10-piece band Tayaman giving Abdul's music the kind of work out guaranteed to get those feet dancing, have a listen to from the album for a foretaste of what's to come.
This visionary festival has some spectacular pairings. What a great idea to have Tony Allen - the funkiest drummer - who put the beat into Afro beat, on the same bill as Mercury award winner, and king of the UK Grime scene, Dizzee Rascal. This is Show Time. Just as mouth-watering is the evening with Africa's greatest rapper, the mighty MC Solaar, Senegalese French rapper (check out Hijo de Africa from his latest album Mach 6) and TY, the outstanding Nigerian Brit rapper who was short-listed for 2004's Mercury awards.
There is a load more - go to www.africaremix.org.uk to find out more. Now if you can't make evening events then check out the lunch time sessions held in the main foyer of the Royal Festival Hall where you will be entertained by some of the finest young talents coming out of Africa, including Senegal's kora virtuoso Seckou Keita it has been said of him that he makes the kora sound like a small band and the ever popular singer, musician and writer, Abdelkader Sadoun who brings his sparkling Algerian Rai music to the South Bank
As I mentioned earlier on Africa 2005 is happening all around for instance DJ Afat (fRoots scribe Jamie Renton) presents Chilli Fried, a sizzling mini festival which takes place at Darbuka, 182 St John's Street, London EC1V, the 9th - 10th of February featuring the spiritual Stella Chiweshe's hypnotic mbira vibe. This is Stella's only London date on her UK tour. Then it's the turn of Laye Sow and there is buzz about this singer song-writing guitarist and his unique blend of Senegalese folk and American blues. Have a listen to a track from his new album Djanane.
New CDs by Amadou & Mariam, Konono No.1 and Ikwunga
Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche A Bamako
I must say that this husband and wife duo from Mali were fantastic when I saw them at the Festival in the Desert 2004 and they have followed that up with a wicked album produced by Manu Chao. Dimanche A Bamako is pulsating, sunny and full of great tunes; my current favourite track is 'La Realite'.
Konono No.1 - Congotronics
Totally mad DIY African electronics by a band from the suburbs of Kinshasha who are rooted in traditional trance music played through electric thumb pianos called likembes, hand made microphones and percussions made from old car parts. Check out their track 'Masikulu'.
Ikwunga - 'Di Bombs' from ASAP: The AFROBEAT SUDAN AID PROJECT (iTunes)
Ikwunga is one of the many gifted Afrobeat artists from around the globe who have come together in response to the suffering of the 1.8 million refugees of Darfur. Once the regular opening act at the Afrika Shrine, Ikwunga is a beat poet disciple of Fela Kuti. With the help of Femi Kuti and Dele Sosimi he introduced Afrobeat to his poems. 'Di Bombs' is the Afrobeat poet at his rhythmic, articulate, conscious best.
Keep logging on to the Africa On Your Street site for more news of events during 2005.
Cheers for now,
Rita
Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche A Bamako
Konono No.1 - Congotronics
Ikwunga - Di Bombs
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.