Rita Ray
July 2005 - Africa Live Day, Africa Connection, WOMAD
Welcome! Isn't the Africa season terrific?
Radio 1 DJ Ras Kwame
I am loving the Africa Lives season. I can't get over the abundance of African culture and music on the internet, radio and TV. I mean Holby City in Ghana - I'd never watched the programme but you know I switched on for this special. And what about Ekow Eshun's programme about telly in Africa! But my favourite so far has to be the African Rock 'n' Roll Years on BBC4 - have you seen any of it yet?
It's an expansive six-part series on the history of modern African music, giving us a unique insight into how music relates to everyday life on the continent. It's compulsive viewing, though you might think I'm biased, being the narrator of the series... So tune in and let me know what you think.
But Africa Lives is not just on telly, the BBC radio networks have gone to town with their output. I especially enjoyed Radio 1's Ras Kwame (who is Ghanaian and spent his teen years at school in Accra), broadcasting One Music from Ghana.
He spun us a lovely selection of new African music - I fell in love with Tony Allen's 'Asiko' all over again when Ras played it! If you've never heard the track, have a listen to some of the funkiest 21st Century Afrobeat in existence. His three programmes featured the roots of the popular music of Ghana - Highlife - an intoxicating blend of the Palm Wine music of West Africa and the melodies and rhythms of Ghanaian folk music.
Ras played songs by the architects and innovators of Highlife from the 50s to the 70s, and right up to its present day incarnation - Hip Life, which at its best is like Highlife with a hip hop sensibility. Many of my Highlife heroes were played including Alhadji K Frimpong and Eric Ageyman, whose excellent High Life Safari is still a sure fire dance floor filler. Have a listen to 'I Don't Care' and you'll know why this album is always in my record box.
Reggie Rockstone - the Godfather of Hip Life was heavily featured, as were the best of the new breed of Hip Life artists like Tic Tac, VIP and Obrafour. Ras joined lots of musical dots by looking at the UK/Ghana connection and I really got a kick out of learning that artists like Dizzee Rascal and Sway are of Ghanaian heritage. Listening to Ras' Ghana programmes you get a tasty slice of African classics and hot new music coming out of Africa and Europe (all tinged with that buzzy Accra vibe). I also suggest you have a listen below to Reggie Rockstone's 'Keep Your Eyes on the Road'. It's a funky slice of Hip Life, incorporating a sample of Alhadji K, Frimpong's Highlife track, 'Kyen Kyen Bi Adi Mawu' that supports Reggie's Accra out of NY rap style.
Africa Live Day
Did any of you make it to the British Museum for Africa Live on the 26th of June? It was a fantastic day, a multi-art form celebration of African music and culture, which included A Garden for Africa designed by the Ground Force team. This featured fauna, installations and wonderful sculptures from the continent, created by some of Africa's outstanding new artists.
The event was crammed with activities, there were workshops, acrobats and fire eaters, around an exciting line-up of African musicians. Some of our favourite UK-based musicians performed, like Linus Wengara Magaya, the exciting mbira playing Zimbabwean singer song writer, and the energetic Naija / Brits JJC & 419 Squad. The remarkable day also featured some inspirational artists flown in from Africa.
African Connection
The best thing to come out of the Africa Lives season for me is African Connection, an inspired competition, brought to you by BBC New Talent, Radio 1, 1Xtra and Radio 3. The closing date is 8 August. You know there has to be an Africa on your Street connection and there is: Africa on your Street supremo, Tessa Watt is one of the brains behind this quest that aims to bring African music more into the mainstream.
African Connection is looking for four young UK musicians to work with progressive, internationally renowned African artists. The winning musicians will collaborate with the African artists on a track and then record it with a top producer. The best of these recordings will be played on Radio 1, 1Xtra, and Radio 3. Brilliant, isn't it?
African Connection really is a once in a lifetime opportunity - even if you don't make it as one of the four winners, the last 16 finalists get a day of workshops and master classes with the genius African master drummer - musician and storyteller Nana Tsiboe, who is also a great High Life exponent. Have a listen to 'Odumankumah Boa Mii' which gets me misty-eyed every time I hear it. Nana's vocals are just exquisite, the track is from his classy 'Asem Nii (Trouble Dat)' album.
The African artists collaborating in the competition come from all over the continent. They include Thandiswa, the gifted lead singer in Bongo Maffin, South Africa's premier Kwaito band. She released her solo debut album last year to great acclaim and was nominated in the Africa section of the Awards for World Music.
Also signed up to African Connection is Germany-based Ade from the group Bantu. Ade is a pioneering musical alchemist from Nigeria who serves up sizzling Afrobeat, Fuji and Apala, Naija style over chunks of Afropean infused hip hop with his latest release, Bantu feat. Ayuba - 'Fuji Satisfaction'.
The competition is open to all young UK musicians, whether they play rock or hip hop, are full-fledged bands or solo musicians, cut 'n' paste DJ/producers or traditional roots musicians. The only requirements are that you have talent, flair for improvising and want to explore and work with African Music.
WOMAD 2005
WOMAD this year (29-31 July)? If so you come along to the BBC New Talent tent and join in some quality African vocal, drumming and marimba workshops with Doreen Thobikile, Adesose Wallace and World Muzik Makers from Batanai Marimba. You can find out more about these gifted artists on the Africa on your Street site. And don't miss Radio 3's World on your Street stage, celebrating UK-based musicians from around the globe. Sunday is a special Africa on your Street day, introduced by my fellow host Chino Odimba. The line-up features Carmen Sousa (Cape Verde ), The Heritage Survial band (Zimbabwe), Jali Keba Suso (Gambia), Nana Tsiboe (Ghana) and Atongo Zimba (Ghana). Come and say hi, and don't forget to leave your comments .
Cheers for now,
Rita
Rita Ray's Recommended CDs
Tony Allen - Eager Hands and Restless Feat - The Best of Tony Allen
Eric Agyeman - High Life Safari
Reggie Rockstone - Me Na Me Kae
Bantu feat. Ayuba - Fuji Satisfaction
Nana Tsiboe - Asem Nii! Trouble Dat!
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.