Category Archives: Mixes

NGOMA MIX 8 – Saudade

Posted on by
2

Historically the Afro-Caribbean connection has produced so much amazing music about romantic love. Particularly, Angola and Cape Verde has developed specific strands of musical expression which focus on a special feeling: that of loss and longing, of desire and nostalgia, of love mixed with sadness. (an example most are familiar with would be the Cape Verdean Morna artist Cesaria Evora) I believe that the best love songs in the world are actually about the lack of love, and this mix focuses on music both sexy and deeply emotional.

DOWNLOAD SINGLE TRACK: MEDIAFIRE

Since Zouk arrived (back) in Africa from the Guadeloupe and Martinique islands, where rhythms and melodies of the African “expats” mixed with Rumba, Calypso, Gwo Ka, Compas, Reggae, and even Salsa (and where they must have looked across the ocean with infinite longing for home), it has since been influenced by another deeply emotional music: Portugese Fado. Long story short, during the last few decades Zouk, Kizomba, and related styles have become IMMENSELY popular and ubiquitous in many parts of Africa.

But, sadly, we all know what this kind of huge commercial success does to a genre: it becomes cheap and watered down, and quantity replaces quality. Thus 99% of the modern Zouk and Kizomba we encounter today is tacky and paltry rubbish of incredibly bad taste, garishly saccharine instead of deeply moving like the Zouk of bygone years. Yet in this sordid state of affairs there are artists who are producing music which retain more than a touch of the golden years, making songs that are soul stirring as they are irresistible on the modern dance floor. So if one digs deeper, there IS such a thing as good contemporary Zouk and Kizomba: this is what i hope to convince people of, especially long time lovers of African music who have given up on these genres.

01 DJ Rams – Intro
02 Rei Helder – Miu’da (feat. Master Jake)
03 Rei Helder – Ventoinha (feat. Nelson Freitas)
04 Aleluia – 69 Anos De Idade  Aleluia
05 Chico Viegas – Ta kieto
06 Quatros Plus – Slow Motion
07 Babete – Tarraxinha Da Noite
08 Dj Rams – Remake (feat. Sasha Grey)
09 Dj Znobia – Tarraschinha Proibida / Quero Te Sentir
10 Mulatu Astatke – Motherland
11 Malcom Pro – Love is Back
12 Unknown – Unknown
13 Georges Pionquitte – Pa Ni Koko
14 Chico Viegas – Saudades
15 Chico Viegas – Te juro amor
16 Marízia – Unknown
17 Mobass – Unknown
18 Unknown – Unknown
19 Master Jake – Carinho
20 Manya – Bola De Trapo
21 Chico Viegas – Samba makia
22 Chico Viegas – Mu d’zomba
23 Cabinda A Cunene – Bana
24 Falso Testemunho – Maria Alice
25 Sol Na Tchada – Maria Alice
26 Michel Pinheiro – SOS Enfants Soldats
27 Juana Molina – Tres Cosas


NGOMA MIX 7 – Hard Ass

Posted on by
1

Not sure what Kuduro means in the Kimbundu language of northern Angola, but its colorful translation in Portuguese is in some ways fitting of the music in both form and theme. Still, even though a lot of the music is hard, and a lot of the songs about fucking, the phrase is very much limited in describing the rich layers of word and sound, and becomes reductionist if taken only at face value. Kuduro can also be playful, humorous, soulful, emotional, ominous, scary, joyful, celebratory, and uplifting. It is also sonically adventurous in radical ways, fearless in its pushing and often destruction of dance music’s aesthetic boundaries, in ways often more bold and creative than sound-design obsessed electronic music from North America or Europe: from sweet accordions to reckless synths, from 8-bit game console palettes to near industrial noise, from samples distorted way beyond recognition to some of the deepest basslines in the world. And the vocals are just as wildly diverse: from “normal” singing to what sounds like children rapping to animalistic growling, grunting, yelling.

OR: STREAM: MIXCLOUD //// DOWNLOAD: MEDIAFIRE

The many different flavors of Kuduro come from both its roots as well as later influence: mainly evolving from Batida rhythms (itself a fusion of African, Brazilian, and Caribbean traditions) of the 1980s, Kuduro has since branched out to sometimes incorporate elements from many other styles including Cape Verdean Funaná, Coupé-Décalé from France and the Ivory Coast, Afro-Brazilian percussion, Western Hiphop and Techno. A concise example of this melting of tradition, current club culture, and sonic experimentation might be track 28: Batida – Tribalismo Com Sacerdote, in which what sounds like distorted Mbiras (thumb piano) coexist with Angolan rap, furious rave energy and absolutely mental synth lines which verge on noise.

And speaking of Western Hiphop and Techno, this mix adopts quite a few Detroit Ghetto-Tech and Chicago Juke samples, to draw parallels between inner-city Afro-diaspora underground and African urban sound. Because, at least from where i’m standing, the Parallels are many: relentless and insistent focus on rhythm; use of repetition past the point of monotony in becoming pure abstraction; fast tempo and intensity pushing the dancefloor near breaking-point; gritty, raw, and unpolished sound; and finally, ruthless libidinal energy which defies any attempts at restraint.

Also, besides a few entirely unexpected and thrilling use of cultural pastiche in the songs themselves, there are 2 of my mashups here: track 16 which incorporates Indonesian Jaipong drums and track 35 which transforms the orchestral version of an old rave number we all know. Mostly consisting of both older and newer Kuduro from Angola, this mix also includes a few songs from Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, and Brazil. I tried to avoid Western interpretations of Kuduro altogether, but 3 tunes feature non-African collaborating producers or remixers: their inclusion is testament of the strength of these tracks.

01 Dj Znobia – Ta Pio
02 DJ Ramatoulaye – Alhaji (Aladin Mix)
03 Agré-G – É da Mong
04 Dj Assault – Bangin The Beat
05 Dj Nervoso – House Diney
06 Helder, Rei do Kuduro – Felicidade
07 Helder Junior – Unknown (samples Dj Godfather)
08 King Wendu – Unknown
09 Directamente da Banda – Baza Baza
10 Project Winter – Progressividade
11 Dj Nedwyt Fox – Agora Nukutusula
12 Dj Clintonn – C Du Chahut
13 Dj Znobia – Kuduro em Musica
14 Dj Joca Moreno – Jogo de Cintura (samples Coon Daddy)
15 Dama S & Puto Stro – Pedrada Forte
16 Apanha Tudo – Bomban
17 Dj Jesus – Humbe, Humbe
18 Dj João Reis – N.B.A. – Instrumental (samples Dj Spinn & Dj Rashad)
19 Master of Jaipong VS. DJ Amorim – Drum and Bass
20 Dj kito – Da Cara (samples Dj Rashad)
21 Zakee Kuduro & Buraka Som Sistema – New Africa (samples Dj Rashad)
22 Tinox – Sans Gueber
23 Dj Amorim – In The Rush Hour
24 Nervoso – House Diney (interlude samples Dj Assault and Ol’ Dirty Bastard)
25 Dj Djeff feat Maskarado – Elegom Bounsa X Dj V.R. – Batida Tchapu
26 Dj Jesus – Crazy Love
27 Dj Znobia – Eue
28 Lucky Gomes – Patiri
29 Puto Cossa – Vem Live feat. Dj Nedwyt Fox
30 Dama Pancha – Zum zum zum
31 Batida – Tribalismo Com Sacerdote
32 Dj miki – Dmc Caps Mix 2 (samples Kill Frenzy)
33 Katinga MC – Alegoria remix (samples A Lost People)
34 Dj Amorim – Os Angolanos
35 Figura – Ze Bula (Sabbo Remix)
36 Dj Ivan LLuv – Let’s Go
37 Unknown – Unknown (Follow Me)
38 Dj Kadu – Catelita
39 KLF and The Williams Fairey Brass Band – What Time Is Love
40 Ize’ feat. Anofela – Cape Decale
41 Schlachthofbronx – Farafina feat. Ete Kelly
42 Ize’ – Nhaku d’home
43 Unknown – Unknown (outro)

NGOMA MIX 6 – Ukulwa

Posted on by
2

(as featured on Gen Bass and The Fader)

Framing house music, perhaps the most depoliticized of all urban musics, whose narrative revolve around unreflective pleasure seeking, in a political context may seem incredulous to some. Yet this incredulity would be based on a superficial reading of the essence of house music culture, despite what it has become in the commercial sphere: in its very inception, the escapism into a fantasy hedonistic world was an expression of the underprivileged and marginalized, and the creation of a sanctuary of acceptance was nothing less than a political act of the oppressed and discriminated against.

STREAM: MIXCLOUD // DOWNLOAD SINGLE TRACK: MEDIAFIRE

Perhaps even more than Chicago or Detriot 67, the political dimension is deeply interwoven into the urban musical fabric of South Africa, and has profoundly influenced its evolution. Zulu protest songs live on through Kwaito, the first musical expression of a free South Africa, and from there the current House culture developed: if less overtly rebellious, it nonetheless retains in its beats and voices the spirit of revolt: the urgent and passionate expression of a people who have been subjugated for too long.

The Zulu word Ukulwa means war and struggle. and in this context it can only mean a war against oppression and the struggle for freedom and independence. Apartheid may have officially ended, but its myriad effects can be unmistakably felt in a slew of social problems which plague the nation today, from crime to domestic violence as result of the break up of families, from poverty to various hardships which come from an entire generation having been systematically deprived of formal education. Thus even while many positive things are taking place, as South Africa is surely rising as a proud modern nation, even as we rejoice in these blissful rhythms, we must remember this war, and both continue, and continue to be inspired by, this struggle against domination, against injustice: Ukulwa.

NGOMA MIX 5 – Nomad Boogie

Posted on by
5

here is one for the boogie: classic and soulful grooves designed for more intimate spaces.

STREAM:  MIXCLOUD // DOWNLOAD SINGLE TRACK:  MEDIAFIRE

i made this mix for smaller and “normal” local bars and clubs: really tried to make something both for the general public, meaning anyone from any walk of life, as well as the music heads. the ideal is a CD that almost any bar anywhere in the world can pop in their stereo at any given night and have people nod their heads, tap their feet, and maybe even get a little jiggy. how close the actual product ended up being to this ideal is yet to be tested, as well as my thesis that one does not have to succumb to lowest common denominators to appeal to everyone. (we will see, i have already started giving these out to local establishments in berlin)

NGOMA MIX 4

Posted on by
2

Continuing from NGOMA 1, this is an excursion into 100 BPM global urban bass music.

OR: STREAM: MIXCLOUD // SINGLE FILE: MEDIAFIRE

Heavy on both classic and modern Kwaito: Arthur Mafokate’s 1993 track Oyi Oyi,  TKZEE with their Kwaito offshoot style known as Guz, and the immense talent that was Mawillies (RIP), whose effortlessly powerful voice graces the track GaGu.

Also tunes from other parts of Africa: the AshThomas project and Marvelous Benji from Nigeria, DJ Rams from in Angola, and Emmanuel Jal, the Sudanese singer with the crazy personal history.

Always great to find one great Bhangra tune on too many an album of otherwise generic numbers and a little taste of classic cumbia gold. A few all time Dancehall bangers and reggaeton, oh how i wish they still made them like El General did in Panama back in the early 90s. (all of these sounds need their own NGOMA volume, yes i do realize.  thanks 🙂

___________________________________________________________________________

01 [Ghana/UK] Professor Stretch & African Headcharge – Brother of Reality
02 [SA] Tone Deaf Junkies – Fred is Dead
03 [Nigeria] AshThomas – Music in My System (MIMS)
04 [SA] Mapaputsi – Kufa
05 [Ghana] Bradaz – Hiplife Review
06 [SA] Suspects – Wash’uMkhuKhu
07 [SA] Brikz – Swimming Pool
08 [SA] Mapaputsi – Kas Lam Dub
09 [SA] Mawillies – GaGu
10 [SA] Arthur Mafokate – Oyi, Oyi
11 [SA] Busi Mhlongo  –  Yehlisan’Umoya Ma-Africa (Soul II Black Remix)
12 [SA] Bongomaffin – Way You Live
13 [SA] Zola – Ndodandoda Dub
14 [SA] Unknown – Unknown
15 [SA] TKZEE – Guz
16 [Angola] DJ Rams – Fire Nigth Tarracho
17 [India] Sangeeta – Multani
18 [US/Angola] Fat Joe – Lean Back (DJ Rams & DJ X Remix)
19 [Norway] Easy and the Center of Universe – Hamada
20 [Egypt/US] Psychobabble Dub Interlude
21 [US] Badawi – Jihad
22 [Syria] Omar Souleyman – La Sidounak Syyada
23 [UK] Subway — 44110
24 [Angola] Helder Rei – Instrumental
25 [NL/US] SDP vs DJ Lengua – Mi Camino
26 [Colombia] Chambacu – No Quiero Envejecer
27 [Nigeria] Marvelous Benji – Swo
28 [Panama] El General – Digame Cual
29 [Sudan] Emmanuel Jal & Abdel Gadir Salim – Elengwen (afroArabia)
30 [Jamaica] Cecile – Hot Like We
31 [Jamaica] Vybs Cartel – Mi Fi A Dweet
32 [SA] Middle Finga, Cozi G, Oracle Flow & Ben Sharpa – Move Over
33 [Jamaica/UK] Sarantis & Warrior Queen – Retaliate
34 [SA] Zola – Lord of Sound
35 [SA] Kalahari Surfers – Gangsta

NGOMA MIX 3

Posted on by
Reply

Dj-Zhao---NGOMA3_frontwhile staying in the same territory as 2, the journey is not the same, and many things make this one unique: the psychedelic motorik genius of Dj Clock’s “Durban Guitar”; the monolithic, earth shaking visions of Black Coffee; DJ Sdoko’s ominous Kraftwerkian phuture; Manya’s soul stirring take on traditonal Angolan melodies; a surprisingly wicked banger from the Dutch DJ Bigga (UK is not the only place currently Afro minded), and ending with a further reach of rhythmic diaspora: Sami vocal style from Mari Boine, reinterpreting the sound of indigenous Norway.

OR: STREAM: MIXCLOUD //// DOWNLOAD SINGLE TRACK: MEDIAFIRE

concerning the anti-apartheid and war samples used through out the mix: the struggle for freedom from colonialism is the context which gave rise to contemporary South African music: Kwaito was born amidst antagonism and bloodshed, and has led to the current house music scene. thus songs such as “100 Zulu Warriors” and the radio broadcast at the end should not be taken as an incitement of racial conflict (especially in light of last year’s wave of horrible xenophobia) but as a reminder of the political realities of the Apartheid era from which this music comes.

01 [SA] Andy X – Tech House
02 [SA] DJ Clock – Durban Guitar
03 [SA] Bantu Soul – Isgubhu
04 [SA] Blackcoffee / DJ Christos and Demor – Searching
05 [SA] Black Coffee – 100 Zulu Warriors
06 [SA] Black Coffee – Stimela (remix)
07 [SA] Thebe – Ugezi
08 [SA] DJ Fhiso – House Animation
09 [SA] DJ Clock – Move Your Body
10 [SA] DJ Clock – No Fear
11 [SA] DJ Sdoko – Boozoom Base
12 [SA] Double Trouble – Mamelodi Funk
13 [SA] DJ Tira and Bubzin – Beat Goes On (Iyo)
14 [UK] Don Haffer – Mad Fling
15 [ANGOLA] DJ Znobia – Afrosound
16 [UK] Ossie – Tarantula (inc Funkineven Remix)
17 [Peru] Novalima – Mayoral
18 [UK] DSD – Fruity
19 [UK] Footsteps – Baby Kinta
20 [UK] Roska – Tack Tiles
21 [UK] DJ Mystery – Changes
22 [UK] DJ Tremendous – Log 19
23 [HOLLAND] DJ BIgga – Boeke Anthem X [BRAZIL] Menor do Chapa – Familia Vida Loka
24 [UK] Unknown – Unknown
25 [SA] Unknown – Thumping
26 [SA] Mr Flip – The Wild Thing
27 [UK] Geeneus – Yellowtail
28 [UK] Headhunter – Birks Range
29 [SA] Shana – Uyangichomela
30 [SA] Bucie – Amadoda (Black Coffee remix)
31 [NORWAY/GER] Mari Boine – Vuoi Vuoi Mu (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
32 [SA] Dr Duda and Dr M-bee – The Gap Featuring Gina
33 [SA/US] Terre Thaemlitz / Radio Freedom (Anti-Apartheid Broadcast)

NGOMA MIX 2

Posted on by
Reply

The drum comes from Africa, and also techno. Here is an extremely simplified version of the lineage: slave songs – blues – gospel – jazz – funk – disco – house – techno —- the circle is complete. After all, the 4 on the floor hypnotic groove can be found in the myriad styles of African music from every era. House and techno grew up in the northern hemisphere, acquiring a character a bit removed from the rich rhythmic traditions of the mother continent. But in recent decades electronic dance music has been developing in Africa, and a new wave of club music is blossoming and flourishing.

OR: STREAM:  MIXCLOUD // SEPARATE TRACKS DL: MEDIAFIRE

History was made in 2008 with Warp Records’ release of DJ Mujava’s Township Funk in Europe, and the world is slowly coming to grips with the awesome power of African electronic music. Motherland house and techno is spreading far and wide, forming the rhythmic basis for urban bass music in the UK and elsewhere: Africanized Killer Beats on the swarm!

NGOMA mix 1

Posted on by
Reply

The positive side of globalization: irresistable 21st century urban music arise on every continent. India, Cuba, Tanzania, Egypt, Cape Town, these are just a few places where wild hybrid styles are born: futuristic, bass heavy and electronic, yet drawing from the wealth of local musical heritage. the NGOMA series bring the heat from musical hotspots across the known world — the wickedest beats and sweetest flows.

OR: STREAM:  MIXCLOUD // DL: MEDIAFIRE

___________________________________________________________________________