NGOMA 15 – DRUM Amandla

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DRUM_amandla_600 Rougher and tougher twin of the previous DRUM volume, Amandla explores the somber and serious side of contemporary electronic dance music from South Africa and Angola.  In 2013 capitalist brainwashing and new waves of cultural and economic imperialism replaces the overtly oppressive policies of Apartheid and colonialism; inequity, injustice, and corruption still pandemic on the African continent; but the indestructible beat of Soweto, Pretoria and Luanda lives on.  These new urban sounds express the frustration, longing, joy and hope of a new generation, the continuing struggle and POWER of the people.  Rhythm as a weapon, music as a weapon: a real weapon in the concrete sense.  Africa!  Mayibuye!  Amandla!

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

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NGOMA 14 – DRUM

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DRUM_600

This edition in the Ngoma Mix Series focuses on new 125 bpm African Electronic Dance Music.  As i have argued in the “Real Roots of Kwaito” piece for This Is Africa, American and European Disco, House, and Hiphop were crucially influential in the beginning stages of development of post-Apartheid South African urban music, but since then SA House and Kwaito have matured and grown into its own skin, much more an extension of indigenous rhythm cultures than related to “Western” dance music.  For example the beat patterns in these tracks are distinctly different: the constant off-beat high hats found in the US and Europe are almsot entirely absent; and with much more rich and developed rhythm elements and very different emphasis, this music should probably be thought of as simply new African dance music, with not much to do with what is traditionally known as “House” or “Techno” at all.  

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

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OCORA INDIA – New Uploads 1

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Kushal Das – Sitar

From slow meditative burners to dizzying fast numbers, Kushal Das’ every phrase is clearly pronounced, the celestial and crystalline music has an orderly, intellectual feel – simply beautiful.

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Kushal Das – Raga Marwa

Sitar playing of a very different character than the above recording: in a lower register, much more visceral and emotionally expressive, with more grit and texture – alternating between long bluesy passages and crazy drunken (but always poetic) rants. (new 320k file added!  thanks to comrade Morgen)

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Mithila – Love songs of Vidyapati

A cappella songs of love and devotion by mainly male, and 2 femail, vocalists in a steady and evenly paced manner, never venturing into cries of passion or lapse into melancholy.  Not sure if the love expressed is sacred or profane, but it is for sure of an eternal nature.  (musically not one of my favorites)

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Voyage Intérieur – Sheila Dhar

Performed according to the principles of the Kirana Gharana school of singing, this amazing woman takes us on an epic dreamlike inward journey during the course of this double CD.

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Troupe de Kutiyattam du Kalamandalam – Kutiyattam

Kutiyattam is a 2000 years old form of Sanskrit theatre, traditionally performed in Hindu temples of the state of Kerala.  Musically this is pretty wild stuff: intense percussion with dramatic and often “dissonant” singing/narration.  Not for the faint hearted or those only looking for “beautiful” Indian music.

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L. Subramaniam – Le violon de l’Inde du sud

(this may be a re-post) Virtuoso violin playing by the master.  Enough said.

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L. Subramaniam – En Concert

actually on the whole a lot more relaxed and calm than the studio recording above, a superb live session.

FUSION 5 – الانتفاضة

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01 Amina Alaoui & Jon Balke – Itimad X L-Wiz – Smogged 02 Ora Sittner & Youval Micenmacher – Dror Iqra X Scuba – Sleepa 03 23 Skidoo – G-2 Contemplation X Marc Ashken – Roots Dyed Dark (Skream Remix) 04 Kambarkan Folk Ensemble – Jygach Ooz Komuz X Dj Distance – Nomad 05 Sarah Webster – A Lesson Twice Learned / Drum Talk X Pinch & Loefah – Broken 06 JilJilala – Unknown X JuJu – Iroko 07 Fawzy Al-Aiedy – Milad X Toasty – Like Sun 08 Hossam Ramzy & Phil Thornton – Immortal Egypt X dj quest & eskimo – Speakers Corner (Instrumental Death Edit) 09 Unknown – Arab Flute X Zen Militia – Pull of Guilt (Scuba Remix) 10 Unknown – Morocco Belly Dance X Substep Infrabass Monotonium 11 Guem – Royal Dance X Shed – Panamax Remix 12 Unknown – African Tribal Drums X Unkown – UK Grime 13 Reda Darwish – Raqset El Banat X Headhunter – Drop The Waste 14 Remko Scha – Machine Guitars Slam X Skream – Backwards 15 Andy Moor – Uganda Fly X Loefah – Fire Elements 16 Sir Richard Bishop – Blood Stained Sands X Tunnidge – Face Melt 17 Sijano Vodjani – Dedication X King Midas Sound – Earth a kill ya

Music Is Not Music

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“… with people who are into music, for some it is about partying, for some it is about relaxation, for some it’s a spiritual thing, for some it’s an intellectual thing, and for others it’s an emotional outlet, etc. For people like me, music has to be about all of these things, as much of them at the same time as possible. Like in many African traditions: Music is Not Music.  It is play, it is mathematics, it is magic, it is politics, it is get-your-freak-on, it is spirituality, astronomy, sports, theater, intoxication, sensuality… Music embodies all of these, and performs all of these functions, often at the same time.”

“… People sometimes tell me that I’m “open minded”. I guess because i’m a Chinese dj who works with African music. But no. Fuck that. I’m not “open minded”. I only recognize quality where ever i find it, and don’t allow myself to be restricted by bullshit boundaries, by incidental, meaningless, senseless borders.”

Rest of it here – i do try to say different stuff at these things so y’all don’t get bored.

Sonic Liberation Front

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Made this for ultra cool international / art / architecture / concept / urbanism / fashion / music / design organization Platoon: United rhythms towards a borderless future: African House and European Acid, Hungarian Folk and Korean Pop, Cumbia Electro and Arabic Techno, Avant Jazz and Street Bass – international beats for dance floors and head space – against prejudice and xenophobia.  DOWNLOAD:  mediafire

Ocora Africa repost part 1

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A few out of print treasures from Ocora (RIP), probably the best global music label ever in terms of selection, recording quality, documentation and general dependable professionalism (The French perhaps always were the colonialists who paid the most attention to the cultures of those they conquered and continue to exploit, with Napoleon’s encyclopedia of Egypt still being the most comprehensive hundreds of years later), were first uploaded on my old blog a long time ago, and now have been revived by the kind soul who runs SEANCE (a place where you will find much more amazing gems).   I will also be re-upping many things from Africa, Asia, Middle East, South America, etc. in the days to come.

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The Real Roots of Kwaito

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The few times western publications have written about Kwaito and South African House, styles which have thrived for many decades, the story is almost always told in terms of a unidirectional migration of House Music from the United States to Africa.  This is problematic because 1 central factor is not only understated, but entirely missing, including from the South African voices sometimes interviewed.

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2 new bangers

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during the past month or so these recent mash edits have been dropped on unsuspecting dancers Germany to Johannesburg, every time followed by lots of jumping and screaming.

Burundi drums so ill…

more coming soon 🙂

this is of course the all time classic from Nigeria, fixed with some additional bass and treble – rocks a modern dance floor like nobody’s business.

Sound culture in the Heart of Light

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and here is a repost from the old blog, of classic Congolese Rumba, literally the sweetest sounds i have ever heard.

tracklisting: volume 1 / volume 2.

Big big thanks to Bolingo69 for the original upload.  It is criminal that these heavenly sounds are out of print and commercially unavailable anywhere.  Here are both volumes together on mediafire.

And I’ve been meaning to do an official NGOMA volume of modern dance floor Soukous for some time…  it will happen soon.  But until then, there are lots of awesome tunes in this episode of Radio Ngoma:

NGOMA Soundsystem Vol. 1

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Dj Zhao: Edits, Mixing and Selection (Berlin)
Werner Puntigam: Trombones (recorded in Linz, Austria)
Marcel: Percussion (recorded in Berlin)

A hybrid musical entity made of dj and live instrumentation consisting of 2, 3, 4, or 5 members, NGOMA Soundsystem fuses Ancestral Rhythms, Acoustic Textures, and Urban Bass Pressure.  Drawing from both the wealth of sonic traditions from Africa and beyond as well as up-to-the-minute street sounds worldwide, NGOMA Soundsystem exists in the tension between electronic composition and live improvisation, creating unique “Ancient-Futurist” musical experiences for both concert hall and club, often at once mind expanding and dance-floor smashing.

this recording is a 1 hour studio edit of the 3 hour live performance at Fusion Festival:

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Report from South Africa

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Additional shows:

Fri. 28/09 —- Disofeng Dobsonville
Sat. 29/09—– Club Ozone (N. West)

Sat. 29/09 — Panyaza (with Zinhle)
Sun. 05/10 -– Panyaza
Sat. 06/10 — Vintage life style (pimville)
Sun. 7/10 -— Mofolo Park Stadium (w/ Nick Holder)
Sun. 7/10 -— Pandora Chesa Nyama (Ekhuruleni)
Sun. 7/10 -— Liquid Chef (Rosebank)

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(also published on This Is Africa.)

downtown Johannesburg

At once after touch-down i noticed the modern, international air of Johannesburg, which looked wealthy and stable; and of the friendly, smartly dressed and hip Africans around me, who seemed as informed as anyone in the East Village or London.  But soon a more complex picture emerges.

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Design For Maga Bo

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the culmination of a decade’s hard work, this album and remix album is Maga Bo’s Baile Funk masterpiece – infused with loads of Afro-Brazillian drumming and sick vocal contributions from many MC’s, at once warm and organic as well as futuristic and floor smashing.  I am honored to have provided the visual concept and graphic design for this project.  (and a few of these tunes will find their way into my sets for sure)the inside spread shows graphic depiction of the inside of a slave ship, a Real Note of Brazillian currency, and image of a burning bus during one of many protests and riots of recent years which has come to symbolize social upheaval. 

check out optikom for more visual stimulation, and anyone needs design don’t hesitate to contact me:  leo (at) optikom (dot) com