Get To Know A Top 10: July 2018 Thread - Hayden - Music

PurpleHazel

Specialist In All Styles - Wonderful album! Guest appearances by Ibrahim Ferrer and Youssou D'our reflect the balance of Senegalese and Cuban music on the record. The lead vocalist is great, has a somewhat eastern sound like Malian singers, which makes sense, since Senegal and Mali are neighbors -- wish he was featured more! (A lot of group vocals.) The guitarist's excellent too, playing both more traditional highlife and wah-wah guitar that makes me think of early Funkadelic just a smidge. Sax player's really good too, incorporating more eastern scales in his playing than most African saxophonists. Really glad Hayden got me to listen to this.

Kigali Y' Izahabu - This sounds like a Folkways field recording from the 50s, but it's from 2010. A little like really raw rural blues or (American) folk, but in African -- the vocals have some of the warmth of Mississippi John Hurt. What's not to like? A couple of guitar strings are out of tune -- since it's not Western music, I momentarily thought it was deliberate, to produce microtones. It ain't, but that just adds to the charm. Amazing that field-recording music this raw appeared a decade into the 21st century.

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

Tilly wrote:

...the gift that keeps on giving. Wait! That's herpes. Nevermind. Scratch that...

Also, agreed, like Jimmy, this is a great source of great music, I'm sure.

Hoping to get to it soon.

RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

I got curious... https://bullandcleaver.com/blogs/bilton...beef-jerky

Also my jazz teacher as I was a wee lad (during 9/11), took a whole week talking about/listening to middle eastern music (as to prove the point, well I don't have to spell it out, you get it)... and kept on referencing the two best ways to understand/appreciate and then love another culture is through food, and then the music.

I love how you've done that here Hayden.

Hayden

Location: CDMX

PurpleHazel wrote:

Specialist In All Styles - Wonderful album! Guest appearances by Ibrahim Ferrer and Youssou D'our reflect the balance of Senegalese and Cuban music on the record. The lead vocalist is great, has a somewhat eastern sound like Malian singers, which makes sense, since Senegal and Mali are neighbors -- wish he was featured more! (A lot of group vocals.) The guitarist's excellent too, playing both more traditional highlife and wah-wah guitar that makes me think of early Funkadelic just a smidge. Sax player's really good too, incorporating more eastern scales in his playing than most African saxophonists. Really glad Hayden got me to listen to this.

Kigali Y' Izahabu - This sounds like a Folkways field recording from the 50s, but it's from 2010. A little like really raw rural blues or (American) folk, but in African -- the vocals have some of the warmth of Mississippi John Hurt. What's not to like? A couple of guitar strings are out of tune -- since it's not Western music, I momentarily thought it was deliberate, to produce microtones. It ain't, but that just adds to the charm. Amazing that field-recording music this raw appeared a decade into the 21st century.

Probably should have mentioned D'our and Ferrer's contributions to that album... woops. Only album I didn't write anything up for. I think they were in on the creative process for the entire project, but only actually appear on one track though.

Should also mention the group released (20+?-ish) albums before Specialist In All Styles, they were pretty established around this time. The album's also a twist on their traditional wolof style... they don't have anything else with a similar vibe in their catalogue (unfortunately).

Still needs a proper vinyl release Sad

And yeah, if Kigali Y' Izahabu was released 50 years ago, not only would I believe you, but there's a sliiiight chance I would think differently of it. I love how it's recent. When I did my 'around the world' project it came into light how many countries the world really hasn't discovered musically (Rwanda being one of them, I think there's only 50~ official releases from the entire country), yet these sort of groups are around kickin' it, never on wax. I don't think The Good Ones will ever have a follow-up, but I think it really goes to show how much there is to appreciate in local roots. Always give good buskers a chance Mr. Green

Quote:

Also my jazz teacher as I was a wee lad (during 9/11), took a whole week talking about/listening to middle eastern music (as to prove the point, well I don't have to spell it out, you get it)... and kept on referencing the two best ways to understand/appreciate and then love another culture is through food, and then the music.

I love how you've done that here Hayden.

Your jazz teacher is right! Very Happy

My Smörgåsbord chart is more integrated into this idea, but I'd love to have foods attached to every album on this chart. My geographical-based charts are all named after food, I think it's important.

Ideally, I think the best way to experience a culture is to go to a local concert in some language you don't understand and afterwards seek out somebody who has a grandmother who knows how to cook and ask if you can come over for dinner. Good food and good music bring people together, no matter language barriers. I also recommend purchasing the tastiest looking food off the side of the street you can find.

Last edited by Hayden on 07/12/2018 13:04; edited 2 times in total

RockyRaccoon
Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: Maryland

Moderator

So I'll be honest, I haven't listened to a single one of these albums.

Specialist in All Styles was great, really liked that one. Working through World Psychedelic Classics and liking it so far. I'm interested to dig into the rest of this list (also I apologize for not being as active in this as I thought I'd be. Life's been ridiculously busy, but I intend on working back through other people's lists)
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Hayden

Location: CDMX

RockyRaccoon wrote:

Working through World Psychedelic Classics and liking it so far

On first listen, that's probably the best route. It is a comp after all, but I think the tracklisting is a fair order. Give a track or two a listen, give it a break, spin another album on the list, get back to it, etc... It can be an overwhelming.

Hope you like the rest of them Smile

RockyRaccoon
Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: Maryland

Moderator

Hayden wrote:

On first listen, that's probably the best route. It is a comp after all, but I think the tracklisting is a fair order. Give a track or two a listen, give it a break, spin another album on the list, get back to it, etc... It can be an overwhelming.

Hope you like the rest of them Smile

Actually I listened to the whole thing haha. I liked it! I've listened to the first three and like them in the exact order you've listed them to be honest
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

I only had heard two of these albums coming into this month - the William Onyeabor & Fela selections. In my trip through Fela's discography two summers ago, Sorrow Tears And Blood was not one of my favorites, so this inspired me to do a reappraisal. It's grown on me a lot, and now I think it definitely stands up there with his best work (although my favorite is probably Confusion). While Sorrow Tears And Blood is my favorite of these ten, all the others had a lot to offer too.

Here's how I would rank and rate them (roughly):

1. Sorrow Tears And Blood - Fela Kuti & Africa 70 4.5/5
2. Conflict - Ebo Taylor 4/5
3. Kigali Y' Izahabu - The Good Ones 4/5
4. World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? - William Onyeabor 4/5
5. Batsumi - Batsumi 4/5
6. This Is Marijata - Marijata 3.5/5
7. Simigwa - Gyedu-Blay Ambolley 3.5/5
8. Specialist In All Styles - Orchestra Baobab 3.5/5
9. Drums Of Death - Ashanti Tribe Of Ghana / Ewe Tribe Of Ghana 3.5/5
10. In The Heart Of The Moon - Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté 3.5/5

Thanks Hayden for submitting this chart! Got to check out a lot of cool records that I otherwise wouldn't have!
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RockyRaccoon
Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: Maryland

Moderator

I absolutely loved this list, not a bad album on it and some really really good ones. Reminds me that I really need to listen to more non-American/European music.
_________________
2023 Chart

Early Psychedelic Rock

Electronic Chart

Hayden

Location: CDMX

baystateoftheart wrote:

Sorrow Tears And Blood was not one of my favorites, so this inspired me to do a reappraisal. It's grown on me a lot, and now I think it definitely stands up there with his best work (although my favorite is probably Confusion). While Sorrow Tears And Blood is my favorite of these ten, all the others had a lot to offer too.

Here's how I would rank and rate them (roughly):

Glad you liked the list Baystateofheart. Confusion, Zombie, and Sorrow have all been my favourite Kuti album at one point or another, would never bash anyone for picking Confusion over Sorrow, no worries. Glad you dug Conflict too.

Quote:

I absolutely loved this list, not a bad album on it and some really really good ones. Reminds me that I really need to listen to more non-American/European music.

Glad you liked it Rocky Smile

Suppose you're up next.