Best African Music
1 Zombie
The fury stirred up among the Nigerian police and military by Fela’s confrontational Alagbon Close (1974) and Kalakuta Show (1976), and the beatings and harassments Fela and Africa 70 suffered as a consequence, were as nothing compared to the reprisals following 1976’s Zombie. Within months of its release, a brutal army attack left Fela’s Kalakuta Republic compound burnt to the ground and many of its residents, including Fela, assaulted and seriously injured. On the title track, over an urgent, quick-march accompaniment from Afrika 70, Fela and the backup singers ridicule the mindset of men in uniform. Go and quench!” Each phrase is followed by the women singers’ taunting response, “Zombie!” Fela continues: “No brains, no job, no sense joro jara jo; tell am to go kill joro jara jo; tell am to go quench joro jara jo (meaning, “no brains, no job, no sense left right left; tell him to go kill left right left; tell him to go die left right left.”) The army’s response was terrible... On 18 February, 1977, around 1,000 soldiers, most of them armed, swooped on Kalakuta.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Black music without concessions."
"Fellastico as always."
Today, its music and its reputation still reach generations of music enthusiasts yet so many are unaware of how pivotal that one album was during the 1980s, how it helped birth the idea of World Music and revived the career of one of America's most important songwriters.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There really is only two instrumental backing tracks added as bonus material (plus a short Live in Spain CD Amazon exclusive-thank god, but not much). If you are a super fan (like me) and have everything from Tom and Jerry to So Beautiful So What buy it, and make it a part of your collection."
"As probably seen in other reviews, the remaster of this product was not done very well. The compress and loudness adjustments make the album rough to listen to."
"Love his interaction with musicians he'd never met and how he respected their culture and their particular racial issues at that time."
"I firmly believe one should listen to cut 17 on the CD, The Story of "Graceland" as told by Paul Simon, before listening to "Graceland" or viewing the DVD."
"A clear upgrade from the 1986 release sonically with a couple of extra tracks and the entire album on MP3 (if you got the vinyl, dump the MP3 and just copy the vinyl at the highest bit rate on your computer.)."
"The album plays great but the code for the digital version of the music does not work and the company never got back to as to what to do or compensation."
"Of note, I have ordered several other LP's and none have this issue, so there is something with this run that is a problem."
"I already sent one back because one of the discs would not play, I returned it and got another one and lo and behold the other tape would not platy in my pioneer stereo and to make sure it wasn't the stereo I tried it in my bose and it wouldn't play there either."
We didn't restrict ourselves to straight rock songs, and we were completely open to new ideas," says singer/guitarist Shaun Morgan. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces is virtually interchangeable with any previous Seether disc, as well as pretty much anything by the likes of Nickelback, Shinedown, and other "post-grunge" rock bands. Witness the gauche "FMLYHM," which borrows from lyrical ideas that sounded novel when Trent Reznor sang them in "Closer" more than a decade ago but now just sound juvenile and unnecessarily angry.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a fantastic listen start to finish, with the highlights being the humorous (and rude) "Fake It," radio-ready relationship song "Breakdown," and memorable "Walk Away From the Sun." The cry for divine help comes out more honest and meaningful than any scripted spiritual regurgitation you'll find on a religious record, but such Christian sentiment feels out of place on a foul-mouthed album like this."
"After being a fan of Disclaimer and Karma & Effect,I was really looking forward to the new studio effort.It was well worth the wait.It starts off strong with Like Suicide and Fake It.FMLYHM,Rise Above This,No Jesus Christ,6 Gun Quota and Walk Away From The Sun round off this real good album."
Best Music of Angola
This program features traditional and contemporary African music, including Juju, Highlife, Soukous, Taraab, Marabi, Mbanqanqa, and Bikutusi.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"BEFORE THIS COLLECTION I HAD SOME JOHNNY CLEGG CD'S (GREAT) AND ANOTHER AFRICAN COMP WHICH WAS OK AND I HAVE TONS OF CUBAN MUSIC WHICH HAS AN AFRICAN ELEMENT TO IT, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST BOX SET OF AFRICAN MUSIC AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT."
"I had recently returned to the U.S. after a nine month treck through Africa and, as a film student, needed to produce some great montages of the footage I had taken there."
"Not only is this one of the most fabulous and indispensable compendiums of music I have ever bought, I see the previous customer reviews are also wonderful to read."
"Great collection of phenomenal music and musical styles totally unknown to Western listener."
"This is my all-time favorite African music CD, and I found it so fantastic that after I bought it, I began my collection of some 200 CDs of African music that form part of my library."
"Africa is a vast continent, the second largest in fact, and home to an infinite variety of languages, cultures and ethnic groups; each with their own style of music. We get Arabic-tinged taarab from Zuhura Swaleh of Kenya, Zulu isicathamiyalmbube from Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, Nigerian Fuji music by Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Moorish dancing music from Mauritania's Dimi Mint Abba, Mbalax from Baaba Maal of Senegal, Malagasy music from Tarika Sammy of Madagascar, Algerian Rai from Bellemou & Gana el Maghnaoui, Ethio-pop from Seleshe Demassae and so much more. The focus is on pop, but you get a good helping of traditional and folk styles like the Mande music of Mali, polyrhythmic drumming from Ghana, Sufi music from the Gnawa musicians of Morocco and traditional dances from Uganda's national performing troupe. Its one of the few compilations that covers EVERYTHING, from the Arabic tinged music of the Sahara to the the neo-traditional songs of South Africa, from traditional drumming in West Africa to modern pop styles from the Congo and Swahili coast."
"I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite."
"If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this."
Best Music of Botswana
While traveling across Botswana in 1983, ethnomusicologist Elizabeth N. Wood captured music from Tswana-Sotho tribal descendants and Basarwa Bushmen, whose songs cover themes such as war, hunting, farming, school, and religion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you find life a bit fast paced, order this item and visit the Kalahari for a few minutes."
"This CD really embodies the music we heard on a recent African safari in Botswana."
"This is the music that I heard in villages throughout Botswana in the 70s and 80s."
Best Music of Cameroon
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most every one of their 23 releases over the past 11 years, Analog Africa comes through with stimulating artist and song choices, an entertaining booklet filled with great photos and critical writing, and solid packaging too."
"Vintage music."
"Product and picture description is a bit different."
Best Music of Cape Verde
Cesaria Evora did not begin to record in earnest until she was forty-seven, but to hear her sing is to hear the voice of Cape Verde, her people and her history.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The two CDs are chuck-full of Evora classics I can listen to all day...and I do that most weekends."
"This 2 CD set is wonderful, there isn't a song on it that I don't like, and I find myself carrying it in and out so I can listen to it both at home and in the car."
"Something different from all the sound-alike stuff around."
"great artist with a soulful voice and beautiful stories to tell."
"Great product and service was remarkable."
"Incredible voice!"
"This woman has such a compelling voice!"
"This is an unbelievably great cd!"
Best Congolese Music
Like the luscious drink itself, the tunes come in many intensities and flavors, ranging from a light-as-air ditty from Peru, to the more complex vocal stylings of Colombia's Claudia Gomez , to Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca 's earthy Afro-Cuban Congolese rumba.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"DO NOT PASS THIS CD UP!"
"This CD came and a host of other CD's via the Putumayo collectioncame in a timely manner and this one inparticular is simply lovely to listen to.I do not have a favorite due to all of the songs are great.For me to not understanding he language makes it even more interesting to listen to.The beats, rhythms, collaborations are simply EXCELLENT!!"
"Good Putumayo CD. Several very good tracks on this CD."
"CD was in great condition."
"My favorite CD."
"You will be hard-pressed to find such soulful, diverse, colorful sounds on a compilation CD."
"The cd was in very good condition, however the music wasn't what I expected it to be."
Best Music of Ethiopia
Largely the work of formidable musician-arranger Mulatu Astatqe, the 14 instrumentals here were originally issued on two LPs in 1972 and 1974 in Ethiopia, and represent a curious blend of soul-jazz and R&B with just a smattering of Ethiopian roots breaking up the stabbing horn lines, wah-wah guitars, and simmering electric piano. The grooves are long and laconic, the sound reminiscent of Miles Davis's "In a Silent Way" paired with Cannonball Adderly and Roy Ayers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Soul and jazz get high in Addis Abbaba in the golden days of pre-revolutionary Ethiopian electric music."
"Bought this after viewing a standup paddleboarder on Scorpion Bay Mexico with his dogs on some ridiculously long mellow break."
"Every track is great, sometimes you only buy CD's for one favourite track but this one excelled."
"My wife and I were dining at an Eritrean resturaunt in San Francisco an this Cd was playing in the back ground."
"Long before Jim Jarmusch sampled the Ethiopiques in Broken Flowers, they were making their own brand of infectuous jazz music tinged with sultry East African rhythms that formed the base for contemporary Ethiopian sound."
"One of the best Mulatu Astatke albums of all time."
"Thanks to the eclectic tastes of the young dude at the local bottle shop I heard this album recently."
"A great record with a very unusual sound."
Best Music of Gabon
This program features traditional and contemporary African music, including Juju, Highlife, Soukous, Taraab, Marabi, Mbanqanqa, and Bikutusi.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"BEFORE THIS COLLECTION I HAD SOME JOHNNY CLEGG CD'S (GREAT) AND ANOTHER AFRICAN COMP WHICH WAS OK AND I HAVE TONS OF CUBAN MUSIC WHICH HAS AN AFRICAN ELEMENT TO IT, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST BOX SET OF AFRICAN MUSIC AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT."
"I had recently returned to the U.S. after a nine month treck through Africa and, as a film student, needed to produce some great montages of the footage I had taken there."
"Not only is this one of the most fabulous and indispensable compendiums of music I have ever bought, I see the previous customer reviews are also wonderful to read."
"Great collection of phenomenal music and musical styles totally unknown to Western listener."
"This is my all-time favorite African music CD, and I found it so fantastic that after I bought it, I began my collection of some 200 CDs of African music that form part of my library."
"Africa is a vast continent, the second largest in fact, and home to an infinite variety of languages, cultures and ethnic groups; each with their own style of music. We get Arabic-tinged taarab from Zuhura Swaleh of Kenya, Zulu isicathamiyalmbube from Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, Nigerian Fuji music by Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Moorish dancing music from Mauritania's Dimi Mint Abba, Mbalax from Baaba Maal of Senegal, Malagasy music from Tarika Sammy of Madagascar, Algerian Rai from Bellemou & Gana el Maghnaoui, Ethio-pop from Seleshe Demassae and so much more. The focus is on pop, but you get a good helping of traditional and folk styles like the Mande music of Mali, polyrhythmic drumming from Ghana, Sufi music from the Gnawa musicians of Morocco and traditional dances from Uganda's national performing troupe. Its one of the few compilations that covers EVERYTHING, from the Arabic tinged music of the Sahara to the the neo-traditional songs of South Africa, from traditional drumming in West Africa to modern pop styles from the Congo and Swahili coast."
"I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite."
"If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this."
Best Music of Ghana
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A great collection of seminal Afrobeat music from the 70's."
"This release will get you moving to the groove."
"I thought this well of funkalicious goodness would run dry, or that there would be a reasonable lowering. of the quality after a while, but Analog Africa just keep on pulling them in, buckets loaded with high. grade funk, afrobeat and highlife. Afrobeat Airways 2 is not as awe-inspiring as African Scream Contest, The Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. compilations or Legends Of Benin, but it's still very good and you'll find four great songs among the. first five tracks. Childeren Don't Cry by Ebo Taylor Jr. is a great reworking of one. of his fathers best tunes, and The Cutlass Band's "Obiara Wondo" is a fat and greasy cooker."
Best Music of Guinee
In the Heart of the Moon is a summit meeting between two world music giants, guitarist Ali Farka Toure and master of the kora-the 21-string gourd harp-toumani Diabate. It is the first newly recorded work from either artist in five years and their first album-length collaboration.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'd have to agree with the Producer, Nick Gold who wrote about his experience recording these artists: "A song would end and you'd realize you'd been holding your breath, hypnotized". These men instinctively held the music in their hearts and just let it flow out to us."
"My introduction was what most people's is: Ry Cooder's collaboration with Toure on "Talking Timbuktu.""
"The Kora instrument - it's hundreds of years old - but relatively new to me."
"Very lovely music."
"Beautiful album by two masters of their craft."
"This is an exquisite album from Ali Farka Toure that presents some of his best work."
"By far my most inspiring and uplifting musical discovery of the past year."
"Toure on the guitar and Diabate on the Kora."
Best Music of Mauritania
This program features traditional and contemporary African music, including Juju, Highlife, Soukous, Taraab, Marabi, Mbanqanqa, and Bikutusi.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"BEFORE THIS COLLECTION I HAD SOME JOHNNY CLEGG CD'S (GREAT) AND ANOTHER AFRICAN COMP WHICH WAS OK AND I HAVE TONS OF CUBAN MUSIC WHICH HAS AN AFRICAN ELEMENT TO IT, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST BOX SET OF AFRICAN MUSIC AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT."
"I had recently returned to the U.S. after a nine month treck through Africa and, as a film student, needed to produce some great montages of the footage I had taken there."
"Not only is this one of the most fabulous and indispensable compendiums of music I have ever bought, I see the previous customer reviews are also wonderful to read."
"Great collection of phenomenal music and musical styles totally unknown to Western listener."
"This is my all-time favorite African music CD, and I found it so fantastic that after I bought it, I began my collection of some 200 CDs of African music that form part of my library."
"Africa is a vast continent, the second largest in fact, and home to an infinite variety of languages, cultures and ethnic groups; each with their own style of music. We get Arabic-tinged taarab from Zuhura Swaleh of Kenya, Zulu isicathamiyalmbube from Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, Nigerian Fuji music by Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Moorish dancing music from Mauritania's Dimi Mint Abba, Mbalax from Baaba Maal of Senegal, Malagasy music from Tarika Sammy of Madagascar, Algerian Rai from Bellemou & Gana el Maghnaoui, Ethio-pop from Seleshe Demassae and so much more. The focus is on pop, but you get a good helping of traditional and folk styles like the Mande music of Mali, polyrhythmic drumming from Ghana, Sufi music from the Gnawa musicians of Morocco and traditional dances from Uganda's national performing troupe. Its one of the few compilations that covers EVERYTHING, from the Arabic tinged music of the Sahara to the the neo-traditional songs of South Africa, from traditional drumming in West Africa to modern pop styles from the Congo and Swahili coast."
"I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite."
"If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this."
Best Music of Morocco
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm a musical tourist, not a million miles in mindsets from Paul Bowles, who recorded this traditional music."
"Live in Marrakech as an American and simply live classical Moroccan music."
"Yeah, it's in mono, but the recording is so well done you barely notice, and you only notice when you're right between the two speakers and hear the music emanating from a single point. But this makes it better insofar as the music has not yet adapted to fitting into a recorded medium: This was music that served a community and might easily go all night."
"Not for everyone, or even for most people, but worth the effort for anyone interested in an important aspect of North African culture."
"I gave this as a Father's Day gift and my husband really enjoyed."
"One of the Great Box Sets of recent years - and it's gorgeous."
"A wonderful introduction to the music of Morocco."
Best Music of Nigeria
Additionally, KFR will be giving the first official release to the entire Koola Lobitos catalogue--this was Fela's highlife band which he fronted through the 60's.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this CD at a brick-and-mortar record store -- oddly, because someone had changed their mind on the way to the register and dumped it in the candy bin (ok, it doesn't take much to get me to buy a CD)."
"Bought this CD as a gift for my dad, he's a fan of Fela."
"This is an excellent compilation of Fela Kuti's "hits," lengthy reminders of what this musician and social activist could produce."
"As some have mentioned before, it is a good album to have to get many of his tracks without having to figure which of his 100 or so albums to purchase."
"Loaded with high intensity sub bass, horns,vocals and a song describing, one truly emancipated lady."
"Felas songs will forever be evergreen."
"I love this I wanna recommend this."
"Fela kUTI I lived in Nigeria for 4 years and I was there when Fela was at the top of his game Fela is a Nigerian who suffered the lost of his mother he play this in this CD."
Best Music of Sierra Leone
Backed by the great British double bassist Danny Thompson and guitarist Alfred "Kari" Bannerman, Rogie conflates country, blues, and gospel in laid-back, deep-grain tracks such as "Koneh Pelawoe (Please Open Your Heart)," the country ballad "A Time in My Life," "African Gospel," and the dank title track.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this when it was first released but lost my copy."
"Just great music overall....kinda like african folk. with hints of blues & rock...i like the fact that. lyrics are mixed english and other..."
"Musically, the album is also a pleasure, thanks to ace guest musicians such as Danny Thompson. Amazon's main review sums up the sound and influences on this album very succintly, but some songs have arrangements that remind me slightly of the magical Congolese sounds popularized by musicians such as Tabu Ley and Franco."
"Put on this CD, grab a beer and settle back in your hammock out in the yard."
"Although I do not understand one word that Rogie is singing, his sweet, knowing voice brings a smile to my face every time I hear it!"
"While looking for something to listen to on the radio, I came upon this station that was play one of his songs from his album."
"This record will break your heart as it fills it with joy.... every time."
Best Music of Tanzania
This program features traditional and contemporary African music, including Juju, Highlife, Soukous, Taraab, Marabi, Mbanqanqa, and Bikutusi.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"BEFORE THIS COLLECTION I HAD SOME JOHNNY CLEGG CD'S (GREAT) AND ANOTHER AFRICAN COMP WHICH WAS OK AND I HAVE TONS OF CUBAN MUSIC WHICH HAS AN AFRICAN ELEMENT TO IT, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST BOX SET OF AFRICAN MUSIC AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT."
"I had recently returned to the U.S. after a nine month treck through Africa and, as a film student, needed to produce some great montages of the footage I had taken there."
"Not only is this one of the most fabulous and indispensable compendiums of music I have ever bought, I see the previous customer reviews are also wonderful to read."
"Great collection of phenomenal music and musical styles totally unknown to Western listener."
"This is my all-time favorite African music CD, and I found it so fantastic that after I bought it, I began my collection of some 200 CDs of African music that form part of my library."
"Africa is a vast continent, the second largest in fact, and home to an infinite variety of languages, cultures and ethnic groups; each with their own style of music. We get Arabic-tinged taarab from Zuhura Swaleh of Kenya, Zulu isicathamiyalmbube from Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, Nigerian Fuji music by Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Moorish dancing music from Mauritania's Dimi Mint Abba, Mbalax from Baaba Maal of Senegal, Malagasy music from Tarika Sammy of Madagascar, Algerian Rai from Bellemou & Gana el Maghnaoui, Ethio-pop from Seleshe Demassae and so much more. The focus is on pop, but you get a good helping of traditional and folk styles like the Mande music of Mali, polyrhythmic drumming from Ghana, Sufi music from the Gnawa musicians of Morocco and traditional dances from Uganda's national performing troupe. Its one of the few compilations that covers EVERYTHING, from the Arabic tinged music of the Sahara to the the neo-traditional songs of South Africa, from traditional drumming in West Africa to modern pop styles from the Congo and Swahili coast."
"I have maybe 25 CDs of music from the continent, and this is still far and away my favorite."
"If you're interested in listening to some African music and don't know where to start, you can't do better than this."
Best Music of Uganda
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"shipped fast."
"Beautiful melodies and haunting rhythms."
"The music is fresh and raw, yet refined."
"Every song is amazing."
"For a listenner addicted to the raw guitar sounds of Mali (for example Habib Koite and the regal Ali Farka Toure) this more polished "Windam Hill," Africa-Merican album, (by a Ugandan who now calls the U.S. his home,) is a welcome surprise. I highly recommend it as a gift to a young child, or for anyone looking to open up to other worlds of music."
"Although purists may be put off by the Windham Hill Touch (a heavy touch) Will Ackerman, Philip Aaberg and Patti Cathcart add more texture to the music."
"at Christmas time and was so impressed with his music I had to go out and order it the next day."
"Unfortunately on this CD his distinctive sound gets swallowed up and lost amid all of the electric pianos, guitars and synthesizers."