The Highlife: Afrocan House

18 02 2009

This Thursday is a new night of The Highlife at Otis Lounge in San Francisco.  We will be exploring the world of Afro, Soulful, African House.  Maybe call this night Afro House vs. African House.  What’s the difference?

There is an interesting dichotomy emerging within the surging interest of African Electronic Music.  Writers around the Internet are pointing to differences (and similarities) between Afro House styles from Europe and the U.S. and House or Techno from Africa.

Does a difference in location, production tools and cultural upbringing lead to a difference in sound?  To me it does.  The Angolans and Mozambicans slip in a little Kuduro, the South Africans pitch down.  Jamaicans and Panamanians add more than a little soca bashment, West African kids in the U.K. make Funky House and add strains of Grime, everybody puts their touch on it.

Afro vs. African?

Sonically I like both all these permutations.  When a Techno producer uses an Afrobeat rhythm to build up to a banging 4/4 beat it really turns me on.

It makes me wince when pictures that are conjured up are the stuff of stereotypes instead of progressive ideas of contemporary urban globally participating Africans. (Via)  I’m weary of the use of the word tribal, adding nonsensical chants, adding cowbell or conga, or putting in elephants or other animals, just to make something Afro.

Here is a mix that I serve up as an example of global house.  While not all of it is stereotype free (The whole Jamaican Prince Zimboo thing rears it’s ugly head) it is all music that I think would be just as at home at an African popular music club as an underground house rave.

Click here to Download the Mix: Afrocan House :   Tracklist

Update:

I found an example of said stereotypes in practice.  They introduce Afro House of a picture of some water buffaloes or something in a Savanah, and I’m not sure what specifically makes the music Afro.  The info on the video is in a language I don’t know.  I much prefer this type of Afro House.

more about “Afro House“, posted with vodpod

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Categories : Gigs, Music, Thought

Post-War Bomb!!!

29 04 2008

From Benn Loxo Du Taccu: March 30th, 2007

Dog MurrasToday we have another urban Angolan guest post by Benn loxo listener, DJ Chief Boima:

“So Kuduro. It seems to be making some waves on the international scene. And reflections on why lead me to thoughts on post war youth expression. Young people who grow up seeing humanity at it’s worst feeling the need to create something put something in the world, blow it up, and not themselves. Youth, fueled by emotions: anger, sadness, jubilation, create.

When the war is over, the world takes a peak into a society that many times is left for years, isolated to deal with its issues on its own.

So now we have Kuduro. Another ghetto expression where dancing replaces shooting. While the roots of Kuduro go way before the war was over, it is now that it’s getting some international attention. As for reasons why it’s getting attention, I would like to speculate on some deep emotional connection to violence that is counteracted by music, or go off on how many times the internet creates bandwagon trends, and then leaves when they find the next it thing, but the explanation could be as simple as the fact that so many people become displaced from a country and it’s culture during conflict times that their culture gets dispersed throughout the world in the diaspora. People living abroad want to connect to home, especially if they can’t go back, so they bring a part of home with them. The original international distribution is migration.

I don’t know a lot about the history of Angola, so I won’t go any further on what’s going on there now. All I can say is I love this music. It resonates with me, and always gets the crowds movin’. It’s crazy danceable with a clave backbone, (we are close to Congo here, and as hinted in my previous post I know, there’s a Rumba/Soukous/Kuduro Connection) an electronic 808 thump, created on the computer and ready for internet distribution, some hand claps for those disco/house throwbacks, (percolator eat your heart out!) and a fast orgulloso lyric that represents “where you’re from.” With all these ingredients, you have a mix for great music.

If you want to pick some of this music up a good starter is Frederic Gaillano’s CD available on Calabash. Buraka Som Sistema available on iTunes. Dog Murras is available on various Portuguese mail order sites, Puto Prata, Os Alameda, and Se Bem have also made some great tunes.

And if you’re in the states and you don’t know someone that just visited Africa who can sell you CD’s at three times the cost, these are two sites for music called CaboVerdeOnline, and Acheio.com. I’m not gonna vouch for them because I haven’t used them, but if you’re dying to get your hands on some hard copies here’s a start. Also if you’re in Europe FNAC Portugal carries Kuduro CD’s and DVD’s. I don’t think they have a ton, but you can order them online. Some of these groups are touring and Kuduro is spreading through Europe by way of Portugal, so just look around your town to get involved. Watch Kuduro dancing on You Tube.

These are my favorite Kuduro songs that I’ve heard so far. Nao Reipeitao Neh has the best beat I’ve ever heard. Hand claps I can’t get enough of! And Meu Povo’s drum intro and Angola Chants make me jump everytime I hear them. Enjoy…”

Amazing, as usual. Thanks, Boima.

Alameda – Nao Reipeitao Neh
Dog Murras – Meu Povo


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Categories : Dance, Music, Tha Homies

Angolan Youngstas

29 04 2008

From Benn Loxo Du Taccu March 12, 2007
Das PrimerioBenn loxo listener Chief Boima comes through with a great Afro-Portuguese hiphop guest post today:

“I don’t know why but I too have become infatuated with Afro-Portuguese music. Maybe it’s because I’m Sierra Leonean and the Portuguese were the first to colonize before the British, and some Portuguese words survived in Krio like “sabi.” Or, maybe it’s because I speak Spanish not French and the it is much easier for me to get the general meaning behind the Portuguese lyrics than songs in other languages. Or, maybe because when I first heard Kuduro it blew my mind, and as a dj I became obsessed with the music that moves your booty like the Chicago House I used hear to at our middle school dances, but has roots in music like the dance tunes I knew from the African parties of my parents’ generation. But, here I am today collecting anything I can get my hand on from Bahia to Lisbon to Luanda and beyond.

Here are two hip hop tracks that also blew my mind when I first heard them. They are from two hip hop artists from Angola.

The first is Das Primeiro whom I heard the first time on some hip hop compilations when I took a trip to Portugal, he also has a track on the Rough Guide to African Rap. I think that he lives in Europe somewhere now, (Amsterdam?) but he reps Angola, and has a monster flow, with the confidence and delivery that could stand up to any of the greats in any language. I like his use of samples and really seems to be aware of his cultural roots while maintaining a strong hip hop identity. I chose the song Mana Maria because it has a real nice guitar sample that reminds of some of the Kizomba tunes or the other guitar based tunes that I’ve heard from Angola.

The second is Sonho Africano from Hemoglobina two Angolan MC’s, who live in South Africa now. (?) I heard them first on DJ Edu’s show on BBC 1xtra. This song is my favorite African hip hop song, because it reps a bunch of different nations, as well as the dope lyric content about what a gwan in Africa. It also has a beautiful guitar sample, and the beat drops heavy! I haven’t tracked down their album yet, but writing this has reminded/inspired me to do so. If any one knows where I can get it, hit me up: boima [at] ironmilitis.com. There are ton of great rappers in Portuguese out there, not just from Angola and who all use cultural influences to make their own brand of hip hop, like Sir Scratch, Rappin’ Hood and Marcelo D2. Check em’ if you get the chance.”

Thanks, Boima.

Das Primeiro – Mana Maria
Hemoglobina – Sonho Africano


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