# Please recommend some African music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891 "2007-08-17T03:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/1 "2007-08-17T03:18:55Z")
I’m especially interested in things like [Shosholoza](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7247418513502121749). Are there particular African songs, singers, or albums that you especially like? ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/2 "2007-08-17T03:49:40Z")
[Ladysmith Black Mambazo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladysmith_Black_Mambazo) is one of the best-known African groups internationally, and deservedly so. I’m especially fond of _Nansi Imali_ (if you use the iTunes Music Store, look it up) Incidentally, the song you linked to is one with a boatload of European/North American influence. While that’s true to some extent of most “African” music (the traditional stuff is pretty unpalatable to Western ears), it’s not all that enormously far from gospel music. ETA: the drum is… actually, kind of Westernized African. But the song’s still loading, so I haven’t heard all that much of it yet. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/3 "2007-08-17T04:02:34Z")
Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi has an amazing voice; he is from Zimbabwe. He has several albums; I have Paivepo and another one I can’t recall. You can hear samples on Amazon. Sometimes he comes up under Mtukudzi and sometimes under Tuku. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/4 "2007-08-17T04:05:42Z")
Thanks. I checked out some YouTubes and they look very good. Just for the record, though, Shosholoza is supposed to be a traditional Zulu song, at least according to Wiki. But I think Mambazo does it as well. Maybe that version is better. I first heard it actually in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, when the village sang a welcome song to the teacher (although it is really more of a good-bye song.) ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/5 "2007-08-17T04:15:47Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Thanks. I checked out some YouTubes and they look very good. Just for the record, though, Shosholoza is supposed to be a traditional Zulu song, at least according to Wiki. But I think Mambazo does it as well. Maybe that version is better. I first heard it actually in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, when the village sang a welcome song to the teacher (although it is really more of a good-bye song.) [/QUOTE] I imagine the version on Google Video has been modernized (which isn’t uncommon.) The basic tune adheres a bit to strictly to a beat and the melodies, though we think of them as “African”, really aren’t. But the call-and-response format and lots of repetition are hallmarks of traditional African music, and those are still present. (Incidentally, iTunes has a version of _Shosholoza_ by the Soweto Gospel Choir, but it has female voices too.) ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/6 "2007-08-17T05:02:31Z")
My favorites are: From the 80’s, King Sunny Ade’: > **[King Sunny Adé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Sunny_Ade)** > > Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye MFR (born 22 September 1946), known professionally as King Sunny Adé, is a Nigerian jùjú singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is regarded as one of the first African pop musicians to gain international success, and has been called one of the most influential musicians of all time.\[page needed\] > Sunny Adé formed his own backing band in 1967, eventually known as his African Beats. After achieving national success in Nigeria during the 1970s and founding h... I like his song Ja Funmi, among others. More recently, Henri Dikongue: > **[Henri Dikongué](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Dikongu%C3%A9)** > > Henri Dikongué (born 6 December 1967) is a Cameroonian singer and guitarist. > Dikongué was born in Douala to a family of musicians. He attended a music school in Paris, where he attempted unsuccessfully to release a first album. He started a music and acting troupe and worked with actor Martin Yog and musicians Alfred M'Bongo and Manuel Wandji, as well as Maranatha, a South African chorus. > After finally choosing to settle in Paris in 1989, he perfected his skills with classical guitar and col... My favorite song of his is entitled “Africa.” And Baba Maal: > **[Baaba Maal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baaba_Maal)** > > Baaba Maal (Fula: 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary. > Maal sings primarily in Pulaar and promotes the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking people, who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro. > Maal was expec... Also, Richard Bona is one of the most gifted African musicians I’ve ever heard: > **[Richard Bona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bona)** > > Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. > Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a young age. His grandfather was a griot – a West African singer of praise and storyteller – and percussionist, as his mother was a singer. When he was four years old, Bona started to play the balafon. At the age of five, he began performing at his village church. Not... ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/7 "2007-08-17T05:40:45Z")
Ali Farka Toure - “Amandrai” ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/8 "2007-08-17T11:16:28Z")
I’m a fan of Manu Dibango - a clarinet/sax player from Cameroon. I was gutted to find he was playing in London the evening of the day my holiday finished back in Spring… Anyway, this is a neat set of [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Cameroon+-+African+Music+Legends+-+Manu+Dibango&search=Search) clips. His music might be a bit too jazzy for what you’re after, though… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/9 "2007-08-17T11:37:46Z")
Yeah, I’m really more interested in the primitive call-and-response chorals. But I’m willing to have a look at all of it. And I have no problem with there being female voices. In fact, the original Shosholoza I heard had female callers and male responders. It was very beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/10 "2007-08-17T12:58:46Z")
I am a fan of Ismael Lo, a Senegalese singer. You may have heard his duet with Marianne Faithful “Without Blame” it’s on his disc _Jammu Africa_. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/11 "2007-08-17T17:53:31Z")
Tinariwen’s latest album, _Aman Iman_, is stunningly good traditional Malian music played with electric guitars. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/12 "2007-08-17T19:39:03Z")
I’m on slow dialup so I can’t view the link. Anyway, some ones I’m listening to these days: Tama - Nostalgie Wasis Diop - No Sant Vieux Farka Toure - Vieux Farka Toure (Ali’s son) Shiyani Ngcobo - Introducing Shiyani Ngcobo (really cool guitar stuff) Salif Keita - Soro Mory Kante - Tatebolo Khaled - Khaled Angelique Kidjo - Various albums A more rootsy female vocal collection is The Wassoulou Sound: Women of Mali If you want a collection of sometimes astonishing guitar music check out The Moon And The Banana Tree. It’s compilation from Madagascar. ---
**Author:** ![AmalgramFour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@AmalgramFour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmalgramFour)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/13 "2007-08-17T19:47:20Z")
I would recommend Vieux Farka Toure and Boubakar Traore, may not be what you are looking for. Calabash music is a good site for exploring these artists. You can listen to a 1 minute sample of any song. [http://calabashmusic.com/](http://calabashmusic.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/14 "2007-08-17T20:18:07Z")
Habib Koite Amadou & Mariam Youssou N’dour ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/15 "2007-08-18T00:20:24Z")
I’ll chime in as well for Ali Farka Toure. His “Talking Timbuktu” album with Ry Cooder won a Grammy. Also: Niafunke. It was a sad day when he died. Salif Keita: The Mansa of Mali; Moffou I also like Habib Koite and Bamada: Muso Ko; Ma Ya Toumani Diabate: Djelika There’s also the old standby of Miriam Makeba. ---
**Author:** ![EdwinBirdsong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@EdwinBirdsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwinBirdsong)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/16 "2007-08-18T03:02:59Z")
Well, if this thread has begun to mention artists like Manu Dibango, I figure it’s not limited to artists that sound like Shosholoza. In that case, there is a universe of African music that is mindblowing, has been reissued, and is awaiting your attention: **Blo** /_Chapter One_: One of the finest rock-inflected African bands to emerge in the early '70s. Their first two albums are essential. \*\* Mulatu Astatke\*\*: _Mulatu of Ethiopia is a collector’s favorite, but anything by this Ethiopian jazz guru is worth getting. His music got a lot more exposure after it was used in the soundtrack to Broken Flowers. \*\* Francis Bebey_: A master of the thumb piano. Hypnotic stuff. **Ofege** /_Try and Love_: Afrobeat blended with rock and soul, and Of course it’s obvious, but not mentioning **Fela Anikulapo Kuti** in this thread would be an utter crime. Overall, was there an African musician who had a greater impact on worldwide popular music in the '60s and '70s? Fela was one of the top echelon of true musical greats, and really that’s all there is to it. \*\*Mack Sigis Porter \*\*moved to Italy and cut an album called _Peace On You_ that is one of the heaviest, most lysergic slices of Hendrix-meets-Sabbath-inspired psychedelic prog rock ever. This album used to be a $1,000 proposition, until it was recently (and thankfully) reissued. Really, I just had to make sure it was mentioned at least once on the SDMB. A few others that deserve mention: \*\*Freedom’s Children \*\*(South African psychsters) **Monomono** **Asiko** **Geraldo Pino** ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/18 "2010-06-10T08:49:23Z")
There’s a fantastic CD published by the National Geographic Society, [Voices of South Africa](http://www.amazon.co.uk/South-Africa-National-Geographic-Explorer/dp/B0002UY70W). Not only the music is great and varied, but it takes you a little into the musical history of South Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/19 "2010-06-10T22:06:54Z")
[I can’t resist.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx7KzuXz4AM) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/20 "2010-06-10T22:12:52Z")
Rachid Taha is fairly awesome. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891/21 "2010-06-10T22:40:50Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Yeah, I’m really more interested in the primitive call-and-response chorals. But I’m willing to have a look at all of it. And I have no problem with there being female voices. In fact, the original Shosholoza I heard had female callers and male responders. It was very beautiful. My favourite female voices making African sounds are [Zap Mama](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxkbipVwZv4). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-african-music/415891.md?page=2)