# Recomend some good African music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578 "2010-07-30T14:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/1 "2010-07-30T14:10:46Z")
Inspired by [**scamartistry** ’s thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572605), could anyone point me in the direction of some great African music? It doesn’t matter if it’s [South African](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiB6vT5HT3U), [North African](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awm5Xhj4cq0), whatever. I’m just looking for some good jumping off points. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/2 "2010-07-30T14:29:09Z")
My three favourites - [King Sunny Ade](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXX6Sq1Kjc0) [Rossy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L7u3pvqXaE) [Justin Vali Trio](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwWCr4XatqM&feature=related) Looking forward to hearing what others recommend, too… ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/3 "2010-07-30T14:32:17Z")
My standard recommendation: Orchestra Baobab, _Pirate’s Choice_. A Senegalese band playing Cuban dance music. Irresistable. I’m a fan of compilations as exposing you to a variety of things so you can figure out what you like – Putumayo has some excellent ones, but my favorite is on a different label: _[Desert Blues 2.](http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Blues-2-Various-Artists/dp/B00006L708/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1280500297&sr=1-1)_ 1 and 3 in that series also very good. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/4 "2010-07-30T14:33:09Z")
There are samples of a variety of artists on The Africa Channel website. [http://www.theafricachannel.com/music.php](http://www.theafricachannel.com/music.php) You can sample some of the featured artists. Comcast offers the channel in my area and there are two shows I recommend: _Soundcheck at Momo’s_ and _Soundtracks at Red Kiva_. A different artist is featured for each show. Urban Massive plays a variety of contemporary videos - African Hip Hop and Jazz mainly. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/5 "2010-07-30T14:37:55Z")
[Ali Farka Touré](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Farka_Tour%C3%A9) Genius. My favourite African musician, amazing guitar player. West African, from Timbuktu in Mali. I have 5 or 6 albums and I cannot recommend his work highly enough. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/6 "2010-07-30T14:46:19Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > [Ali Farka Touré](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Farka_Tour%C3%A9) > > Genius. My favourite African musician, amazing guitar player. > > West African, from Timbuktu in Mali. I have 5 or 6 albums and I cannot recommend his work highly enough. Excellent choice. I’m a big fan of west African music: try Salif Keita, Bassekou Kouyate, and Habib Koite. Keita is more traditional, but the other two will get your feet tapping. Check YouTube for some examples. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Goliath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rex\_Goliath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Goliath)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/7 "2010-07-30T15:59:32Z")
[Tinariwen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hR6eWexxZA), a Malinese jam band with serious blues roots. Amazing, amazing stuff. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/8 "2010-07-30T16:26:03Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > [Tinariwen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hR6eWexxZA), a Malinese jam band with serious blues roots. Amazing, amazing stuff. Nice! Hadn’t heard of this group before. It’s “Malian”, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/9 "2010-07-30T16:42:22Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/Indestructible-Beat-Soweto-One/dp/B000QZSRJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1280508108&sr=8-1) is one of my favorite World Music albums. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/10 "2010-07-30T16:44:56Z")
Forgot to mention Toumani Diabate, the kora master. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/11 "2010-07-30T19:04:06Z")
Cheb Khaled from Algeria is [just wonderful](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mIYnwwB__g&feature=related)! ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/12 "2010-07-30T20:42:05Z")
Femi Kuti and his father Fela have lots of interesting music. [Femi Kuti - Truth Don’t Die](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg8u9RTorSw) [Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdV1V4vPPLI&a=GxdCwVVULXc6xZlsb_XkpeUst783-lTQ) (link leads to autoplay playlist, not all of which is Fela) ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/13 "2010-08-01T20:34:03Z")
[Vieux Farka Toure](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYi89cvr3w) - Ali Farka Toure’s son. [Shiyani Ngcobo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JxQaayRlQ) - very distinct driving guitar style. [The Moon and the Banana Tree](http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Banana-Tree-Various-Artists/dp/B000000E3V) - Sampler of guitarists from Madagascar ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Like\_Tears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Time\_Like\_Tears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Like_Tears)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/14 "2010-08-01T21:02:52Z")
Try [Freshlyground](http://www.freshlyground.com/), they’re a South African group with a rather nice blend of styles. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/15 "2010-08-02T09:11:23Z")
Malian music is quite famous, and rightly so. There are suggestions in the thread already, and a quick youtube search will probably give you more. Senegalese is great, too. I really like Ethiopian music. The [Ethiopiques compilation series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopiques) is really, really good. [Youtube sample](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ethiopiques&aq=f). [Tsegué-Maryam Guébrou](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvkNBEftQWo) plays hauntingly beautiful solo piano. ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/16 "2010-08-02T12:17:40Z")
[Angelique Kidjo](http://www.kidjo.com/) is from Benin. Saw her as an opening act for DMB, and was fantastic. Of course, all the stoners didn’t think so… ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/17 "2010-08-03T00:33:46Z")
> [@Shecky](#): > > [Angelique Kidjo](http://www.kidjo.com/) is from Benin. Saw her as an opening act for DMB, and was fantastic. Of course, all the stoners didn’t think so… Love her. What a crystal-clear voice! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/18 "2010-08-04T14:17:39Z")
Try to find the soundtrack for **Broken Flowers** , a Bill Murray movie from a few years back. It has a wonderful Ethiopian Jazz compilation; Mulatu Astatke is the one I recall most vividly. I also kinda like Miriam Makeba,especially “Pata Pata.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recomend-some-good-african-music/548578/19 "2010-08-04T14:19:12Z")
Try to find the soundtrack for **Broken Flowers** , a Bill Murray movie from a few years back. It has a wonderful Ethiopian Jazz compilation; Mulatu Astatke is the one I recall most vividly. I also kinda like Miriam Makeba,especially “Pata Pata.”