# Recommend some african pop! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387 "2010-01-10T12:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/1 "2010-01-10T12:48:04Z")
I’ve been listening to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E74ucVpG400)ad nauseum. A really nice, upbeat, Tanzanian pop song. Please recommend African pop songs or albums to me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/2 "2010-01-10T15:13:42Z")
If you haven’t heard [Tenariwen](http://www.myspace.com/tinariwen) I would recommend them. I gotta run, so that’s my best shot for now - however, Malian guitar work is wonderful - you hear enough bluesy feel for familiarity with a lot of cool Afro-pop / Worldbeat in it, too - I am phasing on the current players out there; the most famous guy passed a couple of years ago… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/3 "2010-01-10T15:51:59Z")
Oh yeah I’ve got a couple of Tinariwen albums. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/4 "2010-01-10T16:04:13Z")
Clem Tholet ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/5 "2010-01-10T16:08:30Z")
Hm, great guitarist from Mali … that would be Habib Koite. But he’s not dead – in fact, I have tickets to see him in March in a really nice little venue. ( **bounces around excitedly** ) I recommend Orchestra Baobab, specifically their album _Pirate’s Choice_. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/6 "2010-01-10T16:43:05Z")
In case you’re interested in a radio show rather than individual album, [The Best Ambiance](http://www.kexp.org/programming/progpage.asp?showID=2&1413=40182.75-1&96=40182.75-1&256=40182.75-2) is a weekly 3-hour set of African music on KEXP. They stream their shows in real time, and I think they also have a 2-week archive. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/7 "2010-01-10T17:09:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Hm, great guitarist from Mali … that would be Habib Koite. But he’s not dead – in fact, I have tickets to see him in March in a really nice little venue. ( **bounces around excitedly** ) > > I recommend Orchestra Baobab, specifically their album _Pirate’s Choice_. I was thinking of [Ali Farka Toure](http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060307194407479) (link to article on a world beat website)… You have recommended OB / Pirate’s Choice to me before - I gotta get me that; sorry for not acting sooner on a twicks recommendation; I just got a bunch of jazz and some rock stuff that I am trying to work through…so much music, so little time… Oh, and without trying to stir the pot, \*\*Vampire Weekend’s \*\*new CD, \*\*\*Contra \*\*\*is coming out - I really enjoy their first CD and will likely get this one. Sure, not literally African, but I like what they do with that type of sound and arrangements in their poppy songs… ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/8 "2010-01-10T18:08:06Z")
My current faves (of varying vintage) are: Mory Kante - Tatebola (more electropop than the others) Salif Keita - Soro (Great vocalist, cool songs) Shiyani Ngcobo - Introducing Shiyani Ngcobo (not really ‘pop’ but if you’re in the mood for some different guitar-playing) Tama - Nostalgie (kind of a pan-African group with cool songs) If you’re into guitar at all or just something a little different I highly recommend “The Moon and the Banana Tree”. It’s a fascinating sampler of guitarists from Madagascar. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/9 "2010-01-10T22:56:33Z")
I got some: [Femi Kuti](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpTYLQ5K9w) and his late father, [Fela Kuti](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4AA6EuZe-k) [King Sunny Ade](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fIzasVGSck) [Osibisa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psrVjP5y3q4) already mentioned: [Habib Koite and Bamada](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54Xsr0dL7H0) ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/10 "2010-01-10T23:58:36Z")
[Zap Mama](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0vfqxqugldde) ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/11 "2010-01-11T17:10:08Z")
I like [Vusi Mahlasela](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ssc_1_14?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=vusi+mahlasela&sprefix=vusi+mahlasela). He’s from South Africa. I particularly like the song “Emtini Wababe” from his first album “The Voice”. It’s about his search for his father. ---
**Author:** ![jacob\_wrestling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/76d3ee/32.png) [@jacob\_wrestling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacob_wrestling)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/12 "2010-01-11T20:02:09Z")
[Asa - Fire on the Mountain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jIhNOrVG58&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/13 "2010-01-11T20:16:45Z")
Check out the soundtrack to [Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amandla!:_A_Revolution_in_Four-Part_Harmony) ---
**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:** [January 11, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/14 "2010-01-11T22:30:20Z")
Mulatu Astatke ( **Broken Flowers** soundtrack) and Miriam Makeba (Pata Pata) have both had some commercial success here in America. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/15 "2010-01-11T22:35:40Z")
[Sparletta](http://www.delicioussparklingtemperancedrinks.net/Sparletta.html) sounds interesting. Sorry, first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title :D. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/16 "2010-01-11T23:08:22Z")
[Justin Vali Trio](http://realworldrecords.com/artists/justin-vali-trio) [Rossy](http://realworldrecords.com/catalogue/island-of-ghosts) ---
**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:** [January 12, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/17 "2010-01-12T00:28:20Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Hm, great guitarist from Mali … that would be Habib Koite. But he’s not dead – in fact, I have tickets to see him in March in a really nice little venue. ( **bounces around excitedly** ) > > I recommend Orchestra Baobab, specifically their album _Pirate’s Choice_. You’ll enjoy his concert. He played Anchorage where we saw him. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/18 "2010-01-12T04:33:21Z")
I would also highly recommend Ali Farka Toure, King Sunny Ade, Salif Keita, and Mory Kante. I one of my favorite groups is the [Bhundu Boys](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI3kV4vsggY) from Zimbabwe. I think their best album is True Jit. [Here’s more.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sY4vvUiL2Y&feature=related) For some nice soukous, try [Kanda Bongo Man.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DDVIB7zlQ0) [Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llCdNxZYmIY) plays Nigerian juju, like King Sunny Ade. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/19 "2010-01-12T07:30:14Z")
Saw [Freshlyground](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshlyground) again this weekend. They are excellent. [Pot Belly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XPl6Pb8K4I) vid. [Doo Bee Doo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLuSyqMlm_U) vid. [Nomvula](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGpRr0XlxkY) vid ---
**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:** [January 12, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-african-pop/524387/20 "2010-01-12T15:59:31Z")
Also **Diabate Toumani**.