As part of the 651 Arts series of performance-interviews conducted by artists of artists, world renowned South African horn-player, composer and vocalist Hugh Masekela will interview American-Rwandan and -Ugandan jazz vocalist and songwriter Somi. As a special treat, Masekela will sit in with Somi as she performs her new work If The Rains Come First.

Continue reading "651 Arts brings African culture to Brooklyn - hosting Hugh Masekela & Somi (tonight)"

African guitar god Diblo Dibala makes a rare appearance at SOB's in NYC tonight (12/23). Tickets are still available. Get ready to dance. Learn some moves in the videos below...

Continue reading "Diblo Dibala is here! (SOB's tonight) (check out these videos) "

by Andrew Frisicano

Tinariwen @ (Le) Poisson Rouge in April (more by Tim Griffin)

Malian band Tinariwen recently won the 2009 Uncut Music Award for best album (given by Uncut Mag) for their record Imidiwan:Companions. The 11 member jury, which included Billy Bragg and Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, voted the album the "most inspiring and rewarding" of the past 12 months over the seven other entries including Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors. For a better idea of the sizable competition, the shortlist of nominees is below.

Tinariwen, who made a good impression at Coachella and played NYC's LPR both in April, will be coming to North American this February. The trip includes a pair of NYC shows: they return to Highline Ballroom on February 18th and then play a rare Brooklyn show (their first?) at The Bell House on February 19th. Ticket info TBA.

Also coming to the Highline in 2010 will be Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traore for a show on Saturday, April 17th, as part of the World Music Institute Presents: Songs of Mali series. Tickets are on sale. World Music Institute will also bring Nigarian juju legend King Sunny Ade to the Highline Ballroom on April 9th. Tickets are on sale.

For Rokia, the Highline show is somewhat of a makeup show after her Summer 2009 tour was cancelled.

On Friday, March 26th another Music of Mali show will happen with Bassekou Kouyate (who play the ngoni, a West African lute) at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall. That'll be the New York debut of his band and Mali's "first ngoni quartet," Ngoni ba. Tickets are on sale now.

Videos of all four with the Uncut shortlist and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Tinariwen win an award, announce tour dates ++ upcoming King Sunny Ade, Rokia Traore & Bassekou Kouyate shows too"

words & photos & by Jacob Blickenstaff

New Africa Live presented a concert at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on Saturday (4/11). The show featured a short film by Nikyatu Jusu, a solo acoustic set from Meta Dia and a full set from Thrill Jockey artists Extra Golden (who are on tour).

Unfortunately I missed the film, but the opening set from Senegal to Brooklyn transplant Meta provided a warm introduction to the evening. Normally seen with his full band, the Cornerstones, Meta played solo accompanying himself on a slightly mistuned guitar. He operated in a stripped down musical space easily comparable to Marley's "Redemption Song" : roots reggae delivered with a rich and engaging voice.

Headliners Extra Golden took the stage quickly afterwards, ripping straight in to their highly charged Kenyan/Afrobeat/sometimes rock creations. To break down the sound: 2 guitars (Ian Eagleson house left) in an interweaving dual lead with Alex Minoff who occasionally employed slide, bassist (not listed on the album) clawing bubbly arpeggiate figures, drummer Onyango Wuod Omari attacking the toms and hi-hat with octopus-like dexterity (sometimes taking lead vocal from the drummers chair) and Onyango Jogwari, vocalist, as the energy center of the proceedings.

Speaking of energy, there was initially some disconnect between the band and audience - LPR was set up in goth-cabaret mode with tables, chairs and food runners a-running. Extra Golden was rocking off-the hook and Onyago Jagwari, with a longing to connect, encouraged a mini seating rebellion several times which was finally successful for the last 2 songs.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Extra Golden & Meta @ Le Poisson Rouge, NYC - pics"

photos by Lori Baily

Live, the fusionish nature of the music become apparent very quickly. The benga influence is indeed obvious, with the group's three guitarists playing catchy melodies in syncopated, danceable rhythms. But the rock came through aggressively as well, with fuzzed-out guitar solos (and even a heavy dose of wah-wah in the latter half of "Obama") making numerous appearances. Maybe this just betrays my cultural bias, but these moments when the rock influences were clearest, such as strident distorted guitar lines dissolving elegantly back into staccato benga melodies, were easily my favorite parts of the show. [Washington City Paper]

Sunday, August 3 at 2 - 9pm
American Express Roots Music Series
AFRICAN GUITAR FESTIVAL

Our annual all-day festival of food, clothing crafts, and music from across the continent features a stellar lineup, led by Zimbabwe's deeply soulful national treasure OLIVER MTUKUDZI and heirs to the Malian music throne HABIB KOITÉ & BAMADA and DABY TOURÉ. YOSSI FINE's funk-infused pan African approach and EXTRA GOLDEN, who combine traditional Kenyan Benga with indie rock, complete our most eclectic African festival ever.

2:30pm Extra Golden
3:30pm Yossi Fine & Afrikan Bass
4:40pm Daby Touré
6:00pm Habib Koité & Bamada
7:30pm Oliver Mtukudzi & Black Spirits

Continue reading "Extra Golden played KF (pics), African Guitar Fest is Sunday"

photos by Ryan Muir

This post is the last in a three-part series on a free show that happened at Central Park Summerstage in NYC on June 14th. It started with Vampire Weekend. Then came Kid Sister. And now the very-first opener of that show: Born Ruffians.

This post is also a reminder that this Saturday's free show at the very same location features none other than Vieux Farka Toure. Last year the son of the legendary Ali Farka played a show outside Grace Plaza on 6th Ave and 43rd Street at 12:30 in the afternoon, so he's moving up in the world. Exact details:

Vieux Farka Toure
Fallou Dieng
Kaleta & Zozo Afrobeat
DJ Sirak

Saturday, June 28, 2008
From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage
West Africa shines in this dynamic line-up featuring superstars from Mali, Senegal and Nigeria.

Continue reading "Summerstage - Born Ruffians pics & free Vieux Farka Toure "

Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese Afro-Cuban, Son, and Pachanga band. Organized in 1970, as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band, Orchestre Baobab adapted the then current craze for Cuban Music (growing out of the Congolese Soukous style) in West Africa to Wolof Griot culture and the Mandinga musical traditions of the Casamance. One of the dominant African bands of the 1970s, they were overshadowed in the 1980s and broke up, only to reform in 2001 after interest in their recordings grew in Europe. [Wikipedia]

Continue reading "Orchestra Baobab - 2008 Tour Dates (2 free NYC shows)"

DOWNLOAD: Extra Golden - Obama (MP3)

Extra Golden is a band that started as an inter-continental collaboration between Kenyan and American musicians. The music they've developed over two albums is of a style all their own, an innovative combination of east African benga guitar pop and American . This will be the band's second US tour, and their first time visiting much of the country, including the south and west coast. Their latest album Hera Ma Nono was released last fall...

When WFMU was first presented with the ability to put on some free NYC concerts via the New York State Music Fund grant, the obvious first notion was "who would we like to see in NYC that has never played before?" So we wound up the ball and sent the pitch over to Lincoln Center's Bill Bragin: how about Holland's greatest punk exports the Ex coming over (which they have in the past on many occasions), but this time bringing over some of their great international musician friends? The ones only Europe usually gets to see (or Ethiopia, if you happen to be there when the Ex make their fabled stops). We passed contacts to Lincoln Center, Terrie Ex got in touch with his fellow travelers, and then the ball was knocked outta the park in a severe way. The result? Lincoln Center's Out of Doors series in collaboration with WFMU's grant giving you all the chance to see the US debut of a major international collaboration for free at Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park Bandshell on West 62nd Street at Amsterdam in Manhattan, Wednesday, August 20th from 6-10 PM. Yes, free. No advance ticketing. On the bill:

The Ex with Gétatchèw Mèkurya (renowned Ethiopian saxophone legend), and if that weren't enough, Lincoln Center added two amazing East African/American collaborations to the bill: Either/Orchestra with Mahmoud Ahmed and Alèmayèhu Eshèté, plus Extra Golden. [WFMU]

Continue reading "Extra Golden - 2008 tour dates, free shows, The Ex & WFMU"

CHARITY ROUTING CHANGED:
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO ETHIOPIA, KENYA,
INDIA, BANGLADESH, AND SOME OTHER PLACES
THAT I PROBABLY COULD NEVER SPELL CORRECTLY,
BY 4X4 IN BETWEEN THOSE SAID CITIES

JUST KEEPIN WHO'S INTERESTED, IN THE LOOP HERE-

JUST BOUGHT ALL MY FLIGHTS
AND SENT MY 8 PASSPORT PHOTOS+PASSPORT FOR VISA'S
+ I GET ALL MY VACCINE SHOTS + MALARIA ETC. PILLS NEXT WEEK

HEADING OUT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THANKS FOR YALL'S GOOD WORDS
MAKES ME FEEL A LOT LESS ANXIOUS TO TRAVEL,
WITH SUCH DISTASTE FOR AMERICAN POLICY.....

AIGHT.
KEEP IT TIGHT.
XX
C

Continue reading "Cat Power to Africa soon, presale now"