Johnny Copeland "Bringin' It All Back Home" 1985***

Johnny Copeland was part of a long line of Texas bluesmen. He grew up in Houston's Third Ward ghetto, and apprenticed as a guitarist next to the "master of the Telecaster" Albert Collins. Who was in turn introduced to the guitar at an early age by his cousin Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins. Who learnt his craft as a child by accompanying Blind Lemon Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Blind Lemon's own teacher is not recorded - after all we are now talking about the dawn of the gramophone age. But I'm sure that if could follow that line down to its beginning, we'd inevitably arrive to Africa. So, when Copeland finally became the first American bluesman to record an album in that continent, a name like Bringin' It All Back Home made complete sense. By that time, Copeland had spent more than 3 decades playing the blues, garnering a reputation as a performer in the chitlin' circuit, but remaining unnoticed by mainstream audiences until he moved to New York and signed with folk label Rounder Records in the early 80's. I don't know what prompted him to tour the Ivory Coast, but he obviously found some kindred spirits there who introduced him to the prevailing local styles, while he in turn introduced them to electric blues. As he said in a interview at the time "I could tell the roots of the blues comes from there. They mostly understood the Delta Blues. They was expecting it to be all slow blues. But we surprised them and had the kids up dancin' on the stage. We were more uplifting than the Delta Blues they'd heard". Opener "Kasavubu" is certainly an uplifting tune, full of Afro-Cuban dance rhythms and funky sax. "The Jungle" is a more typical R&B piece, featuring some fine electric guitar. "Ngoto" is a cover of a local hit by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo of Benin, embellished with funky horns and stinging blues licks. Side 1 closes with an excerpt of "Djeli, Djeli Blues", an instrumental by the Guinean kora master Djeli Mousa Diawara. For those not familiar with the instrument, the kora is a stringed instrument that is exclusive to West Africa. It typically has 21 strings, each of which plays a different note. At the right hands, it produces gorgeous arpeggios, similar to playing flamenco on a harp - if that makes sense. As this was way before "world music" came into fashion, Copeland must have heard it for the first time during his tour of the region, and was so enchanted by its sound that he asked Djeli Mousa to be a guest at his record. For some reason, the recording was cut in two: part one fades out at the end of Side 1, while part two opens Side 2. It's then followed by "Abidjan", a funky instrumental with a rhumba beat. Back to more familiar sounds, "Bozalimalamu" and "Same Thing" are tasteful electric blues, while the album closes with an interesting reggae-ish instrumental called "Conakry", combining masterful electric guitar and some kind of African percussion that sounds like a slightly stoned woodpecker pecking on wood. All in all, Bringin' It All Back Home is mostly notable as an interesting experiment. Nowadays, there are all kinds of collaborative albums by African and Western musicians, but that all begun after the prominent Paul Simon collaboration with South African musicians on Graceland (1986). Compared to that, Bringin' It All Back Home went relatively unnoticed, and largely unheralded for its innovation. Truth be told, the mixing of styles isn't always successful; most songs are either blues with a few African instruments, or African music with jazz and funk touches. Rarely, the two styles combine to produce something genuinely new. The result is nevertheless never less than enjoyable, thanks to the musicians' playing. While the African instruments add the necessary color, Copeland's guitar is the star, while special mention must be made to the saxophonists - whether the plaudits should be directed to alto sax Koffi Assalé or tenor sax Bert McGowan (or both) I don't know; to my shame (well, not really shame, more like slight embarrassment) I can't always tell the difference between the sound of the two instruments; anyway, there's some very cool sax playing involved. Johnny Copeland would go on to gain increasing recognition, including a Grammy award for a collaborative album with his mentor Albert Collins and (then) rising star Robert Cray. Unfortunately, the congenital heart condition which he suffered from, finally claimed his life just as he hit 60. But that line we talked about, the line which started in Africa and has included so many blues giants, is still going strong: his daughter Shemekia is undeniably one of the best female blues singers and guitarists that this century has produced so far.

**** for Kasavubu, Abidjan, Conakry

*** for The Jungle, Ngote, Djeli, Djeli Blues, Bozalimalamu, Same Thing

Assagai "Zimbabwe" 1971***

Assagai (the word means "spear" in Zulu language) were formed in England, but are rightly considered an African group: most of them came from South Africa, with the addition of two Nigerians (bassist Charles Ononogbo and guitarist Fred Coker) and guest percussionist/vocalist Theresa "Terri" Quaye, a British-born Ghanaian. Nevertheless, for the recording of this album, they had some unlikely collaborators in all-too-white prog rockers Jade Warrior, with whom they shared a manager and record label: Vertigo was Philips/Phonogram's prog rock subsidiary. Assagai weren't just the label's only African band, they were their only black artists - unless you count Black Sabbath. The album cover by Roger Dean, who was famous for his work for the likes of Yes and Uriah Heep, was beautiful, but combined with their choice of label could be misleading as to the record's musical content. Zimbabwe is Assagai's second album in the space of one year, as well as their last. The album title is not a reference to the same-named country, simply because it didn't exist at the time. Until 1980, in its place there existed a white-dominated racist state called Rhodesia. Nevertheless, there used to be a thriving medieval kingdom called Zimbabwe in the area, to which black South Africans felt some kinship. This album wasn't recorded under the best circumstances, as Coker had just left the band to join their more successful Afro-rock rivals, Osibisa. Assagai subsequently dissolved; they had a brief moment in the spotlight when Afro Rock seemed like it could be the next big thing, what with Osibisa's success and Cream's Ginger Baker trying to promote African music to rock audiences. But Assagai band members were not interest in pursuing a career in rock anyway, they were jazz musicians who loved to jam and to play music for dancing. This is best exemplified on the songs bookending Zimbabwe: "Baranzibar" and "Kinzambi" are two terrific jazz funk instrumentals that remind me of Santana, although only the latter features a (short) guitar solo. With the exception of one ballad, the album is saturated by constant polyrhythmic drumming: drums, congas, and various percussions played very fast. Next to drummer Louis Moholo, the real stars here are the horn players: primarily alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, but also tenor saxophonist Bizo Mngqikana and Mongezi Feza on trumpet and flute. The flute gives a proggier shade to Afro-funk instrumental "Sanga", as well as "Wanga" and "Come Along". The latter two numbers are still very rhythmic but sweeter, with melodic singing. Throughout the album, one can hardly discern any English words; whether the rest is some African language or just wordless vocalizing I couldn't say. Many members are credited as vocalists, which means that, next to Terri, the guys also sing in a pretty high register. "La La" is an introspective ballad that sounds like the work of a different band, maybe a West Coast psychedelic one. "Dalani" is a funky instrumental with nice piano, and "Bayeza" another Afro-Latin-sounding piece. The music here doesn't belong to any single genre: there's the exotic element of the congas, jazzy sax solos, proggy flute, funky bass and horns - as for the vocals, I don't know what to make of them: on "La La" and -partly- on "Come Along" you're reminded of 60's psychedelic folk, then, just when you think you recognize the influence of South African choirs, you realize it sounds more like Native American chanting. No wonder The Guardian presented this as part of a series called The 101 strangest records on Spotify. It is strange, but also compelling - and entertaining, especially the more straight-ahead jazz-funk instrumentals. The album was reissued on vinyl in 1975 under a different title (AfroRock), and more recently in CD and limited LP editions.

**** for Baranzibar, La La, Dalani, Come Along, Kinzambi

*** for Wanga, Bayeza, Sanga

Oliver De Coque & His Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super Of Africa "Self-titled" A.K.A. "Omumu Onye Nzoputa (Jesu Kristi)" 1983****

My girlfriend visited Nigeria for work-related reasons. Unfortunately I wasn't able to join her, but I did burden her with a mission: to visit a legendary Lagos record shop, and bring something back. I had a list of  (mostly impossibly rare) records for her to search, but she was to ask the clerks for suggestions and trust her own instinct on which of these to follow. The only other instruction I gave her was "No Fela Kuti". I love Fela's music, but I can find a dozen of so of his records in my neighborhood record shop at any given time. I wanted something that locals listen to. This vintage store, called the Jazzhole, sells records, CDs, books, and African art, and serves coffee and small treats as well. It is a small cultural oasis in that bustling metropolis of  20+ million people (Africa's biggest city and, according to predictions, on the way to becoming the world's biggest one). My partner was quite pleased with the atmosphere and friendly service, and she left with a couple of old vinyl records and a couple of CD's for me. The state of the LP's, both vinyl and album cover, was quite sorry but they both turned out to be so wonderful to listen to that a bit of crackle was not much of a turn-off. I understand that African record owners may not treat vinyl with the reverence we music collectors in the northern hemisphere do. 

I nevertheless like the fact that these records travelled to me directly from Nigeria rather than bought online from a London or Paris warehouse. Regarding Oliver De Coque, his was a name I had never heard of. It turns out that he's a real bigshot in the Nigerian highlife music scene, and considered to be Africa's most prolific recording artist, having arguably recorded 93 albums until his death in 2008. Highlife is described in the dictionary as "dance music of west African origin that combines syncopated African rhythms with elements of jazz". It started in Ghana, and featured a lot of horns as well as that nimble guitar sound one hears overall in West Africa. Its Nigerian counterpart incorporated local traditional music, and seems to be more percussion- than brass- dominated. In time, it branched in different directions: the juju and (funkier) Afro-beat styles are characterized by the asymmetrical drumming of the yoruba musical tradition, while the so-called Igbo Highlife style is more closely affiliated with - well, obviously the other big tribe of South Nigeria, the igbo. Oliver De Cocque is considered to be one of the most important artists in the latter style. Judging from what I've heard here, his style is quite different to Afro-beat, which is, thanks to Fela's international success, what most of us would recognize as Nigerian music. De Coque's music is much more relaxed, featuring intricate guitarwork over a laid-back rumba rhythm. The guitar style and Afro-cuban influence reminded me of Congolese music, as well as another favorite West African band, Orchestra Baobab. So it made immediate sense to learn that De Coque had a Congolese guitar teacher. He was taught guitar at the age of 11, but made his first record in 1977, at the age of 30. As I mentioned earlier, his later productivity more than made up for this late start. This particular 1983 album sports only the band moniker Oliver De Coque & His Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super Of Africa on the cover, so it is sometimes refered to as Self-titled or, from the title of the first track, as Omumu Onye Nzoputa (Jesu Kristi). I guess by the title that it's (at least partly) religion-themed. A lot of African music is of spiritual character, be it Christian, Muslim, or traditional African in nature. (UPDATE: According to this blog, it's Christmas-themed, i.e. about the actual birth of Jesus Christ, not about chestnuts roasting on an open fire or whatever passes as Christmas in the Northern hemisphere). Each side of this LP is comprised by two songs and lasts for about 20 minutes overall. To be honest, it's impossible to tell where one song ends and the next begins. When I transferred the LP into MP3, I had to arbitrarily split each side where I saw fit. Speaking Igbo might have helped, but as you probably have guessed, I don't. Well, I don't know if this is a typical sample of igbo highlife or not, but I like it a lot: the vocal harmonies, the percussive instuments (which I can only suppose include the traditional ogene bells - not that I'd recognize their sound), and -above all- De Coque's masterful guitar playing. No sign of horns here, even though they're supposed to be a dominant element in highlife orchestras. The cover of the album with the singer posing like a king dressed in traditional dress and holding a scepter, is certainly typical of him; he was known as a colorful and flamboyant character in life. Another entertaing element is the inscription in the lower corner of the back cover. It goes like this: "Warning against Piracy: This time Olumo Records will leave no stone unturned. This time Oliver De Cocque and our company have sent out a full force security to look out for any person or group of persons who engage in the act of pirating our records, and report has been made to Police Headquarters. This company as well as the artiste are therefore committed to use every force in their disposal to fight and bring anybody caught to the Court of Law for prosecution". Now, I've read warnings against piracy elsewhere but never as emphatic as this. I believe it, too. I can just picture De Coque's henchmen checking Lagos' countless open markets for pirated cassettes, ready to drag the wrongdoers to justice. Seeing as the artist is dead and the the original album is long out of print, I will take my chances and post download links for you, because it's certainly worth hearing. But I'll be looking over my shoulder, for sure. You never know, maybe De Coque's enforcers are still on the loose.

**** for Omumu Onye Nzoputa (Jesu Kristi), Olu Ebube Nke Onye Nweayi, Odenigbo United Industrial Harp Club Of Nigeria, Enibe Uzo Nibe Efi

Thione Seck "Orientissime" 2005***

Thione Seck may be, next to Youssou N'Dour, one of Senegal's most popular singers but he remains relatively unknown in (what we think of as) the West - which is, to be exact, the North, seeing as Senegal lies to the west of Europe's westernmost point. He served as the lead singer of Orchestra Baobab (1973-1979) but left to front his own band, missing out on the international recognition that came with the release of their Pirates' Choice album in '89. He belongs to the griot caste, West Africa's hereditary troubadours and keepers of oral tradition - his great-grandfather was a court musician for the legendary Wolof king Lat Dior. He usually plays in the popular mbalax style rather than the Cubano-Congolese rumba of Baobab, but this album finds him transcending his roots and fusing West African music with Arabic and Indian melodies. The Arabic influence comes naturally, due to the proximity with the Maghreb as well as Seck's position in the Muslim Murid brotherhood. Apparently, Indian music reached him through the Bollywood film industry whose products were quite popular in Dakar's movie theaters when he was young.

Seck before a Bollywood poster in Dakar

All the songs are credited to Seck, many of them being complete reworkings of previous hits he had with his regular band Raam Daan. The mix is natural and arrangements expertly realized: The backing vocalists are a typical African detail, Seck's smooth and languorous vocals (sung in Wolof) isn't a far cry from Arabic singing, with oriental melodies often played by soaring violins, and Indian music scales prevail. Likewise the instrumentation is mixed: we get the local  xalam lute and sabar drums, Indian tablas and sitars and Arabian oud. "Assalo" is the most Indian-sounding piece thanks to the sitar and guest vocalist Bombay Jay. Egyptian singer Rehab graces two songs here: "Yaye" and "Woyatina". Apparently Seck was impressed with the success of Natasha Atlas' amalgam of Oriental and pop sounds, and wanted to incorporate some of that in his album. While she doubtless has a wonderful voice, I'm more attracted to the Arabian strings, both in these tracks as well as the opener "Siiw", atmospheric closer "Mapenda" and percussion-driven "Blain Djigueul". "Manmignoul" also sports beautiful violin and (flute?) solos. "Mouhamadou Bamba", previously also recorded by Orchestra Baobab, retains the chorus of that version but it's slower with a more passionate and spiritual lead vocal as befits its religious text. "Ballago" is another highlight, featuring wistful sitar and sweet female backing vocals while "Djirim" and "Doom" are among the more upbeat tunes, despite lyrics dealing with suffering children and poverty. The latter is the only song with horns, and the closest to Orchestra Baobab's Afro-Cuban style. Orientissime was a relative commercial success with the "World Music" audience, coming on the heels of other successful syncretic attempts (the Irish/techno/African grooves of Afro Celt Sound System, Afro-flamenco amalgam of Songhai, Afro-Blues collaboration between Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder, etc.). To be honest, I'm somewhat skeptical about these transcontinental mixtures. I like the fact that musicians from different cultures create music together, but I'm apprehensive of disparate traditions merging into a musical mush that borrows from everywhere without being rooted anywhere. Not that this is the case here, mind you. But neither is this a good entry point to African music - more like an interesting, pleasant-sounding, experiment.

**** for Siiw, Assalo, Djirim, Ballago, Doom, Manmignou, Blain Djigueul, Mapenda

*** for Yaye, Woyatina, Mouhamadou Bamba

** for Mouhahibou

Orchestra Baobab "Pirates Choice: The Legendary 1982 Session" 1989(released)*****

I listened to this album when it first came out even though -like most people in the late 80's- I wasn't hip to "world music". It didn't exist as a genre yet - hell it doesn't exist as a genre now, it's just as a label for everything that's not anglo pop. Anyway, it helps to at least have hip friends even if you're not, and my best friend (later a music journalist) taped it for me. I was blown away right from the start by the relaxed dance groove, mellow sax and -above all- by Barthelemy Attisso's fluid guitar arpeggios. Not having another frame of reference at the time, I thought of him as the African J.J. Cale. I think that was just because of the laid-back groove though, since I don't discern any country or blues influences, the music is purely a mix of African and Cuban elements. Orchestra Baobab came together in 1970 as the house band of Dakar's exclusive Baobab club, and have different ethnic backgrounds: Attisso comes from Togo, drummer Mountaga Koité and sax player Issa Cissokho are (East Senegalese and Malian, respectively) Mandinka hereditary griots. Of the singers, Ndiounga Dieng belongs to the main Senegalese ethnic group Wolof, while Rudy Gomis and Balla Sidibe (the latter also plays timbales) come from Casamance, a region near the Guinea Bissau border with a strong Portuguese influence. They were very popular in the mid-70's and in high demand as entertainers, although by the time of this recording their Cuban rhythms were starting to fall out of favor with Dakar's club crowd who preferred the funkier style of younger bands like (Youssou N'Dour's) Étoile de Dakar. These recordings come from a 1982 studio session, recorded live without overdubs, and were originally circulated in cassette and limited LP form. By the time they were discovered by World Circuit and re-released under the title "Pirates Choice" the band had disbanded. It took the second re-release (in 2001, when the "world music" fad had caught on for good) for the band to return to active duty, make more records and tour the world. I saw them soon after in Athens (on a double bill with Salif Keita) and they were still amazing. The CD starts with a couple of laid-back rumbas ("Utru Horas" and "Coumba") sung by Rudy Gomis in creole Portuguese and French, respectively. The next two tracks ("Ledi Ndieme M'bodj", "Werente Serigne") are sung by Dieng in Wolof, and are more upbeat. "Ray Mbele" features yet another lead singer in Medoune Diallo and sounds unmistakably Cuban - except for the language, of course. The original album closer was the slow, almost wistful, "Soldadi", apparently based on a traditional Casamance tune. This CD edition adds alternate versions of "Utru Horas" and "Coumba", while the 2001 re-release (with a different cover) added a whole CD with 6 more songs recorded during the same sessions. That latest edition is still in print and easy to find, not exactly a "buried treasure" even though it was awarded that status by Mojo Magazine. Well, "buried" or not, a musical treasure it certainly is. Highly recommended, whether you like African, Jazz, or Latin music - or even if you're an out-and-out rock fan as I was when I first heard it.

***** for Utru Horas, Coumba, Werente Serigne, Ray Mbele

**** for Ledi Ndieme M'bodjm, Soldadi, Utru Horas (Alternate Take), Coumba (Alternate Take)

Manu Dibango "the very best of African Soul" 1967-1994(rec) 1997(comp)****

Upon hearing of the demise of an artist I liked, I've often felt the need to play their records at home and write a short piece in my blog. But after a few times (I posted relevant album presentations for Lemmy, David Bowie and few others) I decided to stop because the deaths were happening too fast for me to keep up, and the blog was in danger of turning into a series of obituaries. I still play the deceased's music at home, and then add their names to my end-of-the-year R.I.P. list. I decided to make an exception this time for Manu Dibango, not because I'm such a big fan but because he's one of the more famous musicians who fell victims to the coronavirus COVID-19 which keeps us all quarantined at home, and which monopolizes the news. So here it is:

Emmanuel N’Djoké (Manu) Dibango was born in (then French) Cameroon in 1933 and picked up the saxophone in France where his family had sent him to study. He played in many clubs in France, and later Belgium where he fell in with the numerous Congolese community (Congo still being a Belgian colony at the time) and joined one of the most popular African bands of the time, African Jazz. Upon return to Paris in the 60's he started working for French pop star Nino Ferrer while perfecting his own style, moving from Congolese rumba towards a mix of jazz, soul, and African music. The oldest tracks here come from 1967 and include an instrumental version of Nino Ferrer's "Je Veux Etre Noir (I want to be black)". Other instrumentals from that year include "Hot Chicken", "Wouri" and the organ driven "From Congo". It's all more or less typical 60's jazz soul featuring Dibango not only on sax but also on Hammond organ. Opener "Dikalo" (also from 1967) is quite different, a heavy funk number similar to the dance hits that were to follow in the 70's. Of course this version is remixed, which could be one of the reasons it sounds much more modern than the other contemporary tunes here. From 1968 there's a soul tune combining his Jimmy Smith-style organ with Carolyn-Aretha's sister-Franklin's considerable vocal talent. 1969's "Soul Machine" is another groovy sax/organ instrumental and the last of the 60's tunes. Then, we enter the 70's with a bang: On 1972's "Soul Makossa" Dibango isn't imitating American Soul anymore. No more Hammond, he's inventing his own sound featuring super funky rhythms,  ad-libbed vocals in his native Duala language ("makossa" means "I dance") and hot sax. This time it was the Americans who appropriated his music: Kool & The Gang admittedly tried to copy his sound on "Jungle Boogie" and other hits, Micheal Jackson used the song's refrain in his Thriller LP, etc. The song was a huge hit in the US, and Dibango toured the States extensively but Africa was calling him back, so he relocated to the Ivory Coast for some time. There he recorded in 1977 two of these songs: "Big Blow" was another massive hit in discos around the world, while "Bayam Sellam" is jazzy and more laid-back but still danceable. The musical journey across the world continues with 2 tracks recorded in Jamaica in 1979 featuring the famous rhythm section of Sly and Robbie. It's a great piece of world fusion merging jazz, pop, African and Caribbean influences. His latest period (the CD booklet, neatly distinguishing the enclosed music in 5 periods, entitles it "The Hats Off Years") is represented here by 3 tracks: 1985's "Douala Serenade" is a cool jazz piece, while 1990's "Senga Abélé" mixes his typical makossa sound with acid jazz and rap and 1994's "Wakafrika" incorporates more African elements as he collaborates with French-African drummer Manu Katché and traditional musicians playing instruments like the kora, bellaphone and n'goni. All in all, this is a very good introduction to the artist: it covers many years and different styles (only his early soukous are missing, but this was before he developed his personal style), contains the greatest hits and has a nice, informative, booklet. 

***** for Soul Makossa, Big Blow, Wakafrika

**** for Dikalo, Hot Chicken, Douala Serenade, Bayam Sellam, Goro City, Choc 'N' Soul, Senga Abele (Lion Roar)

*** for Soul Machine, Je Veux Etre Noir, Sunday Morning, From Congo, Wouri

Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck "Djam Leelii" 1984(recorded) 1989(released)****

Musicians play an important role in West African culture, so it's no wonder that that region of the world has produced some of the so-called world music superstars. Since the Middle Ages, hereditary troubadours called griots are much more than entertainers, also playing the role of historian/storyteller, educator and political commentator. Rarely does someone born outside the musician's caste assume this role. Blind singer/guitarist Mansour Seck was a griot born and raised, but his friend and (subsequently) more famous counterpart Baaba Maal was born into the fisherman's caste. Maal's family wanted on him to transcend his humble beginnings and helped him enrol in Law School, but he'd never graduate. His love for music won out and he eventually struck a partnership with his friend Mansour that in 1984 took them as far as Paris where they entered a recording studio to make a record -actually a cassette- album that would become a hit with the African diaspora. 

5 years later it was released internationally on CD and vinyl under the title "Djam Leelii", gaining wide critical recognition. Maal would go on to become a world/pop crossover star, experiment with reggae, pop, soul and electronic sounds and collaborate with Western musicians. But "Djam Leelii" is strictly traditional music, two voices and acoustic guitars with discrete backing by percussion, electric guitar, kora and balafon. It's an album of gentle, hypnotic music, fluid guitars and mourning vocals. Among my favourite songs are the slow and melancholic "Djam Leelii" and "Lam Tooro". Very emotional and wistful playing and singing - I'm told the latter deals with the sorrow of forced migration, being forced by the harsh weather and political conditions to leave everything and everyone you know behind and travel to strange and unwelcoming destinations. The lyrics are all written in the Pulaar language, and there are no English translations on the web, but it seems that exile and immigration is the central theme to the album, ergo the English title appended to later reissues "Djam Leelii: The Adventurers". Somehow we Europeans think that these people very naturally and gladly exchange their homeland, friends and family for the "luxurious" living in the ghettos of the grey and cloudy cities of the North. Even more absurdly, we think that closing our borders to them will render us safer and more affluent. But anyway, don't let me give you the impression it's a depressing record. Next to the spiritual and sorrowful tunes there are enough uplifting, rumba-like, pieces which provide some of the album highlights ("Maacina Tooro", "Salminanam", "Kettodee"). If you like African sounds, acoustic guitars or just atmospheric music, this is an album you're sure to enjoy...

***** for Lam Tooro, Salminanam, Maacina Tooro, Djam Leelii

**** for Loodo, Sehilam, Kettodee

*** for Muudo Hormo, Bibbe Leydy

Blk Jks "After Robots" 2009****

Wikipedia lists 13 bands in the category South African indie rock groups and another 17 in the category  South African alternative rock groups. Interestingly, based on the photos provided, all except one are white. Blk Jks is the one exception. Could it be that black South Africans resent rock because it is the music of their "former" oppressors? Or is this the result of the cultural ban from the West during the appartheid years? It didn't seem to stop white South Africans from keeping up with the latest developments in rock. Maybe African culture is just rooted too deep for other influences to survive in its shadow. But, in the case of the Blk Jks, survive they did: Besides the traditional African  music influences, traces of indie, new wave, funk and prog rock combine to create a unique musical amalgam often compared to TV on the Radio. Songs alternate between styles and languages (English, Zulu, and Xhosa) and confound music journalists in their attempt to pigeonhole them. Opener "Molalatladi" is the stand-out track and, in its vocals and structure, overtly African. Yes, the spidery guitars come from the Santana/Hendrix rock tradition, but we've seen that before with African bands, most notably Tinariwen and their Malian brethren. "Banna Ba Modimo" is more adventurous, combining Mars Volta's grungy prog with Balkan horns and even a short rap. I'm not sure whether I like it, but I can't help but admire the ambition behind it. "Standby" is their most user-friendly piece yet, an indie rock ballad, sung in English. "Lakeside" is more accomplished, a proggy piece reminiscent of Radiohead. It brought the band unexpected fame (and money, I hope) when it was included in the EA's FIFA 10 Playstation/PC Game. "Taxidermy" features falsetto vocals, noisy guitars and drumming that momentarily gel together only to disintegrate again in chaos. "Kwa Nqingetje" is an almost experimental atmospheric piece and "Skeleton" a dub/funk combination with prominent horns and loud guitars. "Cursor" is a slow and sprawling indie-dub while "Tselane" takes us full circle to Africa. This time, though, it's simplicity itself: just hypnotic vocals and acoustic guitars, providing a much-needed respite from the dense sounds that preceded it. At the time of its circulation, "After Robots" received rave reviews, but (if I'm not mistaken) sold rather poorly. Maybe it was too complicates for the general public. Or maybe it wasn't properly promoted by the record company. In any case, it seems to have disappeared completely . As for the EP and CD that followed it, until I googled them earlier today I didn't even know of their existence. If you like your music to take you to interesting and unexpected places, I suggest you try Blk Jks. You won't regret it...

**** for Molalatladi, Lakeside, Skeleton

*** for Banna Ba Modimo, Standby, Taxidermy, Tselane

** for Kwa Nqingetje, Cursor