Sunday 28 January 2018

John Chibadura - 1991.Aug.08 - BBC Radio 1 Session

At the end of last year around the time of the happenings in Zimbabwe I was thinking about posting (again), well didn't come to it then, and only restarted a little later during the Christmas period.

John Chibadura (left) with Bata “Manyowa” Sinoio (source: thestandard)
Therefore now finally (again) a post with music from Zimbabwe. Last year was posted John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers' one and only Peel Session from 1989, this time a BBC session from 2 years later. Most likely it's a session recorded for Andy Kershaw, that would be their 2nd session for his show, but couldn't find anywhere full confirmation of this.

For biography and discography of John Chibadura visit the mentioned previous post.

Listen to the first song from his 1989 Peel Session


CHIBADURA-JOHN-19910808_Kershaw Session BBC

BBC Radio1 Session recorded 1991.Aug.08 (for Andy Kershaw?!?), bc.date unknown
tracklist: 1.Kunatsa Hama / 2.Lovemore / 3.Hosana / 4.Zuva Refuka
source: repeat 2017.Aug.16 in BBC 6music Live Hour

More about John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers: 

  • My Music: Andy Kershaw
    2001.May.15,
    news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1330422.stm
    Question: What is the best record you have ever bought on impulse?
    Kershaw: John Chibadura's $5000.
  • Andy Kershaw: "There isn't a guitarist in the West fit to fondle the plectrums of these guys [guitarists from Zimbabwe]." 
  • Andy Kershaw about John Chibadura in his book "No Off Switch - chapter 31 - Andy & Biggie in Zimbabwe" -  page 280/281
  • "John Chibadura & the Tembo Brothers" (tribute at Feile Africa
  • "On the road with John Chibadura" (2017.Aug.27, The Standard)

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own in the Sahara desert (in Niger)

Saturday 20 January 2018

Diblo Dibala And Matchatcha - 1994.Nov.19 - Peel & Kershaw Session #2

OK, now something really "out of the mangue box", nevertheless delicious...
Diblo Dibala guitarist from Congo (source: Peel Wikia)
Diblo Dibala, born in 1954 in Kisangani in the Congo (now Zaire), of the Baluba people, is one of the hottest African Soukous lead guitarists around. At the age of 6 Diblo moved to Kinshasa and by the age of 15 he was playing guitar in the great Franco's TPOK band. In Kinshasa, Diblo continued to master his lava-hot guitar chops with such top Zairean bands as Vox Africa, Orchestre Bella Mambo, and Bella Bella.
In 1979 Diblo left Zaire and landed in Brussels where he played a rented guitar and washed dishes to make money. In 1981 he moved to Paris, where the Soukous scene was a happening thing. He rejoined Kanda Bongo Man, who he had played with in Bella Bella. Their first album, Iyole (1981), was a big hit: Kanda became a big star, and Diblo became the most sought-after session man in Paris. Diblo's huge European success with Kanda Bongo Man led to the formation of his own band, Loketo (which means 'hips', as in 'shake your...'), featuring the work of the gifted vocalist Aurlus Mabele. By this time Diblo was the dominant Soukous session man in Paris and he was in great demand. On recordings by such Soukous giants as Kanda Bongo Man and Pepe Kalle you can hear them calling out "Diblo" when guitar solo time comes around. In 1990 Diblo left Loketo to form Matchatcha (which means "a type of flower that produces an itch").--Janet Planet, The African Music Encyclopedia
John Peel and Andy Kershaw, on learning Diblo was making an appearance at Stern's African Records, raced there to get his autograph. Diblo repaid the compliment by giving name checks to both of them on 'Matchatcha Wetu'.
  • "Another gig that I've been to in the recent past, and one of the very best that I've been to in my entire life, featured Matchatcha with the guitar player Diblo Dibala from Paris. I'm not a dancing man, to be perfectly honest with you, cos I haven't really got the figure for it, but on this particular occasion I was dancing away like nobody's business, and the high point of the entire magical evening came when he played a new song from the new LP, called O.K. Madame, and the song is called Matchatcha Wetu, and what is particularly significant about this, and this is egotistical of me, I admit it in advance, but if you listen very carefully to this record, one minute and fifteen seconds into it, Diblo goes "Andy Kershaw" (that's the name of one of my colleagues at the radio station I work for in London), BBC, John Peela." You have to listen very carefully to catch it, but believe me, to hear Diblo singing your name on stage is one of the greatest things that's happened to me in my entire life." --Peel Out In The States
all info sourced from: peel.wikia.com/wiki/Diblo_Dibala

Listen to Diblo Dibala - Afropop recording at 50:50min in the show:


DIBALA-DIBLO-19941119_Peel Kershaw BBC

Diblo Dibala And Matchatcha - 1994.Nov.19 - Kershaw & Peel Session #2
tracklist Peel: 1.Intro / 2.Lye (an interjection of happiness] / 3.Kangaroo (a dance) / 4.Destin*
tracklist Kershaw: 5.Fodi* (Zaire folk style) / 6.Oliva* (A Girl) / 7.Soupou* (A Soup) / ?.[probably unknow 4th track]
NOTE: only tracks marked * in download (hoping for others to show up...)

sources:
-Peel Session (1 track): bc.1995.Jan.14 Peel Show (taped and shared through Peel Group)
-Kershaw Session (3 tracks): rpt.2017.Mar.02, 6music Gideon Coe (captured HQ radio stream)

line-up during sessions:
  • Diblo Dibala - guitar
  • J.P. Kinzaki - rhythm guitar
  • Miguel Yamba - bass
  • Komba Bello Mafwala, Dely Mpeletu and David Mondoand  - vocals
  • Antoinette Yelessa and Joelle Esso - dancers

More Diblo Dibala


NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own
in the Sahara desert (in Niger)

Sunday 14 January 2018

Julien Dembélé - 2011.Jul.03 - Afrikafestival Hertme NL

Was going through not sorted files, looking for something 'out of the box' to post, and found a 2011 recording of Julien Dembélé, unknown to me, at the Afrikafestival in Hertme. Played it, liked it a lot, started searching info about him, and guess what, he's from Mali (so not so 'out of the manguetic box').
Julien Dembélé from the Bobo area in Mali (picture from maliweb)

Julien Dembélé was born in a Mandiakuy griot family, in the Bobo area, in the center of Mali. From an early age his father taught him to play the balafon and the n'goni. At the age of eight he got his first guitar that he learned to play himself. Later he learned to play also piano.
Julien devotes his life to music and plays in various orchestras. Nowadays he sings and accompanies himself on guitar. Together with a balafon player and a percussionist (on gourds) he plays regularly in the cultural center Santoro in Bamako. He is the author and composer of all his songs and sings in the Bambara and Bobo.
For the Afrikafestival he comes from Mali and plays together with musicians residing in the Netherlands Zou and Dra Diarra (formerly of Super Biton and Super Djata Band).
--translated from: live.radio6.nl/2011/08/22/dinsdag-23-augustus-afrikafestival-hertme


DEMBELE-JULIEN-20110703_Hertme R6

setlist: unknown, several songs flow into each other, so not split up into separate tracks (and no soundcloud to listen when downloading)
source: broadcast 2011.Aug.23 - Dutch Radio 6 - Radio 6 Live Show

More info about Julien Dembélé (found very little):

  • Echostar: Julien Dembélé sings "Saraka" to make a place for himself in the sun
    2012.May.31, maliweb (in French)
  • Ab de Haas: Julien Dembele, about 2013 concerts in Holland
    2013.Apr.25, abdehaas in Dutch

Something more to listen/watch:

  • Julien Dembélé's official soundcloud, with some recent recordings
    note: with electronic backing instead of the acoustic in the live recording
  • Two youtube videos ca.2010, uploaded by yoshimasterdam (again Holland?):
    Loylo / Saraka
    line-up: Julien Dembélé - chant et guitarre / Kalifa Koné - balafon / Issa Keita - percussion
Note: acc.https://twitter.com/afrikafestival (2012.Mar.20) they uploaded video of Julien Dembélé at Hertme on youtube, but it's not available anymore (disappeared for 'rights reasons')

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own
in the Sahara desert (in Niger)

Sunday 7 January 2018

Festival au Désert 2004.Jan.9-11

A year ago I posted recordings this Festival from 2003, so now the follow-up  of 2004. Recordings made again by mps Pilot and broadcasted on Dutch Radio 4 VPRO 'Wandelende Tak'.
cold drinks at the 2004 Festival au Desert, Essakane, Mali
picture by Yann Latronche - source: gettyimages
The situation with the Festival au Desert is that it's still 'in exile'. According to a Guardian report there were plans last year to secretly organize it in late 2017 January, all involved were ready to go. But just before a terror attack happened on a military camp in Gao, which caused the death of at least 50 people, and made officials decide to cancel the (secret) festival.
This 2017/18 winter the organizers arranged a 'Festival au Desert' in a refugee camp in Mauritania together with UNHCR-Mauritanie. Let's hope the people living in the camp(s) can soon go to their homes and enjoy music in the place, where their heart is...

Listen to Afel Bocoum with Damon Albarn:


VA-DESERT-2004_Wandel Tak VPRO

playlist: 1.Afel Bocoum - Niafunke (Mali) / 2.Haira Arby - Tombouctou (Mali) / 3.Tamasheq Girls - Quinzame (Mali) / 4.Super 11 de Gao - Super 11 (Mali) / 5.Ali Farka Toure - Karaw* (Mali, from 2003 CD)  / 6.Nuru Kane - unknown title (France/Senegal) / 7.Tartit - Tihar Bayatin (Mali) / 8.Tamasheq - Takamba (Mali) / 9.mps Pilot - Desert Remix (Mali/Holland)

All audio recorded by DJ mps PILOT, 2004.Jan.9-11 at the Festival au Desert, Essakane, Mali. (*except where noted)
Broadcasted 2004.Feb.23 on Dutch Radio 4 VPRO 'Wandelende Tak' (my source is from the, not available anymore, radiostream)


Information about the 2004 Festival au Desert:

  • Sandblasters - interview with Tinariwen at the Festival (2004.Jan.08, The Guardian)
  • How the desert festival began (2004.Jan.08, The Guardian)
  • Songs of freedom - report about the Festival (2004.Jan.16, Independent)
  • In pictures: Festival in the Desert 2004 (2004.Jan.30, BBC website)
  • TV Guide: Festival in the Desert 2004 (2004.Feb, BBC Four)
  • Writings by mps Pilot about Festival not available anymore online (but my old copy included in download)
Interesting 2013 interview with Manny Ansar by Oualid Khelifi about the Festival au Desert.

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own
in the Sahara desert (in Niger)