An obscure 80s band from Thies in Senegal have just been brought back to life by label Teranga Beat. Dieuf-Dieul played from 1979 to 1982, but it appears their music never have chance to be released on a proper vinyl nor tape album until today. That's why i found interesting to present this record on Muzzicaltrips and to discuss with Teranga Beat Label founder, about these recordings and amazing piece of senegalese musical heritage.
Here's a unique musical project auto produced by Dane Belany and release in New York by Sahara label. Influences are clear: dedicated to Frantz Fanon, and lyrics from several songs inspired by Aimée Cesaire or David Diop (senegalese pan-africanist poet from the 50s).
This is a very special post as something big is happening in Dakar right now... The mythic band Le Sahel will play live again next this week.
Le Sahel, named from the club they were playing during the mid 70s, was composed by master musicians and mixed latin rhythms and sabar, giving birth to a unique senegalese style.
After more than 30 years, Dakar based label Teranga Beat, released some of 70s recordings from Idrissa Diop and Cheikh Tidiane Tall (including some never edited tracks!), and is now bringing this band back to life.
Rare private production realised in France. It cannot be considered as african music while listening to the "occidental-sounding" arrangements including violins... but the singer may be from Senegal (he's singing a melody probably inspired by "lale kouma", a senegalese traditional song). Anyway, a really nice funky fusion tune by African Soul Band, which is the same band playing with malian singer Niama Makalou on another obscure afrodisco 7 inch.
Spending entire afternoons listening to music in small music shops, you can sometime fall into crazy sounds that even the guy from the shop is not able to name. This track comes from one of these CDs...
I've been told this comes from Tionk Essil, a village in Casamance (southern part of Senegal) where many traditions and various ethnical influences are still alive.
It seems to be a live kind of ceremony including drums, choirs, in a diola style, but also including a solo sax playing with the traditional rhythms. A good example of fusion between a very traditional non-urban african music (which could exist centuries ago) and an occidental instrument played in a jazzy but african way. Modernity and how traditions evolve in time is a key subject in black thought; this music is a great example of modernity integration without any dilutive effect.
This is 20 minutes of deep and hypnotic jam, but i guess this last up to dawn...
Laba Sosseh (1943-2007) had a 40 years long african salsero carreer, singing pachanga, bolero, guajira, son cubano... He's originally from Gambia, and played during the 60s at Club Miami (Dakar, with Star Band & Ibra Kasse), at Club Sangomar (Thies, with engineer Moussa Diallo). He founded with nigerian sax player Dexter Johnson the Super Star Orchestra de Dakar and recorded for N'Dardisc (Label from Louis Fourment, Radio Africaine director).
One of his hits from this period is the love song "Seyni" (kay fonema sama khol).
Great party flyer, with DJs from the 60s-70s period in Dakar... latin records all night long! Probably the best place to perceive how much music from the other side of the atlantic ocean was (omni)present in urban Senegal. At this time, big part of DJs selections was cuban music arrived from the 50s through sailors. (It remains easier to dig latin records than african records in Dakar now). Dakar danced deacades to this latin (and caribbean) rhythms, which influenced deeply local musicians and productions.
Bakel is hardly reachable, located in extreme east of Senegal, in front of Mauritania, close to Mali, not far from Guinea... feels like in middle of nowhere but actually within Soninké (Sarakholé) area with influences from all around.
As everywhere in Senegal (in Africa?), hip hop is the easiest and more popular way to express feelings, you "just" have to download instrumentals (sometimes not so easy, but there is internet access) and then this is like perpetuating the ancestral griot tradition in a modern way... rapping all day long...
As a farr-off and minority region, rapping high and loud the Soninké cultural identity is reflected in lyrics themes, in some important attention to sing in Soninké language, but transversal problematics are not forgotten.
Amazing place, where a humble 18 years old baye fall , shows you dozens of used notebooks filled with poetries and hiphop lyrics he wrote in 4 languages (french, soninké, bambara, wolof). It was a very surpising and pleasant freestyle/spokenword afternoon...
I'll have another post on theses subject with Fulani Hip Hop (Haal Pulaar / Peul).
Anyway, good flow and "laid back" vibe there... always restrictions on means, but hip hop soul is there.
Great summer parties, including shows and contests (dance, theatre, hiphop, traditionnal), and for sure hot "Soirees Senegalaises" with sabar percusion and really-on-fire dancers...
I arrived there with a bunch of burned CDs with hiphop instrumentals, and i got some fresh hits from the region from DJ Wow (Way Of the World).
So Big Up to SONINKE people and Bakel Hip Hop Connexion, DJ Wow, Boom Fire, DBD, Cheikh Tidiane, Oumar Coulibaly ...
Here's an unreleased tough track from Bay Idi / Tougna, expressing his views (in french wolof and soninke) on french foreign policy, especially on Nicolas Sarkozy...
And a second one dedicated to Soninke People (intro in english, rap in soninke):
A lot more to come about african hip hop and modern griots...
"Objectif 2000" corresponds to a session providing 2 albums, both excellent. Recording took place at Club Sahel in Dakar, assured by Papa Sene and Yakhya Fall. This may be one of the most accomplished recordings in Senegalese discography, Number One and his master musicians being at the top of their art.
Number One - Lii Numuy Nuru:
Number One's musicians for this recording session:
Vocals: Papa Seck, Doudou Sow, Mar Seck, Magatte N'diaye, Malick Hann
Horns: Aly Penda (tr), Paja Diop (a sx), Paja Seck (t sx)
... kind of place you enter disturbing a whole ecosystem including bugs and rats, and go out smelly but imagining the moment back home in front of the turntable...
(TRLP017).
