Hear mostly acoustic music from Africa: The Good Ones from Rwanda, Cameroonian guitarist Francis Bebey, Lazarus from Malawi, and Malian fingerstyle guitarist Boubacar “Badian” Diabaté.
Despite the prevalence of the so-called “Desert Blues” style of electric guitar with folks like Mdou Moctar, Bombino, Tinariwen, and their crunch-fuzz pyrotechnics, acoustic guitar came first and is still played in almost all of sub-Saharan Africa. Hear acoustic music that revolves around (mostly) unamplified guitar from West, East, Central, and South Africa, including music from Rwanda, Cameroon, South Africa, Malawi, and Mali, to name a few.
Listen to music from the late Cameroonian guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, poet, novelist, and musicologist Francis Bebey. Then, hear the guitar, shakers, voices, and a pair of boots in the Rwanda-based band, The Good Ones, who are a quartet of genocide survivors. The original trio's members have Tutsi, Hutu, or Twa (Pygmy) origins and their heartfelt Rwanda is My Home, speaks to the healing power of peace. There’s also music featuring a Fanta bottle as percussion and two guitarists in the style known as “Kenya dry”.
Then, listen to music by Boubacar “Badian” Diabaté, a brilliant Mande guitarist from Bamako who plays fingerstyle griot guitar. Listen to “Sakonke (Appearance),” a stunning piece, which also features guitarist Manfa Diabaté. Hear music by Lazarus, a street musician from Malawi who has albinism. It’s music from his recent full-length album, called Stomp On The Devil, recorded with the Anglo-Malawi band The Very Best.
Plus, hear music by the late Malian guitar virtuoso Ali Farka Touré and kora master Toumani Diabaté, from their last album, Ali and Toumani. Then, hear music from South African guitar virtuoso Derek Gripper who plays music originally meant for the 21 stringed lute-harp, the kora, on his 6-string Segovia-styled guitar. Listen to an unbelievable arrangement of music by aforementioned Malian kora great Toumani Diabaté.
Program #4278: Africa Acoustic (First aired 9/19/2019)
ARTIST: The Good Ones
WORK: Rwanda is my home [1:30]
RECORDING: Rwanda Is My Home
SOURCE: Good Deeds Music / IRL
INFO: irl.bigcartel.com
ARTIST: Francis Bebey
WORK: Guitar Makossa [2:47]
RECORDING: Nandolo With Love
SOURCE: Original Music OMCD 027
INFO: Out of print.
ARTIST: Boubacar "Badian" Diabate
WORK: Sakonke (Appearance) [5:21]
RECORDING: Mande Guitar
SOURCE: Lion Songs Records 003
INFO: Coming soon on banningeyre.com
ARTIST: Derek Gripper
WORK: Toumani Diabate: Kaira (Peace) [5:27]
RECORDING: One Night on Earth Music from the strings of Mali
SOURCE: New Cape Records NC11
INFO: newcape.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Mah Damba
WORK: Kabako [5:11]
RECORDING: Hakili Kélé
SOURCE: Buda Musique 860350
INFO: budamusique.com
ARTIST: Mahaleo
WORK: Kobaka [7:12]
RECORDING: A World Out of Time - Henry Kaiser and David Lindley in Madagascar
SOURCE: Shanachie SHA-64041
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Willamu Osale
WORK: Vijana Niambie [2:43]
RECORDING: Before Benga 1 Kenya Dry
SOURCE: Original Music OMCD 021
INFO: Out of print. Try online auction sites.
ARTIST: The Good Ones
WORK: Rwanda is my home [3:57]
RECORDING: Rwanda Is My Home
SOURCE: Good Deeds Music / IRL
INFO: irl.bigcartel.com
ARTIST: Lazarus
WORK: Ndife Alendo [3:36]
RECORDING: Stomp on the Devil
SOURCE: Lilongwe Direct
INFO: https://awal.lnk.to/StompOnTheDevil
ARTIST: Ali Farka Toure, Toumani Diabate
WORK: 56 [6:57]
RECORDING: Ali and Toumani
SOURCE: Nonesuch/World Circuit
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, Apple Music/iTunes, or Spotify