Aparecida - Samba Afro Axé

Maria Aparecida Martins (Caxambu, 4 de dezembro de 1939 - Rio de Janeiro, 1985) foi uma cantora e compositora brasileira, de carreira dedicada principalmente ao samba e a ritmos africanos.....

Maria Aparecida Martins from Caxambu,Minas Gerais was a legendary  in her time,voice

 and among the most important popular interpreters of the music of Umbanda

during  the 60's & 70's in Brasil-but too soon and unjustifiably forgotten,

Aparecida was gifted with a powerful  and rich voice full of spirituality

and  while based on her own beautiful sambas she has always been accompanied

 by  many excellent  musicians of her time.

we don't forget her here

 Axé

África Negra

In the early 1970s a butcher from the town of Sao Tome (the capital city) named Horacio, and his friend Emilio Pontes decided to start a music group. Whenever Horacio could get away from his butcher shop, he would meet Emilio in the town of ‘San Guembo’ (located 3 km from downtown Sao Tome), and the two

would kill a few hours playing guitars and writing songs. The two friends quickly pulled together the first lineup of musicians who, in 1974, would officially become known as the ‘Conjunto Africa Negra’. The group’s greatest hits were built around the melodic and languid lead guitar playing of Imidio Vaz, the steady rhythm guitar of Leonildo Barros, and the raspy voice of Joao Seria.....

The 1980s were the high-water years for the Conjunto Africa Negra. The group performed frequently throughout Sao Tome and Principe, made regular trips to Portugal, visited Angola nine times (touring across Luanda, Benguela, and Cabinda provinces), and were a huge success in the Cape Verde Islands. It was through their constant performing that they perfected their version of Sao Tome Rumba, what their fans call ‘Mama Djumba’ music....

continue reading their story in v.o.a..'s blog and enjoy the songs there

and sure it is  a serious cultural crime against yourself  to still ignore this fine band ...

go  to Lola Vandaag for Africa Negra 83

and then come back for Madalena meu amor
or  the other way if you prefer  

Madalena meu amor 



 their trademark love song for  Alice 

is just below

Francis Bebey the magician

In the beginning there was nothing.No light ,no darkness either. 

Nothing except boredom,which Nyambe,the creator of the Bantu ,felt rather severly.

"What is to be done?"he asked Imagination one day.

The answer was:"Built yourself a sanza!

When you start playing it,you'll see boredom run away by itself".

So Nyambe built a sanza and plucked a note on the keyboard. 

That first musical sound ever heard came out with the sun which carried the light.

Another note created man followed by his wife and numerous children

 who soon populated the earth.

That is how all human beings, black and white,red and yellow,were born of the sanza.

And again today,any time you produce a sound on a sanza keyboard,

 a new child is born somewhere in the world.

Le site de Francis Bebey 

African Sanza 

new rip in 320

Jean Zuibona

gbaya xylophones

Djeneba Sidibé

But it’s the Wasulu musicians who are artistes. Everyone can sing in Wasulu. We don’t have 
jeliw here; everyone sings. They brought artistry to music. Otherwise, before us, all there was 
were jeliw . . . But the Wasulu changed that. We said, “You don’t need to be a jeli to sing.” 
It’s not true. Now people have started to see the difference. They said, “Hey, we can sing for 
fun, too.” It serves something for us. It erases nostalgia. You have fun, you wash dishes, or 
the laundry – you have fun with singing. It comes like that [naturally, without effort]. You 
emit warmth or anguish that you have. Sometimes you sing and you cry, you sing alone and 
you cry. You just express yourself, your anguish, you know?

Samba Diallo 


some of the sweetest sounds on earth naturally come from wassoulou land
like the next  3 from (new ? ) songbird  Djeneba Sidibé

 songs

thanks ngoni




even more than the performance I  love audience's smiling  participation
:)

La Guinée éternel

folklore

"Under the vision of President Sekou Touré, Guinea’s 34 regions were each represented by an orchestra, a traditional music ensemble, a choir and a theatrical group. The government bought them musical instruments and encouraged them to sing about African nationalism and anti-colonialism while blending traditional local rhythms with Cuban sounds and electric instruments."

folklore,Syliphone,authenticité ,Macenta,ensembles....
are words that lead to the  perfumed gardens of  "la Guineé   éternel"

the list is long but not exhaustive  let's  wish we will find more time this time  ... 

for today's record:

orchestre de Guéckédou-Lambalya

ensemble instrumental de Labé-P.D.G. Lannata Sine

troupe Federal de Conakry II-Douba dyabi

ensemble instrumental traditionnel de Kissidougou-Festival 73

ensemble de Conakry I-Horoya

ensemble de Mamou-Agression

ensemble Instrumental et Vocal de Kissidougou-Komankan

ensemble de Macenta-Le complot ne passera pas

Salaam

let's say salaam again
from Nubia with the paintings of Fathi Hassan

Fathi Hassan 

more works

and four songs greetings from Saleh Walwali with his drummers and singers-
greetings from an  ancient land.

Salaam