Ambient Africa

Product Description
In their quest for separation of the races, the former Apartheid regime in South Africa inadvertently laid the basis for an archive of some of the most beautiful music on the planet. The original thinking behind the recordings made by the South African Broadcasting Corporation was to divide the black population along racial and tribal lines through the use of music. As the state controlled the airwaves, the SABC became a tool for its propaganda and set up various regional stations that were known as Radio Bantu, the regime's term for the oppressed majority.

For struggling musicians during the Apartheid era, the opportunities to record their music was lure enough. Record companies that serviced the black community were few and far between and the major labels, to their eternal shame, focused more on selling to the affluent white community. As a result, SABC's mobile studio visited every corner of the country recording the whole glorious range of music available across the country. As a result, the SABC's archives were bursting with everything from stately traditional choirs to the electrifying sound of the urban Mbhaquanga sound. The music on this release has been treated with respect but given a new lease of life. Ambient Africa is a revelation, a new dawn.

Tracks:

Midi Passe (Congo) - Samba Ngo
Diba (Cameroun) - Masao
Zing Zong (Zaire) - Kanda Bongo Man
Ndeka Yaa Samuel (Zaire) - Tshala Muana
Extra Ball (Zaire) - Loketo
Lady (Cameroun) - Manu Dibango
Ja Funmi (Nigeria) - King Sunny Ade
Immeigres (Senegal) - Youssou N'Dour
Lisanga Ya Ba Nganga (Zaire) - Franco & Rochereau
Nyoka Musango (Zimbabwe) - Thomas Mapfumo

Average customer rating:

The best African musician

Plus Vivant
Lokua Kanza
Manufacturer: Emarcy Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Zaire & Congo | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Toyebi Te
Toto Bona Lokua
Tiki
C'est la Vie
Munia: The Tale

ASIN: B0007MAL1E
Release Date: 2005-03-21

Tracks:

Voir le Jour
Cam Dans le Cur
Envie d'Aventure
Tu Es l'Infini
Plus Vivant - Corneille, Lokua Kanza
Aller Simple Pour l'Infini
Laisse-Moi le Temps
Si Tu Pars
Anticyclone
Tes C
Cles Champs
Monde Est Fou
Mal Dire
Piololo
Plus Vivant (Solo)

Album Details

Performed Exclusively in the Language of Verlaine and Rimbaud, this Album from Lokua Kanza Proposes Another Pure, Unquestionable Incarnation of the Notion Called 'crossbred Origins', Creating a Perfect (In Other Words, Imperceptible) Fusion Between North and South and Re-creating, in his Own Way, the One-ness which in Other Times Made Our Common Ancestors Unique. It is a Superbly Arranged Record, Fifteen Titles Performed with Enormous Heart and Developed with Such Definitive Values as the Guitarists Sylvain Luc and Pepe Fely Manuaku (One of the Great Creators and a Virtuoso of the Rumba from Zaire), Bassist Richard Bona and Drummer Manu Katche, Both Hardly Unknowns Internationally, Percussionist Sola (A Travelling-companion of Jamiroquaï), and Corneille, Featured on the Overwhelmingly Moving Title of the Same Name.

Customer Reviews:

The best African musician.......2006-10-04

Lokua Kanza has one of the most exceptional voices of Africa. It is smooth, melancholichas and it has a clarity that rings out, calls you from what you're doing and begs you to chill and relax. Lokua Kanza is a musician of multiple talents, a singer, composer or arranger as required. As for his undeniable artistic feeling, it has attracted artists from many different horizons, from Youssou N'Dour to Patrick Bruel. Lokua has brilliantly ensured the renewal of African music, this genius artist delivers music beyond the usual ndombolo sound, and he does it with a lot of class, creativity and simplicity!

Plus Vivant is an album of guitar introspections ("Si Tu Pars"); some done in an R&B style ("Le monde est fou"), some haunting acoustic ballads ("Mal a dire"), and some upbeat tracks, which point towards the african style without being overpowering. There's some beautiful piano, some exceptional guitar solos and it's all very pleasant.

For those who like discovering new music genres, I strictly recommend this album to you. Lokua Kanza is the best African musician and my personal favorite. Trust me you will go back and buy all his previous works (especially Toyebi Te!). Bravo Lokua, we're proud of you!!!

Spirits of Africa: An Ambient Sound Safari Through the Garden Eden

Average customer rating:

Spirits of Africa: An Ambient Sound Safari Through the Garden Eden
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Ayia Napa
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000G2Y5XU
Release Date: 2006-07-24

Tracks:

Woya - Cr Anot
Drums of Defiance - African Head Charge
Racing Away
Phazer Kids in the Windy City
Masai Sonata - Terracotta
Sister's Keeper - Wayquay
Desert Sand
Change - Symbiose
Invisible Kisses
Inspiration - Moonlight Sound Design
Last Dream - Gene Douglas
Feel the African Sun
Let the Music - Mandel Turner
Bye Bye Typewriter - Finn Martin

Tracks:

Honor Beats - Wayquay
No More (Matungo Waino)
Senza - Finn Martin
Nwoly N' Baile - Cr Anot
Moon
Scravin' - Wayquay
Love Dance [Spirit of Life Mix] - Mystic Diversions
On - Wax Poetic
Muel
Buana - Riccardo Eberspacher
Marcosoft
Prophesy - Nitin Sawhney

Average customer rating:

This is Oryema's Best Album
If you want to get away, here is a good place to start
Very strong CD
BEAT ALL BORDERS WITH ORYEMA
Different from his other CD"s but still beautiful

Beat the Border
Geoffrey Oryema
Manufacturer: Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ambient Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Uganda | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Exile
Night to Night
African Odysseus
En Mana Kuoyo
African Voices

ASIN: B000000HOX
Release Date: 1993-11-05

Tracks:

The River
Kel Kweyo
Market Day
Lapwony
Umoja
Gang Deyo
Hard Labour
Payira Wind
Lajok
Nomad

Album Details

On this Album, the Powerful Roots of Oryema's African Heritage have a More Subtle Influence on his Music. One of the Cornerstones of this Recording is French Guitarist Jean-pierre Alarcen, who Wrote the Music for 'hard Labour' and Co-composed 'the River'.

Customer Reviews:

This is Oryema's Best Album.......2006-11-11

"Beat the Border" is Oryema's definitive album. The music will transport your mind and conjure near tangible visions of Afrika within the first glorious beats. His lyrics, guitar, and distinctive voice resonate powerfully in this moving album.

If you want to get away, here is a good place to start.......2005-04-07

Like many of the reviewers I discovered G through a music sampler. Market Day was the song (also on this record). Oryema's voice really caught my ear with his awesome lows. There is a somber tone to most of his songs here, but they are very captivating and powerful in a empathetic way. You can feel the hurt/pain in his voice sometimes. Some songs are in English, others are in Acholi, which the book notes kindly translate. Though I only have this cd, I anxiously await the others I have already ordered! This guy has me hooked. I don't have a vast knowledge of contemporary African music, but I enjoy his mixture of traditional and modern sound/technology. I would recommend this CD to anyone who want ot hear something new and unique from the doldrums of the garbage the radio churns out on a daily basis.

Very strong CD.......2003-06-05

This is a very good example of world music; Oryema has integrity and his music is both fraught with feeling and charged with the masculine strength of African beats and rhythms. Perhaps no better example of this exists anywhere than in the opening track "The River," which offers gripping backup vocals and a powerful sense of place. The entire CD follows up well, particularly with the moving "Hard Labor" that touches effectively on the various walks of life in a damaged African society. An exile from Uganda, Oryema displays a greater sense of time and place than most Western musicians. this one is a hands-down winner, and I will be buying more of Oryema's work.

BEAT ALL BORDERS WITH ORYEMA.......2002-12-29

You never forget your first one, right? This was my intro to Geoffrey Oryema and I loved the song, "The River" so much that it was several weeks before I could bring myself to play the others, all sublime. You can do it. Go for it.

Different from his other CD"s but still beautiful.......2001-09-27

When I first heard this CD I was shocked. I was expecting a style more like his CD 'Exile' and it was not the same. It does have more of a Western influence but there is a deep beauty and sadness in this CD as well.

Tracks:

Amin Amin - Steve Shehan & Baly Othmani
Walagh (I Observe) - Abdelli
Andalusian Oud Music, Parts 1 & 2 - Said Chraibi
Kafiyo Kaladeri (Opposites) - Waaberi
Desse Barama (Peace) - Hamza El Din
Rera - Setona
El Hawzi - Hossam Ramzy
Aquis Mahasnik Biman (With Whom Can I Campare You?) - Rasha
Maqsoum - Mahmoud Fadl
Thrikraiat Al Andalous - Hassan Errahi & Arabesque
Conte De L' Incroyable Amour - Anouar Brahem

Product Description

1. Amin Amin - Steve Shehan/Baly Othmani
2. Walagh (I Observe) - Abdelli
3. Andalusian Oud Music, Parts 1 & 2 - Said Chraibi
4. Kafiyo Kaladeri (Opposites) - Waaberi
5. Desse Barama (Peace) - Hamza El Din
6. Rera - Setona
7. El Hawzi - Hossam Ramzy
8. Aquis Mahasnik Biman - Rasha
9. Maqsoum - Mahmoud Fadl
10. Thrikraiat Al Andalous - Hassan Erraji & Arabesque
11. Conte De L'Incroyable Amour - Anouar Brahem

Format: CD

Amazon.com

Designed as "a conduit to ecstasy," Africa North is an aural ascension into realms beyond the ordinary. From Moroccan Said Chraibi's elegantly orchestral "Andalusian Oud Music, Parts 1 & 2" to Mahmoud Fadl's Egyptian-tinged percussion on "Maqsoum" to the Sudanese and pan-African inflections of vocalist Setona, Africa North showcases the intermingling of cultures and sound born of the seventh-century Muslim invasions. These Islamic songs feature oud (lute), drums, oboe, and strings as well as a light smattering of electronic sounds. They descend in spirit from a rich oral tradition from teacher to student and guru to disciple, bearing stamps of the musicians' forebears as well as their distinctly original signature noting this time of radical change in the face of tradition. Exotic and heavy with fervor, Africa North is a journey well worth making. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

A keeper.......2006-12-13

Don't recommend a cd too often but this was a great surprise. Expertly put together. Great Stuff.

Travel by Ear.......2000-01-03

I had placed this CD on my Wish List.

Surprise!

I played this CD the day after Christmas. I enjoyed all the sellections very much. My favorites are the first and last tracks. Each song is a mood setter. All are exotic and exciting. If you like to travel and this is one area of world you haven't physically been to, this CD will entice you to go.

Excellent and wonderful.......1999-05-13

I bought this CD as a gift for my best friend Omar from Sudan. He just called me to tell me that it was a very wonderful experience listening to this CD. He is a very big Reggae fan and for the first time he heard an Arabic music with a Reggae beat and that was excellent. He definitely and without hesitation gave 5 stars to the CD. He is also a big fan of African music and he was very happy with what he heard. Remember, he just heard it and only once when he called me, so tomorrow, I am going to stop by and listen to the CD with him and will write my own review. One main thing he said for now: It is very relaxing and soothing

Average customer rating:

Simply melodious
Outstanding
Very good album

Ambient Africa
Living Souls
Manufacturer: Eagle Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A8AXR2
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks:

Bazoyidela (feat. White Mambazo)
Salugano (feat. Rothoma Band)
Masu Ma Ponda
Bomme Diedietsang (feat. Attaza)
Khumwana (feat. Mmakosa)
Kaba Ngondo
Bayajabula Abanenhlanhla (feat. Zondabehleka Nabashushi)
Ama Sweet Sixteen (feat. Sweet Sixteens)
Kuku
Ngilandel Intombi (feat. Sabm)
Ngikhalela (feat. Johannes Ngcobo)
Savumelana (feat. Durban Sings)

Album Description

In their quest for separation of the races, the former Apartheid regime in South Africa inadvertently laid the basis for an archive of some of the most beautiful music on the planet. The original thinking behind the recordings made by the South African Broadcasting Corporation was to divide the black population along racial and tribal lines through the use of music. As the state controlled the airwaves, the SABC became a tool for its propaganda and set up various regional stations that were known as Radio Bantu, the regime's term for the oppressed majority.

Customer Reviews:

Simply melodious.......2007-07-18

Everytime you listed to this CD you will discover something new about the music, its rich and beautiful and almost all the tracks are great (my most favorite are 1, 5 and 8)

Outstanding.......2007-05-25

I am rarely driven to writing reviews, but this is a truly remarkable evolution in South African music-- The Living Souls explore new sonic ground while maintaining true to their roots. It is lightly colored with electronica, ambient, and world music. While reminiscient of Paul Simon's Graceland, they stay closer to home.

Very good album.......2005-09-08

Many thanks to the Living Souls for this album. Bazoyidela is the must have.

Average customer rating:

This is Oryema's Best Album
If you want to get away, here is a good place to start
Very strong CD
BEAT ALL BORDERS WITH ORYEMA
Different from his other CD"s but still beautiful

Beat the Border
Geoffrey Oryema
Manufacturer: EMI/Real World
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Ambient Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

Uganda | Africa | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Exile
Night to Night
African Odysseus
En Mana Kuoyo
African Voices

ASIN: B000024ZQW
Release Date: 1999-08-19

Tracks:

The River
Kel Kweyo
Market Day
Lapwony
Umoja
Gang Deyo
Hard Labour
Payira Wind
Lajok
Nomad

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

This is Oryema's Best Album.......2006-11-11

If you want to get away, here is a good place to start.......2005-04-07

Very strong CD.......2003-06-05

BEAT ALL BORDERS WITH ORYEMA.......2002-12-29

Different from his other CD"s but still beautiful.......2001-09-27

I have not seen 'Night to Night' is other CD listed on Amazon.com but I do recommend it as well. It too is different from the previous two (Exile and Beat the Border) but incredibly poetic.

Independance
Average customer rating:
Independance
Orchestra Marrabenta Star
Manufacturer: Piranha
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
General | Africa | International | Styles | Music
General | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008J5F