Saturday 25 March 2017

Cheikha Rimitti - 1989.March.10 - Rasa Utrecht

Let's go now way way up north to Algeria, where we can listen to the 'queen-mother of Rai-music'.
Cheikha Rimitti (source: i-cias.com/e.o/cheikha_rimitti.htm)

Biography of Cheikha Rimitti

source: i-cias.com/e.o/cheikha_rimitti.htm

Cheikha Rimitti (real name: Saadia al-Ghizania) was born 1923 in the village of Tessala (Algeria), she was an Algerian singer and songwriter, belonging to the Rai tradition.
Through most of her life she was a rebel, using her position to promote rights to Algeria's Muslim female population. Eventually, she changed her ways, and returned to the ideas of Islam on her older days.
Cheikha Rimitti, as known for her productions late in life, had a style of a deep voice and songs of little variation, but with suggestive music. Both using modern, Western instruments and traditional Algerian ones, like bendire, tar, gasbâ and gallal. Throughout her more than 50 years as a recording artist, she has published around 400 cassettes, 300 singles and a handful of CD's. She has written 200 songs, several recorded with other artists.
She had a second career starting in the 1990's, when her music was rediscovered by a new generation.
Cheikha Rimitti is one of the central figures of the development of Rai music, being considered the artistic mother of young Rai performers from the 1980's. Both Khaled and Rachid Taha has recorded tributes to her.
She had 4 children, all having returned to Algeria.

Timeline
1923 May 8: Born in the village Tessala, named Saadia al-Ghizania.
1920's: Saadia is orphaned, and has a hard childhood, never attending school.
1938: Joins a travelling music group, known as the Hamdachis, with whom she sings and dances.
1943: Moves to Relizane, where she writes songs and performs. She soon earns much fame from singing about tabooed subjects, like sex and alcohol.
1940's: Saadia's fame grows quickly across Algeria, she sings several times on the radio. She would soon take the artist name Cheikha Rimitti.
1952: Publishes her first record, which included the song 'Er-Rai er-Rai'.
1954: Becomes famous and infamous when releasing Charrak Gatta, challenging the the taboo of virginity for unmarried women.
1962: Algeria's Muslim population gets independence, and as part of the ethnic cleansing of Europeans, Cheikha Rimitti's music is also outlawed, accused of being influenced by French culture.
1960s: Moves to France.
1971: Injured in a car crash, while touring Algeria. She spends 3 weeks in coma.
1975: Performs hajj, and changes her lifestyle to a modest, Muslim-conservative one, quitting smoking and alcohol.
1980s: Moves to Paris.
1989-2006: Makes internationally released albums and performs on stages all over the world.
2006 May 15: Dies in Paris, France, from a heart attack.


Listen to 'Allo Allo' (live 1989)


RIMITTI-CHEIKHA-19890610 - Utrecht (VPRO)

trackslist:
0.N'ta Goudami - from 'N'ta Goudami' (2005, CD, Because #3109862)
Live 1989.March.10 with Sabri and Boualem (both on Gasbah-flute) in Rasa, Utrecht:
1.Allo Allo / 2.Charak-Gataa / 3.unknown title / 4.unknown title / 5.unknown title / 6.unknown title / 7.unknown title

source: Dutch VPRO Radio - 2006.Jul.31, Lost 'Takken' (#5) - repeat of 1989.April.27 show

Discography

1952-89: some 400 K7s
1989: Ghir al Baroud (CD/LP, Michel Levy Productions) [re-CD, 1996]
1994: Sidi Mansour (CD/K7, Absolute Records) [re-CD, 2006]
1994 (comp?): Les Racines Du Rai - Rai Roots (CD, Buda Musique)
1995: Cheikha [unreleased tracks from 'Sidi Mansour' album] (mini-CD)
2000: Nouar (CD, Sonodisc)
2001: Live - European Tour 2000 (CD, Sono)
2005: N'ta Goudami (CD, Because Music)
2005 (comp?): Hina Ou Hina (CD, The Intense Music)
Comp-1999: Aux Sources Du Rai ‎(CD, Institut Du Monde Arabe)
Comp-2000: Trab Music ‎(CD, Culture Press)
Comp-2000: L'Étoile Du Rai ‎(CD, Culture Press)
Comp-2001: Le World... Rai ‎(CD, Suave Records)
Comp-2006: Maghreb Soul - Rimitti Story 1986-90 ‎(2CD, Because Music)

Things to read/listen/watch:

Monday 20 March 2017

John Chibadura & The Tembo Brothers - Peel Session 1989

Let's move again into Mango territory, this time way way down south the African to Zimbabwe to listen to John Chibadura with his Tembo Brothers (recorded in BBC Studios in the UK).
John Chibadura

Biography

rearranged to get a better chronology from original text by Fred Zindi, source www.herald.co.zw/what-happened-to-chibaduras-songs/

John "Chibadura" Nyamukokoko was born in 1957 in Guruve, Zimbabwe. His father and mother were itinerant farm labourers from Mozambique. In 1962, at the tender age of 5, John lost his mother and his father re-married a woman who was tough on John. Because he had a hard time with his step-mother, John was eventually forced to go to Centenary to live on a farm with his grandfather who was a talented mbira player. Unfortunately his grandfather also died 3 years later. From then on, John continued to live a nomadic life when he was passed from one relative to another.
In 1968, while in Centenary on a farm, he started to learn playing the banjo. The following year, there was a serious drought in Zimbabwe, and John, in search of further education and survival walked from Centenary to Darwendale where he settled at a farm called Wagon Wheels. He worked at the farm as a tractor-driver and lorry driver while attending school. He quit school after form 3. It took John another 10 years before he made the move that was designed to realise the dream of becoming the cherished musician he became.
He moved to Chitungwiza where he was soon to become popularly known as "Mr Chitungwiza", after the name of the town. Through his music, John soon became a household name. He initially formed a group with Simon and Naison Chimbetu called The Sungura Boys.
In 1985 he formed his own group known as The Tembo Brothers and immediately drew attention on account of Chibadura's intense voice and achingly poignant lyrics. Although their sungura beat was fast and furious, John's songs often told of downbeat misery, broken families, excessive dowries in "$5.000 Dollars Kuroora" and wasted opportunities. The sorrowfulness of the lyrics notwithstanding, the Tembo Brothers enjoyed a massive following among Zimbabweans and Mozambicans, where songs like "Zuva Rekufa Kwangu", "5,000 Dollars Kuroora" and "Nhamo Yatakawona" became big anthems.
Together with The Tempo Brothers John churned out some memorable albums such as "Vengai Zvenyu", "Hupenyu Hwandinetsa", "Sara Ugarike", "Sango Rinopa Waneta", "Pitikoti Government", "Ndiri muhondo", "Mune Majerasi", "Mutumwa", "Madiro", "Kugarika Tange Nhamo", "5000 Dollars Kuroora", "Kurera", "Zuva Guru", "Mudzimu Wangu", "Munhu Haana Chakanaka" and many more over the years.
In the early 1990s John toured the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. He also toured Mozambique where he was so popular that he only played in stadiums where his audiences at some point exceeded 40 000. In Mozambique he was often met by President Chisano. Though most of his life was spent in Zimbabwe, Mozambique regarded him as a long-lost son and when in the country he would be ferried to concerts by the presidential helicopter.
Before his death, on 1999 August 04, John Chibadura wrote the song, "Zuva Rekufa Kwangu". Everyone on this earth is assured of dying some day, but I remember asking John, when he penned that song in reggae, a genre which was different from his usual sungura beat, " Why are you predicting your own death? Are you about to die?" He did not give me a definite answer. However, I was the first DJ to play that song on Radio 3's reggae session one Thursday night and after that, the whole nation went crazy. The paroxysm of Chibadura-mania began then as I continued to receive non-stop requests for the song.
"Chibadura" was his nickname meaning roughly "the man who can do", or "the man who is the best and can beat all odds". Despite this apparent success, John died without a penny to his name but his legacy lives on.

Listen to the first song from the session


CHIBADURA-JOHN-19891119 - Peel Session BBC

tracklist: 1.Shira / 2.Diya Wangu / 3.Mukadzi Wangu / 4.Amai

line-up: John Chibadura (vocals, guitar) / Douglas Chibadura (backing vocals) / Innocent Makoni (backing vocals) / Mike Gunde (drums) / Bata Sintrio (guitar) / Charles Ruwizhi (bass)

PS: acc.to John Peel in his intro John Chibadura & The Tembo Brothers did also some recordings for Andy Kershaw, if anybody has any sounds from those, I'm interested so please let me know.....

Discography

198?: Sungura Boys - Tasarira Nhamo (LP, #JLP.1009)
1985: John Chibadura & Sungura Boys - Kurera (LP, #ZIL.203) - at globalgroovers
198?: John Chibadura & Sungura Boys - Vol.3 - Kugarika Tangenhamo (LP, #??)
198?: John Chibadura & Sungura Boys - Vol.5 - Zvinodinetsa (LP, #TEL.2160)

198?: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Upenyu Hwandinetsa (LP, #ZIL.206)
198?: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Sara Ugarike (LP, #ZIL.208)
1987: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Kugarika Tangenhamo (LP, #ZIL.212)
1987: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - $5000 (Kuroora) (LP, #ZIL.216) [ re-CD]
1988: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Midzimu Yangu (LP, #ZIL.221)
1988: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Rugare (LP, #ZIL.223)
1989: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Munhu Hana Chakanaka (LP, #ZIL.231)
1990: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Mune Majerasi (LP, #ZIL.237)
1991: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Ndirimuhondo (LP, #ZIL.239)
1992: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Muranda (LP/K7, #ZIL/ZC.244)
1993: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Madiro (LP, #ZIL.255)
1993: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Sango Rinopa Waneta (LP, #ZIL.260) [re-CD]

Comp.198?: Sungura Boys - The Best Of (K7, #TEC.2063)
Comp.1989: John Chibadura - Essential (CD/K7/LP) - at globalgroovers
Comp.1990: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - More Of The Essential (CD/K7/LP)
Comp.199?: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers (K7, MGS #121785) - at awesometapes
Comp.199?: John Chibadura - The Best Of (CD, #CD.ZIL.300)
Comp.199?: John Chibadura - The Great Mr.Chitungwiza (CD, #CD.ZIL342)
Comp.199?: John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers - Yambiro (CD, #CD.ZIL.509)
VA-Chauya Chirizevha - Chimurenga from Zimbabwe (Comp) - at globalgroovers incl.Hosana by John Chibadura & Tembo Brothers

Wednesday 8 March 2017

VA-Hungary - Meg Kell A Buzanak Erni (1992, K7)

Let's visit this time a country where are no Mango's, in the local language: "Nincs Mango" in Hungary.

VA - Meg Kell a Buzanak Erni
 (Hungary, 1992, K7)

I wanted for a longtime to post this K7, but couldn't and still can't find the original, which I bought around 1996 in Budapest. Probably it's lost during my many movings around, but fortunately made a K7 copy for regularly playing. That copy is, after many many times having enjoyed it's music, still sounding good, so finally decided to use that for this post.

The K7 is a compilation of studio and live tracks recorded between 1975 and 1991, put together by Halmos Béla, "one of the leading figures the early days of the Tanchaz movement" (from the Rough Guide to World Music)


source: Rough Guide to World Music, page 163
The Tanchaz, meaning dance house, movement started in the 1970s as a reaction to the regimented folklore of the state ensembles. Following in the footsteps of Bartok and Kodaly, mucisians like Ferenc Sebo  and Bela Halmos (compiler of K7) collected music from the villages, learned it and brought it back to the capital Budapest. This new generation was interested in the instrumental music and traditional dances. The idea was to bring the music back to the grassroots rather than present it on stage and, despite the urban setting, keep it closer to its original form.
Eventhough it had virtually no official support from the state, it grew from strength to strength, and had for many years also a political dimension, as being opposed to the communist state.
Tanchaz music falls into two types. One is music from Hungary proper, with less of a living tradition and usually learned from archive recordings or written collections. The other and most popular music comes directly from the village tradition. Mostly from Transylvania, where the Hungarian community in Romania is keeping a living folk tradition alive.
The basic instrumental line-up is a lead fiddle, an accompanying violin (kontra) playing chords and a bowed bass - there's often a cimbalon included as well. At first the tunes all sound similar, but the better you know this music the more rich and varied it becomes. In the right hands it has a beauty unrivalled in Europe.

Listen to a track from the K7


VA-HUNGARY-1992-K7 - Meg Kell A Buzanak Erni

Full trackslist:
1.Sebő - Szerelem, Szerelem - Love, Love (1:05) [1975]
2.Sebő - Hol Jártál Az Éjjel Cönöge Madár (2:25) [1975]
3.Egyszólam - Kanásznóta (3:02) [1989]
4.Téka - Hadd Fekszem Melléd (2:25) [1989]
5.Kalamajka - Bonchidai Forgatós (5:00) [1988]
6.Dűvő - Im Memoriam Kovács Tivadar (3:07) [1989]
7.Vujicsics - Madarac (2:00) [1988]
8.Méta - Szép a Fekete Bárány (2:33) [1989]
9.Kallós Zoltán - Fordulj Kedves Lovam (4:19) [1984]
10.Téka - Az a Szeretőm, Aki Volt (4:46) [1989]
11.Ghymes - Gúta Maga Egy Város (1:52) [1991]
12.Kanalas & Fábri - Várj Madárka (2:27) [1991]
13.Ökrös - Ej, Nem Szeretem az Idő Járását (3:25) [1989]
14.Various - Mezőségi Finálé (6:39) [1989]
15.Sebő - Meg Kell A Búzának Érni (2:15) [1975]

Info about the Artists:

1/2/15.Sebő Ensemble, named after bandleader Ferenc Sebő, is one of the best-known groups of the 1970s Hungarian roots revival.
3.Egyszólam' bandmembers studied for about two decades the traditional Hungarian folkmusic in the performance style, the band includes a singer and a variety of flutes, to their repertoire belong bagpipes sounding melodies.
4/10.Téka Ensemble formed 1976 in Budapest, playing authentic peasant music, their repertoire emphasizes the traditional playing style and original feeling of Hungarian village music.
5.Kalamajka, formed in the early 1970s, played authentic Hungarian folkmusic till their break-up in 2009.
6.Dűvő Együttes, formed in 1979, plays Hungarian folkmusic in especially the traditional styles; in their repertoire is music from all ethnic groups in the Carpathian Basin.
7.Vujicsics* is one of the best groups anywhere playing Serbian and Croatian music, a 6-piece ensemble with guitars, tamburas and bass from the South Slav communities north of Budapest.
8.Méta Ensemble formed 1983 in Pécs in the south of Hungary, some of their specialities are the singing voice of and virtuosity on the violin by founding member Beáta Salamon.
9.Kallós Zoltán is a ethnographer, folk music collector born 1926 in Răscruci (Válaszút), Transylvania, Romania.
11.Ghymes was an excellent 5-piece band led by Szarka Tamas on fiddle and coming from the Hungarian community in southern Slovakia.
12.Duo with vocals by Éva Kanalas and Géza Fábri on cobza (a multi-stringed lute, considered the oldest accompaniment instrument in the Moldovia/Romania region).
13.Ökrös Együttes formed in 1986 by violinist Csaba Ökrös, they gained knowledge of Hungarian folk music by visiting and studying with folk musicians in the remote villages of Hungary and Transylvania.
14.Various Artists at the Folkmusic Festival in Szeged in 1988, performing together the finale at the Festival.

*note one of the members of Vujicsics is the father of some musicians of Söndörgő posted earlier on Mangue Music

More about Hungarian Folkmusic

  • HUNGARY: a musical mother tongue - by Simon Broughton
    Chapter in World Music Vol.1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East (page 159-167)
  • The Aesthetic of the Hungarian Revival Movement - by Judit Frigyesi
    Lakodalmas Rock and the Rejection of Popular - by Barbara Rose Lange
    Chapters in Retuning Culture: Musical Changes in Central and Eastern Europe (page 54-91)

Sunday 5 March 2017

Orchestra Baobab - 2017.Jan.31 Live in London

Just a quick post.

Orchestra Baobab (source: BBC Radio 3, 2017)

Found today that the concert by Orchestra Baobab 2017.Jan.31 at Roundhouse in London can be listened to till about the end of this month at the BBC Radio 3 Website.

Here it's available: World on 3 (2017.Mar.03)

The page includes full setlist and some background info, before the show itself there is a good introduction by Lucy Duran (former DJ at BBC Radio3).

ENJOY!! Recommended while eating a fresh one!!

PS1: when the show can not be listened to anymore on the BBC site, I'll post the full concert, incl.interesting talk, here at Mangue Music.
PS2: listening myself when writing this post, and hearing again "Mouhamadou Bamba" before the concert gives me again shivers through my body, that music and that VOICE from Thione Seck!!!