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The World Music Network are looking forward to February 27th as three new albums are to be released: Introducing Amadou Diagne, The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco and The Rough Guide To Blues Legends: Charley Patton. All three of these new releases are available with the subscription to World Music Network or can be enjoyed as a one-off!
Amadou Diagne first caught the attention of World Music Network after winning the ‘Battle Of The Bands’ competition hosted on our website. His captivating entry ‘Senegal’, the opening track on this album, combines gently lilting guitar lines with Amadou’s distinctive singing voice.
Having been born into a large griot family in Senegal, he began to play the drums at the age of 4, and has been passionately drawn towards music ever since. In his twenties he was engaged as a percussionist with the respected Senegalese National Band. During his time with the ensemble, Amadou also immersed himself in the vibrant Dakar music scene, and began to find his own original voice.
The track ‘Africa Stop War’ was written with the conflicts of the Ivory Coast and Somalia in mind. The lyrics are frank: ‘I am crying for peace in Africa, no more blood running for war’. Other tracks, such as ‘Talibé’ and ‘Suma Dom’ tackle local Senegalese issues and draw inspiration from traditional music.
With his unforced talent, traditional roots, family ties and passion for issues that are pertinent to communities the world over, the future certainly looks bright for Amadou Diagne.
This exciting Rough Guide takes a fresh look at the Moroccan scene and highlights a whole new generation of hip hop and rock bands, as well as considering the dynamic country’s distinctive traditional folk music.
Many of the Moroccan musicians, MCs and DJs featured here came of age in the early 2000’s and inspiration from the urban youth styles of the West, especially hip hop and metal. H-Kayne’s song ‘Jil Jdid’ means ‘New Generation’ and fuses hip-hop and street style to bring home a humorous yet portentous message about the delights and dangers of internet addiction among Morocco’s youth. The opening track on the album, ‘Sah Raoui’ a pounding and pumping track by Fnaïre, a group who aptly call their fusion music rap traditionnel.Another modern urban sounds is heard from London based U-Cef. The excellent track ‘Boolandrix’ is the result of an imagined collaboration between Jimi Hendrix and the contemporary gnawa master or maalem, Said Damir. US MC Johnny Biz, aka Bizmatik, adds his contemporary urban flow to the mix.
Meanwhile the old Morocco is represented here by the efforts of artists such as Samy Elmaghribi, whose meditative track ‘Mal Hbibi Malou’ showcases his classically inspired voice accompanied by a haunting violin and percussion. The Master Musicians of Joujouka can be heard intoning their looping, entrancing traditional flute and drum music on the closing track of this Rough Guide.
Enjoy this dynamic Rough Guide and listen to the sounds Morocco, a relevant, forward-looking and undeniably musically blessed country.
Only the hiss and crackle that bedevilled his original recordings for many years has prevented Charley Patton from receiving the same adulation that surrounds the cult of Robert Johnson. On this meticulously remastered Rough Guide the legend of Charley Patton is reborn.
As an illustrious wandering bluesman, Charley spent his life moving nomadically around the Mississippi Delta and made the odd trip further afield to New Orleans, St Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago. All along the road he could be found singing, strumming, drinking and generally living his life hard and fast. He cut just four recording sessions between 1929 and 1934, the highlights of which were selected for this Rough Guide by the Jazz and Blues expert, Nigel Williamson.
The album opens with ‘Mississippi Boweavil Blues’ whereby a humorous imagined dialogue takes place between a farmer and the Boweavil insect which, much to the farmer’s dislike, feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Another classic song the two-part track, ‘High Water Everywhere’ gives Patton’s vivid account of the Mississippi flood of 1927. Another great, the haunting track ‘Screamin’ And Hollerin’The Blues’ was originally released under the name, ‘The Masked Marvel’ but is true Patton genius.
Many of the tracks including, ‘High Sheriff Blues’, ‘Pea Vine Blues’ and ‘Down The Dirt Road Blues’ tackle issues unique to the experience of early twentieth century Mississippi life, yet there's still a universality about the passions and emotions he conjures that makes this record buzz with emotion.
The bonus album pays homage to Patton's influence and shows how the blues would have sounded very different without his towering example. Enjoy music from the likes of Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, all of whom fell under the great Patton’s spell.
