African music, collected and selected by Stan Rijven,
While for us the sixties symbolize a decade of renewal, to Africa they represent a fundamental turnaround. As much as sixteen countries celebrate 60 year of independence this year. Besides Belgian Congo and Nigeria, mostly the former French colonies acquired their freedom. 1960: April (Senegal, Togo), September (Mali) and in August: Benin, Burkina Fasso, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Niger and Chad! Guinea-Conakry (1958) had preceded them, and of course Ghana (1957) led by the legendary president Kwame Nkrumah, the first African leader who managed to beat the colonial system. A wave of optimism voiced in numerous songs flooded the contitent during the sixties, reinforced by many festivals and orchestras sponsered by the state. Latin music (cha-cha-cha, rumba, son), priorly stimulated by the colonizer, was slowly mixing in with local music styles. Meanwhile, the electric guitar emerged as the herald of new times. This Mariama episode show how those freeing early years began.
Playlist:
- Depiano & Beguen Band/ Gouvernement Ya Kongo – Congo/1961
CD: Ngoma, Souvenir Ya L’indépendance (PAMAP)- 1997
2. De Troubadours van Koning Boudewijn/ Kyrie – Congo-België/1958
Single: Missa Luba (Philips)- 1958
3. Grand Kalle & l’African Jazz/ Table Ronde – Congo/1959
CD: African Pearls vol.1, Congo: Rumba on the river (Syllart)- 2006
4. Grand Kalle & l’African Jazz/ Independence Cha Cha – Congo/1960
CD: African Pearls vol.1, Congo: Rumba on the river (Syllart)- 2006
5. Sonorama/ Radioverslag onafhankelijkheid Belgisch Congo- 1960
Flexidisc: Sonorama nr 22, sept.1960 (Sonorama)
6. E.C. Arinze & His Music/ Lumumba Calypso – Nigeria/1961
CD: Money No Be Sand (Original Music)- 1995
7. E. T. Mensah/ Ghana-Guinea-Mali – Ghana/ ± 1960
CD: Day By Day (RetroAfric)- 1991
8. Sory Kandia Kouyaté/ N’na – Guinée/1970
CD: La Voix de la Révolution (Sterns)- 2012
9. Super Boiro Band/ Si I Si Sa – Guinée/1974
CD: Discotheque 74 (Syllart)- 1999
10. Boubacar Traore/ Kar Kar madison – Mali/1998
CD: Mali to Memphis (Putumayo)- 1999
11. Orchestre Régional De Kayes/ Sanjina – Mali/1970
CD: One Day on Radio Mali (Syllart)- 2006
12. No.1 De No.1/ Macakki – Senegal/1970
CD: No.1 de No.1 (Dakar Sound)- 1996
13. Tiken Jah Fakoly/ L’Africain – Ivoorkust/2007
CD: L’Africain (Barclay)- 2007
