Tag: afro-beat

679. WITCH

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Episode 679 is WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc). TIL there is a thing called Zamrock. WITCH emerged as one of the most popular bands in post-independence Zambia, playing varieties of psychedelic and rock songs. This form reached its peak with 1975’s Lazy Bones. Their second phase was a couple disco albums in the early 1980s, not so good. After a long gap and being rediscovered by crate diggers, their frontman reformed the band and put out two albums in 2023 and 2025 which are really good: a mix of their old sound on the funky side and with African rhythms.

Favorite album: Lazy Bones!

Favorite song: Lazy Bones.  Or Look Out, I can’t decide.

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Lazy Bones!, Zango and Sogolo are good albums.

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584. Babatunde Olatunji

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(July 2024) Episode 584 is BABATUNDE OLATUNJI, a Nigerian drummer who had big influence on American jazz and rock artists. Olatunji took up percussion while in college in the U.S., which led to a recording deal. His 1959 album “Drums of Passion” got the attention of John Coltrane, leading to a collaboration. Olatunji also worked with Cannonball Adderley, Quincy Jones, Max Roach, Stevie Wonder and Mickey Hart, among many others. It’s authentic music, unlike a lot of the “world music” stuff Olatunji helped inspire.

Favorite album: Drums of Passion

Favorite song: Akiwowo

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: All the “Drums of Passion”-titled releases are good.

487. Youssou N’Dour

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(April 2023) Episode 487 is YOUSSOU N’DOUR. Senegal’s biggest musical star, he is known for popularizing the genre known as “mbalax” that fused indigenous drumming with wider Western and Afro-pop elements.  You probably know him from his collaboration on Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” which put him on the international scene.  I kinda prefer the raw authenticity of his early cassette recordings, although he has recorded many fine albums in the studio (as well as some pop-oriented duds).  

Favorite album: Rokku Mi Rokka

Favorite crossover album: Egypt

Favorite song: Birima

Favorite crossover song: Touba Dar Es Salaam

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: it’s happy mood music, so it works in the background or the foreground, or to dance to

472. Orchestra Baobab

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

Episode 472 is ORCHESTRA BAOBAB. A big-time African band in the 1970s and Senegal’s biggest musical export until Youssou N’Dour. You get the expected goodness of afro-beats but there is such a strong Cuban influence you might think they were from Cuba if not for singing in Wolof and French (but with some Spanish too). I especially love the groovy and psychedelic guitar bits.

Favorite album: Pirates Choice

Favorite song: Sibou Odia

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: I’m not a “world music” connoisseur so I can’t make a comparative recommendation, but I like this for its authenticity and groove

384. Habib Koité

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(February 2022) Episode 384 is HABIB KOITÉ. Guitarist from Mali who delivers a relaxed yet powerful style, with a reserved signing voice that blends well with the rhythms. He became quite popular in West Africa and partnered with some American artists. He adapted his guitar to the pentatonic tuning of a local stringed instrument, and his playing reminds me of Robert Fripp.

Favorite album: Musa Ko

Favorite song: Massakè

Favorite collaboration album: Brothers in Bamako (with Eric Bibb)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: approachable and enjoyable

349. Fela Kuti

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2021) Episode 349 is FELA KUTI.  The man who invented Afro-beat, combining polyrhythms of his Yoruba musical heritage with the sounds and instrumentation of jazz and funk. Immensely influential. I’m not much a ‘world music’ fan, but much of Fela’s music offers an irresistibly fun groove. The height of his musical creativity coincided with a growth of political activism against Nigeria’s military government (and imperialism in general) which got him beat up and jailed. But his pro-liberation stance did not extend to women, as he was apparently a sexist pig.

Favorite album: Gentlemen

Favorite song: Kalakuta Song

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: use this groove, to dance to, to liven a party, or play in background while you work

10 creative Fela Kuti song/album titles:

  1. Ye Ye De Smell
  2. Expensive Shit
  3. Equalisation of Trouser And Pant
  4. You No Go Die…Unless
  5. Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss
  6. You Gimme Shit I Give You Shit
  7. Coffin for Head of State
  8. Original Suffer-Head 
  9. Government Chicken Boy
  10. I Go Shout Plenty