We review three new African releases, as well as a debut release from the UK.
FOSTER MANGANYI: Na Tintsumi Ta Tilo — Ndzi Teke Reindzo No 1 (Nozinje Productions)
With Honest Jon’s Shangaan Electrocompilation receiving rave reviews around the globe, it was only a matter of time before they made a move to follow it up. No surprise then that this album slipped on to shelves a few weeks before Christmas last year.
Foster Manganyi is a pastor living outside Giyani in Limpopo, who is part of the recording stable of Shangaan Electro producer Richard Mthetwa, aka Nozinja. Similar in style to the tracks on Shangaan Electro, Ma-nganyi’s songs are littered with synthesised sounds, which at times sound like long-forgotten computer-game sound effects. These and the call-and-response vocals are layered over skittering drum patterns to create that typical Shangaan Electro sound
But these are gospel songs, which gives them a feel all of their own, mostly because of the great harmonies of the backing singers. This is not mere pop triviality — these songs speak to the deep spirituality that is embedded in Shangaan culture and at times offer a much more laid-back version of the Shangaan Electro sound, such as in Hi Tirhela Tilo and Misava Ya Fova. As a window into another side of modern Shangaan music, Ndzi Teke Reindzo No 1 is a priceless release and, for those who found the breakneck speed of hits by BBC, Tshe-Tsha Boys and Mancingelani on the original Shangaan Electro compilation too disconcertingly fast, it offers an easier entry point. But fans of the bone-crunching, foot-stomping beats of Shangaan Electro will have to wait for the new Tshe-Tsha Boys album due out in the first half of this year. — Lloyd Gedye
KYTE: Dead Waves (Kids Records)
This dreamy electronic album with elements of post-rock is the debut of Leicester four-piece band Kyte. With Nick Moon on vocals, the sound is somewhere between Mogwai, Sigur Ros and Zero 7. Its emotive charm will be appreciated by fans of bands ranging from the somewhat obscure, like M83, to accessible pop, like Snow Patrol. The vocals, though not very varied in tone and expression, are sweet and gentle, adding a hint of melancholy to the music. There is also a general tribute to the Eighties with a thread of synthetic strings running through the album. Opening track The Smoke Saves Lives is very atmospheric, centering on guitar, and the rest of the album follows suit. The music is filled with a dreaminess that emanates from the melodies and lyrics, redolent of an honest innocence that could bring tears to your eyes. This album is special and beautiful — the kind of music to watch the clouds go by to. — Ilham Rawoot
LOBI TRAORÉ: Rainy Season Blues (Glitterhouse)
Recorded shortly before Lobi Traoré died in Bamako, Mali, at the age of 49, Rainy Season Blues can’t help but take on added significance as the last testament to one of Mali’s great guitarists and songwriters. It was Traoré’s seventh album since his debut Bambara Blues in 1992 and his first since the 2005 release The Lobi Traoré Group on Honest Jons. Although his previous album was a smoking hot electric guitar album, full of crunchy guitar riffs and full-band workouts, Rainy Season Blues is the exact opposite — an album of 10 tracks with Traoré solo on acoustic guitar, giving the album a haunting sparseness that could be associated with old blues recordings. Fans of the late great Ali Farka Touré and his protégé, Afel Bocoum, are sure to lap this up and the poignancy of the music reinforces what a great loss to African and Malian music Traoré’s death is. ‘My friends, the life of man is a brief stay”, Traoré sings on Alah Ka Bo. Amen, brother. — LG
VARIOUS ARTISTS: The Rough Guide to the Music of Mali (Sheer Sound)
I have never been a fan of compilations like this, preferring to discover music from a country one album at a time. But I have to concede that for many listeners they play a healthy introductory role. If you have an interest in exploring the music of Mali, I suppose this is as good a starting point as any. All the names you would expect are here — legendary bluesman Ali Farka Touré, globetrotting kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, veteran Wasulu songstress Oumou Sangaré, Tuareg desert blues pioneers Tinariwen and global African pop stars Amadou & Mariam. Also included are a younger generation of stars from Mali such as the ‘Jimi Hendrix of Mali”, Bassekou Kouyaté, soulful singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré and guitar-wielding rocker Vieux Farka Touré. If these songs capture your imagination, then a whole world of discovery is awaiting you. — LG