Dorobucci

Upon googling this curious term, I was informed that "Singer, Dr Sid, has revealed that the song currently making waves on the airwaves “Dorobucci” means a person or an individual that is awesome, amazing, rich, swagged-out, sexy and buff. According to the dentist turned songwriter and singer, any word that qualifies greatness, that's Dorobucci."

The song is quite the earworm and I had the pleasure of being introduced to it live by none other than the bejeweled staff carrying Don Jazzy. Check it out.

Shosholoza

I've just discovered Shosholoza.

Although the original author of the song is unknown, Shosholoza is a traditional miner's song, originally sung by groups of men from the Ndebele ethnic group that travelled by steam train from their homes in Zimbabwe to work in South African's diamond and gold mines. The Ndebele live predominantly in Zimbabwe (formerly, Rhodesia) near its border with South Africa, and they can also be found in the northern border of South Africa.The song mixes Ndebele and Zulu words and is Zimbabwean in origin even though the two ethnic groups are very similar.Some people argue that the song describes the journey to the mines in South Africa, while others say it describes the return to Zimbabwe. It is also sometimes sung "stimela si phume Rhodesia". According to cultural researchers Booth and Nauright, Zulu workers later took up the song to generate rhythm during group tasks and to alleviate boredom and stress.The song was sung by working miners in time with the music beat as they were swinging their axes to dig. It was usually sung under hardship in 'call and response' style (one man singing a solo line and the rest of the group responding by copying him).It was also sung by prisoners in call and response style using alto, soprano part divided by row. Former South African President Nelson Mandela describes how he sang Shosholoza as he worked during his imprisonment on Robben Island. He describes it as "a song that compares the apartheid struggle to the motion of an oncoming train" and goes on to explain that "the singing made the work lighter".

In contemporary times, it is used in varied contexts in South Africa to show solidarity in sporting events and other national events to relay the message that the players are not alone and are part of a team.

This a-capella version is particularly fun. Enjoy!

Shosholoza | Kulezo ntaba | Stimela siphume South Africa

Wen' uyabaleka | Kulezo ntaba | Stimela siphume South Africa

A rough translation:

Go forward, on those mountains, train to South africa

You are running away, on those mountains, train to South Africa

Elegant Artwork

I loved today's Google Doodle celebrating Miriam Makeba's 81st Birthday. Here is my favourite song by her, Soweto Blues.
Happy Birthday, Mama Africa!

Djamakoyo

These days, I constantly find myself singing, humming or whistling the melodious 'Djamakoyo' by talented Malian musician, Adama Yalomba. This song is from his album Kassa and I am looking forward to discovering the other tracks on it. For now, here's Djamakoyo. 

The little booklet accompanying this excellent Putumayo CD states that Yalomba sings, "Whether you're a farmer, a fisherman or a breeder / Work from the heart / Let us do our work with compassion / If you keep working only for yourself, you remain alone".

Live version here.

Taraab Music

Taarab is a music genre popular in Tanzania and Kenya. It is influenced by music from the cultures with a historical presence in East Africa, including music from East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Taarab rose to prominence in 1928 with the rise of the genre's first star, Siti binti Saad.

Here is a small piece from a Taarab performance we saw at Monsoon Restaurant in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

Mauritania

Abdoulaye "Laye" Sow is a Senegalese musician. Here is his beautiful track Mauritania:

Jambo Bwana

Especially on the island of Zanzibar, we heard this catchy song over and over again. From Street vendors with pirated CDs ("Hey Sister! The music of Africa!") to the tree climber who was asked to demonstrate to us the method used to climb a coconut tree, the Zanzibaris sang "Jambo Bwana" to us. See (and hear) for yourself and while you're at it, pick up some basic Swahili too (Lyrics and meaning here). And it's no cliche, you are bound to hear the phrase "Hakuna Matata" used several times a day!

Here is a video of that entertaining coconut man and his rendition of the classic as he makes his way down. Enjoy!

Another version here.

Rapper Museveni!

Yes, the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, after 24 years in office, is now a hip-hop star. Yes, Sevo!

1987 Archive Photo in which Rapper meets Actor

Hugh Masekela - Live!

Click on the concert pictures above to see them better!

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Hugh Masekela live in concert at Carnegie Hall. It was a wonderful evening. Hugh is tremendously entertaining; it is hard to believe he is over 70, he has the energy of a 30 year old! His voice boomed strong across the auditorium and the music was divine! He has a fantastic sense of humor and he regaled us with stories and anecdotes, the best of which was about his true origins in New Orleans and his real identity, "Bo Diddley!". His friend Morris Goldberg's saxophone and flute additions were great, I really enjoyed them. By the way, Hugh can really make fun of an audience!

He danced, he sang, he joked, he played. It was fantastic! One of my favorites from his playlist last night:

Kidjo in concert!

The beautiful Samba Pati rendition and video

Yes, I have been that busy. But not too busy for Angelique! After my disappointment of missing her concert this spring, we drove two hours in crazy Saturday night traffic to see her perform in Westhampton. I got front row center tickets and I was overwhelmed when she sang Arouna. Ah, she is a stellar performer. She has tremendous stage presence; you can feel her energy and passion. The setting was small with limited capacity, and so the evening was more personal and enjoyable. She spoke to the audience a lot and really involved them in the show. This was my first time seeing a big African artist and I was truly excited and happy.

Djin Djin

I recently purchased this spectacular album in which Kidjo collaborates with accomplished artists to create some wonderful tracks.

My favourite is the title track 'Djin Djin' which brings together Kidjo's powerful voice and Alicia Keys' soulful one. I was surprised to find a Rolling Stones number on the album and oh, how wonderful it is! (Gimme Shelter sung with Joss Stone). I am enamored with Josh Groban's voice in Pearls, a truly moving song. Arouna and Sedjedo are old favourites, but Ziggy Marley really spices up this version of Sedjedo. And finally, Salala with Peter Gabriel is simply out of this world. An excellent album overall.