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a guitar made partly from metal from a mili-
tary tank; the result is strikingly reminiscent
of Malagasy kabosy music. Avelino Chico
accompanies himself on grunting puíta (fric-
tion drum) on his CD track. On the website’s
audio files he also plays coroa (mouth bow),
as does Beio Primeiro, who might or might
not be the same person named as Beio
Mukuanda on the CD.
Rodrigo Sekulo sings of the hardships of
for life!…
the conflict, accompanying himself on an
unusual instrument used by several musicians
fRoots is a truly independent,
here, the bow-harp tchisumba, which consists
activist magazine that celebrated its
of five strings each stretched by its own bow,
the five bows protruding from a single sound-
30th anniversary in 2009! We are
box. There’s female singing and clapping from
very proud that we have published
a village group from Serra das Neves not listed
every single issue on time.
on the website, and singing, clapping and
If you value, enjoy and believe in
drumming from another group from a village
fRoots, you can help us to build on
in the Humpata region that sounded to an
what we have achieved, continue
ethnomusicologist friend of mine very similar
to the music he’s working with in Angola’s
our musical activism, and train peo-
southern neighbour Namibia.
ple to carry it on. You can become a
The lack of information on the CD and
Lifetime Supporting Subscriber
the absence of proper links to the CD tracks
by making one lump contribution.
on the website are notable omissions, but the
Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate You will then receive every fRoots
latter at least can be easily rectified at a site
until you shuffle off this jumping
update and one hopes the former will be on VARIOUS ARTISTS sphere, and you’ll be helping to
subsequent releases. Finding and recording
secure the future of the one maga-
this varied and interesting music is a great
Gastonia Gallop – Cotton Mill Songs And
zine which has consistently support-
work, and the use of the web to connect its
Hillbilly Blues Old Hat CD-1007
ed this music through thick and thin
scattered makers with the world is trail-blaz-
One of the best of all
ing.
www.tsikaya.org
for nearly three decades.
reissue labels strikes
Andrew Cronshaw
again. Gastonia Gal-
We’ve set a minimum of £550 for the
lop concentrates hard
UK, £750 for Europe and surface else-
on a specific time and where, £950 for airmail outside
ALI FARKA TOURE & place, the Gaston, North Carolina cotton mill Europe. But if anybody feels able to
TOUMANI DIABATE
workers in the 1920s and 1930s. It’s full of
be a more generous patron, they can
people you’ve never heard of unless you’re a
specify their own figure.
Ali & Toumani World Circuit WCD083
hard-line hillbilly collector, but don’t let that
put you off. The music heard here is, quite
Every Lifetime Supporting Sub-
Mindful perhaps of
simply, extraordinarily beautiful and very
scriber will also get access to the
the Mali-fatigue that
digital edition, the option to claim
seems to be affecting
deeply rooted in its own community. Those of
some parts of the
you with the Yazoo Times Ain’t Like They free VIP tickets for any events we
world/ roots commu-
Used To Be will recognise Wilmer Watts, who
promote, and automatically receives
nity, this sedate and beautifully textured
turns up seven times here, but many artists
any special CDs we are involved in.
release arrives to somewhat less of a fanfare
are receiving the first revisit since the original
More info at
www.frootsmag.com
than its highly praised predecessor, In The
78s were issued. This is pure, unadulterated
Heart Of The Moon. However, Ali & Toumani
American country music from the first wave
is at least as worthy of our attention given the
of electric recording, and is very local. Out-
timeless and empathetic approach these two
side of Gaston County you would not have
bribery!
master musicians have to their craft – or had
easily connected with the styles of rags, blues
in the case of Ali Farka, of course, this album
and ballads you encounter here. 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE!
having been recorded in London in 2005
Like all Old Hat issues the sound is
As an introductory offer to new first
against the backdrop of pain and illness that
extraordinary, superbly mastered from the time 1-year subscribers, we'll give
the cancer-stricken Toure endured at the time.
finest 78s available; the photographic you 3 FREE BACK ISSUES of your
It’s difficult not to read some of that set-
ephemera is simply riveting and the long
choice – double issues with CDs
ting into the serenity that marks this far more
essay in the accompanying booklet contextu-
count as 2 – from the list at
measured and spacious release. The guitarist
alises it all to provide a portrait of a time,
www.frootsmag.com
is no more or less mellow than he was on the
place and culture so far removed that it
earlier album – or indeed his last solo album,
would have been lost without this gatefold
2 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE!
Savane – but there is a deference in
digipack CD. Check it out for yourself at
Open to new subscribers or
Toumani’s playing that suggests some
www.oldhatrecords.com then buy it. One of
renewals: a FREE CD if you sub-
attempt to eschew much of the kora player’s
the finest historical reissues I’ve seen in a very
scribe for 2 years. See the full list at
improvisational abilities in favour of a musi-
long time. Distributed in Europe by Forte.
www.frootsmag.com which
cal resolution between the Peul and Mandé Paul Vernon
includes albums by Oumou San-
traditions of the two musicians. The virtuosity
is never too far from the surface though, Ali’s
gare, Jim Moray, Chango Spa-
hypnotic circular melodies acting once again
TELLING THE BEES
siuk, Franco, Bellowhead, Eliza
as a base for kora notes that spiral, shimmer
Carthy, Les Amazones De Guinée,
and fall with studied grace. Ali punctuates
An English Arcanum Black Thrustle
Toumani Diabate, John Spiers &
those moments with moves into the instru-
BLATHR 002
Jon Boden, Kries, Orchestra
mental spotlight that are more considered
but no less effective, with regular traces pop-
Hmmm… I’ve been
Baobab, Yasmin Levy, Martin
ping up of some of his favourite melodic
putting this one off.
Simpson, Oysterband, Balla Et
motifs from the past (once more for that
In fact, I’ve tried to Ses Balladins, June Tabor, Blue
heart-stopping Kadi Kadi riff) occasionally
lose it down the back Blokes 3, Andrew Cronshaw, The
buttressed by his gruffly welcoming voice.
of the sofa three
Copper Family and great compila-
times but people – the Editor included – keep
Ali & Toumani is an exercise in note-per-
tions including Authentiques, Step-
telling me how brilliant it is. I’ll get on the
fect, expressive restraint, anchored at times by
ping Up, Hidden English and various
bus and some hoodie will sidle up to ask the
the silky bass – at once lithe and darkly melan-
time and say “By the way mate, you heard
Rough Guides.
cholic – of the (now also sadly deceased)
that new Telling The Bees album? Bloody
Cuban, Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, and bur-
Allow 3 weeks for UK delivery,
great it is…” and I’ll dig it out and have
nished with some subtle finishing touches by
longer abroad. Alternatively, pick 6
another go.
Vieux Farka Touré and his band. Fully deserves
FREE BACK ISSUES – double issues
as many plaudits as its garlanded predecessor.
This is the second album from a band
with CDs count as 2 – from the list at
who originally came together at Oxford’s
www.worldcircuit.co.uk
Catweazle club and certainly deserve a BBC
www.frootsmag.com
Con Murphy Folk Award for best use of a Stylophone.
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