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VARIOUS ARTISTS
African Pearls: Guinée 70 – The
Discotheque Years Syllart 6140252
African Pearls: Sénégal 70 – Musical
Effervescence Syllart 6142032
African Pearls: Mali 70 – Electric Mali
Syllart 6141132
RAIL BAND
Belle Epoque Volume 3 – Dioba Stern’s
“I doubt if the huge audience that now exists for world and
Africa STCD 3043-44
roots music would be there if it weren’t for fRoots.” Joe Boyd
Continuing the excellent African Pearls series
“The people of fRoots care a lot about the diverse musical
digging into Ibrahim Sylla’s archive recordings
expression coming from Africa and they write about it with
from the Congo, Guinea, Mali and Senegal.
objectivity and with joy.” Youssou N’Dour
This is the second raft of compilations covering
the latter three countries, taking us into the
“fRoots proves that Englishness and multi-culturalism do go 1970s and a move away from the state-funded
together.” Billy Bragg
infusion of traditional music (although it’s still
evident) into a more direct attempt to mod-
“fRoots provides a focal point for a scene so diverse it would ernise sounds for the popular market.
seem impossible to represent, but they manage it with taste, The Guinea vol-
objectivity, humour and intelligence.” Eliza Carthy
ume is culled from a
number of sources
“Probably the most independent magazine dealing with world although, as the title
music: a rare and vital quality to be supported.” Rokia Traore
suggests, chiefly the
annual Discotheque compilations of the
“I read fRoots to keep up with who’s making the best music 1970s. The artists featured were still nodding
in the world these days, but also for enjoyment! The sheer
towards the authenticité cultural pro-
volume of information is awesome.” Charlie Gillett
gramme of President Sekou Toure but
unafraid to follow US soul music and Nigeri-
“fRoots has not only been a pioneer in promoting ‘world
an Afrobeat trends with extended organ and
music’ but has most often been the first magazine to carry
electric guitar wig-outs. This is the sound of
boys playing with their new musical toys,
the big story about the best new talent.” Orchestra Baobab
although finessed by the seductive sound of
“fRoots is a definitive part of the UK music scene – the only
punchy horns, ringing guitar and bright soul-
ful vocals. Most of the greats are represented
published port of call to embrace such an eclectic range of
– Bembeya Jazz, Keletigui & Ses Tambourinis,
music.” Thomas Brooman MBE Super Boiro Band, plus the slightly lesser
known Horoya Band National, who are the
“Incredibly stimulating.” Robert Plant
real revelation. They only released one
“No effRoots, no effing comment!” Ian Telfer, Oysterband
album and a handful of singles, but are rep-
resented by five tracks that shimmer and
sway with warmth and joy. Warning: there
To get your regular supply of fRoots you can place an are two or three overlaps with 2007’s excel-
order at your newsagent (tell them that we’re distributed
lent Aunthenticité compilation, but that still
leaves over 20 songs to serve as a worthy fol-
by Seymour). But better still, relax and have fRoots
low-up to that album.
appear through your letterbox early each month. UK
Of the three countries, Senegal was the
postage is included free of charge and fRoots is posted
country to hold onto the Cuban influences
to you a week before street date.
the longest, but as seen on Musical Efferves-
cence, its artists threw themselves with some
1 year is ten issues including the festival special and two
sabar-drum-slapping gusto into heavily
localised idioms. Much of this compilation is
double issues with exclusive full-length CDs.
the sound of urban Dakar, where we can
U.K: 1 year 46.00 (2 years £92.00)
hear the burgeoning mbalax scene, where
Latin rhythms competed with dense,
Airmail Europe, Scandinavia, Ireland or Surface Mail polyrhythmic grooves and wild keyboards,
elsewhere: 1 year £63.00, 2 years £126.00
vibrant guitars and strident bursts of brass
exemplified best by Super Diamono De
Airmail rest of world: 1 year £80.00, 2 years £160.00 Dakar and their impassioned vocalist Omar
Pene, plus the various Star and Etoile bands
Lifetime! See column opposite.
out of which a young Youssou can be heard
We have secure online ordering for new, gift, renewal
heralding a new era for Senegalese music.
Orchestra Baobab were caught in the cross-
and lifetime supporter subscriptions on our web site at
fire, their languid, melodic Afro-Cuban style
www.frootsmag.com Or you can pay in £ Sterling
here sounding wonderfully familiar and yet
cheques/ postal orders/ IMOs, payable to ‘Southern Rag
almost wilfully anachronistic in this context.
Modern, experimental, uniquely rooted
Ltd’ and drawn on a UK bank. Post to fRoots, PO Box 337,
in tradition but pan-continental in its appeal,
London N4 1TW. See opposite for FREE! offers! the music of Mali in the 1970s was charac-
terised by a move away from the polarisation
of short, Afro-Latin songs and lengthy tradi-
Collect our back issues!
tional praise songs into slow, winding bluesy
songs drawing on the best of both approach-
es. Electric guitarists push the rhythm; saxo-
A collection of unspeakably hip fRoots magazines is a timeless reference library
phones and electric organ wind their way
for the wonderful world of roots, world music and folk. Why not make sure that around kit drum; singers declaim, chant,
you’ve got those still available before they vanish forever? You can find them all
shout; the ever-present horns remain defiant-
ly off-kilter. Regional orchestras started to
listed at www.frootsmag.com
split, although they’re still here in number
(Orchestre Regional De Sikasso, Orchestre
Regional De Mopti, Orchestre National Bade-
www.frootsmag.com or tel (+44) (0)20 8340 9651
ma) but Les Ambassadeurs and the Rail Band
have taken centre-stage, as well as the ever-
green and long-standing Super Djata Band
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