Category — music

This song from the Buena Vista Social Club was released in 1997. It was delightful then and still thrilling now. The members of the Club may be slowly disappearing but they leave behind indelible cosmic footprints.

Bliss.

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This exhibition is currently taking place at the Musée Quai Branly in Paris and covers magazines, letters, cartoons, photographs, paintings and others types of expression. The exhibition features some of the most revered names of jazz, among them, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Some of the paintings and photographs as featured here are rather magnificent.

The painting at the top is Jazz (Variante) by Fernand Leger. The 2nd is Homage to Duke, Bessie & Louis by Romare Howard Bearden. I find these and the 1927 Josephine Baker (I must blog about Josephine Baker one day) poster quite lovely.

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Every once in a while, when you have been very good or have been very lucky, a piece of art, a musical composition or a poem that is mind blowing comes your way. When this happens, all you can do is sit and wonder and nod your head to say: without art, we are nothing, without music, we are nothing, without love, we are nothing. (My personal mantra and my reason for being).

Released by Sterns Africa in 2007, African Virtouses – The Classic Guinean Guitar Group, consists of music recorded in the 70s and 80s by Guinean guitar maestros – the Diabate Brothers – Papa, Sekou, Sire and Abdoulaye, yet I can’t get over how incredibly fresh and contemporary the music sounds.

Traditionally, Guinean musical instruments are the the kora, balafon (xylophone), and koni (lute). The aptly named, African Virtuoses in their own inimitable style, include the guitar as their means of creative expression. Here and there, one can hear flashes of Cuban, flamenco and Django Reinhardt musical influences. The overarching elegance is typically and distinctively Guinean however.

African Virtouses, I bow down to your greatness.

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I love the way some of his songs are prefixed by rap-like storytelling. Listening to ‘I Stand Accused’, approximately 10 minutes long, always makes me smile. The pathos!

‘By the time I get to Phoenix’ is also long. Approximately, 18 minutes long.

Although very similar, Isaac Hayes’s voice is not as rich and as expressive as Barry White’s. When exploring his discography however, it is clear to see that his music is very influential.

Isaac Hayes IS a soul music icon.

R.I.P.

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Over the last few months, what we have seen of Africans (mainly Kenyans and occasionally Zimbabweans) on the BBC have been people in extreme situations. The images have either been of people dying or dead, people running away from vigilante groups or the police, people demonstrating or people (and especially and worryingly, children) looting and burning. Sometimes the images have been of people doing all the above, all at the same time.

Watching the No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency based in Botswana on the BBC the other night was a relief as the story featured Africans getting on with their daily lives. Fancy that. The drama/comedy, gentle and funny, featured the utterly lovely Jill Scott as Mma Ramotswe, the detective and was lovingly directed by Anthony Minghella who unfortunately died a few weeks ago.

Credit must also go to the cinematographer who managed to capture the heat, dust, bright, vivid colours and the complex beauty of Africa. It was almost possible to taste this dust and feel the heat in far away (and wintry) London.

The story dealt with difficult issues including domestic violence and superstition from Mma Ramotswe’s point of view and here, the issue was all about Jill Scott’s amazing talent and the strength she brought to the character. Jill Scott had the Botswanian accent down to perfection and looked the part (being of ‘traditional build’). She was authentic and everything focused around her (the camera certainly loves her).

My only gripe was Jill Scott only sung once. She should have sung around the house, while driving, etc. Any excuse to hear Jill Scott sing.

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Celebrating Women Musicians from South America

Today is International Women’s Day (IWD).This day recognises the struggle by women to eradicate the cultural, legal and political obstacles that stop them from attaining economic independence and that create an unequal gender status quo. In addition, the day celebrates the progress of women throughout the world despite the limitations imposed upon them.

As with every IWD, the list of women one would like to honour and celebrate and who are an inspiration is an ever lengthening one. This list would be extremely long as one would be duty bound to mention all the women, famous or unknown, working to make a difference.

Nonetheless, as with every IWD, my list, were I to produce it, would include some regulars as I would include my mother, my wonderful sisters (both biological and non-biological), peace activists, law makers, Nobel laureates, leaders, lecturers and professors, writers and poets and not forgetting women bloggers and my online support network – the indefatigable group that supports me when I am faced with misogynists.

During last year’s IWD, my focus was on celebrating African women’s musicians. The magnificent divas who have managed to achieve world class fame and recognition in face of adversity through their talent and sheer hard work.

Continuing on the theme of music and musicians as the arts are very close to my heart, I want to focus on three women musicians of African descent from South America or the Latin world. These women’s ancestry is partly or wholly African – a fact that is acknowledged and splendidly reflected in their music. They too have had to overcome hardship. As Virginia Rodrigues (see below) said at the start of her career: “I have three strikes against me: I’m a woman, I’m black and I’m poor.”

These women truly make up the soundtrack of my life and the lives of many people as their songs encompass universal themes such as love, joy, life, sorrow, struggle, etc. Additionally and more important, the women are exceptionally talented and their music superb and superlative.

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