Hear trancey music from desert blues man Alhousseini Anivolla from Niger (of the band Etran Finatawa) and Girum Mezmur, the Ethio Jazz guitarist from Addis Abeba (and Musical Director for Mahmoud Ahmed), and their pan-African All-Star band from the album Afropentatonism. In combination with the one-stringed Ethiopian violin called masinko, Anivolla sings in Tamashek about a conflict-laden region, speaking directly to the younger generation with messages of protecting peace on “Algher (Peace)“. Also, listen to Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed and the Éthiopiques reissue of Erè Mèla Mèla, “one of the last treasures of what must be termed the "golden age" of modern Ethiopian music” (Soundohm) along with music by Grammy-winning Tuareg band Tinariwen from their 2023 album Amatssou, connecting the Tuareg and Ethiogroove traditions. There’s also music from Tootard, a band of stateless musicians from occupied Golan between Israel and Syria who combine guitars, saxophone, and lyrics in Arabic with the Tuareg desert blues of northern Mali and reggae. Then, listen to music that looks to the trancey grooves of the Gnawa people of Morocco from guembri player and singer Moktar Gania (younger brother of the late Maâlem Mahmoud Gania), and Gnawa Soul. Then, from Mauritania, listen to an electrified take on Moorish tradition with hints of psychedelic rock and funk from griot Noura Mint Seymali featuring amplified “modified Moorish guitar”. Plus, Ethiopian song from Eténèsh Wassié & Toulouse band Le Tigre (des platanes) and more. - Caryn Havlik Program #4966, Music From North Africa and the Near East (First aired 1/16/2025) ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Awash / Ammalele [1:00] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Algher [4:29] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Mahmoud AhmedWORK: Bemen Sebeb Letlash [4:34]RECORDING: Ethiopiques 7: Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere Mela MelaSOURCE: Buda Musique #82980INFO: budamusique.com ARTIST: TinariwenWORK: Imidiwan Mahitinam [3:33]RECORDING: AmatssouSOURCE: WedgeINFO: tinariwen.com/amatssou ARTIST: Mehdi Nassouli & Mehdi Qamoum, Ft. Livia Mattos & MustelideWORK: Negcha (Neu Gnawa) [5:06]RECORDING: One Beat Mixtape 2017SOURCE: Found Sound NationINFO: https://onebeatmusic.bandcamp.com/album/onebeat-2017-mixtape ARTIST: UkanDanZWORK: Addis Ababa Bete [5:23]RECORDING: YetchalalSOURCE: Buda MusiqueINFO: https://ukandanz.bandcamp.com/album/yetchalal-2 ARTIST: Etenesh & Le Tigre (des platanes)WORK: Ambassel Fantay [4:48]RECORDING: Zeraf!SOURCE: Buda MusiqueINFO: Try Discogs.com ARTIST: TootArd WORK: Laissez Passer [3:54]RECORDING: Laissez PasserSOURCE: Glitterbeat RecordsINFO: glitterbeat.com ARTIST: Noura Mint SeymaliWORK: Tzenni [5:12]RECORDING: TzenniSOURCE: Glitterbeat GBCD/LP 016INFO: glitterbeat.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Moktar Gania and Gnawa SoulWORK: Ana el Gnaoui [3:48]RECORDING: MasteriséSOURCE: Nomad Roots RecordsINFO: Available at Spotify, YouTube, AppleMusic ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Awash / Ammalele [1:29] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com
Hear trancey music from desert blues man Alhousseini Anivolla from Niger (of the band Etran Finatawa) and Girum Mezmur, the Ethio Jazz guitarist from Addis Abeba (and Musical Director for Mahmoud Ahmed), and their pan-African All-Star band from the album Afropentatonism. In combination with the one-stringed Ethiopian violin called masinko, Anivolla sings in Tamashek about a conflict-laden region, speaking directly to the younger generation with messages of protecting peace on “Algher (Peace)“. Also, listen to Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed and the Éthiopiques reissue of Erè Mèla Mèla, “one of the last treasures of what must be termed the "golden age" of modern Ethiopian music” (Soundohm) along with music by Grammy-winning Tuareg band Tinariwen from their 2023 album Amatssou, connecting the Tuareg and Ethiogroove traditions.
There’s also music from Tootard, a band of stateless musicians from occupied Golan between Israel and Syria who combine guitars, saxophone, and lyrics in Arabic with the Tuareg desert blues of northern Mali and reggae. Then, listen to music that looks to the trancey grooves of the Gnawa people of Morocco from guembri player and singer Moktar Gania (younger brother of the late Maâlem Mahmoud Gania), and Gnawa Soul. Then, from Mauritania, listen to an electrified take on Moorish tradition with hints of psychedelic rock and funk from griot Noura Mint Seymali featuring amplified “modified Moorish guitar”. Plus, Ethiopian song from Eténèsh Wassié & Toulouse band Le Tigre (des platanes) and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4966, Music From North Africa and the Near East (First aired 1/16/2025)
ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Awash / Ammalele [1:00] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Algher [4:29] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Mahmoud AhmedWORK: Bemen Sebeb Letlash [4:34]RECORDING: Ethiopiques 7: Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere Mela MelaSOURCE: Buda Musique #82980INFO: budamusique.comARTIST: TinariwenWORK: Imidiwan Mahitinam [3:33]RECORDING: AmatssouSOURCE: WedgeINFO: tinariwen.com/amatssou
ARTIST: Mehdi Nassouli & Mehdi Qamoum, Ft. Livia Mattos & MustelideWORK: Negcha (Neu Gnawa) [5:06]RECORDING: One Beat Mixtape 2017SOURCE: Found Sound NationINFO: https://onebeatmusic.bandcamp.com/album/onebeat-2017-mixtape
ARTIST: UkanDanZWORK: Addis Ababa Bete [5:23]RECORDING: YetchalalSOURCE: Buda MusiqueINFO: https://ukandanz.bandcamp.com/album/yetchalal-2
ARTIST: Etenesh & Le Tigre (des platanes)WORK: Ambassel Fantay [4:48]RECORDING: Zeraf!SOURCE: Buda MusiqueINFO: Try Discogs.com
ARTIST: TootArd WORK: Laissez Passer [3:54]RECORDING: Laissez PasserSOURCE: Glitterbeat RecordsINFO: glitterbeat.com
ARTIST: Noura Mint SeymaliWORK: Tzenni [5:12]RECORDING: TzenniSOURCE: Glitterbeat GBCD/LP 016INFO: glitterbeat.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Moktar Gania and Gnawa SoulWORK: Ana el Gnaoui [3:48]RECORDING: MasteriséSOURCE: Nomad Roots RecordsINFO: Available at Spotify, YouTube, AppleMusic
ARTIST: Alhoussein Anivolla & Girum MezmurWORK: Awash / Ammalele [1:29] RECORDING: AfropentatonismSOURCE: Piranha MusicINFO: piranha.de | piranha-records.bandcamp.com