Passy Mermans - Les Grands Succes Africains Vol. 6

Alphonse Mpassy, or Passy Mermans as he became known, was one of the lightning fingered guitarists from Brazzaville's legendary rumba rollers, Orchestre Bantous and this is a wonderful collection of songs he wrote.
This music just makes me very happy and I think you probably need it in your life.



On the downside, the first song jumps a couple of times at the beginning, but after that its all good.
Enjoy!

Tracklist:

01 Badetty (Orchestre Bantous)
02 C'est Serieux Tantine (Orchestre Bantous)
03 Bubote Mona Pele (Orchestre Bantous)
04 A Mon A Vis (Orchestre Bantous)
05 Ata Ko Poso Moko (Orchestre Les Nzoy)
06 Mazekimba (Orchestre Les Nzoy)
07 Masolo (Orchestre Lisolo)
08 Owelaki Mingi (Orchestre Lisolo)
09 ATC Voie Ferree (Orchestre Bantous)

Get it HERE.

Scientist - Crucial Cuts Vol. 2 (1986)

Scientist is a true innovator in the world of dub reggae.  He was and electric wizard, a protégé of King Tubby, and a fearless vampire killer.  Pour yourself a rum, sit back and check out these crucial cuts.

Tracklist:

01         13 Bread Lane Dub         
02         11 Guava Road Dub         
03         Ethiopian High Priest         
04         The President         
05         Forgive Them Oh Jah         
06         Everlasting Version         
07         Knock Out Version         
08         King Sturgav         
09         People's Choice, The Lion        
10         Dub The Daughter

Get it HERE.

Lhoucine Amarrakchi - Berber Music from the Souss Valleys

This cassette is another of the wonderful treasures provided by Joachim.  It's Berber music complete with banjos, rabab and hectic percussion.  Its a high energy affair and I hope you enjoy it.



On the end of each side we are lucky enough to find an incredibly strange instrumental track with rabab and banjo playing over synthesised backing.  Each of these tracks cut short leaving me hanging out for more - if anyone knows where to get the complete tracks I'd love to hear from you.

Tracklist:

Side One
Side Two

Get it HERE.

Finally, any translations, or info about this artist would be much appreciated.

Maria Bethania - A Arte Maior de Maria Bethania

Maria Bethania is one of Brazil's best loved singers.  She is the sister of Caetano Veloso and one of the leading lights of the Tropicalia movement.

What we have here is the first record of a two disc compilation of songs recorded between 1978 and 1982, and these tracks are smooth and slick; they ooze like syrup out of the speakers, sultry, torrid and redolent of romance and hot nights.

Might be your bag, or it might not:


Tracklist:

01         Explode Coração        
02         Negue        
03         Alguém Me Avisou        
04         Maravida        
05         De Todas As Maneiras        
06         Mel        
07         Começaria Tudo Outra Vez        
08         Olhos Nos Olhos        
09         Grito De Alerta        
10         Ronda        
11         Talismã        
12         O Lado Quente Do Ser        
13         Mentira De Amor        
14         Da Cor Brasileira

Get it HERE.

Ruts D.C. - Present Rhythm Collision Volume 1

The Ruts were a very popular UK punk band famous for catchy tunes such as Staring at the Rude Boys:

or Babylon's Burning:

The group's lead singer, Malcolm Owen, died of an overdose in 1980, but the remaining members changed the group's name to Ruts DC and fell further into the reggae that had always deeply influenced the Ruts' sound.  Rhythm Collision Vol. 1 was their first collaboration with Peckham dub master, the Mad Professor, and it is an astonishing album of cuts  blend dub and funk whilst also managing to maintain a punk sensibility.

I was very excited when I found this one at my local boot sale a couple of weeks ago, and I hope you will share in a bit of that excitement.

Check out Push Yourself - Make it Work:

Tracklisting:


01         Whatever We Do (Inst.)        
02         Militant        
03         Push Yourself - Make It Work        
04         Rhythm Collision        
05         Accusation        
06         Pleasures Of The Dance        
07         Weak Heart Dub        
08         Love & Fire

Get it HERE.

Musik der Nubier / Nordsudan - Various Artists

 

Here, for your entertainment and listening pleasure, is an incredible collection of field recordings made by German ethnomusicologist, Artur Simon, in the early 1970's in Northern Sudan. Once again we should extend our thanks to Joachim for switching us on to this one.

There are extensive liner notes contained in a booklet included with the album so you can read those if you are interested to learn more about the Nubian people, their culture, their music and these recordings.
Download a PDF of the booklet in English HERE.
Download a PDF of the booklet in German HERE.

Tracklist:

01     Dahab Khalil, Unknown Artist – Ay Fa Kir Noogonilla / Ich Werde Zu Deinem Haus Kommen / I Will Come To Your House      
02     Mohammed Awad, Unknown Artist – Ajjibeeri Dessa Massoodta Daffo / Ich Möchte Wissen, Ob Die "Grüne" Schöne Fortgegangen Ist / I Wonder, If The "Green" Beautiful One Has Gone Away       
03     Mohammed Awad, Unknown Artist – Tanzmusik Ohne Gesang Aus Mahas / Dance Music Without Singing From Mahas         
04     Hussein Mohammed Ahmed Wagiya Allah – Waya-Logo Wayag Onnon / Von Waya / About Waya
05     Khalil Soliman, Salah Kurdi, Hassan Fagir, Ahmed Hassan – Dukka Mengimmi Ter Gedemga / Geh' Gemessenen Schritts / Walk Step By Step         
06     Hassan Fagir – Beledeena / Von Meinem Dorf / About My Village         
07     Unknown Artist – Belal Er Isampun? / Wohin Gehst Du, Meine Liebe? / Where Are You Going, My Love?         
08     Unknown Artist – Tanzgesänge Auf Einer Hochzeit / Dance Songs At A Wedding         
09     Hassan Mohammed Gamal, Mohammed Hassan Awad, Unknown Artist - Ollin Araglid / Händeklatschen Und Tanzen / Handclapping And Dancing         
10     Soliman Abu Zeid, Mohammed Fadl Bilal, Ramadan Soliman, Hassan Ahmed Mohammed Ramadan, Ahmed Moheddin, Ahmed Merghanni – Allah Ya Saadu Leh / Allahs Wille Obsiegt / Allah's Will Prevails
11     Ali Ahmed Ali, Sayyed Ahmed Soliman, Garmal Ahmed Soliman, Abd El-Rahman – Wadi Halfa Woo Haniina / Wadi Halfa, Oh Mein Geliebtes Land / Wadi Halfa, Oh My Beloved Country         
12     Hassan Fagir, Salah Kurdi, Khalil Soliman – Hm Bee        
13     Unknown Artist – Hm Bee / Seera         
14     Hassan Soliman Awad – Kalakiya         
15     Abdin Osman Sheikh Idris, Hassan Hussein – Wo Karim Babuur Takona / Ich Möchte Wissen, Ob Der Dampfer Angekommen Ist / I Wonder If The Steamer Has Arrived        
16     Ali Mohammed Abdallah – Gesang Über Ein Liebesabenteuer / Song About A Love-Affair         
17     Salih Ali Soliman – Gesang Auf Dem Eskalee (Schöpfrad) / Song On The Eskalee (Water-Wheel)   18     Unknown Artist – Gesang Bei Der Feldarbeit / Song At Field Work    
19     Zahra Osman Sherif – Wiegenlied / Lullaby Lo-Lo-Lo    
20     Aziza Abdo Shergawi, Tamaya Said, Hogla Mohammed Idris – Lied Bei Beschneidungen Und Hochzeiten / Song At Circumcision And Wedding Ceremonies         
21     Unknown Artist – Bellaal Ya Bellaal / Geliebter Held / Beloved Hero         
22     Fatima Gasheila Sakina (2) – Wad Albatar Batraan Tood / Oh Sohn Der Tapfersten Aller Männer / Oh Son Of The Bravest Men Of All        
23     Unknown Artist – Gashel, Gashelin Buru / Verwöhnte Tochter / Spoiled Daughter         
24     Fatima Gasheila – Ambaabi Ay Yaaba / Oh Mein Geliebter Vater / Oh My Beloved Father        
25     Zeinab Mohammed, Wahiba – Gesang Beim Kornmahlen Mit Den Mahlsteinen / Song While Grinding With Millstones        
26     Fatma Farah Abbas Unknown Artist – Shergangallo / Laßt Uns Gen Osten Ziehen / Let Us Go Eastwards     
27     Unknown Artist – Diya Wo Ailan / Es Ist Genug, Oh Mein Herz / It Is Enough, Oh My Heart

Get it HERE.

Altain Orgil - Ruf Der Steppe

This amazing tape is one of many sent to me by Joachim from Heidelberg.  Joachim has very kindly donated a real treasure trove of music from around the world to Snap, Crackle and Pop and we should all be grateful as there will now be some really strange and wonderful music posted here over the coming months.
Altain Orgil are a Mongolian group who were (and maybe still are) based in Germany in the mid '90s.  This cassette is from 1994.

Joachim has this to say about Altain Orgil:

"I met this group in the city centre of Heidelberg in 1994. They were playing their instruments and doing the extraordinary throat singing which is typical for mongolian and other inner-asian tribes. I heard throat singing before on the radio but it is a completely extraordinary feeling standing among musicians who do it. The sound penetrates your body and makes it vibrate in a peculiar way. The musicians also let me touch their instruments like the horse-headed Morin Khuur, which sounds a bit like a cello, or the lute Tobshuur."

This is really quite magical music and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I am.

Get it HERE.