December 9, 2022

Land of the honest men

December 11, 2022 is Burkina Faso's 64th Independence Day.  This small (roughly the size of Colorado), densely populated (about 22 million people), landlocked West African nation formerly known as Upper Volta has had its struggles: eight coups d'etat including two in 2022 and a current bout of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism among them.
 
No Burkinabè musician has yet become a pan-African or worldwide star, but the music that has been produced in Burkina Faso since independence is superb in quality and variety.  This week on Global A Go-Go, you'll hear an hour of some of my Voltaic favorites, and I assure you that I'll only be scratching the surface of what's out there.

Also this week (Sunday December 11, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): Latin soul and a new single from Austin's Superfónicos, and birthday tributes to Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado and Yugoslavian mischief-maker Dr. Nele Karajlić.

 
 
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
 
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
 
Bil Aka Kora | Burkina Faso | Dibayagui | Dibayagui | Djongo Diffusion | 2004
La Cour Supreme | Burkina Faso | Vieux Kaboré | Le Verdict | ETK Productions | 2005
Kandy Guira | Burkina Faso-France | Yelema | Nagtaba | Vlad Productions | 2021
 
Konde Mangue Et L'Orchestre Les 5 Consuls | Guinée Conakry-Burkina Faso | Woulouni | Woulouni / Pop Kondé - Single | Volta Discobel | 197x
Sandwini Pierre Et L'Orchestre Super Volta De La Capitale | Burkina Faso | Yamb Ney Capitale | Yamb Ney Capitale / Mam Ti Fou - Single | Disques CVD | 1977
Amadou Balaké | Burkina Faso | Taximen | Taximen | Sacodis | 1978
 
Burkina Azza | Burkina Faso | Djanfa Magne | Wari Bô | Social Joy | 2021
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Afro Mandingo | Sonbonbela | Sublime Frequencies | 2022
Debademba | Burkina Faso-Mali-France | Agnakamina | Abdoulaye Traoré Et Mohamed Diaby | Chapa Blues | 2010
 
The Joe Cuba Sextet | USA | Do You Feel It? | Bustin' Out | Tico | 1972
Harlem River Drive | USA | Harlem River Drive (Theme) | Harlem River Drive | Roulette | 1971
Superfónicos | USA | Primera Luz | Primera Luz - Single | self-released | 2022
Matuto | USA-Brazil | Dream Of Life | Matuto | Ropeadope | 2009
 
Beny Moré Y Pérez Prado Y Su Orquestra | Cuba-México | Anabacoa | Anabacoa / Malagueña - Single | RCA Victor | 1952
Pérez Prado & His Orchestra | Cuba-México | Mambo No. 5 | Plays Mucho Mambo For Dancing | RCA Victor | 1950
Orquesta Akokán | Cuba-USA | Mambo Rapidito | Orquesta Akokan | Daptone | 2018
Orkesta Mendoza | USA-México | La Caminadora | La Caminadora | Glitterbeat | 2018
Cuarteto Los Zafiros | Cuba | La Caminadora | Los Zafiros | Areito | 1964
El Gran Fellové | Cuba | El Jamaiquino | El Gran Fellové | RCA Victor | 1957
 
Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra | Ex-Yugoslavia | Devil In The Business Class | Unza Unza Time | Barclay | 2000
Dr. Nelle Karajlić, Vojislav Aralica & Dejan Sparavalo | Ex-Yugoslavia | Daddy, Don't Ever Die On A Friday | Original Soundtrack From The Film "Black Cat White Cat" | Barclay | 1998
RotFront | Germany-Ukraine-Hungary | Sovietoblaster | Emigrantski Raggamuffin | Essay | 2009
Dubioza Kolektiv | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Free.mp3 (The Pirate Bay Song) | Happy Machine | Koolarrow | 2016

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