February 24, 2023

The Platonic ideal of a West African garage band

Here's a news flash: one of Africa's best (IMHO) bands is coming to Richmond this spring, and they'll be playing in a small club, probably their ideal venue.  The band is Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.  The place is the Get Tight Lounge, and the date is Wednesday May 24.  You might want to put that date on your calendar, just sayin' ....
 
Baba plays the traditional donso ngoni and sings like the brother of Howlin' Wolf or Captain Beefheart, guitarist Issouf Diabaté sounds like Mark Ribot meets Zani Diabaté, and the funky rhythm section propels the whole thing inexorably forward.  To me, they're the Platonic ideal of a West African garage band.

You'll hear one of my favorite Baba Commandant tracks this week (Sunday February 26, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards at wrir.org/listen, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site) on an all-Afro edition of Global A Go-Go along with new music from Niger's Moussa Tchingou, Fendika & K-Sanchis from Ethiopia and the Netherlands, Oakland's Orchestra Gold, Solomane Doumbia from Mali, Danish band Sunbörn and the team of Kala Jula & Gangbé Brass Band from Mali and Benin, plus much more.

 
 
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
 
Tinariwen | Mali-Algeria | Tenidagh Hegh Djeredjere | Kel Tinariwen | Wedge | 2022-1991
Moussa Tchingou | Niger | Derhan | Tamiditine | Sahel Sounds | 2023
Afous D'Afous | Algeria | Nak Amahah | Tenere | Sahel Sounds | 2017
 
Mulatu Astatke featuring Fekade Made Maskal | Ethiopia | Netsanet | Ethio Jazz | Amha | 1974
Fendika & K-Sanchis | Ethiopia-Netherlands | Unity | Gojo | 121234 | 2023
Debo Band | USA-Ethiopia | Not Just A Song | Debo Band | Sub Pop / Next Ambiance | 2012
 
Bamba Wassoulou Groove | Mali | Farima | Farima | Label Bleu | 2015
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band | Burkina Faso | Loga Fo Djelba | Sira Ba Kele | Sublime Frequencies | 2018
Orchestra Gold | USA-Mali | Tequila Jam | Medicine | self-released | 2023
 
Fela Ransome Kuti & The Africa 70 | Nigeria | Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am | Roforofo Fight | Jofabro | 1972
Solomane Doumbia | Mali | Ségou to Lagos | Ségou to Lagos | Mieruba | 2023
 
Bixiga 70 | Brazil | Ventania | III | Glitterbeat | 2015
The Superpowers | USA | 32 Bit | Trance For Nation | Young Cub | 2008
Sunbörn | Denmark | Mankind? | Dancing In The Dark / Mankind? - Single | Tramp | 2023
 
Kala Jula & Gangbé Brass Band | Mali-Switzerland-Benin | Gèdé | Asro | Buda Musique | 2023
Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra | Mali-Senegal-Burkina Faso-Guinée Conakry | Ya Fama | Boulevard De L'Independance | World Circuit | 2006
Balimaya Project | England UK-Nigeria-Gambia-Guinée Conakry | Balimaya | Wolo So | Jazz Re:freshed | 2021

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