guest post - Mutunga : On Marriage
June 10, 2009, 4:13 pmI want to try something new to keep things alive here. Over the next couple of months, I will be running guest posts written by some people you know and some people that you do not.
The first post comes from Stephen Liti (whom some of you may know by a different name!):
MUSICAL THEME: TO WED OR NOT TO WED?
There’s nothing in nature like the force of attraction between men and women, and when it turns out well, the parties involved inevitably end up tying the knot. Essential to life as heartbeat itself, marriage has always been a source of inspiration for musicians.
So if you’re an eligible bachelor and you’ve just met the woman of your dreams, you might want to ask for some advice from mum, or simply turn to Franco & OK Jazz as they spell out Mibeko Ya Mama (Mother’s rules). The Lingala lyrics and translation into English are provided here.
Franco & L’O.K. Jazz - Mibeko Ya Mama
For brides just about to leave their parental home, there’s some good advice from Les Kilimambogo in their wedding song entitled Mutwawa Niwatwawa. Follow this link for the Kikamba lyrics and English translation.
All over the world, married couples are the order of the day, as the Grand Maître is keen to point out in Na Mokili Mibale Na Mibale . Check out the Lingala lyrics and a double translation, into both Kiswahili and English.
Of course, for the wedding dream to become a reality, the ceremony must be witnessed by guests, amidst applause and merry-making. Let’s join the party and listen to more words of advice from the late Fundi Konde in Mwanangu Ribe. Get the Kiswahili lyrics and English translation here.
There you go folks. Lets have your comments and thoughts.
Thank you Bwana Liti for taking the time to make this guest post happen.
—Steve | 13 comments
(posted in the Africa, African Music, Artists, Congo, Franco et L'O.K. Jazz, Fundi Kobe, Les Kilimambogo, The Internet, pre-1990 African music, pre-1990 Congolese music category)
musical link:Tabu Ley
April 27, 2009, 11:15 pmhey all
It truly has been a while.
Things are still in flux at Casa Ntwiga but I hope be able to start posting with some sort of regularity going forward.
So, quick post to get things going.
Thanks to Freddie, we now have Tabu Ley’s Mbote Mbote. Thanks Fred.
Tabu Ley - Mbote Mbote ( Mbote ya Kimwanga )
And a couple of other Tabu Ley Rochereau tracks from links in the comments that so many of you have left over the last 2 months while I was trying to take care of business.
Tabu Ley Rochereau & Sam Mangwana - Bokila.mp3
Tabu Ley Rochereau et. Mbilia Bel - La beauté d’une Femme
See you soon.
—Steve | 97 comments
(posted in the Africa, African Music, Artists, Arts & Culture, Blogging, Life, Music, Tabu Ley Rochereau, The Internet, The world we live in, pre-1990 African music, pre-1990 East African music category)
musical link: Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit
February 13, 2009, 11:52 amI know that this has been the buzz of the Internets for a while but I just found about Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit’s free download of his new album “Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are The Very Best”.
His sound defies description but I like - best way in which I can describe it afro-vocal house meets electronica meets kwaito meets spoken word (yes, its quite a mouthful).
Me likes.
You can read about him on The Fader ( you can find a great primer here and his MySpace page here ) or at a ton of other places including this review at pitchfork.
Pick up the free download at this link or by clicking through on the image.
There is an alternate download location at this link on GreenOwl.
via forota.net / Africa: VISUAL_MEDIA.
Kamau’s blog also has a great story about an art installation done in Kibera. Kamau’s blog is a must read.
In other news, BongoCelebrity has a big story ( in Swahili ) on the disbandment(??) of DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra that you can find here. Jeff, can we get a translation please? If this indeed has happened, it is terrible news.
—Steve | 66 comments
(posted in the Africa, Cool, Esau Mwamwaya, Life, Malawi, Music, The Internet, post-1990 African music category)
musical link: Extra Golden
February 8, 2009, 2:29 pmI have written about them before but it seemed that the timing is now even more serendipitous than it was the last time since I have never posted their music.
Here are Extra Golden with the track Obama
via the fantastic Jamhuri Wear blog (I am currently taking out a second mortgage to pick up some of their amazing stuff).
Thank you for your patience people, I should be back to regular transmission shortly.
One last thing before we go, Todd Hart who runs the blog Dalston Oxfam Shop left a comment with a link to his excellent blog (although the background did cause me to have an epileptic seizure, although in all truth, it is not as bad as John’s).
Be sure to take a second to check out his excellent blog
—Steve | 7 comments
(posted in the Africa, African Music, Artists, Cool, Extra Golden, Kenya, Life, Music, Obama, The Internet, feed the addiction category)
Samba Mapangala releases a new digital only album
January 13, 2009, 9:58 amHere is the cover art from the CD
You can buy the album at CD Baby - I already bought my copy.
- Steve
—Steve | 71 comments
(posted in the Africa, Artists, Kenya, Samba Mapangala, The Internet, post-1990 Congolese music category)
… an update and a musical thought …
January 9, 2009, 9:42 pmWell.
Back at the start of Dec, 2008, my friend Joe dropped me an email with a ton of nice music and and signed off with the blessing “may the big ax of layoff not swing your way”
Like you have all heard a trillion gazillion times - cue to my mother telling me, ‘how many million times have I told you not to exergerate?” -, the Chinese have a curse “may you live in interesting times”.
so, of course, “big ax of layoff” did swing my way.
And by email, no less.
Axed by email, if this is not the height of ignominy, I have no idea what is.
Who gets canned by email?
On the night before Christmas?
But that, that people, is really the least of my worries. Times continue to be interesting.
Enough about me.
I am still not ready to resume normal transmission. Give me some time to get my house in order. Thank you all for keeping things alive.
Asta la vista. I will be back. Shortly.
In the meantime, , enjoy a track from the sound track to hard times and hope, that as always, springs eternal.
—Steve | 21 comments
(posted in the Broken, Huh?, Life, Random, The Internet, The world we live in, school of hard knocks category)
photo op: It’s at the shop.
December 7, 2008, 9:15 pm(Click on the image for a high resolution version.)
—Steve | 3 comments
(posted in the Arts & Culture, Cool, Humor, Images, Life, Photography, Random, The Internet, The world we live in, photo op category)
musical link: Kelenkye Band, Orchestre Elegance-Jazz and DO Misiani & Shirati Band
November 24, 2008, 10:47 pmSome tracks that I have been listening to over the last couple of days ..
From Africa Serenades 29 ( thanks again Cheeku! ), here is Orchestra Elegance Jazz with Ngalula Marthe. This has appeared in another couple of interesting places including mix #6 in the Kinshasa-Nairobi Express series at World Passport.
Some luck soul recently picked up this single on eBay for a mere $8 …
Kelenkye Band in Jungle Music pulled off African Serenades 28 ( thank you Cheeku and Matt!) . While there are lots of comments about them on the internets, there is no real content. Can anyone help?
I wish that this had managed to be preserved at a better bit rate in stereo so that all the high hats and suchlike like were not lost.
That is one catchy chorus line.
Fred Okello asked
“I am looking for any one who can upload Ogolla kadir by Tony Omondi/Musa Juma.”
I do not have this, can anyone help? I do have Bebina Siaya Kababa that I posted back in July of 2007 that has Musa Juma and Tony Omondi. Hope it helps.
I am sorry but some of these tracks are in mp4 format. I come from the “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade” school of thought.
If you have trouble with your player of choice, try VLC or WinAmp.
—Steve | 130 comments
(posted in the Africa, African Music, Artists, Life, Music, The Internet, pre-1990 African music, pre-1990 East African music category)
Photo Op: Fish
November 21, 2008, 12:54 pm—Steve | no comments
(posted in the Blogging, Cool, Images, Life, Links, Random, The Internet, The world we live in category)
musical link: Moji & The Tropicals, Double M Sound
November 17, 2008, 11:37 pmSome of you may remember that way back in August, I posted a track from Moji and the Tropicals and later went on to pick up the disc on eBay thanks to a tip from Doug. Well, I finally got around to digitizing the 2nd track on the disk.
Not sure what to make of it.
“Duniani Mateso”, the B side of the desk, is certainly worth the price of admission.
The title track on the A-side of the disk, “Let’s live together”, confuses me a little though. It has this nationalistic thing going on that simply does not go down well with James Brown in my book. I was left feeling a little dirty actually - not sure if I should be dancing in the streets or up in rage aganist the colonial / imperial powers … or something.
Could be me though.
Anyway, enjoy.
.
.
Moji & The Tropicals - Lets live together
Moji & The Tropicals - Duniani Mateso
new rip:
older rip:
In closing, just picked up a bunch of new tunes. I am currently really enjoying Double M Sound from Tanzania. This group in my estimation is a bit of an anomaly. I think that their sound is entirely Koffi Olomide-esque and I find that pretty strange considering that they are neither (to the best of my knowledge) Congolese nor Paris-based (I think that they are based on Dodoma).
But, as always, these details do not detract from the appeal of the sound.
Jeff of Bongo Celebrity posted a track off this same album a while back that Kilio cha yatima (Cry of the orphan) you can find here
—Steve | 2 comments
(posted in the Africa, African Music, Artists, Arts & Culture, Congo, Cool, Kenya, Life, Moji and the Tropicals, The Internet, pre-1990 African music, pre-1990 Congolese music, pre-1990 East African music category)
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