North Africa

[Music] Azu Tiwaline – Draw Me A Silence Part. I

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

A very pleasant surprise came into my inbox today.  From Azu Tiwaline’s Bandcamp site:

Azu Tiwaline : It’s a new name for a new spirit. The one of a producer willing to find a new sound in her origins which take root in the Sahara and El Djerid region in the south of Tunisia. A sound from the desert, drawing on berberian and saharan transe music that connects human beings with Nature.

Peculiar translations and spellings aside, this album managed to hold my attention the whole way through. Thanks to being better connected to the world, we are beginning to hear more and more musicians come out of Tunisia and the Maghreb who are of an astounding quality. This is 21st Century Berber Music mixes techno, dub, and native Saharan rhythms. Fourth World music, updated.

[Music] Various Artists – Sahel Sounds Label Sampler

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

Sahel Sounds is at the vanguard of publishing modern music out of the Sahel and West Africa.  There is so much gold waiting to be mined out there that I don’t think it will be possible to tire of this fine company.

In their generosity, they offer a compilation of 16 tracks for free (or you can pay what you like).  It’s a great spread, representing the talent they’ve unleashed to the world since 2009.  Christopher Kirkley, the label owner, should be commended for opening up this region’s incredible music to the world.

[Music] Bargou 08 – Targ

/ Rudy Carrera / Leave a comment

There seems to be an explosion of bands from the Tuareg regions and North Africa in general these days. Bargou 08 hail from the Tunisian side of the Bargou Valley region which sits on the border with Algeria. They are a modernized version of local traditional music, from what I understand. Very impressive.