Marimba rhythms from Colombia Pacifico

Marimba traveled from Africa (balafon) to Central America and the Caribbean several centuries ago. This percussive and melodic instrument had time to spread and can be found along the Pacific shore from Mexico to Ecuador, where it became an integral part of local folklore (and even national pride in Guatemala).

I had opportunity discover how marimba is played in Central America, but influence of african rhythms is not as significative as in Colombia. In Chocó region, the main folkloric style is the currulao (dance and rhythm), where marimba transmits a unique deep swing. So just a post to share some rough recordings, which will probably sound familiar to you as these rhythms are still source of influence in some modern productions today (and still the base of actual folkloric music from the Pacific area). 

Conjunto Papaupa and a brief glimpse on afro-venezuelan culture

(Music With Soul 7").

Actual growing interest for "tropical" music provides a wide variety of projects and vinyl releases. Muzzicaltrips looked into a afro-venezuelan influenced project (Conjunto Papa Upa, from the Netherlands based label Musicwithsoul), a very good actual DJ friendly sound, loaded with interesting traditional elements. This was opportunity to exchange with the father of this project, Alex Figueira, a real music specialist on the (yet little documented) afro-venezuelan culture.

Lets  start with a synthetic 7 minutes historical introduction to afro-venezuelan culture:

Toto La Momposina and Baranquilla Carnaval Live in La Habana (2013)

Afrocolombian spirit gliding over La Habana, could be a good summary of this unique night, beginning in the Teatro de America, and ending in the streets as an improvised carnaval...

On their way back from Santiago de Cuba (where Fire Festival 2013 had Colombia as special guest), colombian artists including a Baranquilla folkloric group and Toto la Momposina were booked for a concert to share afrocolombian culture, carnaval music and dance. The venue was one of La Habana numerous theaters, Teatro de America, which was open in 1941 (Avenida de Italia, locally know as Galiano) and still transmits the majestic atmosphere from this golden era.

Palenque culture #01 Palenque de San Basilio

Palenque de San Basilio is a village not far from Cartagena in Colombia (here), which represents a really unique cultural space. At the dawn of the17th century, several groups of african slaves escaped from spanish settlers, building fortified villages called "palenques". San Basilio village, led originally by african king Benkos Bohio, is the only one who survived up to nowadays.

Living during centuries away from occidental and spaniard influences allowed to maintain alive in the community many aspects of the original african culture: social organization (for example age group structures called "kuadro"), rites and believes (based on 3 different worlds) , creole language (taking his roots in bantu language), hairstyles (plaits, supposed to be originally designed in order to reproduce a map of the trails around the village), traditional medicines...

For sure, the drum tradition in the village  is fully representative of these african roots, and is articulated around the three main drums as follows:  

- llamador (small drum, for the tempo)

- alegre (bigger drum, for the solos)

- tamborera (bass drum with sticks)

(additionally, funerals can include a huge drum called pechiche)

Pico Culture #03 - Mysterious records (Colombia)

In order to maintain exclusivity of tracks played on each pico (and thus gain loyalty of the public who has to go to the party to listen to specific exclusive hits), it was common to tear away or paint the label sothat no one could read the original track. The result is some really unique beautiful pieces, but also some unidentified hits (everyone knows the song but no one knows who was the artist, so the track is only known by his spanish surname). That's the case with the following 7" played by the pico El Dragon, but originally from the famous pico El Coreano.

Le Sahel Revival in Dakar!!! (Ephemeral 70's band from Senegal)

This is a very special post as something big is happening in Dakar right now... The mythic band Le Sahel will play live again next this week.

Le Sahel, named from the club they were playing during the mid 70s, was composed by master musicians and mixed latin rhythms and sabar, giving birth to a unique senegalese style.

The Flying Carpet Radioshow

I just had a ride on a musical flying carpet, The Flying Carpet Radioshow (Radio Ciutat Vella FM 100.5 Barcelona). 

An african records selection, and some context.

Listen to the radioshow: 

A muzzicaltrip with ORL

Danson & Charanga Night, Dakar

Great party flyer, with DJs from the 60s-70s period in Dakar... latin records all night long! Probably the best place to perceive how much music from the other side of the atlantic ocean was (omni)present in urban Senegal.  At this time, big part of DJs selections was cuban music arrived from the 50s through sailors. (It remains easier to dig latin records than african records in Dakar now). Dakar danced deacades to this latin (and caribbean) rhythms, which influenced deeply local musicians and productions. 

Big up to Duo Los Compadres...

Starlite Band at FESMAN Festival Mondial des Arts Negres (Dakar, 1966)

(Philips).

This LP presents the musical contributions from different african countries to celebrate the 1st FESMAN (Negro Arts Festival) hold in Dakar in 1966. This Festival, impulsed by Leopold Sedar Senghor after the independances, was the 1st major cultural event including all art disciplines (music, litterature, theater, paintings...) from Africa, and countries from african diaspora (check the great track B1 from Ghanaian band Star Lite, tittled Baba Yara, from the name of the 60s football star).

A second edition took place in Nigeria in 1977 (FESTAC) and a 3rd historical (although controversial) edition is hold in Senegal again from 10th to 31rd december 2010 (http://blackworldfestival.com/), including artist from all over Africa, Brasil, USA, the Caribbeean, Latin America.

Les Espoirs de Coronthie (Tradition and modernity in Guinea, 2010)

I had opportunity to meet Les Espoirs de Coronthie last week as they were having a concert at Satellit Café (Paris).