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Modern Cosmology | What Will You Grow Now? (2023)

modern_cosmology


The second collaborative album from Laetitia Sadier and Brazil’s Mombojó.
Modern Cosmology is a musical ensemble composed of six individuals of the human race, none of which are cosmologists or astronomers, although Felipe S. – who sings and plays the guitar – knows quite a bit about reading astrological charts. He shares his frontperson duties with one Laetitia Sadier who, by virtue of her singer-songwriter career both as a solo artist and as part of the Stereolab ‘groop’, happens to be one of the key figures of her bandmates’ musical formation. “What will you grow now?” started in late 2016 on a recording session Mombojó did on a motorboat up the Capibaribe river in their Recife hometown. The title track was recorded there and then during this fluvial jam session, and the other backing tracks were recorded about a year later at a recording studio at the local University, after which Laetitia had a bunch of new material to add words and melodies to, from her Brazilian friends and bandmates with love.

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Petite Noir | MotherFather (2023)

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Petite Noir is the architect of Noirwave – a musical and cultural movement that draws creative energy from punk aesthetics and the fragmented identity of today’s African diaspora. The Congolese artist was born in Belgium, raised in South Africa, and is now based between London and Paris.
MotherFather is his long-awaited second album, and it has a subtitle: ‘The darkness is comforting sometimes’. As Petite Noir explains: “It’s about going through the darkness. But it’s also about rebirth. Because the dark times are needed for us to grow.”
Production by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, CID RIM, Moshik Kop, Tropics, Futura, guest features from rising star Sampa The Great, and Grammy-nominated Florida jazz musician Theo Croker.

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La Marisoul / Los Texmaniacs | Corazones and Canciones (2023)

La Marisoul Los Texmaniacs Corazones and Canciones


In Corazones and Canciones, two Mexican American musical powerhouses join forces to create an album overflowing with heart and imagination. L.A.’s Marisol Hernández-La Marisoul and San Antonio-based Tejano conjunto Los Texmaniacs draw from a repertoire of cherished canciones rancheras, and boleros. “Everything is done with heart and soul, because of the passion and love we have for this music,” asserts Texmaniacs leader Max Baca. Adds Marisol, “It’s just as American as it is Mexican; that’s one of the special things about living in the United States.” Special guest Little Joe Hernández adds his trademark vocals to the melody of “Las nubes,” the song he propelled to the forefront of the Chicano Movement. Smithsonian Folkways

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VA | Borga Revolution! Ghanaian Music In The Digital Age, 1983 – 1996: Vol.2 (2023)

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Kalita are proud to unveil the second volume in their ‘Borga Revolution!’ compilation series, focussing on the phenomenon of ‘Burger Highlife’, a crossover of West African melodies with synthesizers, disco and boogie that took over Ghanaian airwaves during the 1980’s and beyond.
Featuring both highly sought-after recordings by artists including Atta Frimpong and D.J. Lawyer Okyere, as well as seminal performances by greats such as Pat Thomas, A.B. Crentsil and Alan Cosmos, Kalita once again come to the rescue of audiophiles, DJs and music-lovers alike with ‘Borga Revolution! – Volume 2’. Spread over a double-LP housed in… Kalita Records

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Steve Mason | Brothers & Sisters (2023)

Steve Mason

Brothers & Sisters sees Steve Mason build on these long established musical interests but, importantly, also add new elements to the mix to deliver a compelling listen. It comes out of the blocks impressively quickly, with each track building on the former to create a formidable initial run. … In terms of musical statements it’s hard not to see it as his most vivid and vibrant to date. musicOMH
Brothers & Sisters may also be the last recorded work of Mason’s friend and recurrent collaborator Martin Duffy – a fine way for him to finish, on an album full of intelligence and love. Record Colector
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Various Artist | East Africa Highway (2023)

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No Wahala Sounds are proud to present East Africa Highway latest compilation of rare recordings of the early 1980s from the vaults of Audio Productions Limited, Nairobi, Kenya. The bands featured are from Kenya (Kangundo ‘D’ Boys, Kyanganga Boys Band, The Lulus Band and Gem Lucky Jazz); Tanzania (Founders International Band and Orch. Bima Lee) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Orch Moja One). These songs were originally released on 7″ single on the APL imprints of Nyalando, Sound of Music, Boxer, Mlima and Julus, all overseen by producer Babu Shah. The early 1980s were the golden age of benga and rumba, and these tracks are being released for the first time outside of Kenya.
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The Good Samaritans – No Food Without Taste if by Hunger

good_samaritans

Analog Africa has reissue The Good Samaritans’ Edo Funk classic No Food Without Taste If By Hunger. The 1982 album from Philosopher Okundaye’s The Good Samaritans was initially recorded with a 24-track at Phonodisk Studio in Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State, east of Lagos. Due to its private pressing, No Food Without Taste If By Hunger has been a rare find until now.
Put your dancing shoes and be ready to kill the dancefloor, the intoxicating highlife music known as Edo Funk from Benin City, Nigeria is back. Following the planetary success of our “Edo Funk Explosion Vol.1”   Bandcamp
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VA | Ears of the People: Ekonting Songs from Senegal and the Gambia (2023)

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Ears of the People is a collection of sublime contemporary recordings of the ekonting, a three-stringed gourd lute played by Jola people in Gambia and the Casamance region of Senegal.
The nine tradition-bearers featured on the album share stories of love, heartache, conflict, spirituality, and all that is unique and beautiful in Jola culture over the rolling lilt of the instrument.
An important forebear of the American banjo, the ekonting drives lively dancing and brings these stories to life.
These songs, rarely heard outside Senegambia, are a living tapestry of the Jola people and a unique interweaving of human voices and stringed instruments.  Smithsonian Folkways

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