Putumayo World Music - African Music

Africa has played an essential role in the history of popular music. Blues, jazz, gospel, rock & roll, rap, zydeco, samba, salsa, most of today's popular music has deep roots in the rhythms, instruments and traditions of Africa. Explore the diversity of African music from soukous to South African jive, juju to jit, and morna to makossa.

	Afro-Latin Party From African salsa to Cuban son, Afro-Latin Party is a non-stop celebration of the Latin sounds heard in nightclubs from Dakar to Havana Croatian salsa, Cuban ska, and Oregonian mambo!? These are three of the unlikely gems listeners will find on Afro-Latin Party. What started out as an effort to provide the perfect soundtrack to a Latin dance party became a tribute to the global appreciation and realization of the musical ricochet between Cuba and Africa. Central to the Afro-Latin phenomenon is Africando, who provide three songs on Afro-Latin Party, each with a different African lead singer. In the 1960s and 1970s, the biggest names in African music—including such heavyweights as Youssou N’Dour and Salif Keita—were performing Latin music, thanks to vinyl that came over from abroad. Cultural exchange between Cuba and the socialist governments in Mali and other parts of West Africa was a regular phenomenon. Performers like the Fania All Stars and Celia Cruz toured Africa and became musical icons. Titles include: Africando featuring Amadou Balake Betece Jose Mangual Jr. Ritmo Con Ache Pepe & The Bottle Blondes Cuentame Que Te Paso Ska Cubano Babalu Africando featuring Medoune Diallo Mandali Cubismo Morenita Africando featuring Nicholas Menheim Demal Chico Alvarez Cogele el Gusto Ronald Rubinel's Salsa Kolor La Grev' Bare Mwen Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca Samba Luku Samba PUTU235 CD $14.98 more info
	Mali The West African country of Mali has a rich cultural history and a powerful impact on the international music scene. “A lot of people believe Mali will be the next Cuba,” says Putumayo VP of A&R Jacob Edgar, reflecting on the potential of Mali’s music to crossover to a wider audience. “The music is otherworldly and familiar at the same time, and the artists have really interesting stories.” One of the most striking things about the new Putumayo CD Mali is the diversity of artists represented. Ramatou Diakité comes from the fields of the bluesy Wassoulou region of southern Mali. Tinariwen is a Kel Temeshek or Tuareg band, whose trancey Sahara desert blues served as the musical soundtrack to a fierce fight against discrimination, passed via cassette from camel to 4x4 to taxi across the region. Though Habib Koité—the only artist featured on the album that comes from a griot family—originates from the Bambara tribe, he is known for integrating a diversity of Malian styles into his repertoire. Habib is signed to Putumayo and has released two successful albums, Ma Ya and Baro on the label. A live track and an enhancement featuring a live concert performance by Habib are highlights of the Mali collection. Titles include: Moussa Diallo Maninda Habib Koite Kanawa Idrissa Soumaoro Ouili Ka Bo Tinariwen Amassakoul 'N' Tenere Ramatou Diakite Gembi Keletigui Diabate • Koulandian Tom Diakite Fala Boubacar Traore Kanou Issa Bagayogo Bana Mamou Sidibe Bassa Kele Habib Koite Saramaya (Live) PUTU236 CD $14.98 more info
	North African Groove Join the funky musical caravan from Morocco to Egypt for a non-stop celebration of North African Dance music Who would have guessed that Putumayo’s past Arabic releases would do so well in Latin America? But further listening shows that Arabic and Latin music are like second cousins, and today’s Arabic music has diverse influences. North African Groove—the seventh CD in Putumayo’s beat-driven Groove series—proves the point. Thanks to the Moors, Spanish music has an Arabic influence. And Cuban music combines Spanish heritage with West African music, a region that also shares historical connections with the Arab world. Titles include: Jomed Montuno Noreno Samira Saeid Aal Eah Amr Diab Nour El Ain Faudel Si Tu le Veux Rhany Un Mot de Toi Amina Dis-Moi Pourquoi Cheb Jilani Bahebbak Hamid Baroudi Sidi Khaled Ya-Rayi Cheb Mami Viens Habibi Mohamed Mounir Hanina Eastenders feat. Shady Sheha On the Ride PUTU237 CD $14.98 more info
	Africa A joyous celebration of music from an extraordinary continent. One cannot overstate the influence Africa has had on music of the world. Jazz, blues, rock and roll, gospel, salsa, samba, funk, hip-hop, reggae, zydeco --- the list of genres which have roots in African music is endless. Africa is home to a myriad of styles, and it remains one of the most creative places for music on the planet. Tradition still plays an important role in today's African music, yet increasingly influences from around the world are making themselves heard. Ironically, many of the foreign music styles that have been most influential on today's African music have African origins. They are merely long lost relatives returning home. You will hear echoes of jazz, reggae, hip- hop, funk and salsa in the songs included on this collection. Once you have listened to Africa we hope you are inspired to explore further the richness and variety of African music. Titles include: Oliver Mtukudzi Ndima Ndapedza Soul Brothers Thandaza Afia Mala Segne Johnny Clegg & Juluka Love is Just a Dream 4 Etoiles Doly Samba Ngo Sa Ntima Habib Koité Wassiye Oom Anoma Diaou Kouyate Gafale Henri Dikongue Francoise Sam Mangwana Ya Mbemba Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca Manuela PUTU151 CD $14.98 more info
	Cape Verde Cape Verde The remote Cape Verde islands offer a unique and exquisite blend of music with influences from Africa, Portugal and Brazil. Many of us first heard about Cape Verde through the exquisite voice of Cesaria Evora. Over the past few years, some of the favorite songs on our collections have come from talented Cape Verdean artists. Not only are they starkly beautiful islands, but they are home to one of the world's greatest musical treasure troves. Brazilian and Cape Verdean music share a common Portuguese heritage. And since these rocky isolated islands are located 300 miles off the coast of Senegal in West Africa, the African influence is also very strong. Cape Verde offers a musical bounty similar in feel to the Brasileiro collection, but with something mysterious and evocative that can only be traced to the romance of these remote and exotic islands. titles include: Ana Firmino with Tito Paris Chico Malandro Boy Gé Mendes Cumba Iêtu Nana Matias Pays Sol Teofilo Chantre Nha Fe Cesaria Evora Cabo Verde Manda Mantenha Bana Cabinda a Cunene Maria Alice Sol Na Tchada José Zeca "Neves" Injuria Fantcha Cinderela Zeca di nha Reinalda Tchon di Massa Pé Dulce Matias Nha Cumpadre Faustine Djurumani Galo Bedjo PUTU156 CD $14.98 more info
	Mali to Memphis Mali to Memphis Africa and America are united on this revealing journey that traces the route of the blues. Mali to Memphis is a journey from the heart of an ancient West African kingdom to a city where American black music came into its own, from the sandy banks of the Niger River to the levees of the Mississippi. These songs do not unlock the secrets of Delta blues or Malian spirit music. But there is a kinship between these musicians, and their art reveals that fact in loud, living, present-tense terms, even as it invites us to contemplate the unsolvable riddles of the past. Mali is an enormous, landlocked country that fills the interior of West Africa. It stretches from the Sahara desert in the north, to the edge of the coastal rain forests in the south. The country's biggest waterway, the Niger River, winds its way northward from Guinea, through the Malian capital, Bamako. It continues up to Segu, center of the old Bambara Empire and ancestral home to many artists on this compilation, and then on to Timbuktu at the edge of the Sahara. Titles include: Amadou/Mariam Mon Amour, Ma Cherie John Lee Hooker I 'm In The Mood Habib Koite Sirata Rokia Traore Sabali Guy Davie You Don't Know My Mind Boubacar Traore Kar Kar Madison Eric Bibb Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down Lobi Traore Dounouya Muddy Waters My Home Is In The Delta Jessie Mae Hemphill Standing in My Doorway Crying Baba Djan Sabari Taj Mahal Queen Bee PUTU145 CD $14.98 more info
	African Groove Technology meets tribal beats on this funky blend of contemporary African dance, electronica, hip-hop and funk Putumayo World Music continues its exploration of new directions in world music with African Groove, a collection of cutting-edge African music that highlights the ways modern styles have fused with African traditions. African Groove features musicians from Africa who experiment with hip-hop, remixing and electronic programming as well as international electronica artists who have used the rhythms and styles of Africa as inspiration for trend- setting club music. The latest installment in the Putumayo Grooves series, African Groove, follows in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed, best-selling Putumayo albums Arabic Groove, Latin Groove and Asian Groove. Titles include: Issa Bagayogo Saye Mogo Bana Badenya Boroto Madeka Mokote Julien Jacob Kalicom A Peace of Ebony Vadzimu Hardstone Uhiki Positive Black Soul Wouyouma Dady Mimbo Bouba (Cool) Thievery Corporation The Lagos Communique The Pleb One for Senegal African Rhythm Travellers Khululuma Ndumiso Mofolo Hall PUTU210 CD $14.98 more info
	Women of Africa A celebration of soulful and inspirational music by female artists from across Africa. Putumayo presents Women of Africa, a collection featuring lyrical and moving songs by leading female artists from throughout the African continent. To be released on April 27th, 2004, Women of Africa celebrates the importance of women in contemporary music of this culturally diverse region. Women have always played an essential role in the preservation of African culture. From lullabies sung to sleepy children to chants of celebration, women are important bearers of tradition. Unlike some areas in the world where females are discouraged from taking part in public musical performance, in sub-Saharan Africa, music is an essential social activity for all members of the community. While many musical instruments are traditionally played exclusively by men, women often provide the voice of Africa’s music. This legacy carries over from traditional to contemporary music, and many of today’s most popular singers in Africa are women. Women of Africa features Putumayo’s favorite songs by women from Algeria to Zimbabwe. Ranging from internationally revered artists like Angèlique Kidjo (Benin), Tarika (Madagascar), Women of Mambazo (South Africa), Khadja Nin (Burundi) and Dorothy Masuka (Zimbabwe), to rising stars such as Judith Sephuma (South Africa), Souad Massi (Algeria), and Sibongile Khumalo (South Africa), to new discoveries Nawal (Comoros), Maria de Barros (Cape Verde), Kaïssa (Cameroon), and Dobet Gnahoré (Ivory Coast), the artists on Women of Africa represent a wide spectrum of today’s African music scene. Titles include: Judith Sephuma Le Tshephile Mang Angélique Kidjo Bahia Maria de Barros Mi Nada Um Ca Tem Sibongile Khumalo Mayihlome Tarika Retany Kaïssa To Ndje Dorothy Masuka Mfan' Omncane Nawal Hima Dobet Gnahoré Abiani Souad Massi Raoui Khadja Nin Sina Mali, Sina Deni Women of Mambazo Vimba PUTU223 CD $14.98 more info