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Post by grumpy on Sept 2, 2011 19:42:08 GMT
Every so often one is privileged to hear something which lifts the top of your head off, extracts your brain and gives it a good shaking, changes your blood group and rearranges your bone structure before throwing you against a wall in a state of ecstatic stupefaction. And in case you think I’m exaggerating, may I suggest you purchase and listen to the double CD set, “Wallahi Le Zein: Wezin, Jakwar and Guitar Boogie from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania” (Various Artists) on the Latitude label no.07. You won’t need to buy anything else for the rest of the year, not even food. This recording will provide all the sustenance you need. It’s the traditional Mauritanian sound of tidinit (some old-fangled one-, two-, three- or four-stringed lute type thing) transferred to electric guitar and in every sense of the word it is electrifying, like being attached to the cables of a pylon and electrocuted with sound. One of the features of most countries of Sahelian Africa is that there’s no recording industry to talk of and musicians live by playing at weddings; however most such concerts are recorded on a tinny old tape recorder usually by some opportunist youth perched up a tree dangling a mic somewhere in the vicinity of the singer. A handful of copies will then become available in the souk a day or two later in raw, lo-fi sound with nil production (the background noise of audience chatter, ululation and groaning donkeys and camels is all preserved). Such was the sound-track of my years in Sudan and I came to love it. This collection has been collected and selected from similar cassettes from Mauritania by an expert on Mauritanian music, Matthew Lavoie (author of the section on Mauritanian music in the Rough Guide to World Music) and comes with his copious and hugely informative and fascinating notes. I was lucky enough to be leant a copy of this but have just sent off to Honest Jon’s for my own copy (it doesn’t appear to be available at Sterns). If you’ve encountered Group Doueh from Western Sahara, this is in a similarish vein only 10 if not 100 times better. My undisputed CD of the year unless something is released before the end of December that removes my head completely. www.honestjons.com/shop.php?pid=38810Matthew's blog is well worth visiting: blogs.voanews.com/african-music-treasures/2007/11/30/welcome-to-the-blog-our-first-treasures-from-the-archive/blogs.voanews.com/african-music-treasures/category/islamic-republic-of-mauritania/
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Post by professor on Sept 3, 2011 9:16:24 GMT
crikey - wish I could afford records at the mo
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Post by I on Sept 4, 2011 9:45:51 GMT
Apparently, there is a 12 CD boxset of the complete Beatles catalogue from 'Love Me Do' to 'Her Majesty' as sung by Val Doonican that is set to render the Mauritian collection you promote to be as extinct as the raphus cucullatus for which that Indian Ocean island is famous!
Observer
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Post by grumpy on Sept 4, 2011 10:29:11 GMT
I can't wait, Penny. Trust you are well.
By the way, I hope a man dedicated to the precise and incisive use of words, as you are, won't object to having it pointed out to him that there is a technical, not to mention a geographical, distinction between Mauritania and Mauritius. The former is a sandy land on the western African mainland notable for its recent (2007) abolition of slavery, the latter - as you state - an Indian ocean island whither the late raphus cucullatus.
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Post by I on Sept 4, 2011 12:50:47 GMT
Oh!
Observer
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Post by Rob on Sept 20, 2011 15:27:44 GMT
"Every so often one is privileged to hear something which lifts the top of your head off, extracts your brain and gives it a good shaking, changes your blood group and rearranges your bone structure before throwing you against a wall in a state of ecstatic stupefaction." He's right y'know! He's now lent me his copy. Read more here: djgreedyg.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=music14&thread=20229&page=1R
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Post by zoki on Sept 22, 2011 15:15:49 GMT
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Post by echodelic on Nov 2, 2011 5:12:02 GMT
Thanks for the heads up, man that is a great record! Some unbelievable guitar playing. Been my soundtrack for driving around the city for several days now, alternating with Merle Haggard "Let Me Tell You About A Song" , which I will highly recommend to any country/americana fans.
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Post by kalcidis on Nov 2, 2011 19:04:01 GMT
This is sounding brilliant but the only compilation that has left me gobsmacked this year is To Scratch Your Heart - Early Recordings from Constantinople (check it here). Spiritual and humble music.
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Post by consciouspilot on Nov 2, 2011 21:07:44 GMT
Yeah that Honest Jons Turkish comp is great Kalcidis!
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Post by kalcidis on Nov 3, 2011 16:49:33 GMT
And for £24 at Honest Jon's I think it's quite a fine deal too.
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Post by grumpy on Nov 4, 2011 19:10:12 GMT
Have just ordered 'To Scratch Your Heart' from Honest Jon's and paid only £14.99, Kalcidis. Do you mean 24 euros?
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Post by kalcidis on Nov 5, 2011 9:08:06 GMT
I bougt the 4xLP box. That's probably why you paid less as I'm thinking you bought the 2xCD?
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Post by grumpy on Nov 5, 2011 10:08:45 GMT
Yes, correct, Kalcidis. I neglected the LP option.
PS. Off on a tangent, I will be seeing Toumani Diabate at the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds this evening. Looking forward to this very much.
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Post by baudolino on Nov 5, 2011 20:27:55 GMT
I'm listening to it the noo. Not sure it's *that* much better than Group Doueh or Group Inerane tbh, but it's certainly got some cracking tracks on it.
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Post by grumpy on Nov 9, 2011 17:54:13 GMT
My copy of "To Scratch Your Heart" landed on my doormat from Honest Jon's today. Listening to it now and so far (ie about three quarters of the way through disc two) can fully back up the recommendations above.
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