Chapter 10 The River and the Path: Conversation and Collective Expression in West African Musics

Chapter 10

Further Listening

(Note: Beyond the specific items listed below, consult music reference works such as The Rough Guide to World Music by Simon Broughton et al. [London; New York: Rough Guides, 2006-] and Ethnomusicology: A Research Guide, by Jennifer Post [2nd ed., Routledge, 2011] for information on additional audio recordings. Use internet music providers such as Smithsonian Global Sound [http://www.folkways.si.edu/] for chapter- related listening and see the Internet resources sections of this Online Learning Center).

West Africa, regional field recordings

Africa, the Dan. 1998. Rounder Records CD 5105. Recordings by Hugo Zemp including historical and descriptive notes.

Anthology of the Music of the Gan. 1998. Buda 92709–2. Field recordings with historical and descriptive notes by Patrick Kersalé.

Burkina Faso: The Voice of the Fulbe. 1997. Chant du monde CNR 2741079. Field recordings made between 1992 and 1995 by Sandrine Loncke. Includes ethnographic and descriptive notes by the collector.

Burkina Faso: Rhythms of the Grasslands. 2002. Nonesuch 79713–2. Explorer Series. Recorded 1973–1975 in Upper Volta by Kathleen Johnson. Includes accompanying notes by the collector. Originally released in 1983.

Burkina Faso: Savannah Rhythms. 2002. Nonesuch 79712–2. Explorer Series. Recorded 1973–1975 in Upper Volta by Kathleen Johnson. Includes accompanying notes by the collector.

Dònkili: Call to Dance: Festival Music from Mali. 1997. Pan Records; 2060CD. Ethnic series. Recorded October 1995 in Bamako, Mali. Program notes in English by Rainer Polak.

Drumming for Dagomba Chiefs: Tamale, Ghana, 1985. 2008. EarthCDs Partners GH-DDC. Dagomba music from Ghana for vocalist, two lead talking drums, supporting talking drums bass drums. Recorded by David Locke in Ghana in 1985.

Ewe Drumming from Ghana: The Soup Which Is Sweet Draws the Chairs in Closer. 2004. Topic Records TSCD 924. Field recordings by James Burns of traditional Ewe songs from Ghana for voice and percussion.

Ghana: Ancient Ceremonies: Dance Music and Songs. 2002. Nonesuch Explorer Series. Recorded in Ghana by Stephen Jay. Includes program notes by the collector.

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Ghana: Rhythms of the People. 2000. Multicultural Media MCM 3018. Recorded by Maria A. Billings and Paschal Yao Younge in 1997. Historical, ethnographic and technical notes in English.

Ghana: Voices of Africa: High-life and other Popular Music. 2002. Nonesuch 79701–2. Explorer Series. Saka Acquaye and his African ensemble. Program and biographical notes by Kenneth S. Goldstein and Saka Acquaye.

Guinea: Music of the Mandinka. 1999. Chant du Monde: CNR 2741112. Field recordings made in 1952 by Gilbert Rouget in Karala and Kankan. Extensive historical and descriptive notes in French, with abbreviated English translation.

Guinea: Kpelle Music: Polyphonic Songs, Trumpets and Drumming. 1998. Maison des cultures du monde W 260086. Recorded at Maison des Cultures du Monde in 1998. Historical and descriptive notes and information on the instruments by François Gründ and Pierre Bois with song texts in French and English.

In the Time of My Fourth Great-grandfather—Western Sisaala Music from Lambussie, Ghana. 1998. Pan Records PAN 2065CD. Field recordings made by Trevor Wiggins in 1994–1996, around Lambussie in the Upper West region of Ghana. Historical and descriptive notes in English by the collector.

Kabiyé Orchestras and Lithophones. 2004. Ocora Radio France C 560195 Music of the Kabiyé of Togo. Program notes with bibliographical references in French and English.

Mali: Ancient Strings. 2001. Musique du Monde, BUDA-197782. Features Sidiki Diabate, including the pieces “Kayra” [“Kaira”] and “Kulanjan.” Originally issued in 1970.

Mali: Bambara music of Baninko. 1998. VDE-Gallo CD-980. Field recordings made in the Baninko region of Mali in 1991 and 1992. Extensive technical and ethnographic notes by Salia Malé.

Music of the We (Guere). 1998. Chant du Monde CNR 2741105. Field recordings made by Hugo Zemp in the Côte d’Ivoire during 1965 and 1967. Extensive historical and descriptive notes by the collector.

Senegal: The Saoruba from Casamance. 1997. VDE-Gallo CD-926. Recorded by Laurent Aubert in Casamance in 1989 and by Vincent Zanetti in 1996 in the suburbs of Dakar. Technical, historical, and ethnographic notes by Vincent Zanetti in French and English.

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West Africa: Drum, Chant and Instrumental Music. 2002. Nonesuch 79709–2. Explorer Series. Recorded in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso by Stephen Jay. Originally released in 1976. Program notes by Stephen Jay in accompanying booklet.

Popular musics

Kings of African Music. 1996. Music Club CD 50032. Compilation volume with performances by Kassemady Diabate, Youssou N’Dour, Thomas Mapfumo, and Ali Farka Toure, among others.

The Rough Guide to West African Gold. 2006. World Music Network. Features West African music from the 1950s to the 1980s including highlife guitars and horns, Guinean big-band music, early Senegalese mbalax, and early Afro-beat.

The Rough Guide to the Music of Mali. 2008. World Music Network. Previously released recordings including performers Kandia Kouyate, Oumou Sangare, Rokia Traore, Toumani Diabate, and many others.

Mali & Guinea. 2005. London: World Music Network RGNET 1048. Compilation of popular and traditional works originally released between the 1970s and 1990s providing a good starting point for sampling the musical diversity of the region.

Queens of African Music. 1997. Music Club CD 50040. Compilation volume featuring Angélique Kidjo, Malian vocalist Oumou Sangare, and other performers.

New Ancient Strings. 1999. Hannibal HNCD 1428. Features Toumani Diabate on kora.

The Mandé Variations. 2008. World Circuit. Toumani Diabaté, kora.

Ali and Toumani. 2010. World Circuit/Nonesuch. Popular Malian music performed by Ali Farka Toure, guitar and vocals, and Toumani Diabaté, kora, with Orlando "Cachaito" López, bass.

Mali. 2002. ARC Music (EUCD 1779). Contemporary music performed by Seckou Keita with other musicians.

Beyond West Africa

Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda. 2003. Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40504. African-Jewish music, sung in Hebrew, English and in different African languages. Recorded in Uganda in 2000 and 2002. Accompanies a book: Abayudaya: the Jews of Uganda by Richard Sobol and Jeffrey A. Summit.

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Bushmen: Qwii, The First People. 1999. ARC Music EUCD 1553. Johannesburg, South Africa. Featuring music of the indigenous peoples of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.

Music of the Bibayak Pygmies: Epic Cantors. 2001. Ocora Radio France C 582053. Field recordings by Pierre Sallée in Gabon, 1966 and Mar. 1973. Historical, descriptive, and ethnographic notes included.

Music of the Tuaregs. 2002. Disques Gallo VDE CD 1105-1106. Field recordings made in Niger by François Borel and Ernst Lichtenhahn, 1970s-1990s. French notes with English translation.

Musical Anthology of the Aka Pygmies. 2002. Ocora Radio France, Harmonia Mundi, distribution. Field recordings with program notes by Simha Arom. Originally released 1978.

Tanzania: Music of the Farmer Composers of Sukumaland: We Never Sleep, We Dream of Farming. 1997. Multicultural Media MCM 3013. Field recordings made by Frank Gunderson in 1994–1995. Includes program notes and selected texts with English translations.

Uganda and Other African Nations: Feasts of the Savanna: A Musical Journey through East and West Africa. 1997. Multicultural Media MCM 3006. Notes by Jun Mori, in English translation from the Japanese (12 p., illus., map).

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