A House Music mix inspired by Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Africanisms:  Finding Fela

01. Godwin Omabuwa & His Casanova Dandies - Do The Afro Shuffle 
02. Voices of Darkness - Mota Ginya
03. Bongos Ikwue  & The Groovies - Smokey, Smokey.

1970s Nigeria Mix - Afro-Funk

Story of this mixtape begun from my wish to bring much deserved attention to one of the hidden heroes of Ghana and African highlife scene Atakora Manu. Man of various talents Manu b.1940 - d.2015 was a composer, vocalist, guitarist, arranger and studio sound engineer. Manu’s uniquely funky and minimal highlife sound with laid back cosmic reggae and electronic sounds mixed in with drops of afrobeat has always intrigued me and I have loved his approach to highlife music from the very first hearings. 

Manu, originating from Ashanti region of Ghana started his music career with Princess Trio in 1960’s and then went on to become the lead guitarist in Kakaiku’s no.2 band.  After enjoying some success and hit singles with Kakaiku’s Manu engineered and recorded more traditional highlife with various bands throughout the 1970’s also dipping his toes to religious/gospel styles. 
Starting from early 1980’s his signature sound started to really come together and would develop with the help of added synths, funky instrumentations and reggae vibes to one of the greatest examples of Ghana highlife of the era. 

Manu’s discography is moderately known for deep-end afroheads, but theres holes, ”unknown” records still appear and lots of his music is totally unaccessible. His later works released in tiny labels in US and Ghana especially are very hard to come by and are rare sights. In this mix I have intentionally included tracks from his hard to catch LP’s that have not been available online to bring light to his vision and these little known gems on wax.  Almost totally lost in time and still very much under the radar I think that Manu’s irresistible music has lots to offer for fans of African and highlife music not forgetting tropical DJ’s and their audiences all around the world. 
-DJ IJJ

Tracklist:

Atakora Manu’s Band - Opon Hini Me
Atakora Manu - Super Odo Bebo Menkomo
Atakora Manu’s Band - Sunkwa
Atakora Manu - Koo Mensa
Atakora Manu & His Sound Engineers - Monye Yie
Atakora Manu And His Sound Engineers Band - Oyefo
Atakora Manu’s Band - Pim No Bi
Atakora Manu’s Band - Ese Me Abese Wie
Atakora Manu - Asante Kotoko

”OMINIMINIMIN” - Cosmic Highlife of Atakora Manu

100%  254

Gengetone mix inspired by my warm up set for Boiler Room. Grateful to have been invited to open for an amazing Kenyan lineup. Asante to the headliners @deejay-kalonje  @boondocksgang @djtryce @djlyta  Ochungulo Family & Rico Gang + Femi One

Photo by Malick Berry

Tracklist
----------------------------
Intro: New Tone - Wamlambez Remix (Huilly's Afro Amingos edit)
Chris Kaiga - Niko On
Woyez - Seti Kitu
Ethic - New Position
XPRSO - Tropkos Riddim (feat. Chevy Kev & Sookie)
Ochungulo Family - Kaa na Mama Yako
The Kansoul - Accelerator
Ethic - Thao
Sailors - Wamlambez
Naiboi Ft Khaligraph Jones × Fena Gitu & All Stars - Sondeka
Rico Gang Ft VDJ Jones - Jegi
Jua Cali - NGELI YA GENGE        
Octopizzo - Wakiritho (feat. Sailors)

Gengetone Gunmen - Boiler Room Nairobi

Mix for Wicked girl festival online about gender condition . <3

MIX WICKED GIRL

FOREVER JOSEPH

Osayomore Joseph & The Creative Seven  - Wait For Your Turn

In Africa, drums don't only play rhythms, they send messages. “Ancient Text Messages: Batá Drums in a Changing World” explores an endangered tradition of drum speech in Nigeria, and how that tradition changed and thrived in Cuba, where large numbers of enslaved Yoruba arrived in the 19th century. Producer Ned Sublette speaks with ethnomusicologist Amanda Villepastour, language technician Tunde Adegbola, and drummer Kenneth Schweitzer about how language and music overlap. Produced by Ned Sublette.

[APWW #724]
[Originally aired in2016]

Ancient Text Messages - Batá Drums In A Changing World

03 KELUG RADIO [Interlude]

For all those stuck at home or stressed out during these uncertain times, here’s an hour of uplifting music from Mali, Cuba and South Africa. Vusi Mahlasela, Alex Cuba, Afel Bocoum and Oumou Sangare have all known the travails of personal pain and political turmoil. And yet all find the strength and vision to create music that soothes and reassures even as it moves dancing feet. On this program, we hear fresh music and words from all four.

Produced by Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow.

818 Lockdown Serenade

In 1991, Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited made their second tour of the United States. It was a fascinating transitional moment in the band’s history. Mapfumo had recently added two musicians playing the metal-pronged, Shona mbira, enriching the band’s lineup of guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, brass and percussion. The band had now evolved into a kind of folk orchestra in which everyone sang, allowing for beautifully layered vocal arrangements. This recording, made by Afropop Worldwide at S.O.B.'s in New York City during that historic tour, is a true gem in the Afropop archive. It captures one of Africa’s most innovative and unusual artists and bandleaders at the height of his powers. One listen to this sublime recording and you will understand why producer Banning Eyre devoted some 15 years to writing the new book Lion Songs: Thomas Mapfumo and the Music That Made Zimbabwe.

[APWW #55]
[Produced by Sean Barlow in 1991]

Thomas Mapfumo Live in NYC at SOB's

A vast, new world of DJs, record collectors and producers are going to far reaches of the Earth to find forgotten records and new styles of music. Their discoveries are then brought back home, remixed, repackaged and re-released to be heard by an entirely new audience. We speak to some of these globetrotting DJ and producers Chief Boima and Geko Jones to hear about their experiences, the music they’ve discovered and how they go about remixing some of these styles in order to create a new and updated sound. Produced by Saxon Baird.

[APWW #636] 
[Originally aired 2012]

Crate Diggers And Remixers

Afropop Worldwide is an internationally syndicated weekly radio series, online guide to African and world music, and an international music archive, that has introduced American listeners to the music cultures of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean since 1988. Our radio program is hosted by Georges Collinet from Cameroon, the radio series is distributed by Public Radio International to 110 stations in the U.S., via XM satellite radio, in Africa via and Europe via Radio Multikulti. 