This episode of Island Time brings us a special mix from @morgan-greenstreet , a musician, DJ, and journalist based in New York. Here he gives us a deep dive into a style of music called simpa – in his words:

Simpa is a style of neo-traditional popular music of the Dagbani people of the north of Ghana. It exists in two overlapping forms: the live, acoustic session of drumming, singing and dancing – for example the group Kakpag-Yili Wait and See – and the highly produced electro-simpa versions created for sale in the local DVD market. These hard-driving tracks are produced by DJ/producers like Ebony and DJ Chare/Charlie with star singers like Dickson Gawan and Yaa Naraa.

For the traditional version, the drummers build their own drums from metal barrels, even making their own kick drum pedals. Some groups use a trumpet live and these answering melodic lines are represented by synths for the electro versions. The dancers are almost exclusively young women, and the dance is all about rapid, suggestive waist shaking.

I first heard simpa when I was in Tamale in the Northern region of Ghana in 2015. As my friend Saeed Alhassan Dawuni and I were running around town recording traditional music events for an Afropop Worldwide program, I kept hearing incredible local pop music blasting from car stereos and shops. Saeed and I visited a few music shops but they didn’t have anything like the stuff I’d been hearing. Eventually we visited a friend of Saeed’s who filled up a thumb drive with assorted low bitrate mp3s which I combed through for months after the trip, resulting in a Dagbani pop mix for Afropop (https://soundcloud.com/afropop-worldwide/dagbani-pop). One track on that mix really stood out for me, a twenty minute, fast-paced percussion-driven tune (mis)labeled “ebony hiphop.” Saeed identified the artist as Dickson Gawan and the style as simpa, and from there my interest deepened. We’ve been in touch in the years since then and Saeed keeps feeding my need for simpa with regular batches of new tracks. Through Saeed, I’m in touch with Dickson Gawan and plan to visit Tamale when feasible to work on a compilation of simpa for international release. Special thanks as well to Dave Ewenson who recorded “Kakpag-Yili Wait and See” and shared some insights into neo-traditional simpa with me.

Tracks are from Dickson Gawan, Bala Zaaku, Alhassan Kukoo Naa, Sala Takoro and Sumaya Yaanara and all of these tracks are produced by either Ebony or Dj Chare/Charlie. Many of these can be found with accompanying videos on youtube

Image in artwork is from video by Dave Ewenson

Island Time Radio  Mix 39 With Modrums (Simpa Special)

DJ Raff delivers 2 hours of hypnotic club cuts from the likes of Sines, Barrio Lindo, Barbarella, Conejx, and Nuri. Downtempo, percussive and beats all in the bag.

DJ Raff - September 2021

📻 Kiosk Radio @ Forest Sounds Festival ~ Travelling around the world with spicy sounds & torrid tunes 🌍
🔊 Beat the drum for lively people ~ Heart rhythm & blood flow ~ Real tropical heatwave ~ Hot in here 🔥
💃🏽 It was an intense moment. So moved to play in my own neighbourhood (Forest). So moved to see people dancing together. So moved to end my set with a Kassav track (R.I.P. Jacob Desvarieux) 🙌🏽
💥 Crazy warm vibes ~ Boiling video set : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGgLCKBOX2k
📷 Photo credit : "English magic" by Jeremy Deller (http://www.jeremydeller.org/Sacrilege/Sacrilege.php).

BEAT THE DRUM FOR LIVELY PEOPLE 🥁 04-09-2021 👉🏽 Forest Sounds Festival x Kiosk Radio

Strictly Vinyl mix recorded for the Bethlehem-based radio station Alhara by Dakar based diggers collective Analog Dakar Club.

Tracklist :
Los Wawanco "El Conductor"
Luis Kalaff y Sus Alegres Dominicanos "Pa Despues Venir Llorrando"
Martinho Da Vila "Renascer Das Cinzas"
Coupé Cloué "Kiliboi"
Protesta 77 "Protester Avai Nou"
Tam Tam 2000 "Nostalgie"
Claudette et Ti Pierre "Zanmi Camarade"
Philogene Anastase et son Palace Combo "Pension Alimentair La"
Pamelo Mounka "Ce n'est que ma secrétaire"
Tabu Ley et l'Afrisa International "Mazé"

Analog Dakar Club

Analog Dakar Club - Alhara Radio Mix 9.10.21

DJ Raff takes a two-hour exploration through downtempo and percussive club cuts. Lock in to hear tracks from the likes of Dementira, Lagartijeando, Nicolas Jaar, Licra, Baba Stiltz, Luca Duran, Danykas DJ, Fantasna and more.

DJ Raff - December

Our latest Macondo mix comes from record shop journeyman Thomas Kitchman. He has spent the last three years residing in the basement of Flashback Records after learning his craft from two years greasing the cogs of Phonica Records’ mail order underbelly. Thomas has a long-running residency on Netil Radio under the name of Mondegreen, which is also his record label. 2021 saw the release of second vinyl instalment from burning jazz outfit The Ferg Ireland Trio.

Thomas’ mix contains modern interpretations of tunes from Leroy Jenkins, Archie Shepp, The Residents and a timeless Anglo-Scots sea shanty. It fuses together a heady mix of contemporary jazz; taking in various permutations of folk, electronica and free improvisation before settling into a heavy groove and culminating in the otherworldly, floating sounds of Ruth Goller and Ernst Reijseger.

Tracklist here:
https://www.musicamacondo.com/2022/02/macondo-mix-005-thomas-kitchman-mondegreen/

Macondo Mix 005: Thomas Kitchman (Mondegreen)

Mini mix with music by B.P, Meitei, Green-House, AG-VO, Joda Foerster & Nick Kramer, Francesco Cavaliere & Tomoko Sauvage, Landtitles and Shuta Yasukochi.

Chorume Sonoro - Le Frit (Mars 2022)

This month Matt is joined by Foole who provides a guest mix in the 2nd hour. Music from Donald Byrd, Simkin, Bloko Ono and M People inside.

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Matt Burgess w/ Foole - August 2022

EXPOCAST 86 - Hannah Lee

This track is a present for all of you in this xmas.

1312 ACAB

Artwork: Luciano Padilla
Photo: Pía Figueroa
Master: Merci Merci
Recorded at Estudio Niebla Stgo. Chile

Misa

Island Time Radio is a community project from Alex Coppola @xela-music plus guests. A monthly mix series exploring African, Latin, Caribbean, off-the-grid 
international and underground music.

Open-World streaming every 2nd Saturday of the month, 3-4PM EST on @great-circles

Island Time Radio Mix 39 With Modrums (Simpa Special)

Island Time Radio

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