Dur-Dur Band Int. - The Berlin Session 
(Out Here Records, LP/CD/Digital, 03.03.2023)

This is the first studio recording by a Somali band since the golden days of Mogadishu came to a halt 3 decades ago. Somalia's stars of this era were spread out all over the globe. Many ended up finding a new home in London where they founded Dur-Dur Band Int. They were invited to Berlin in 2019 to reunite with two legends of modern Somali music. The Berlin Session captures this historic moment full of emotions. Now Dur-Dur Band Int. is back to let the good times roll again.


Vocals: Xabiib Sharaabi 
Drums: Saciid Xuseen
Congas: Saalax Xariiri
Bass: Cabdillahi Cujeeri
Keys: Yusuf Naaji
Guitar: Nabil Sacaani
Guitar: Cumar Teesiyow
Percussion: Cabdinuur Alaale
Claves: Akila
Dancer: Queen Tasha

Video By: OO Pictures
Color Grading: Carl-J. Hoffmann
 
Recorded: 22.02.2019 in Berlin at Butterama Studios in Neukölln by Daniel Nentwig  
Producer & Mixing: Nicolas Sheikholeslami
Mastering: Mark Gergis 

Artwork: Muhyadin Sharafo (Oil Painting) & Ventral is Golden (Design)
Executive Producer: Jay Rutledge & Nicolas Sheikholeslami

http://outhere.de/outhere/dur-dur-band/

Dur Dur Band Int. - Duurka

another smash hit from the suburbs of Pretoria: 100% pure Ayobaness!!

Link up on: www.myspace.com/ayobaness

DJ Mujava - Mugwanti / Sgwejegweje

DJ Mujava - Mugwanti / Sgwejegweje Schlachthofbronx RMX

Ete - Farafina (Schlachthofbronx)

Mo Mic - Guata Guata (Schlachthofbronx)

TERAKAFT – Alone (Ténéré)

‚Alone‘ was born out of a need to maintain sanity in times of broken dreams and lies. It might be their most rock oriented album to date but at the same time it is their most poetic. Five years ago with their album "Aratan N Azawad" and even the follow up "Kel Tamasheq", Terakaft was still full of hope, things had started to change. Today the soil that was supposed to blossom is burnt by selfishness and rivalry. 

„There are too many characters in the picture, too many chiefs and not enough people“, says Diara when asked about the political developments in the last years. He used to sing political songs back in the days in his rebel youth when he was still playing guitar with Tinariwen. Nowadays he is only watching with a new feeling growing inside him: “Ténéré”, which is the title he gave to this album, and which translates to: “Alone”. Back in the days when they were sitting in the dunes drinking tea with big hopes for the future, singing their songs into the night, his nephew Sanou was sitting next to him, still a young boy. Occasionally the uncle would hand his guitar to the nephew, so he could  play along with the others. Just before the international success story of Tinariwen started, Diara got stuck on his way to Bamako a missed flight and his place in Tinariwen was taken. Meanwhile Sanou had set up his own band Terakaft. Today Diara and Sanou are the backbone of Terakaft: the guardians of desert blues. Diara is the spirit of the band, as strong as a rock. Sanou – his nephew - is the heart of Terakaft. He brings the life to its spirit. Diara the elder, lays out heavy rhythms pulsing through his guitar. Sanou has become the natural heir to the sound of “assouf”, with his intense rock riffs and an up-lifting attitude towards life.

‚Alone‘ is the 5th album of Terakaft. It was produced by Justin Adams who is one of the musicians from Europe who has delved deep into Tuareg music in the last years. Adams is known as a musician and producer through his work with Robert Plant, Tinariwen and Juldeh Camara. He has geared up "The Caravan" to reach new shores and hit the dancefloors. In these troubled times, they have made an album together, that presents the deep Saharan rhythms as a vital contemporary heartbeat. Standing on the ruins of their peoples dreams they sing to their brothers and sisters about true friendship and tolerance.

Tafouk Tele

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & Ngoni ba – I speak Fula
press reactions:

“This is a cracker.” **** Mojo
“A contender for African album of the year.” ***** Uncut

After his award winning album ‚Segu Blue’ the ngoni wizard from Mali is back with a new offering: ‚I speak fula’. The album captures the incredible live energy of Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba and is the next step in the career of one of Malis most exciting and innovative musicians.
The back of this album shows Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba standing on the street with the legendary train station ofBamako behind them. In the 80s a young Bassekou Kouyate played a concert there together with members of the famous Rail Band. During the show Bassekou suddenly stood up and walked up to the front of the stage. For the first time a ngoni player strapped his instrument over his shoulder like an electric guitar and was playing a solo standing up. The audience was stunned. Traditionalists even started a debate after the concert about whether this young man was allowed to chan

Bassekou Kouyate - Jamana Be Diya

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & Ngoni ba – I speak Fula

press reactions:
“This is a cracker.” **** Mojo
“A contender for African album of the year.” ***** Uncut

After his award winning album ‚Segu Blue’ the ngoni wizard from Mali is back with a new offering: ‚I speak fula’. The album captures the incredible live energy of Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba and is the next step in the career of one of Malis most exciting and innovative musicians.
The back of this album shows Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba standing on the street with the legendary train station ofBamako behind them. In the 80s a young Bassekou Kouyate played a concert there together with members of the famous Rail Band. During the show Bassekou suddenly stood up and walked up to the front of the stage. For the first time a ngoni player strapped his instrument over his shoulder like an electric guitar and was playing a solo standing up. The audience was stunned. Traditionalists even started a debate after the concert about whether this young man was allowed to chan

Bassekou Kouyate - Bambugu Blues

BLACK STARS – Ghana’s Hiplife Generation (release date:  04.04.2008)

‘Ghana is free forever’- these were the words of Kwame Nkrumah, the first elected president of the former Gold Coast, on the 6th of March 1957 when Ghana became the first African country to gain independence from colonial rule. Today, more than fifty years later, Ghana is known to be one of the most peaceful and stable countries in Africa (currently host to the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations) and attracting thousands of tourists each year, especially African-Americans coming for inspirational trips to trace their roots and visit the former slave forts scattered along the coast. Nkrumah himself was inspired by the ideas of the Jamaican black activist Marcus Garvey, who founded the Black Star Line, a shipping company to bring African-Americans back to Africa. The black star in Ghana’s national flag is a lasting reference to Garvey.
However, in 2008 Ghana’s youth is no longer dancing to Highlife that was popular back then, but to Hiplife, the loc

Modern Ghanaians - King Ayisoba ft. Kwaku-T , Kontihene & Kwabena Kwabena

Bassekou Kouyate - Musow

Tony Harmony - Tripple M - My Body (Schlachthofbronx Edit)

Batman Samini - Do Something

BONGO FLAVA – Swahili Rap from Tanzania (release date: 15.11.2004)

„Bongo Flava. Swahili rap from Tanzania“ is a 70 minute ride through the streets of Dar es Salaam. It’s a look at what youth in present urban East Africa thinks and dreams about. Bongo Flava is the name of a HipHop influenced music which – unnoticed by the rest of the world – has become the best selling pop music in East Africa, today. It’s a music of the post-socialism era channeled by a wave of new private radio stations.
The name Bongo Flava comes from the Kiswahili word for brains: ubongo. Bongo is the nick name of Dar es Salaam. It means that you need brains to survive there.
Tanzanian youth started rapping in the 1980s fascinated by black US HipHop. They soon developped their own way of doing it and today the music has become a style characterized by the use of local melodies, beats, topics and their own language Kiswahili. Don’t think anybody could have a hit singing in English nowadays.
This compilation presents the hits by some of t

Juma Nature ft. Professor Jay - Umoja Wa Tanzania

URBAN AFRICA CLUB – Hiphop, Dancehall & Kwaito
release date:  19.01.2007
The last ten years have seen a new generation of young stars taking over Africa’s music scene. New styles like bongo flava in East Africa, hiplife in Ghana or kwaito in South Africa rule the charts. The top artists sell 100,000s of CDs, their music is on heavy rotation in nightclubs and on local radio and TV networks such as MTV Base Africa or Channel O. Despite this high demand locally, the news of this new exiting club music from the motherland of black music is only just beginning to spread outside the continent.
Urban Africa Club introduces some of Africa’s greatest stars and music scenes:
West Africa is represented by V.I.P. from Accra, the unchallenged superstars of Ghana’s hiplife scene. Ghana’s vibrant hiplife scene is just one style that is yet to be discovered. Gabon has a distinct melodic type of hip-hop that is just starting to make itself heard (Lord Ekomy Ndong with his track ‘Exile’). Senegal probably has the hip-hop scen

Prof. Jay feat. Ferooz - Nikusaidiaje

URBAN AFRICA CLUB – Hiphop, Dancehall & Kwaito
release date:  19.01.2007
The last ten years have seen a new generation of young stars taking over Africa’s music scene. New styles like bongo flava in East Africa, hiplife in Ghana or kwaito in South Africa rule the charts. The top artists sell 100,000s of CDs, their music is on heavy rotation in nightclubs and on local radio and TV networks such as MTV Base Africa or Channel O. Despite this high demand locally, the news of this new exiting club music from the motherland of black music is only just beginning to spread outside the continent.
Urban Africa Club introduces some of Africa’s greatest stars and music scenes:
West Africa is represented by V.I.P. from Accra, the unchallenged superstars of Ghana’s hiplife scene. Ghana’s vibrant hiplife scene is just one style that is yet to be discovered. Gabon has a distinct melodic type of hip-hop that is just starting to make itself heard (Lord Ekomy Ndong with his track ‘Exile’). Senegal probably has the hip-hop scen

V.I.P. ft. Abortion - Besin

MADERA LIMPIA – La Corona (release date: Oct 2008)

Guantánamo is a small town in the southeast of Cuba where tourists are rarely seen. There are no sights or attractions or beautiful beaches – the beaches that exist, about 13 miles from the town, are under US control and the location of the military base of Guantánamo Bay. The old Spanish colonial style houses are decaying. Time seems to stand still. Hopes melt in the afternoon heat while the country’s turbulent past is hidden underneath a long shadow. Communication with the outside world is difficult. Those with aspirations for a better life try their fortunes in Havana – or they go to Miami or Europe, never to return.
This is the home of Yasel Gonzalez Rivera and Gerald Thomas Collymore, the driving forces behind Madera Limpia (meaning “pure wood”). Their first album was released as the soundtrack to the award-winning 2004 documentary Paraiso, a kind of road movie about their life in Guantánamo, made by Alina Teodorescu, a Munich-based Romanian filmmaker.

Madera Limpia - Salsa

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & Ngoni ba – Segu Blue (release date: March 2007)

“First there was African tribal music which evolved into slave songs which became the blues which gave birth to the funk. Bassekou and his band tell the whole of this journey in one chapter. The most delicious mix of the finest musical ingredients make a stew that warms the heart and shakes the hips. Trust me, it tastes good!”
Fatboy Slim (Mali, 2006)
“… a fantastic example of how music can lift your mind and soul at the same time … the perfect proof of how inspirational African music can be, how it can touch so many people on so many levels.”
Damon Albarn (after hearing Bassekou & Ngoni ba in Mali, 2006)
“The album Segu Blue is a MUST for anyone seeking new musical adventures.”
Dee Dee Bridgewater
“… a genius, a living proof that the blues comes from the region of Segu.”
Taj Mahal
“I was inspired watching music being performed in it’s truest form”
Scratch – The Roots
“There’s a delicious sound to this record, whose warm, cohesive textures l

Bassekou Kouyate - Jonkoloni

Goldenbeirut - New sounds from Lebanon (streetdate 30.08.2011)
 These 12 songs on this compilation look at the Arab World through a new pair of glasses: Beirut’s underground. The CD focuses on a young generation that is tired of war, fed up with politics, sick of religious madness, and angry about Euro-American exoticism. It is keeping itself alive with electro beats, raw aggressive hip hop or in-your-face indie rock. Together these musicians show a new picture of this war- shaken city and region and show a different Beirut.
“The Israelis just bombed our city,” one musician joked in 2006, ”because Beirut was suddenly cooler and hipper than Tel Aviv”. With lots of irony and black humour, Beirutis often try to neglect the fact that the city still is full of problems, conflicts and contradictions. The Beirut alternative music circuit does not get the same media attention the commercial pan-Arabic satellite-TV Pop-Industry does, but is closely linked to the civil society networks that are of great importance in 

Mashrou' Leila - Raksit Layla

"Mokole" is the first song to be released from Mokoomba's upcoming album "Luyando".  The composition is based on traditional rituals and lore celebrating and honouring the waterfall (the smoke that thunders / Victoria Falls) as a source of life for all who inhabit the region. The song is particularly poignant now at a time of drought across Zimbabwe but also as an invocation to the younger generation to take care of the environment, because we are fragile and vulnerable and dependent on it for survival. “The waterfall is a life giver. It brings us water to drink; it makes our river full so we can fish. It is a source of life. Let us rejoice for there is water and hope we will always get plenty.”
Mokole is written in a mix of Luvale and in Ndebele a language which is the most common for people living in the region of Victoria Falls, which is a cross-roads between numerous ethnic groups as well as a border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Ndebele is the dominant language in the region but it is traversed by other languages and dialects like Luvale, Chewa, Nambya and Tonga.

pre-order "Luyando" digitally, on CD or on Vinyl: 

iTunes: http://apple.co/2ji9jZM
Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/2k3ORQf
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jsLphK

Luyando

Mokoomba - Mokole

Asmara All Stars - Eritrea’s Got Soul (OH 016)

Streetdates: JP 08.10.2010 / UK 11.10.2010 / Europe 15.10.2010 / USA 26.10.2010

The Album is one of the first manifestations of the diversity of Eritrean music styles since the country seemed to vanish from the world’s radar in the early 70s

The Album highlights the role of Eritrean musicians in the creation of the now famous Ethio-Jazz

Released by: OUT HERE REC 
Release/catalogue number: OH016 
Release date: Oct 11, 2010 

Asmara All Stars - Adunia

Awa Khiwe - "Snqandamathe"

Awa Khiwe's "Snqandamathe" is a Zimbabwean love song which was inspired by Ndebele pet names that were used during her parents teenage days. While currently rap music is dominated by songs about luxury brands, alcoholic drinks or successful footballer, „Snqandamathe“ is nostalgic about a time Awa Khiwe was living in a village in Matabeleland, where life was easy and teenagers dreamt about innocent relationships, where material things didn’t matter.

„Life back then was different", Awa Khiwe says,  "guys would chase girls for months just to win her heart. They would write letters and poems and maybe try their luck when the lady is fetching water, meaning they would wait the whole day for her there, since there were no phones 😂. It was common that guys would whistle from a distance to alert the girl about their presence. It was more like a secret code between the girl and the boy. Guys walked long distances as well to visit girls. There were common romantic spots like beautiful rocks and mountains, but the most common one was the river. “ Awa Khiwe uses the ndebele proverb: “induku enhle iganyulwe zizweni“. It expresses, „if you want the perfect lover you must look in far away places.“ 

„Snqandamathe“ is produced and was recorded by Superphad during her artist residency at the Iwalewa house in Bayreuth, when she worked at the project „Beats aus dem Archiv“ earlier this year.

For more news on Zimbabwean rapper AWA follow her: https://www.instagram.com/awa_khiwe/
https://www.facebook.com/africanwomenarise/

http://outhere.de/outhere/artists/awa-2/

Awa Khiwe - Snqandamathe

Awa Khiwe - "Snqandamathe"

“Deli” by Basskou Kouyate & Ngoni ba
Out on iTunes, Spotify and all other digital services on 14 December 2018.

Taken from the album ‘Miri’ out on 25 January 2019 on Outhere Records - CD (OH032 CD) / Vinyl (OH032 LP) / Download/ Streaming.

Miri

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba - “Deli”

Santrofi - Alewa (black and white)

10 - Mobo

09 - Konongo Kaya

08 - Kwabena Amoah

07 - Adwuma

06 - Cocoase

05 - Odo Maba

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba return with a new single, new album and live dates

Mali's ngoni ace returns. After his celebrated debut album Segu Blue and the Grammy nominated follow up I speak fula, hundreds of concerts all over the globe, an appearance headlining the AfroCubism project and, just a few months ago, stunning appearances at the latest Africa Express events performing with Sir Paul McCartney, Damon Albarn and many others, Bassekou Kouyate is back with his new album.

Jama ko means 'a big gathering of people'.  It is the first song to be released from the forthcoming album of the same title. It is a call for unity, peace and tolerance in a time of crisis: no matter who you are, let us come together and enjoy life, and celebrate the true spirit of Mali.

“Jama ko, c’est pour tout le monde”, says Bassekou Kouyate, the celebrated ngoni player, explaining the title of his third album, “There are over 90% Muslims in Mali, but our form of Islam here has nothing to do with a radical form of Sharia: that is not our culture. We have been singing praise songs for the Prophet for hundreds of years. If the Islamists stop people music making they will rip the heart out of Mali.”

The recording of Jama ko took place in March 2012 in Mali's capital Bamako. It was recorded with an entirely new line-up including Bassekou's two sons Madou and Moustafa Kouyate, ngoni ace Abou Sissoko and a number of other young talented musicians from Bamako. It became political by accident. In the afternoon of the first day in the studio the military overthrew the president Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT).  It was a shock for Bassekou as the former president was a great supporter of his music. Somewhere between power cuts, fuel shortages and the uncertainty of daily curfews the recording went on. Meanwhile the situation in the north of Mali was getting worse and worse by the day. In the studio a musical answer started taking shape: Instead of keeping quiet Bassekou plugged in his wah wah pedal, cranked up his amp and let loose: Ne me fatigue pas: don't wear me out. You can hear the heartbeat of Malian music pulsing in this music.

Kasse Mady Diabate is featured on the Latin-flavoured Sinaly singing about Sinaly Diarra, a Bamana king famous for resisting forced Islamisation in the 19th century. Kele Magni is a duet between Amy Sacko and Khaira Arby from Timbuktu, calling for peace in Mali. Zoumana Tereta praises the cotton farmers of Mali in Mali Koori with a voice that takes you back into the time of the great Bambara warriors. Jama ko also features an incredible duet between Bassekou and Taj Mahal (vocals / electric guitar) and ends with the touching song Moustafa by Bassekou’s son Moustafa dedicated to his parents thanking them for all they have done for him.

Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Hotel 2 Tango) recorded the album in Mali and ended up mixing and co-producing most of it back home in Montreal. Andrew Barr (Barr Brothers) and Max Weissenfeldt (Poets of Rhythm) added drums. Mocky Salole (Feist, Jamie Lidell) contributed to the production and played organ and drums.

Jama ko digital single out now 19 November 2012
Jama ko album out in the UK on 28 January 2013
Live in the UK: 26 January 2013 - Barbican, London + 27 January - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections (Sahara Soul triple bill with Tamikrest and Sidi Touré)


Watch preview video:
http://youtu.be/lfU4rxQL4Dw


Jama Ko
SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/outhererecords/bassekou-kouyate-ngoni-ba-jama
YouTube: http://youtu.be/lfU4rxQL4Dw

Bassekou Kouyate online:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bassekoukouyate
Twitter: @Bassekou http://twitter.com/Bassekou
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate

Out Here Records online:
http://www.outhere.de
http://www.outhere.de/jamako

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Jama ko (Single - Song for Peace)

Rokia Traoré – Beautiful Africa (releasedate: D/A: April 9th)

“I really like rock,” says Rokia Traoré about her new album Beautiful Africa, “and it was because of rock that I wanted to play music, but I didn’t want to make rock and roll in the Western tradition … I wanted something that’s rock and roll but still Malian and still me.”

When she was growing up, an older brother used to play her Dire Straits and Pink Floyd. “It wasn’t all I listened to—I discovered jazz and blues with my dad, and Malian and other African music, and French chanson, but it was rock music that made me want to learn guitar.”

There are three guitarists on the album, John Parish, Stefano Pilia and Traoré herself, but though the record is constructed around rock riffs and sturdy bass work, it still has a distinctively West African feel, thanks to the genius of Mamah Diabaté on the n’goni, the ancient, harsh-edged African lute. It’s an instrument that Traoré has used in compositions throughout her career, and she argues, “I’ve used n’goni in classical music projects, and it goes with blues, or jazz, or rock and roll. It’s a great instrument!”

Traoré’s changes of musical direction usually start with “a sound that I imagine…a sound inside my head.” She didn’t want to imitate what other people had done “because I need to do what I imagine—that’s the reason I’m making music.” But she needed someone to help her create the sound that she imagined, and eventually decided on John Parish, the writer, guitarist, and producer who has worked with Tracy Chapman, Eels, and PJ Harvey. During the recordings “he just asked me to listen to things and make my choice.” The collaboration worked. “This is what I wanted to make. it’s even more than I imagined.”

The past year has been a quite extraordinarily productive period for Traoré. The Barbican invited her to wirte three wildly different new sets of music: the acoustic Damou (Dream), the often bluesy Donguili (Sing), and the rock- influenced Donke (Dance), in which she set out to show “three different aspects of Malian culture and my own personality.” She has toured Britain lately on the Africa Express train, collaborating with Damon Albarn as well as Paul McCartney and John Paul Jones, who joined her backing band for the London finale. And she has continued acting as well, with British and European performances in Toni Morrison and Peter Sellars’ much-praised theatrical/musical re-working of the Shakespearian story of Desdemona, for which she wrote the music.

The songs on Beautiful Africa are in the West African language of Bambara, as well as French and occasional bursts of English, and the often personal lyrics are concerned with Traoré’s thoughts on her own life, and on her tragically battered homeland. The album’s title track, built around the sturdiest rock riff on the album, is very much a love song to “battered, wounded Africa,” and reflects Traoré’s despair and fury at what has happened to her country. “The flood of my tears is in full spate, ardent is my pain,” she sings, while arguing that, “Conflict is no solution…Lord, give us wisdom, give us foresight.” Other songs on the album include the thoughtful ballad “Sarama,” a praise song to Malian women, partly sung in English, and the personal “Mélancolie,” a surprisingly upbeat song about loneliness and sadness that has already become a radio hit in France. Traoré says that she was lonely as a child, partly because her father was a diplomat and constantly on the move. Another, more upbeat song, “Sikey,” is also autobiographical, looking back at the criticism she received when she first set out to become a professional musician, after all, she was not a griot, from a family of traditional musicians, but the daughter of a diplomat. And although she had no musical training, she gave up her studies in Brussels to return to Mali to create a new form of music, in which her songs would be backed by her acoustic guitar, along with n’goni and the xylophone-like balaba balafon, two instruments not normally played together in Africa.

Traoré, Parish and Stefano Pilia play guitars on the album, with Nicolai Munch- Hansen on bass, percussion from Sebastian Rochford (Polar Bear), ‘human beatbox’ effects from Jason Singh, and n’goni playing and backing vocals by fellow Malian musicians Fatim Kouyaté and Bintou Soumounou, both members of the Foundation Passerelle that Traoré established in Bamako, the Malian capital, to help her fellow Malians prepare for careers in music and sustain the growth of Mali’s rich musical culture.

It is difficult to think of anyone else who can switch from ancient Malian culture to acting and then to African rock and roll. She will be touring Europe in May and June presenting her album Beautiful Africa during a run of summer festivals, including Glastonbury and Roskilde.

Rokia Traoré - Beautiful Africa

Aero Manyelo – Kasi Vibes (Streetdate: 5th April 2013)

South African house is going electro and Aero Manyelo is at the forefront of it. With Kasi Vibes the South African producer und Dj takes you right into a typical Township party. People come together, have a drink and doing a braai (having a barbecue). The soundtrack to these parties is house music. Each neighborhood in a Township is considered a kasi. And each kasi has its own specific house sound depending on the people living there.

Aero Manyelo‘s real name is Eric Manyelo. He is from Ivory Park in Tembisa Township, located in the north of Johannesburg. He is known for adding an electronic twist to the rocky township drums many of us know since DJ Mujava came along with Township Funk. While many South African producers look up to the fancy slick house played in places like Ibiza, Aero Manyelo draws a lot of his inspiration from the german and french electro scene with artists like Booka Shades, Ame or Sebo K and Anja Schneider from Mobilee Records. “You can go out to many different types of house”, Aero Manyelo explains, “some like listen to deep house, others do clubs play more soft house tunes, others dance to kwaito inspired house and some do the real drum electro vibe I like”. Most of the tracks being played on these spots you won’t find in a record store anywhere. You’ll have to buy them directly from the DJs after the gig. Kasi Vibes is Aero Manyelo’s international debut and the first album to bring these unique flavors from his Townships an international audience.

The first track captures the vibe. ‘Rabo dlegha‘ is kasi slang for „Let us get some refreshments to party”. People all over SA were feeling the groove but most couldn’t understand the lyrics. Durban’s No 1 DJ Tira felt the same and asked Aero to get the Durban kwaito heros Big Nuz to sing on the track. This version became known as ‘Imhlola ka james‘ and was an instant hit in South Africa. This Zulu expression is used when something unexpected happens. Even South Africa’s electro figurehead Spoek Mathambo got into the vibe, twittering: “BIG BRADA @AeroManyelo HAS THE BIGGEST TRACK OUT! HEARD IT BANGN IN DURBAN all WKND #HLOLAKAJAMES”. Other kwaito flavored songs are ‘Nenge‘ featuring Nakampe. This song ia a reminder to all people enjoying the extensive party life in Johannesburg not to forget the villiage they come from. “I hate sundays” refers to a situation Aero Manyelo finds himself in djing on a sunday night. While most DJ’s would play soft music all Aero wants is people to forget about work and get back on the dancefloor. ‘Rough night‘ is a hommage to all those long nights he spent, staying up in the studio till sun is rising to give his tunes the final touch. “Mxabanisi” is a vocal track from his long time girlfriend Oluhle. The song is about people that pretend to be your friend but immediately start talking bad, behind your back. “Smoke is power” captures the deep dark energie and basslines Aero Manyelo is notorious for. ‘Rula‘ is a classic Township groove made for the drivers of the minibus taxis to pump up their speakers. This track is rocking crowds all over South Africa.

After numerous remixes and features on best selling compiltions, Aero Manyelo has become a househod name in South Africa. His breakthrough came with his single ‘Mexican Girl‘ (also see Ayobaness OH013). Before Aero Manyelo puts out a song he always makes sure that the track has proven to rock parties from Rustenburg to Pietermaritzburg. Thats why he sends it out to almost 1000 Djs in the country waiting for their feedback. It is this interaction with the local DJ scene aswell as being openminded to new trends locally and globally that makes the Kasi Vibes from Aero Manyelo more exiting than what the often commercial trends in South Africa have to offer. With the international debut Aero Manyelo reaches out to a global audience to spread the vibe from his kasi.

Aero Manyelo feat. Tira, Big Nuz & Amensisto - Imhlola ka james

Jupiter & Okwess International's international debut album Hotel Universtakes you right into the heart and onto the streets of modern day Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a politically and economically troubled country. Band leader Jupiter Bokondji is the charismatic and outstanding representative of the innovative scene of street musicians in Kinshasa, a scene which became internationally well-known through the success of Staff Benda Bilili, a band who they shareclose ties with. His idea is to reactivate the forgotten rhythms and melodies of Congo, by injecting the urban groove of the city. “At independence in 1960, the country was in good condition, utilities worked. But our parents were unable to pass the idependence "test", they blew it, they were given the chance but they messed upand they created a sacrified generation”,Jupiter says, “but I'm not interested in the past. What matters now is to lay the foundations for our children and grandchildren.”

When Jupiter wants time off from the daily hustle on the streets of Kinshasa, he rents a room at Hotel Univers. There he can hide from the noise of the streets and seek new inspiration. Many of the ideas of his songs were made up between his room and the bar where he drinks whisky and meets the characters that roam the streets of Kinshasa at night. The song “Magerita” is dedicated to the dangerously attractive women in Kinshasa's nightlife. It became an immediate hit in Lemba, the area on the outskirts of Kinshasa where Jupiter is from. He identifies with this place where many better educated people stay still struggling to find a job.

The middle class is small in Congo and many of the country's riches leave the country immediately or end up in the hands of a small elite. “Bapasi” has become a common expression for the daily life struggles of the community in Lemba. It is a catchphrase people use to search for new motivation in order to tackle their daily difficulties – for instance when the public cleaning service doesn't work, the people in Lemba decided to take care of cleaning up the streets themselves. 

Jupiter, who refers himself to be the 'rebel general' of Congolese music, doesn't see the richness of the country in its mineral resources of coltan and diamonds but in the undiscovered talents. “The material is but an elution,“ he sings in the song “Bakwapanu”, “but only the spiritual remains eternal”.Unlike many of the commercial successful Congolese pop-stars, he doesn't want to praise the ones in power, but relies on the musical richness of the county. To him big musical stars like Kofi Olomide or Werrason often wash down the musical heritage, when their connection to the ones in power as well as their fancy dresses becomes more important than the music itself. Jupiter knows that he won't be at the top of mainstream music in Congo, a place that is quite conservative when it comes to pop music. But he has a brighter vision.

Through his music Jupiter tries to encourage people to take the future into their own hands. Instead of seeking a better future and immediate wealth by emigrating to the west, common expections shown in many local pop music video clips, he wants people to draw from the talents they already have. “I saw how immigrants struggled in Europe and didn't want this for my life. I wanted to make something for my country. I realized that it is my mission to bring a new sound into the Congolese music."

Jupiter has indeed seen this himself. In 1974, as a young boy, he left the Congo to go to East Germany with his father who was appointed executive assistant for the Congo's embassy in Germany. There he spent his adolescence and discovered Europe and its vibrant music scene, and artists such as the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple and James Brown. He set up his own rock band called Der Neger (The Negro) with fellow young Berliners. Their sound was a strange cocktail of Mongo percussions and Zeppelin-esque guitar. The song “The world is my land (Deutschland)” he captures the experiences of this period of his life.

At the age of 20 his father’s mandate ended, and Jupiter went back to the bubbling 80s Kinshasa, his head full of dreams, glory and sounds unimaginable to most of his friends. He left the family home, earning a living singing at funerals and playing percussion in several local orchestras. "From 18 to 20 years, I have lived as a street child. To earn some money, I was doing music in traditional ceremonies. I worked with families from all ethnic groups in the country, this is how I was able to discover the richness of our heritage." He started developing his own unique style, surrounding himself with musicians from Europe. He named this explosive mix 'Bofenia Rock' and in 1983, succeeded in forming his first orchestra, Bongofolk. Then in 1990 he founded his own band: Okwess international. The band developed a vision of a new Congolese sound experimenting with the musical heritage of a nation with more than 450 different ethnicities.

In early 2004, Jupiter met two French travellers, Renaud Barret and Florent de la Tullaye. The connection was immediate, so much so that the Barret and de la Tullaye returned to record the songs of Okwess International and other groups surrounding Jupiter, such as Staff Benda Bilili. "I knew something like this would happen, I was convinced."Jupiter's Dance, a film documenting his musical exploration was released in 2007. On screen, we see his slender silhouette exploring the various districts of Kinshasa, discovering talent artists undiscovered and unknown by the rest of the world. Little Jupiters, he calls them. "Today, there are plenty of young bands who are like me to do music research, dipping into our historical resources. My mission is accomplished transmission. Even if I disappear today, I achieved my goal." The film became his international introduction and worldwide recognition. Damon Albarn ofBlur and Gorillaz fame worked with him on several projects including the electronic album DRC Music - Kinshasa One Two (Warp). Albarn also invited him to perform at the 2012 Africa Express tour in the UK. Jupiter and his band also toured the world with Amadou & Mariam.

After an extensive tour around Africa, Jupiter & Okwess International will be on tour in Europe from May 2013. His debut album will be released on 20 May. Later this year a collection of remixes will be released, including 3D (Massive Attack), Spoek Mathambo, Aero Manyelo and DJ Mo.

Further Links:
Website Artist:  http://www.jupiter-okwess-international.com/Website 
Release: www.outhere.de/homeroots/releases/jupiter-okwess-international/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JupiterAndOkwessInternational
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/okwessinternational
YouTube: http://youtu.be/fGyPKv-jfqI
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/outhererecords/jupiter-okwess-international
Jupiter's Dance trailer: http://youtu.be/TxkaVmpgHcs


Tourdates: 

18/05/2013 Music Meeting - Nijmegen NL (The Netherlands) 
19/05/2013 Festival Musique Métisse - Angoulême (France) 
22/05/2013 Bee Flat - Bern (Switzerland) 
23/05/2013 La Rodia - Besançon (France) 
24/05/2013 La Bellevilloise - Paris (France) 
25/05/2013 Festival Mix' Terres - Blois ( France ) 
28/05/2013 Festival Mawazine - Rabat (Morocco) 
28/06/2013 Glastonbury Festival - Pilton (UK) 
19/07/2013 Festival Terre de Couleurs - St Croix Volvestre (France) 
20/07/2013 Festival Détours du Monde - Chanac (France) 
27/07/2013 Festival Fiesta Sete - Sete (France) 
28/07/2013 Olympic Park - London (Uk) 
07/08/2013 Oya Festival - Oslo (Norway) 
09/08/2013 Flow Festival - Helsinki (Finland) 

And more dates to be announced soon!

Jupiter & Okwess International - Margerita

It is now nearly 18 years of exploring urban Africa. Countless trips to the buzzing megacities of Africa from Lagos, to Accra, Nairobi, Dakar or Jozi. But we also visited remote places such as Asmara the capital of Eritrea or Lusaka in Zambia. Back then we soon realized that the unknown side of Africa was not its exotic traditions, but the booming urban scenes on the continent. Now in 2022 with styles like Afrobeats, Gqom, Afrohouse or Trap Africa is finally starting to reach the international markets.

Back then we asked ourselves: How come not a single kwaitostar from South Africa had an album out internationally. How come the international music market ignored the most popular music styles Africa was dancing to: Kwaito, Bongoflava, Hiplife, Afrohouse, Coupe Decaller … you name it. There was work to do. Work that took us to meet Jo’burgs kwaito cats, dive into the Bongoflava world of Dar es Salaam, meet people like a young 2face, D'Banj, Pee Square and others in Lagos or check out the Hiplife scene in Accra. We celebrated Urban Africa with concerts and tourprojects featuring the likes of Mzekezeke, Bongomuffin, D’Banj, Pee Froiss, Daara J, African China & many many others. Putting out compilations that introduced urban scenes such as Bongo Flava, Afrohouse, Senerap & Naija hiphop to an audience outside of Europe. The new urban music world was growing in Africa – but the rest of the world was just waking up to this new sound. We ended up sitting in a stretch limo end of the 90ies driving down Champs d’Elysee with Magic System. They had just dropped their major hit premier Gaou. In London to the Stratford Rex had 2Face take the stage playing his first show outside of Nigeria. 

Then the journey of Outhere records took a new direction in 2006. It all happend in a Pizza restaurant in Bamako. Bassekou Kouyate gave a relaxed early evening gig together with the likes of Kassemady, Lassana Diabate and other stars of Malian music – together with Westafrican music scholar Lucy Duran it was decided on the spot to record the international debutalbum of Bamako‘s king of the ngoni. The result was ‚Segu Blue‘ an album that became one of the world music successes of 2007. With three albums under his belt Bassekou Kouyate and his band have played everywhere from Mexico to Japan, to New York Central Park, Carnegie hall or London's Royal festival hall. The band has collected numerous awards, a Grammy nomination and has appeared 2 times on BBC‘s Jools Holland.

Today Outhere records works with artists from all over Africa celebrating all kinds of styles. There is the young and inclredible Mokoomba from Zimbabwe, who have fused the different local musicgenres of their country into a new urban style. It's an infectious blend of zamrock, congolese rumba guitars mixed with the raw spirituality of rural Zim traditions. From Accra, Ghana comes our other incredible liveact: Santrofi, named after a colourful bird. This collective is made up of some of the greatest young musicians from Ghana blending raw guitarband Highlife with contemporary afrobeats and trap styles. Never miss any of their shows.  

here's a list of artists we've worked with:
Abass Abass / A.B. Crentsil / AK Yeboah / Afande Sele / African China / Afrikanboy / Afroganic / Alif / Awadi / AY / Azadus / Baay Sooley / Bantu / Bassekou Kouyate / Batman Samini / Bebe Cool / Bongo Maffin / Brown Dash / B.O.P. / C.B.V. / Carlou D /  Da Brains / Da Fugitivz / Danfo Drivers / Daniel Haaksmann / Daz Nundaz / Dede Mabiaku / Djoloff /Dully Sykes / Dread Maxim / D’banj / Dur Dur Band Int. / East African Bashment Crew / Faze / Gidigidi MajiMaji / Godessa / Gokh-Bi System / H2O / JJC & 419 Squad / Juma Nature / Kassemady Diabate / King Ayisoba / Kontihene / KwabenaKwabena / Kwaku-T / K’Naan / K-Sal / Lady JayDee / Leo Muntu / Les Escrocs / Lobi Traore / Lord Ekomy Ndong / Madera Limpia / Mafikizolo / Magic System / Mandoza / Mapaputsi / Modenine / Mokoomba / Mr. Ebbo / Mwana FA / Mzekezeke / Necessary Noize /  Ofori Amponsah / Oskido / Pee Froiss / Peter Miles / Pidgen Allstars / Positive Black Soul / Professor Jay / Rebellion the Recaller / Reggie Rockstone / Revolution / Rokia Traoré / Santrofi / Sbu / Schlachthof Bronx /  Sheriff Ghale Tata Pound / Teba Shumba / Terry Bonchaka / Tiken Jah Fakoly / Tumi / Tumi and the Volume /  V.I.P / WA BMG 44 / Weird MC / X Plastaz / Xuman / Zola / Zoumana Tereta / Zubz / 340ml / 994 Crew /

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