For the past 40 years, Africa Negra have been indisputably the most important and genuine ambassadors of the music of São Tomé and Príncipe. As one of the most influential bands in lusophone Africa until the early 1990s. the band toured Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau & Portugal during this period. To this day, the band is known far beyond the borders of the island nation and also enjoys a small fan community in Europe. The band's releases are extremely rare. Recorded from original records & tapes of the band Africa Negra, this mix presents some milestones of the cult band of the small island state Sao Tomé. Have fun!

Fortunately, the enthusiast label Bongo Joe Records has re-released some tracks on the sampler LÉVE LÉVE.  In addition, Africa Negra released a record with new recordings of their biggest hits & some new songs on Mar & Sol last year.

Conjunto Africa Negra

Welcome to my first podcast for Radio Alhara! In my new series "Centers of Resonace" I would like to take you on a journey into the genre of field recording. Music, soundscapes, everyday noises. Recorded with simple and portable technical equipment, the following recordings were often made spontaneously in the open air. Music & sounds resonate in the open space. Unintentionally and yet desirably, sounds of the surroundings, the time of day and various creatures join in... Have fun on this sound journey!
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Besides some of my own recordings from Sao Tomé, Ghana & India, you will also hear recordings from the global field recording community. Especially from the wonderful labels Sahel Sounds, Sublime Frequencies and Honest Jon's records. If this show has whetted your appetite, I highly recommend you to keep following these labels!

Follow me on Instagram: @radiodjandjan
Contact: phil@tropicaltimewarp.org

Centers of Resonance #01  - Radio Alhara // 11.01.22

Why do we travel? What do we perceive & what do we miss on a journey? In what way do we "consume" places? & What were or are our legacies in these places? And most importantly, how am I perceived as a traveller in my chosen destinations? 
I asked myself these questions frequently during the sound recordings for this collage in the West African countries of Sao Tomé & Principe, Ghana and Guinea Bissau, and thus questioned my previous travel behaviour. The resulting soundscape is closely linked to these questions and I would like to invite the listeners to find their personal answers to these questions.
In this sound collage, a fictitious day was created from almost 13 hours of collected audio material. Places and times overlap. Similar to a DJ set, the various recording sequences merge into one another and were also partially reassembled. 
At numerous points, the listeners are in different places and countries at the same time.  In this way, the borders artificially created by the colonial powers become transparent. These borders, created by ignoring history, language, trade and cultural exchange, hardly matter to most of us, the listeners, because of the colour of our passports. In the reality of the nation states created by the occupiers, they cause conflicts again and again.
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Recorded in 2019/ 2020
Streamed on Radio alHara on May 10th. 2022
Recorded with a ZOOM H4n handheld by Philipp Leisenberg 
Edited & mixed by Philipp Leisenberg

Centers of Resonance #03 - Radio Alhara // 10.05.22

I met Joakin Antonio Cabrita in a bar on the island of Bubaque in Guinea Bissau. He was singing songs in a small local bar. After he had finished his concert, I asked him if we can
record some of his songs. As it was quite loud in the bar,we went to a side street to do so. The result is a medley from which I selected 4 songs and cut them together.
Joakin Antonio Cabrita plays & sings traditional folk music from the island of Bubaque using a stringed instrument which at the same time serves as a drum. Several rings on his fingers as you can see on the picture.

Joakin Antonio Cabrita - Street Recording Bubaque Island 2020

Field recording enthusiast- Occasional Dj - Yoga Teacher

Phil Richarde

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