[Sahel map, wikipedia]
Silence like stone’s insides:
[audio:Tamikrest-Aratane-n’adagh.mp3]Empty and full, shame the album isn’t as special as this song. Ousmane Ag Mossa sings and plays guitar, picking his way through a night composed of uncertain pieces. Mali.
I found this song via Sahel Sounds, a blog whose author uses the phrase “Black Moor” a lot. There’s an intriguing post on something I was speaking with Benjamin from Akwaaba about just yesterday: bluetooth cellphone mp3 transfers. Non-internet, wireless filesharing that requires physical proximity… A lot of folks use cellphones for only that, no need for actual talk/text service. So as cellphones across Africa get used for music and video playback, recording, and transmission more than talking/SMSing, it makes sense that Christopher from Sahel Sounds assembles a cassette compilation of Music from Saharan Cellphones [mediafire] – downloadable as mp3s, of course… Also worth hearing is his ‘Sahelsounds promo CD ‘ – leaning more towards field recordings from around the Sahara.
Jaw. Dropping.
The mixtape is truly amazing. One of the best things I’ve heard in months.
Tamikrest also have a non-studio recording (‘desert sessions’ if you will). I didn’t manage to pick it up though
AWESOME CHUNE & MIXTAPE
BIG UP
funny that ‘under the hood’ our phones are the same but so few north americans know how to do phone-to-phone file transfer. (even my basic nokia had an infrared port in 2005!) same thing is happening with FM radio. the capability is in these multi-function chips but the U.S. software doesn’t enable it.