Three Continents

From Brazil to the United States to West Africa... click here.



Moacir Santos, The Maestro (Blue Note, 1972)

1. Nanã (Moacir Santos)
2. Bluishmen (Moacir Santos)
3. Luanne (Moacir Santos - J. Livingston - R. Evans)
4. Astral Whine (An Elegy To Any War) (Moacir Santos)
5. Mother Iracema (Moacir Santos)
6. Kermis (Moacir Santos)
7. April Child (Moacir Santos - J. Livingston - R. Evans)
8. The Mirror's Mirror (Moacir Santos)

Moacir Santos, arrangements, voice, baritone sax; Ray Pizzi, soprano and alto saxes; Don Menza, tenor sax; David Duke, oboe; Oscar Brashear, trumpet; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Chaim Lewak, piano; Bill Henderson, electric piano; Clare Fischer, organ; Joe Pass, electric guitar; John Heard, bass; other personnel unknown.

René Marie, Live at Jazz Standard (MaxJazz)

1. 'Deed I Do
2. Where Or When
3. It Might As Well Be Spring
4. I Loves You Porgy
5. Nature Boy
6. Bolero / Suzanne
7. Shelter In Your Arms
8. A Foggy Day
9. Paris On Ponce
10. How Can I Keep From Singing?

René Marie, vocals; John Toomey, piano; Elias Bailey, bass;
T. Howard Curtis III, drums. Recorded live at Jazz Standard, New York, New York on November 29 & 30, 2002.

Hank Jones - Cheick Tidiane Seck & the Mandinkas, Sarala (Verve, 1993)

1. Aly Kawele
2. Sarala
3. Maningafoly
4. Tounia Kanibala
5. Komidiara
6. Fantague
7. Make
8. Walidi Ya
9. Soundjata
10. Hank Miri
11. Hadja Fadima
12. Moriba Ka Foly

Hank Jones, piano; Cheick Tidiane Seck, vocals, marimba, Hammond B-3 organ, doum-doum, tambourine, hand claps, eggs, wooden sticks, guita, cabasa, bell-tree.
The Mandinkas: Ousmane Kouyate, vocals, guitar; Manian Damba, Tom Diakite, Assitan "Mama" Keita, vocals, percussion; Amina Annabi, Kasse-Mady Diabate, Fatoumata "Mama" Kouyate, vocals; Aly Wague, flute; Moriba Koita, n'goni; Djely-Moussa Conde, kora; Lansine Kouyate, balafon; Manfila Kante, Djely-Moussa Kouyate, guitar; Eric Vinceno, acoustic bass; Cesar Anot, bass, hand claps, background vocals; Sekou Diabate, bass; Jorge Amorim, doum-doum, cabulete, conga, eggs, percussion; Moussa Sissokho, djembes, tama; Mare Sanogo, djembes, doum-doum. Recorded at Studios Guillaume Tell, Suresnes-Paris, France in April 1995.

Africa Dances

Our latest show is online now - click here to listen.

We decided to break some African gold from the vaults. Here's the playlist, with dates and links, where available.

Africa Dances, Original Music, 1988

1. Afrikia Mokili Mobimba, Kalle-Roger with Rochereau and Orchestre African Jazz (Zaïre)

2. Lisie, Bantous de la Capitale (Congo)

3. Me Nsae Da, Ahamano's Guitar Band (Ghana)

4. Broadway Special, Broadway Dance Band (Ghana)

5. Omo Oloja, Dele Ojo & his Star Brothers Band (Nigeria)

6. Kosao, Salliah & his Accordion (Sierra Leone)

7. Toomus Meremereh Not Good, S.E. Rogie (Sierra Leone)

8. Miss Smodern, Smodern (South Africa)

9. Leribe, Sax Jive (South Africa)

10. Kenyatta Alitsewa Sana, John Mwale (Kenya)

11. Pole Musa, Nashil Pichen/Peter Tsotsi (Kenya)

12. Robinson Olago, Dick Ngoye (Kenya)

13. Kula Ajae na Shari, Yaseen Mohammed (Kenya)

14. Ndio Hall ya Dunia, Salim Abdullah/Cuban Marimba Band (Tanzania)

15. Amina, NUTA Jazz Band (Tanzania)

16. Atshakongwe Wamwe, Nyasa farmworkers (Malawi)

17. Bamgufya ba Kwoti, John Lushi (Zambia)

18. Ugandzibyeli Akuxonga, Mahikwani Makhuvele (Mozambique)

19. Mwami Gwe, Frida Sonko (Uganda)

20. Love is Love, Alemayu Eshete (Ethiopia)

King Sunny Adé, Synchro Series, IndigeDisc (Nigeria)

21. Synchro Series
a) Ota Mi Ma Yo Mi
b) Synchro Feelings/Ilako Medley
c) Synchro System
d) Synchro Reprise

Adewale Ayuba, Mr. Johnson, Play for Me, Flame Tree (Nigeria)

22. Bonsue Time
Hitech
Mr. Johnson, Play for Me
Mo Ti Foro Mi Lo Agba
Mama Ose Paro
Bonsue is my Choice
Ma so Nipa Aids/Sora Nipa Aids
Mo Ti Juba - Isa Ori Firan Mi
Africa Has the Richest Music
Remember 'Six Feet
Mo Ri Iwe Ololufe Mi
Baby Keske
Ope Pataki
Lamento 'Dewala We Want

Azagas and Archibogs: The Sixties Sound of Lagos Highlife, Original Music

23. Eddie's Accident, Eddie Okonta & his Top Aces (Nigeria)

24. Ikoto Part 1, Eric (Show Boy) Akaeze & his Akazas (Nigeria)

25. Olomi Mabo, Isaiah Ejire Kehinde & his Top Modern Stars (Nigeria)

26. Oyehnonkhua, Aigbe Lebarty and his Lebartone Aces

Do Better If You Can, Godwin Kabaka's Oriental Brothers International, Original Music

27. Oh Dear Jesus (Nigeria)

28. Ijemana Iyomana (Are You Coming or Going?) (Nigeria)

Mbuki Mvuki, Original Music

29. Medzi Me Sigya, Professional Uhuru (Ghana)

30. Anadwo Bea, Oppong's Guitar Band (Ghana)

Telephone Lobi, Original Music

31. Fabra Mento Bi, Spike Ayankor's Rhythm Aces (Ghana)

32. Meda Ho Mawo, Black Beats (Ghana)

33. Amma Were Mo, Black Beats (Ghana)

Ije Love, Imo Brothers International, Original Music

34. Agbaram Nime Jehovah (Running to the Arms of God)
(Nigeria)

Other places:

For info. on highlife in Nigeria and Ghana, see Afropop Worldwide's excellent summary of the genre. They've also got a page on Adewale Ayuba's style, fuji.