Sultans of Swing – Algaita from Agadez

? Adouma Ousmane, musician from the court of the Sultan of Agadez, playing the Algaita.

medium and the message

Super Onze - Gao Around the fall of Gao in 2012, I met a cassette vendor in Niamey's grand market. For years he has sat on a bench in a busy corridor with stacks of cassettes and an array of simultaneously spinning duplicators. One of a few vendors left in…

remembrance

UPDATE: The music thought to be that of Japonais, is actually of the musician Hama, a Niamey based pianist/electronic musician. See this post here for more info. Japonais - Piyano 1 Back in 2012, I found a few incredible instrumental piano tracks in Niger. This trip to Agadez, I asked…

will the circle be unbroken

The Cure Salee is a yearly event in Niger in the town of Ingall, an hour outside of Agadez. The event marks the occasion when the nomads come to let their animals drink the local water, supposed to possess certain qualities. To us, it just tastes salty. The "official" festival…

Mamane Sani et Son Orgue 2012

Mamman Sani et Son Orgue, recorded live on his workstation, Niamey, 2012. Mamman Sani - Lamru (2012)

Mammane and his Electronic Organ

Lost in a music archive in the capital of Niger was the first I heard of the legendary Mammane Sanni Abdoulaye. The space was overflowing with dusty CDs, cassettes, and Nagra reels, and hunkering down from the insufferable heat outside, I prepared to spend a long week in research. Mammane's…