I recently put together this compilation entitled "Field Recordings from the Sahel." It's what it says on the tin. Since the inception of this blog (way back in 2009), field recording has been at the core. The term gets thrown around a lot. While much the content in our records…
This is Kologo Power! by Various The Kologo is a lute from Northern Ghana. It is physically very similar to many of the other versions of the "tradi-guitar" in West Africa (hoddu, xalam, tidnit, terhadant, ngoni), but for it's minimal design - a calabash, covered in goat skins, and boasting…
Missirikoro field recording Missirikoro is a small village south of Sikasso. It's only 12 kilometers away, but the road is all red dirt and rocks - unpaved, but heavily traveled. As you approach the village, you can see the strange mountain rising above the tree line. It is a small…
Recently I was asked to put together a mix for Boiler Room's Upfront series. That is, strictly online, not the Boiler Room in a secret nightclub where people are wiling out behind the dj. Just as well, as it's very hard to for the uninitiated to dance the Takamba. It's…
It's been a very busy 2014. We released a handful on vinyl releases, toured three times in Europe, traveled twice across the Sahel, and filmed the first ever Tuareg language film. In honor of things coming to an end and new beginnings, here's a little year end mix. There are…
Regue Lybie - Zira Am While in Agadez, we dip out of town for a wedding. There's a very vanilla, somewhat boring, festivity at the bride's village - a handful of people sit under a tree while the band plays a lukewarm guitar concert - and I consider heading back…