Jakwar (or Jagwar) is a style created by Jheich Ould Sedoum Ould Abba (arabic:ÃÌêÔ èäÏ ÓÏèå èäÏ), a tidnit player from Atar in Northern Mauritania. Jheich Ould Abba cassette (via VOA) Jheich played in the 1970's, an interesting moment in Mauritanian history. The country had just over a decade of…
There is something immediately compelling about drumming in the night. Perhaps it's the stark contrast, the deep thumps resounding through the otherwise hushed darkness. The sound is fueled by the fires of exoticism, the drums hidden by both the darkness and the night, suggesting something ritualistic, sacred, and above all,…
A little compilation of recordings from the site, for downloadable and listening pleasure. Bismillah. 01 - teyti announces issawat 02 - abba - ishumar guitar 03 - girl and mother - na hawa doumbia 04 - alkibar gignor - ali farka homage 05 - tidiane - fanta 06 - sahl…
Orchestre Dental from Nouakchott is one of the most interesting bands I've had the chance to record and definitely the most unique. The music is distinctly modern, but incorporating a broad range of influences from the traditional scales of the Sahara (Moor, Peul, Soninke) to the imported sounds of their…
Moudou ould Mattalla is Chinguetti's most well known musician. Originally from Zourate, on the border with Algeria, he lives in the village and shares his knowledge with whoever is passing through. He released a CD that is sold in France, that was recorded in his home. In his "music room,"…
A small town in the rugged interior of Mauritania, an ancient site renowned for its libraries and a caravan trading town for well over a thousand years.Ambient recordingNearly every night, one can hear a distant drumming and chanting. I stumble out in the dark to discover the source. In a…