Topic: Underground Music in Africa (Read 16345 times)

beatkinda · « **on:** 09 Feb 2011, 09:42 »

what up good people?
i've been lurking about the download forums for way too long. i'm working on a new TV show called Raw Music International--each episode will be about an underground music scene in a new country and city. i just got back from western kenya, where i spent two months recording a lot of deep dank music that i thought you might be interested in, everything from reggae and hip hop to traditional music from long ago. i kept a blog with videos and free downloads, so you can check it all out here: www.rawmusicinternational.com/blog1

please let me know what you think and if you dig, spread the word. lots of great music in this world...
thanks!

Inlander · « **Reply #1 on:** 09 Feb 2011, 21:02 »

Hey man, thanks for the link! It looks like an amazing site and I'm looking forward to exploring it in more depth when I've got a few spare hours.

So when you've got the episodes made are they going to be shown on TV in the US, or is the whole thing going to stay on the web? Are you producing this thing entirely yourself or have you got some funding for it?

Patrick · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Feb 2011, 01:25 »

This is really freakin' cool. I loved the video you posted of the reggae bash turned daycare. Lots of amazing photos, I am also really curious as to where this will be shown on television when it's through. I genuinely want to watch the whole series.

beatkinda · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Feb 2011, 00:08 »

glad you like it! it was a seriously good time and there are some very talented musicians involved.

i had the idea a few years ago and slowly raised the funds from a few investors for a pilot episode. i'm kinda going about it backward--usually you pitch the idea to a production house or tv company and they buy it and make the show, but i wanted more control (and to do it myself) so i'm making the show itself first and then pitching it to the companies. kind of a weird thing to do, so we'll see how it turns out.

for the time being i'm editing the pilot episode and also putting together a lecture about music-as-modern-anthropology using this experience and footage that i can make at various universities (an outlet for the nerdy ethnomusicology/anthro part of this project). i'll keep uploading music and vid to the blog, and i'll keep you updated on what goes on with the actual show. currently researching the next few spots. i'm thinking raw music ecuador and raw music bosnia should be in the works.....

beatkinda · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Feb 2011, 00:29 »

ok i write too many words...here's some video about an ancient blind blues musician we met in kenya, so you get a taste of what we're up to...

part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fows6BY5ok&feature=player_embedded#at=152

part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZoiGgi7o8k&feature=related

Kwaping · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Feb 2011, 09:00 »

That is some awesome work you're doing. I have a special place in my heart for east africa, having visited there as a teenager. Thanks for bringing this project to my attention!

Johnny C · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Feb 2011, 12:22 »

hell of an introduction to this forum, dude

beatkinda · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Feb 2011, 14:20 »

ha thanks man. like i said i've been on the m/f thread so long it doesn't feel like an intro, but glad to finally leave "lurker" status.
kwaping where in e.a. were you? we're planning other episodes and both kampala, uganda and kigali rwanda are really exciting possibilities.

StaedlerMars · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Feb 2011, 05:32 »

You should definitely head down to south africa and explore township music.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Feb 2011, 09:07 »

Or northwestern Highlife music (mainly from Ghana but also Nigeria, Sierre Leone, etc.). This blog is a pretty cool look at the stuff w/ plenty of available samples and so on: http://highlifehaven.blogspot.com/

Kwaping · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Feb 2011, 14:56 »

I was just doing the safari/tourist thing with my dad and brother. We went to Kenya and Tanzania. Kenya was pretty cool but Tanzania was amazing. I hated the malaria pills though!

I can't wait to take my own wife and son there, after he gets older.

beatkinda · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Feb 2011, 17:27 »

yoyo
highilife is definitely a favorite. other ideas--bosnia, ecuador, and the mongolian steppe (crazy shit out there, a style of throat singing in which the person sits completely still and hums multiple melodies)

just updated the blog with a lot of FREE MUSIC (i know people here like that) we recorded out in kenya, as well as links to some of the biggest tracks we heard in clubs etc there. please check it out and let me know what you think!

www.rawmusicinternational.com/blog1

Retne · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Feb 2011, 23:47 »

Figured I would pop out of lurk mode to let you know that you are doing some awesome stuff. Keep on doing cool stuff and be sure to post on here where you eventually get the show aired because I am looking forward to it.

beatkinda · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Feb 2011, 17:19 »

hey man, much appreciated. it's kind of a weird project so it's great to get such positive feedback. some good things seem to be in the works right now, so I will definitely keep you guys updated!

beatkinda · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 Mar 2011, 19:31 »

yo guys, thanks to all of you who have checked out the site. heading to LA soon to make the final pitch. i'll be uploading footage from the pilot episode over the next few days. take a look and let me know what you think! here's the newest...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-xNV1dZNyE

more at www.rawmusicinternational.com/blog1

Patrick · « **Reply #15 on:** 05 Jun 2011, 16:02 »

Updates updates updates, what's the news on getting this aired?

beatkinda · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Jun 2011, 18:10 »

hey! sorry, i've been rolling around, working and raising funds for what i think will be Raw Music Hong Kong...

updates--i went out to LA and had some goooood meetings. i'm working on a re-edit of the pilot to send back to cali and we're gonna go from there.

in the meantime i've been uploading more music/video and i have a compilation CD from our trip that i'll "accidentally leak" on the board soon. i've been jamming to this song i got from a group "The Conscious Youths" called "Conserve de Trees." perhaps for the first time in the last few years, this is a song where they're talking about actual trees, not smokeable ones, and they big up Kenya's nobel prize winning environmental mama Wangari Maathai. Love the lyrics, and it's all made on a shitty keyboard by this really talented dude named Roy Captain. You can hear it on the soundcloud, along with dozens of other tracks:

http://soundcloud.com/rawmusicinternational/conscious-youths-conserve-de

and of course, tons more at Raw Music International .com

you guys have any suggestions for places I should check out in the future? i'm in the weird situation of raising funds without a set outlet but there's some good interest and it's working, so i actually have to find some more places to go (who'd a thunk).

also, any specific artists you guys think we should cover? i've been getting lots of suggestions from people around the world. two of my favorites, one i was familiar with and one who is new to me, are khaira arby from mali (like the aretha franklin of west africa, i saw her break a mic with her voice in chicago last year) and kazuki tomokawa from japan (have you heard this shit? blew my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I0kzH_TLLk) although they sound really different they have in common raw power, creativity, and the ability to tell a story (whether or not you know what they're saying). these are things that really get me interested in music. know of any others? thanks for the interest!!

doombilly · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Sep 2011, 08:15 »

Amazing! I'm definitely checking this out.

beatkinda · « **Reply #18 on:** 04 Dec 2011, 16:20 »

Yo!

Important things first: Click this link to download a free (one week only) compilation of 17 songs recorded for Raw Music International's pilot episode in Kisumu, Kenya. It's the underground Kenyan style: http://rawmusicinternational.bandcamp.com/

Now an update/explanation...Raw Music continues to move forward. Signed with an agent in New York who is pitching this shit to the world. In the meantime, I've put together a compilation record of some of the best tracks we recorded in Kenya. It includes everything from hip hop to reggae to deep traditional music, focusing on new, innovative or overlooked music. So basically, this is interesting shit you'll hear nowhere else.

Early on I was really appreciating the support from this board, so I thought I'd give back. I put the album up on Bandcamp and for a week I'll leave it as a "name your price" download so you folks who expressed interest in the beginning can get the music for free. In a week the album will become $3 and songs will be .25 cents. All I ask is that you help me spread the word, share this link with your friends who would be interested or post it on facebook or message boards or whatever!

One final thing: I'm basically hopeless with the internet. Do you guys know any other music/culture message boards that would be interested in this? Any suggestions would be great.

Big ups everyone. As always, check http://www.rawmusicinternational.com for more info/blog updates. We're planning on hitting many countries in 2012 (was going to Mali next month but it fell through over security concerns sadly).

Kwaping · « **Reply #19 on:** 05 Dec 2011, 08:39 »

Hit up the Sound Hound lounge over at The Gear Page, http://thegearpage.net/board/ .

doombilly · « **Reply #20 on:** 05 Dec 2011, 09:28 »

I'll post in different mixes on http://8Tracks.com and link back to Raw Music, yo.
Also I spend far too much time playing live music for people who can't be arsed to acknowledge there is a band in the room.
I'm purchasing for the $3. & still getting off cheap.

EDIT also check out WFMU or FreeMusicArchive.org. They would probably like to have some of this.

beatkinda · « **Reply #21 on:** 05 Dec 2011, 11:03 »

Yo guys, many thanks for the tips, I'll move forward with those. And thanks for downloading, please let me know what you think or if you want any more info about the artists.

doombilly · « **Reply #22 on:** 05 Dec 2011, 14:04 »

http://8tracks.com/doombilly/doombilly-s-december-2011-mix

EDIT

8tracks only allows 2 songs from the same disk. So here is another mix with two more RMI songs in it.

http://8tracks.com/doombilly/raw-music-intl-and-more

When your songs play it links to your bandcamp site.

beatkinda · « **Reply #23 on:** 09 Dec 2011, 15:06 »

@doombilly, many thanks man, i'm enjoying those mixes.

Raw Music was just featured on the Onion's A.V. Club site, for those who are interested:
http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/raw-music-internationals-cyrus-moussavi,66219/

doombilly · « **Reply #24 on:** 09 Dec 2011, 16:40 »

Quote from: beatkinda on 09 Dec 2011, 15:06

@doombilly, many thanks man, i'm enjoying those mixes.

Raw Music was just featured on the Onion's A.V. Club site, for those who are interested:
http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/raw-music-internationals-cyrus-moussavi,66219/

and "WFMU WFMU
RT @freemusicarchiv: a compilation of underground music from Kisumu, Kenya bit.ly/uPvexD"

beatkinda · « **Reply #25 on:** 11 Dec 2011, 14:12 »

nice!
yeah i followed your advice and got in touch with them, and now i think WFMU is planning to play some of the music on the air. beautiful. thanks for the tip. if you think of any more send them my way!

doombilly · « **Reply #26 on:** 14 Dec 2011, 06:29 »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9qE-qXI11I
Was gonna post in Guitar Topic but seemed more fitting here.

beatkinda · « **Reply #27 on:** 17 Dec 2011, 16:25 »

whoa, that blew my mind. friend recently sent me this video, really dope hip hop from ghana:
http://youtu.be/wdg-_TRiNkw

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Author Topic: Underground Music in Africa (Read 16345 times)