Feel The Rhythm !

We're still waiting for a mysterious guest writer contribution before we can keep posting so I thought I'd share a few rhythms from this continent which, in my opinion has the best and most uplifting music that can be found anywhere. For some reason, though, it's little known in the rest of the world. After all, we are writing what we are seeing and that's only one of the five senses - and in Africa, the sense of hearing is all important as there will never be a quiet moment in a settlement of any size. I love it

The first come from Teddy Afro, one of our favourites who was all over the airwaves in Ethiopia. Teddy was surfing a particularly large wave of popularity at the time we were there given that he'd just been released from jail after being convicted of a hit-and-run. His supporters pointed out that, given his overly critical tone of the government (and the Ethiopian government isn't a huge fan of criticism, it must be said) that he was set up. Not being there at the time I can't pass judgement but it's true that a singer who is so critical and so popular is probably quite a headache for a government like that of Meles Zenawi. The songs (Musica Heywote and Lambadina) are in Amharic so there's no way I can translate them but they're a good listen in any case.

The next is from one of my South African favourites Brenda Fassie (who died of a massive drug overdose a few years back). Again Nomakanjani in IsiZulu so I have no idea what it's all about but it has some kind of feel-good factor to it which you just can't find in the depressing indie music you find back home...

Next up - anyone who's been to Zanzibar will recognise this one. The lyrics aren't exactly earth-shattering (Jambo, Jambo Bwana - "Hello, hello sir, how are you, I'm fine") but the tune is catchy. And the Zanzibari adaptation of this Kenyan song from the 1960s everywhere there, so you have to get hooked on it at some point.

There's more sophisticated and high class stuff but I need to go and wash some clothes now so I don't have time to poke around YouTube to find it. So you'll have to wait until next time...