RhoDeo 1452 Aetix

Hello, well there's been a big Talking Heads posting earlier October 2006, damn yes that's more than 8 years ago and although the posting was kept alive for a long time, it's been dodo for sometime too. Files at the time couldn't be larger than a 100mb... yes that old. Anyway it will be flac and ogg 9 to choose from this time...

The new wave style of today's Aetix band combined elements of punk rock, art rock, funk, avant-garde, pop music, world music, and Americana. Frontman and songwriter David Byrne contributed neurotic, whimsical lyrics to the band's songs, and emphasized their showmanship through various multimedia projects and performances. They were described as being "one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits." In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of the band's albums appeared on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.....N'Joy

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At the start of their career, Talking Heads were all nervous energy, detached emotion, and subdued minimalism. When they released their last album about 12 years later, the band had recorded everything from art-funk to polyrhythmic worldbeat explorations and simple, melodic guitar pop. Between their first album in 1977 and their last in 1988, Talking Heads became one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks.

And they were literally art-school punks. Guitarist/vocalist David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, and bassist Tina Weymouth met at the Rhode Island School of Design in the early '70s; they decided to move to New York in 1974 to concentrate on making music. The next year, the band won a spot opening for the Ramones at the seminal New York punk club CBGB. In 1976, keyboardist Jerry Harrison, a former member of Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, was added to the lineup. By 1977, the band had signed to Sire Records and released its first album, Talking Heads: 77. It received a considerable amount of acclaim for its stripped-down rock & roll, particularly Byrne's geeky, overly intellectual lyrics and uncomfortable, jerky vocals.

For their next album, 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food, the band worked with producer Brian Eno, recording a set of carefully constructed, arty pop songs, distinguished by extensive experimenting with combined acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as touches of surprisingly credible funk. On their next album, the Eno-produced Fear of Music, Talking Heads began to rely heavily on their rhythm section, adding flourishes of African-styled polyrhythms. This approach came to a full fruition with 1980's Remain in Light, which was again produced by Eno. Talking Heads added several sidemen, including a horn section, leaving them free to explore their dense amalgam of African percussion, funk bass and keyboards, pop songs, and electronics.

After a long tour, the band concentrated on solo projects for a couple of years. By the time of 1983's Speaking in Tongues, the band had severed its ties with Eno; the result was an album that still relied on the rhythmic innovations of Remain in Light, except within a more rigid pop-song structure. After its release, Talking Heads embarked on another extensive tour, which was captured on the Jonathan Demme-directed concert film Stop Making Sense. After releasing the straightforward pop album Little Creatures in 1985, Byrne directed his first movie, True Stories, the following year; the band's next album featured songs from the film. Two years later, Talking Heads released Naked, which marked a return to their worldbeat explorations, although it sometimes suffered from Byrne's lyrical pretensions.

After its release, Talking Heads were put on "hiatus"; Byrne pursued some solo projects, as did Harrison, and Frantz and Weymouth continued with their side project, Tom Tom Club. In 1991, the band issued an announcement that they had broken up. Shortly thereafter, Harrison's production took off with successful albums by Live and Crash Test Dummies. In 1996, the original lineup minus Byrne reunited for the album No Talking Just Head; Byrne sued Frantz, Weymouth, and Harrison for attempting to record and perform as Talking Heads, so the trio went by the Heads. In 1999, all four worked together to promote a 15th-anniversary edition of Stop Making Sense, and they also performed at the 2002 induction ceremony for their entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Through the 2010s, Byrne released a number of solo and collaborative projects. Tom Tom Club continued to tour, while Harrison produced albums for the likes of No Doubt, the Von Bondies, and Hockey.


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Though they were the most highly touted new wave band to emerge from the CBGB's scene in New York, it was not clear at first whether Talking Heads' Lower East Side art rock approach could make the subway ride to the midtown pop mainstream successfully. The leadoff track of the debut album, Talking Heads: 77, "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town," was a pop song that emphasized the group's unlikely roots in late-'60s bubblegum, Motown, and Caribbean music. But the "Uh-Oh" gave away the group's game early, with its nervous, disconnected lyrics and David Byrne's strained voice. All pretenses of normality were abandoned by the second track, as Talking Heads finally started to sound on record the way they did downtown: the staggered rhythms and sudden tempo changes, the odd guitar tunings and rhythmic, single-note patterns, the non-rhyming, non-linear lyrics that came across like odd remarks overheard from a psychiatrist's couch, and that voice, singing above its normal range, its falsetto leaps and strangled cries resembling a madman trying desperately to sound normal. Talking Heads threw you off balance, but grabbed your attention with a sound that seemed alternately threatening and goofy. The music was undeniably catchy, even at its most ominous, especially on "Psycho Killer," Byrne's supreme statement of demented purpose. Amazingly, that song made the singles chart for a few weeks, evidence of the group's quirky appeal, but the album was not a big hit, and it remained unclear whether Talking Heads spoke only the secret language of the urban arts types or whether that could be translated into the more common tongue of hip pop culture. In any case, they had succeeded as artists, using existing elements in an unusual combination to create something new that still managed to be oddly familiar. And that made Talking Heads: 77 a landmark album.

Talking Heads - 77  (flac 365mb)

01 Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town 2:48
02 New Feeling 3:09
03 Tentative Decisions 3:04
04 Happy Day 3:55
05 Who Is It? 1:41
06 No Compassion 4:47
07 The Book I Read 4:06
08 Don't Worry About The Government 3:00
09 First Week / Last Week... Carefree 3:19
10 Psycho Killer 4:19
11 Pulled Up 4:29
Bonus Tracks
12 Love → Building On Fire 2:57
13 I Wish You Wouldn't Say That 2:36
14 Psycho Killer (Acoustic) 4:30
15 I Feel It In My Heart 3:19
16 Sugar On My Tongue 2:36

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The title of Talking Heads' second album, More Songs About Buildings and Food, slyly addressed the sophomore record syndrome, in which songs not used on a first LP are mixed with hastily written new material. If the band's sound seems more conventional, the reason simply may be that one had encountered the odd song structures, staccato rhythms, strained vocals, and impressionistic lyrics once before. Another was that new co-producer Brian Eno brought a musical unity that tied the album together, especially in terms of the rhythm section, the sequencing, the pacing, and the mixing. Where Talking Heads had largely been about David Byrne's voice and words, Eno moved the emphasis to the bass-and-drums team of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz; all the songs were danceable, and there were only short breaks between them. Byrne held his own, however, and he continued to explore the eccentric, if not demented persona first heard on 77, whether he was adding to his observations on boys and girls or turning his "Psycho Killer" into an artist in "Artists Only." Through the first nine tracks, More Songs was the successor to 77, which would not have earned it landmark status or made it the commercial breakthrough it became. It was the last two songs that pushed the album over those hurdles. First there was an inspired cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River"; released as a single, it made the Top 40 and pushed the album to gold-record status. Second was the album closer, "The Big Country," Byrne's country-tinged reflection on flying over middle America; it crystallized his artist-vs.-ordinary people perspective in unusually direct and dismissive terms, turning the old Chuck Berry patriotic travelogue theme of rock & roll on its head and employing a great hook in the process

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food  (flac 397mb)

01 Thank You For Sending Me An Angel 2:11
02 With Our Love 3:30
03 The Good Thing 3:03
04 Warning Sign 3:54
05 The Girls Want To Be With The Girls 2:38
06 Found A Job 5:01
07 Artists Only 3:34
08 I'm Not In Love 4:34
09 Stay Hungry 2:39
10 Take Me To The River 5:02
11 The Big Country 5:39
Bonus Tracks
12 Stay Hungry (1977 Version) 3:47
13 I'm Not In Love (Alternate Version) 5:17
14 The Big Country (Alternate Version) 5:03
15 Thank You For Sending Me An Angel ("Country Angel" Version) 2:11

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By titling their third album Fear of Music and opening it with the African rhythmic experiment "I Zimbra," complete with nonsense lyrics by poet Hugo Ball, Talking Heads make the record seem more of a departure than it is. Though Fear of Music is musically distinct from its predecessors, it's mostly because of the use of minor keys that give the music a more ominous sound. Previously, David Byrne's offbeat observations had been set off by an overtly humorous tone; on Fear of Music, he is still odd, but no longer so funny. At the same time, however, the music has become even more compelling. Worked up from jams (though Byrne received sole songwriter's credit), the music is becoming denser and more driving, notably on the album's standout track, "Life During Wartime," with lyrics that match the music's power. "This ain't no party," declares Byrne, "this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around." The other key song, "Heaven," extends the dismissal Byrne had expressed for the U.S. in "The Big Country" to paradise itself: "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." It's also the album's most melodic song. Those are the highlights. What keeps Fear of Music from being as impressive an album as Talking Heads' first two is that much of it seems to repeat those earlier efforts, while the few newer elements seem so risky and exciting. It's an uneven, transitional album, though its better songs are as good as any Talking Heads ever did.

Talking Heads - Fear of Music  (flac 389mb)

01 I Zimbra 3:08
02 Mind 4:13
03 Paper 2:38
04 Cities 4:17
05 Life During Wartime 3:41
06 Memories Can't Wait 3:30
07 Air 3:34
08 Heaven 4:01
09 Animals 3:30
10 Electric Guitar 3:01
11 Drugs 5:20
Bonus Tracks
12 Dancing For Money (Unfinished Outtake) 2:41
13 Life During Wartime (Alternate Version) 4:07
14 Cities (Alternate Version) 5:30
15 Mind (Alternate Version) 4:26
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RhoDeo 1452 Roots

Hello,

Baaba Maal's music combines elements of the traditional music of the Pulaar-speaking people and various international and modern sounds. Sometimes these genres are combined within single songs, some are played out separately. Baaba Maal's CD releases are diverse, with some, such as 1989's Djam Leelii being completely acoustic and fairly traditional, while some, such as 2009's Television, are very modern, with pop sensibilities. Maal primarily plays acoustic guitar and some percussion, but is best known for his rich, piercing singing voice. Lyrically, Maal focuses on African traditions, human dignity and human rights, and world peace.....N'Joy.

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Baaba Maal was born on November 12, 1953 in Podor, Senegal, a small former French gold trading post on the Senegal River. Maal is of the Fulbe people, who speak the Pulaar (also called Pular, Fula, or Fulani) language group, and he primarily sings in Pulaar, occasionally dabbling in French, English, and other African languages as well. He was raised in the Muslim faith. Though he came from a family of fishermen and farm workers, but both of his parents were non-professional musicians who passed on a love of music in general, and specifically the musical traditions of their people. Baaba Maal is of the Toucouleur or Haalpulaar (pulaar-speaking) people, of northern Senegal, his mother sang for pleasure in weddings and other ceremonies. Young Baaba Maal thus became familiar with a cappella singing and traditional melodies.

Developing a passion for music, Baaba Maal began playing with friends during the school holidays. In 1974, after his baccalauréat (school leaving certificate) he chose to study music while also taking a fine arts course in Dakar. In fact, he did not really think he would become an artist but expected to become a teacher. However, he and his old friend Mansour Seck joined an association for the promotion of Toucouleur culture, called Lasly Fouta. They were thus part of a group of 70 musicians who toured part of West Africa.

In 1977 the two apprentice musicians formed a traditional music group, Yeli Taaré Fouta, with another musician, Mbassou Niang. They hit the road and followed the Senegal river to study musical traditions from the ground up. But Baaba Maal still wished to complete his musical training and therefore went to Paris in 82 for further study at the Conservatoire. Mansour Seck joined him and they began touring with a new group, Wandama, in various European countries and Senegal universities and associations. In Brussels they recorded their first duo, "Djam Leeli"..

In 1984 Baaba returned home because his mother had died. He decided to stay. The following year, he created Daande Lenol (The Voice of the people), a group of nine musicians with, of course, Mansour Seck and Mbassou Niang. Baaba Maal tried to develop music close to his roots while at the same time injecting more modern sounds, with instruments such as drums, electric guitar or keyboards alongside the kora or the tama. He sang mostly in Toucouleur language and fully intended to pass on messages, thus adding a political flavour to his work. He soon brought out their first cassette. While he was well known in Toucouleur circles, Baaba Maal and his group only became known to the Senegal public in general when they gave a concert at the Daniel Sorano theatre in Dakar in February 1986. The concert was under the spell of the singer, who was a true leader. His stage presence was impressive, and the concert was broadcast by national television, which helped promote the group.

The following year, he gave a series of concerts in Europe, particularly at the Chapelle des Lombards in Paris. His cassette "Wango" came out in Senegal in 1988. The song "Demgalam" (my language) was about minorities and their right to keep their cultural identity. It identified more precisely with the position of the black, especially the Toucouleur-speaking population, not the moors, in Mauritania, bringing down the wrath of the authorities on his head. Indeed, the artist's cassettes and records were destroyed in Mauritania.

Almost simultaneously, an English producer, Chris Blackwell of Island Records, found the tapes of "Djam Leeli". He signed Baaba Maal on his world music label Mango.

It was in fact his concerts at the New Morning club in Paris in November 89 and his Dutch tour that launched Baaba's career in Europe. He also sang on the Peter Gabriel album "Passion", for Peter Gabriel is a specialist in discovering new talent. In 1990, he brought out "Taara", just before bringing out the famous album "Baayo" in 1991, on the Mango label. Although the record was produced in London with all the tools of high recording technology, it was because the music was to be completely pure, back to roots, with the "yela", the Toucouleur rhythm associated with grinding the grain in a traditional society, taking pride of place alongside the singer's swooping voice. This record had considerable success in Europe, especially in England. He took part in the Womad in London, and sang in the concert for Nelson Mandela in Dakar, alongside Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour and Super Diamono.

"Lam Toro" is the groovier follow-up of "Baayo". The album came out in 93 and was followed by a remix concocted by Simon Booth and Macka B. These dance pieces are not everybody's taste, some feeling that the music has been travestied. In any case, like his compatriot Youssou N'dour, Baaba Maal recorded cassettes for the local market in between the big European productions: "Yélé" in 93, and "Tono" and "Tiim Timol" in 94.

Baaba Maal was fighting on every front, with the support of Chris Blackwell, of course, defending his Senegal discovery in the best possible way. In 1994, there was a new album, "Firin'In Fouta" recorded in Dakar in the famous Studio 2000, London, and in Peter Gabriel's studios in Bath. Several famous western musicians came to accompany Baaba Maal on this record: Jah Wobble (Bass guitar) David Bothrill (keyboards) and Michael Brook (guitar). "African Woman" is the star track on this album. It was followed by an acoustic tour, with a concert at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris in November. After "Africa Fete" concerts in the United States in June 1995, Baaba celebrated the tenth anniversary of Daande Lenol in Dakar in October, before an audience mainly composed of Haalpulaar people. But the big event of the autumn was Baaba Maal's return to Mauritania for a special concert in Nouakchott on October 19 and 20. The Toucouleur singer had not performed there for eight years.

Baaba Maal was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "World Music" category in February 1996. This equivalent of the Oscars for music went to the group Deep Forest in the end, with Baaba Maal coming second. Although he did not win the award, he was still recognised as one of the greatest in his category. In July of the same year, he sang the first half of the famous guitarist Carlos Santana's concert at Wembley Stadium, England, with Daande Lenol. This concert was one in the European tour which went to Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. In September he performed in South Africa on the occasion of the "Arts Alive International" festival in Johannesburg. Early the following year, he undertook a big tour with forty concerts in North America, on the wave of interest in Senegal music from Youssou N'dour to Ismaël Lô, and especially the rap group Positive Black Soul.

Two new cassettes, "Aïwa" and "Souvenirs" came out in Senegal at the end of 96. Here again, the "King of Yela" as some call him, seemed to want to satisfy lovers of tradition at the same time as partisans of modernism and dance spirit.

In 1998 the new CD, "Nomad Soul" came out under Chris Blackwell's new label, Palm Pictures. The album title refers to the nomadic roots of his people and the traveller's spirit permeating Baaba Maal's work. The Jamaican musicians Luciano and Robbie Shakespeare, and the producers Simon Emmerson, Brian Eno, Jon Hassel and Howie B. are also on the prestigious credits of this record. The inseparable Mansour Seck on guitar, Alioune Diouf on percussion, Hilaire Chaby on the synthesiser, and Assane Ndoye Cissé, the Daande Lenol guitarist, are also present. The CD opens to "Souka Nayo", the hymn to the Peule woman, to a backing of Irish choirs.

While travelling around the world, Baaba Maal released an album entitled "Live at the Royal Festival Hall" recorded in 1999. He then came to a halt and settled in Senegal for a while, among his family and friends. Using his influence there, he became very active outside the musical world, and he got involved in several agriculture and hotel ventures. He also endeavoured to draw Western people's attention to the ravages caused by AIDS in his country. Along with his fellow citizen, Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal belongs to a tradition of Senegalese musicians who use their worldwide fame to help their country.

In 2001, the Senegalese artist went back to the studio for his new album, "Missing You" ("Mi Yeewi"). The latter was mostly recorded in Mnunk, a small village near Dakar, which inspired Baaba Maal a come back to traditional Senegalese sounds. Indeed, a lot of Mnunk's background sounds, such as children and animal cries, were integrated in order to reflect the reality of the artist's original environment. However, it is in London's well-known studios of Real World and Abbey Road that Baaba Maal chose to give "Missing You" the finishing touch. He followed up with the album promotion in spring when he gave a series of acoustic concerts.

Baaba Maal brought the house down at the Café de la Danse in Paris in April and immediately followed up with a week's performance at the Printemps de Bourges. That same year, the Senegalese artist was very present on the Anglo-Saxon stages. He gave a concert in Philadelphia in January, then travelled to London, and went back again to the States in August. He was back there in January and February 2002 before joining Quebec artist Luc de la Rochelliere for a concert at the French Cultural Centre in Dakar, Senegal.
Youth ambassador

In July 2003, Baaba Maal was appointed as a Youth Emissary for the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP). As part of his role, the musician-ambassador  devoted a significant amount of time and energy to raising young people's awareness of AIDS and HIV. Meanwhile, Baaba Maal continued to tour in the U.S., raising his profile abroad. He returned to Senegal to perform a special "welcome concert" at the UNDP's Pan-African Youth Leadership Summit in Dakar in June 2004.

Maal took to the stage again in Dakar (2 - 4 July 2004) to celebrate the 19th anniversary of his band Daandé Lénol, performing on stage alongside a host of music stars including Thione Seck, Fatou Laobé, Abuu Jubaa Deh, rapper Bill Diakhou and the legendary drum maestro Doudou Ndiaye Rose. (The only musician missing from the line-up was the group's late kora-player, Kawnding Cissokho.) Baaba Maal continued his role as a human rights advocate on this occasion, publicly appealing for "moral support for deprived children so Africa can forge a future for itself." The musician also proclaimed his solidarity with the Hal Pulaar people (Baaba's family is Hal Pulaar, known in the English speaking world as Fulani.)
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 In 2006, Maal organised the first edition of "Les Blues du Fleuve" (River Blues) festival in Senegal. The festival has become an annual spring-time event, hopping between the countries that border the Senegal River and involving all branches of the arts from music to painting, crafts and public lectures. Later that same year, Maal released a new album, "Kettode & Sangoul", then headed off for a major summer tour of America, playing dates in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

In February 2007, Baaba Maal appeared at the African Union Summit, held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, performing at a gala dinner for government leaders and heads of state. In July of that year he was invited to Charlton Park in the U.K. to take part in the 25th anniversary celebrations for WOMAD (the world music festival launched by Peter Gabriel.) Rumours continued to circulate about the musician's alleged health problems. At the second "Blues du Fleuve" festival, Maal acknowledged that he had been slightly ill but had made a full recovery since.

Baaba Maal made a notable comeback on the recording front at the beginning of 2008 with a new album entitled "Internationale riche Afrique." The album featured ten hard-hitting songs recorded over a two-year period between London, Philadelphia and Dakar. In promotional interviews for his album, the singer strove to dismiss the clichéd view of Africa as a "continent riddled by suffering and riven by conflict," claiming that this detrimental image has been greatly exaggerated by the media. He insisted that his homeland is a rich, diverse and dynamic continent that has nurtured a hotbed of artistic talent. As usual, several of the tracks on Maal's new album were intended to educate listeners, "Léki Léki", for instance, raising public awareness about the environment.

Maal spent May and June 2008 on the road, playing a series of dates across Kenya, Belgium and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, he continued his mission as a youth ambassador for the UNDP, speaking on a number of issues ranging from digital technology to climate change and sustainable development. Baaba Maal's live album, "On the Road" (featuring a selection of recordings from various concerts around the world over the past decade) was released to critical acclaim in June 2008. The following month, leading British newspaper The Independent listed Maal's "On the Road" as number 1 in its Top 10 World Music Albums.  In March 2009, Baaba Maal joined Oliver Mtukudzi and the group Extra Golden on the road as part of the "African Soul Rebels" project. The three acts toured extensively in the U.K. "celebrating the soul of Africa."

Baaba Maal released a new studio album in June 2009 called "Television." The title was both an indication that this was the singer's own "vision of the world", but also expressed his concern about the power which the TV media exert these days. Baaba Maal branched out in a new musical direction on "Television", collaborating with trendy New York trio The Brazilian Girls who encouraged the Senegalese star to experiment with electro-pop. The album (co-produced by Jerry Reynolds and Maal and mixed by Jerry Boys) found Maal moving away from traditional West African inspiration and putting a more contemporary spin on his arrangements. Maal's new album also included a series of multi-lingual duets with Sabina Sciubba, The Brazilian Girls' Italian-German singer.

He is featured on two tracks "Hunger" and "Still" on the Black Hawk Down soundtrack and performed on the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2. He played at Bonnaroo and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2010.

He is featured on a track on the Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly album All of This Yours.

Baaba Maal sang the track for Kerala Tourism's 2010 ad campaign "Your moment is waiting" with music composed by One Giant Leap.

On 4 May 2013, Baaba Maal also performed at the 2013 edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Harare, Zimbabwe.

In 2014, he contributed to the BBC Music's remake of The Beach Boys song "God Only Knows".

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Baaba Maal released Firin' in Fouta in 1994. The album starts with a tribute to his bass player (and his family lineage of griots). Following is a tribute to African women that has more than a tinge of Latin thrown in. "Swing Yela" is a piece infused with more than his usual amount of pop, including a small dose of rap. Following songs range in topic from the Muslim faith to the world market to children's games. The thing that makes Baaba Maal appealing, especially on the Western market, is the way in which he combines seemingly traditional vocal techniques with up to date instrumentation. The keyboards and, more importantly, the drum loops give the songs a deep European club feel along with a strong push in the way of the vocals. Overall, its not a bad album in any way, though it could be attacked by fundamentalists on either side of the range of the album. African traditional music fanatics as well as Parisian clubbers. Conversely, it could easily be embraced by both. For a look into the brightest form of new music in the worldbeat tradition (traditional + western = worldbeat), Firin' in Fouta might be a pretty good shot.

Baaba Maal - Firin' In Fouta  (flac  344mb)

01 Sidiki 4:53
02 African Woman 6:05
03 Swing Yela 4:24
04 Mbaye 5:01
05 Njilou 5:30
06 Gorel 5:28
07 Sama Duniya 5:19
08 Salimoun (Funky Kora) 5:02
09 Ba 7:14
10 Tiedo 6:08

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Mansour Seck is a blind Senegalese singer and musician born in Podor, in the north of the country. Best known for his collaboration with lifelong friend Baaba Maal, he has also toured and released several solo albums. Seck was born into the Griot caste, traditionally of low status and associated with singing, story telling and playing musical instruments. From childhood, Seck has been a close friend of Baaba Maal, and in 1977 the two musicians travelled to explore the musical traditions of Mauritania and Mali. The legendary guitarist of Dande Lenol occasionally steps out on his own, and this recording (along with Volume 2) is one of the best guitar recordings to come out of the region. Direct and untainted by technology (save for some electric bass), musician and singer Seck is joined by guitars, hoddu, kora, ngoni and percussion, and the guest vocalists Baaba Maal and Ousmane Hamady Diop on this set of deep roots from Senegal.

Mansour Seck - N'der Fouta Tooro Vol. 1  (flac  270mb)

01 Almamy Bocoum 4:56
02 Allah Wata Ko Hana 6:09
03 Kaïraba 5:16
04 Fisco Konate 5:12
05 Tabakaly 9:54
06 Soukabe Leydam 4:50
07 Ndiaye Binta Ndiaye 6:03
08 Quinze Ans 4:19
09 Elimane Boubacar Kane 4:35

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Over the past few years, Baaba Mal has gradually assumed the mantle of the voice in African music once worn by Youssou N’Dour, and Mal’s voice is one of distinctive and unmistakable power, a compelling blend of brittle tones and full-throated passion. Unfortunately, that voice is rarely served with deserving material — not a question of songwriting, but of an over-digitised production style eyeing a Western market. Not surprisingly, then, Mal’s prowess is probably best witnessed live, and a concert recording featuring Jamaican guitar eminence gris Ernest Ranglin only sweetens the deal. Indeed, their collaboration on "Koni" is a high point on this four-track live album — Ranglin’s subtly, playfully deft style cajoling Mal into playing it cool and actually singing, instead of simply blowing away his audience with his vocal power. The other stellar moment is "African Woman," the title of which may be a tribute to the African diaspora, given the way its insistent groove and raucous instrumental jams are bed-rocked in Cuban rhythms.

Baaba Maal - Live at the Royal Festival Hall  (flac  265mb)

01 Mbolo 8:18
02 African Woman 11:01
03 Koni 10:22
04 Douwayra 11:48

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RhoDeo 1452 A New Hope 03

Hello,

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...................

At first, the idea seems bizarre, even ridiculous. Star Wars, a movie best known for its vistas of alien worlds and epic battles, as a 13 part radio drama? Well, unless you have the cold heart of a Sith, Star Wars did indeed translate well from the silver screen to radio, thank you very much. Yes, Star Wars' visual effects are a big part of the magic of the saga, but the heart and soul of George Lucas' galaxy far, far away are the characters and the storyline. And while the movie is satisfying on its own, the radio dramatization written by the late Brian Daley takes us beyond the movie....beyond the screenplay...and even beyond the novelization.

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Produced by National Public Radio, with the cooperation of Lucasfilm, Ltd.

When this series was first broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981, it generated the largest response in the network's history: 50,000 letters and phone calls in a single week, an audience of 750,000 per episode, and a subsequent 40-percent jump in NPR listenership.

This landmark production, perhaps the most ambitious radio project ever attempted, began when Star Wars creator George Lucas donated the story rights to an NPR affiliate. Writer Brian Daley adapted the film's highly visual script to the special demands and unique possibilities of radio, creating a more richly textured tale with greater emphasis on character development. Director John Madden guided a splendid cast—including Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels, reprising their film roles as Luke Skywalker and the persnickety robot See Threepio—through an intense 10 day dialogue recording session. Then came months of painstaking work for virtuoso sound engineer Tom Voegeli, whose brilliant blending of the actors' voices, the music, and hundreds of sound effects takes this intergalactic adventure into a realm of imagination that is beyond the reach of cinema.

By expanding the movie's story beyond its two hour running time, the Radio Drama allows us to catch glimpses of Luke Skywalker's life BEFORE the movie. It tells us how Princess Leia acquired the Death Star plans....and what, exactly, happened to her during her interrogation aboard the Empire's battle station...(it is an interesting scene, but not for the squeamish, by the way). In short, by expanding the story to nearly seven hours, characters we loved on screen acquire depth only equaled by novelizations.

The Radio Drama makes extensive use of material written (and in some cases filmed) for A New Hope's silver screen version but cut for editorial or technical reasons. Also, Ben Burtt's sound effects, John Williams' score, and the acting of Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Anthony Daniels (See Threepio) give the whole project its "true" Star Wars cachet.

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Many of the actors involved in the movie were unavailable to reprise their roles. Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels returned to reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker and C-3PO respectively. Recorded in 1981 at Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood, California.

With among others:
    Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
    Ann Sachs as Princess Leia Organa
    Perry King as Han Solo
    Bernard Behrens as Obi-Wan Kenobi
    Brock Peters as Lord Darth Vader
    Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
    Keene Curtis as Grand Moff Tarkin
    John Considine as Lord Tion
    Stephen Elliott as Prestor – more widely known as Bail Organa
    David Ackroyd as Captain Antilles


A New Hope 103 Black Knight, White Princess (mp3 25mb)

103 Black Knight, White Princess 28:10


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previously

A New Hope 101 A Wind to Shake the Stars (mp3 25mb)
A New Hope 102 Points of Origin (mp3 25mb)

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Sundaze 1452

Hello, lot's of snow to enjoy in the countryside this weekend, downtown city centers snow tends to turn to a drab mush quickly, basically the worst of two worlds.

Bvdub is a moniker of Brock Van Wey, an American electronic music producer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2007 he has released more than 40 albums and EPs under this name and other pseudonyms including his birth name. Residing in Shaoxing, China, he produces ambient and ambient techno music that has received critical acclaim from the likes of online magazines Resident Advisor, Headphone Commute and Gridface. His first release as Brock Van Wey, White Clouds Drift On And On, was included in RA's Top 20 Albums of 2009. ......N'joy

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Brock was born in 1974 and grew up in Livermore near San Francisco. He was classically trained as a child and from the age of five he was taught violin and, later, piano. By age eleven he had composed his first piece of music for the trio of cello, violin and viola and had written several more pieces by his mid-teens. Feeling that he did not actually enjoy classical music (and preferring instead to "remix" the pieces he learned in his head) he eventually gave it up altogether. In the early 90s he heard, by chance, a deep house mix tape that would inspire him to pursue electronic music. He was soon performing as a deep house and ambient DJ and appearing regularly at raves in San Francisco, initially under his own name and later under the bvdub moniker. Van Wey composed his first electronic piece in 1993 - an industrial techno/classical track - that differed significantly in style to the music he would later produce.

In 2001, Brock moved to China, having become disillusioned with the scene in San Francisco and sought to make a fresh start in a country that had always held a fascination for him. He began work as a professor of English, teaching over 200 students. It was not until 2006 that he started to produce his own music after a friend spent time teaching him the finer details of various pieces of hardware and software. His first release as bvdub was Strength In Solitude LP in 2007, an album which comprises the first six tracks he created in the order that they were made.

In 2007 Van Wey founded the label Quietus Recordings in response to his friends' music being turned down by other record labels for being "too self-indulgent" or "too deep". Creating the label allowed bvdub and others to release their most personal compositions without fear of it being rejected. The label, in fact, encourages its artists to present only the music by which they would want to be remembered. To make each release as personal as possible, Van Wey takes the photos for the CD label and the cover art himself whilst listening to the music that the images are to accompany. The label has released bvdub's own recordings as well as productions by Quantec and Arc Of Doves.

After returning to China, following a period living once more in San Francisco, a mutual friend put Van Wey in touch with indie label Darla Records. A fruitful relationship blossomed that has seen bvdub release several albums on the label to date including 2011's Resistance Is Beautiful and 2012's Serenity.


The name bvdub was given to Brock by a colleague and is simply a shortening of his initials, BVW, rather than being intended to denote dub or dub techno music. Brock describes his own music as electronic, ambient and ambient techno (though prefers not to categorize it at all) and has stated that he has never produced anything he would associate with dub.


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With White Clouds Drift On And On, Brock Van Wey embraces the ambient side of himself. "Too Little Too Late" seems to float effortlessly,buoyed by a pianos, woodwinds and filtered vocal samples. "I Knew Happiness Once" takes a more electronic route, though the chanting takes a much more prominent role, whereas the static that starts off "Forever A Stranger" disappears into angelic tones, resting for a moment to pick up some melancholy strings. "A Gentle Hand To Hold" has some refracted guitar for a more positive mood and an Vietnamese vocal sample to punctuate the warm haze. "A Chance To Start Over" keeps that mood alive, and the title track envelops the listener in a thick layers of sound. When Intrusion gets his hands on the album, however, he presents them in reverse order, giving the "White Clouds Drift On And On" a low throb and "A Chance To Start Over" a minimal downtempo feel. "A Gentle Hand To Hold" stays mellow but has a touch of brightness with high, twinkling tones and bongos. The dub effects permeate "Forever A Stranger," and the piano of "Too Little Too Late" is given new life. An excellent album for sky-gazing.

Quote by Wang Wei (701-761),

"Dismounting, I offer you wine.
And you ask, "Where are you bound?"
You say, "I've found no fame or favors;
I must return to rest in the South Mountain."
You leave, and I ask no more -
White clouds drift on and on.

Brock Van Wey - White Clouds Drift On And On  (flac  494mb)

01 Too Little Too Late 11:12
02 I Knew Happiness Once 16:17
03 Forever A Stranger 12:30
04 A Gentle Hand To Hold 14:56
05 A Chance To Start Over 15:32
06 White Clouds Drift On And On 7:12

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The intrusion mixes complete the works perfectly although they are a touch away from that which you would expect from Hitchell. I would say a slight break away from his basic channel inspired echospace sound and more of a very worthy re-interpretation of Brocks awesome work.

Brock Van Wey - Intrusion White Clouds Drift On And On  (flac  420mb)

Intrusion (Stephen Hitchell) Interpretation
01 White Clouds Drift On And On [Intrusion Shape I] 24:15
02 A Chance To Start Over [Intrusion Shape II] 11:18
03 A Gentle Hand To Hold [Intrusion Shape III] 17:12
04 Forever A Stranger [Intrusion Shape IV] 11:08
05 I Knew Happiness Once [Intrusion Shape V] 9:20
06 Too Little Too Late [Intrusion Shape VI] 6:23

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Brock Van Wey has amassed a quietly rabid following for his muted output on the Quietus label. These recordings remain separate to his dancefloor productions for Meanwhile and Styrax, instead exploring beautifully tempered zones of twilight ambient and drifting electronica comparable to his peers like Stephen Hitchell and Rod Modell. As the label states in its manifesto it's "...music that represents their true voice... not just that which they feel others will accept", meaning Quietus music is lovingly crafted with a personal touch, made to communicate with the few who understand it, as opposed to the masses who either don't, or are too cynical to fall for its charms. Aside from the final track, each composition has a lengthy average time of 15 minutes, giving Van Wey space to calmly develop majestic cloud-like structures of droning synth tones with hazy washes of reverbed harps on 'It Mattered Once', or billowing dub chords stretched to the horizon on 'You Will Know Where To Find Me'. 'Live To See The Day' is guided by the cinematic reverie of composers like Harold Budd, and the ebb and flow of 'Time Will Tell' will appeal to anyone familiar with Eno. As ever, these copies are in very short supply and once they're gone..you'll need a digital copy. Gorgeous.

Bvdub - We Were The Sun (flac  406mb)

01 It Mattered Once 14:08
02 Will You Know Where To Find Me 17:04
03 Live To See The Day 17:27
04 Time Will Tell 12:16
05 I Knew You Then 12:48
06 Lest You Forget 4:16

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There's something about Brock Van Wey's music that makes me connect to nature, to consciousness, to being, through sound alone... Brock serves the highest sermon to all the listening gods in my church of music. The repetitive passages of sound create a blissful mantra, imploring you to erase all thought, forget about the past or future, and just stay in the present. The titles of the tracks, give me even more reason to believe that Brock's message is indeed reflective on the nature of our short stay in this world: "Descent to the End", "To Finally Forget It All", and "No One Will Ever Find You Here". The release includes the following message: "We all die alone, but some make it their last work of art." Released on an Italian ambient label, Glacial Movements Records, the album was written and produced by Brock in Shaoxing, China, where he currently resides. On The Art Of Dying Alone, Brock returns with ethereal atmospheric pads, seamless loops over frequency saturated sonic soundscapes, with distant and delicate voices, gentle piano, and acoustic guitar. At the center of the album is a theme of contemplation on life, isolation, detachment, and inevitably, death. Be sure to pick up bvdub's We Were The Sun releases on his own, Quietus Recordings.

Bvdub - The Art Of Dying Alone (flac 427mb)

01 Descent To The End 8:08
02 Nothing From No One 8:48
03 To Finally Forget It All 21:20
04 No More Reasons Not To Fall 11:19
05 No One Will Ever Find You Here 9:18
06 The Art Of Dying Alone 19:13

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RhoDeo 1451 Grooves

Hello, I hope you've had an enjoyable X'mas, nice gift exchanges and not too much food and drink. Alas that's unlikely, but never U mind once a year is survivable

Well you could have noticed that these past months the music came from one label..Stax Records. Time for a bit of a recap, not too worry though there's plenty still coming from that wonderful label.....N'joy

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Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and blues recordings. While Stax is renowned for its output of African-American music, the label was founded by two business people, Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton (STewart/AXton = Stax). It featured several popular ethnically-integrated bands, including the label's house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and a racially integrated team of staff and artists unheard of in that time of racial strife and tension in Memphis and the South.

Following the death of Stax's biggest star, Otis Redding, in 1967, and the severance of the label's distribution deal with Atlantic Records in 1968, Stax continued primarily under the supervision of a new co-owner, Al Bell. Over the next five years, Bell expanded the label's operations significantly, in order to compete with Stax's main rival, Motown Records in Detroit. During the mid-1970s, a number of factors, including a problematic distribution deal with CBS Records, caused the label to slide into insolvency, resulting in its forced closure in late 1975.

In 1977, Fantasy Records acquired the post-1968 Stax catalog, as well as selected pre-1968 recordings. Beginning in 1978, Stax (now owned by Fantasy) began signing new acts and issuing new material, as well as re-issuing previously recorded Stax material. However, by the early 1980s no new material was being issued on the label, and for the next two decades, Stax was strictly a re-issue label.

After new shark on the block, Concord Records swallowed the demented shark Fantasy in 2004, the Stax label was reactivated, and is today used to issue both the 1968–1975 catalog material and new recordings by current R&B/soul performers. Atlantic Records continues to hold the rights to the vast majority of the 1959–1968 Stax material. Hmm and it all started to fall apart with that multinational CBS screwing over the little guy..yes good ol' american business practice that. Still is not really understood by the rest of the wolrd because it's so destructive short terminism nature, it's idiocy basically. But as long as the american militairy / security industrial complex threatens anyone daring to oppose or refusing to be corrupted by that american dollar silly money this practice continues dragging the world down.

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While it's true that this triple-disc, 42-track mid-centennial anniversary celebration of the birth of Stax Records -- a label synonymous with Southern soul -- will not rival the three box sets issuing the company's complete singles, it's a killer document. Concord Records purchased the Stax catalog (which occurred when the company purchased Fantasy Records) and continues its solid program of bringing the label's shelf in fine style into the 21st century with this cool little set. Packaged in a small bookcase box with the Stax logo in live "wiggle card" mode (the fingers "snap" when you move it back and forth).

 Along the way are the established and well-known acts like Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, the Bar-Kays, Albert King's groundbreaking blues "Born Under a Bad Sign" in 1967, all the way through to Johnnie Taylor's number one R&B chart hit "Who's Makin' Love" (it hit number five on the pop charts). Thomas and Bell follow and round out the set, but the Taylor cut is a milestone. Along the way it becomes obvious what a powerhouse -- on disc one alone -- Stax was. From 1965 through 1968 they placed 21 singles in the Top 50. Among these were a number one -- Otis Redding's "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay" -- and a number two, Sam & Dave's "Soul Man." Many of the rest, like the Bar-Kays' "Soul Finger" and others topped the R&B charts. One of the more remarkable aspects of the Stax label is that unlike the Northern soul labels like Motown, Stax didn't use strings on its records until 1968. The first charting side that did use them was Ollie & the Nightingales' "I Got a Sure Thing." There are other semi-obscurities here (at least to the more casual observer) as well the Mad Lads' "I Want Someone" and Linda Lyndell's awesome "What a Man" from 1968.

Booker T. & the MG's "Time Is Tight," which possessed that same funky groove that had made their other records hits, even if the B-3 drift was different, airier, spookier. It was the soul charge led by Donald "Duck" Dunn , Steve Cropper, and Al Jackson, Jr. that kept the soul groove intact. It's such a strange tune because it has such a soundtrack feel to it, it's amazing it hit number six on the Billboard pop chart and seven on the R&B chart. The sound of Stax was changing and becoming one that was taking in the expanding realities of the soul world as evidenced by the Emotions' beautiful "So I Can Love You," with extensive horns layered in the background as the women's voices float over the B-3. The Southern grit is here, it's just framed more elaborately. Rufus Thomas, a mainstay on the label, had his own hit with the back to the James Brown funky soul groove "Do the Funky Chicken" in 1970.

Other cuts on this volume worth noting -- though there isn't a weak one in the batch -- are Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff," a number two pop hit -- and Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love" which hit the top spot on the R&B list and number 28 on the pop chart. Hayes was big during the years 1969-1972 placing all three of his singles, as he was also concentrating on albums and the Shaft soundtrack with "Never Can Say Goodbye," and the "Theme from Shaft" reaching the Top 40. The Staple Singers scored with "Respect Yourself" in 1971, which was a big year for the label in general as they placed seven tunes in the Top 100 of the pop charts and the Top 40 in R&B. 1972 was the same, with no less than seven more hits entering the Top 100 pop and Top 20 R&B. These include a hit by bluesman Little Milton in "That's What Love Will Make You Do," the Dramatics number five smash "In the Rain," and The Staple Singers' "chart-topper "I'll Take You There." Not forgetting the 1974 single "Woman to Woman" by Shirley Brown; it reached the top spot on the R&B chart but only hit number 29 in pop.

The sequencing, is wonderfully split between the harder, grittier soul sound of Stax through the mid-'60s, and the larger productions being put in place. The sound of Stax was changing, but its essential groove never did. The textures might have been a bit sweeter, but they still reached deep into gospel, R&B, and hard-edged Southern soul for their inspiration. This is a terrific introduction for the novice -- the sonic reproduction is terrific -- and it's a killer singles soundtrack for the aficionado. It's also the grooviest party soundtrack around. Comes with an informative booklet

Stax 50th Anniversary Collection 1 (flac 275mb)

01 Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay (alternate) 02:44
02 Booker T. & The MGs - Time Is Tight 03:17
03 Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love 02:50
04 Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken 03:19
05 William Bell & Judy Clay - Private Number 02:40
06 Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff 02:34
07 The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get 03:36
08 Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft 03:18
09 The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself 03:31
10 Frederick Knight - I've Been Lonely (For So Long) 03:23
11 Mel & Tim - Starting All Over Again 03:52
12 Soul Children - I'll Be The Other Woman 03:38
13 Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman 03:57
14 Linda Lyndell - What A Man 02:41

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Stax 50th Anniversary Collection 2 (flac 271mb)

01 Staple Singers - I'll Take You There 03:16
02 The Dramatics - In The Rain 03:26
03 Booker T & the MG's - Soul Limbo 02:25
04 Eddie Floyd - I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) 02:47
05 William Bell - I Forgot To Be Your Lover 02:22
06 Carla Thomas - I Like What You're Doing To Me 02:56
07 The Emotions - So I Can Love You 02:51
08 Isaac Hayes - Never Can Say Goodbye 03:39
09 The Bar-Kays - Son Of Shaft 03:14
10 Little Milton - That's What Love Will Make You Do 03:58
11 Jimmy Hughes - I Like Everything About You 02:51
12 Soul Children - Hearsay 03:32
13 The Tempree - Dedicated To The One I Love 03:35
14 Albert King - Breaking Up Somebody's Home 03:40

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Stax 50th Anniversary Collection 3 (flac 266mb)

01 Otis Redding - Try A Little Tenderness 04:02
02 Veda Brown - Short Stopping 02:24
03 Johnnie Taylor - Cheaper to Keep Her 03:30
04 David Porter- I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over 04:46
05 Ollie & the Nightingales - I'll Be Your Anything 02:56
06 Mable John - Your Good Thing (Is About to End) 02:58
07 The Mad Lads - By The Time I Get to Phoenix 02:49
08 Rance Allen - I Got To Be Myself 02:53
09 Steve Cropper - In The Midnight Hour 03:39
10 Eddie Floyd - Yum Yum Yum (I Want Some) 02:51
11 Isaac Hayes & David Porter - Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) 04:25
12 March Wind - Do THe Sweetback 02:58
13 The MG's - Sugarcane 03:10
14 Staples, King, Cropper - Tupelo 02:55

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RhoDeo 1451 Goldy Rhox 189

Hello, today the 189th post of GoldyRhox, classic pop rock in the darklight an English rock and blues singer and musician who came to popularity in the 1960s. He was known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance, and cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of the Beatles.cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" reached number one in the UK in 1968, and he performed the song live at Woodstock in 1969. His version became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His 1975 cover of "You Are So Beautiful", reached number five in the US. Our man is the recipient of several awards, including a 1983 Grammy Award for his US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes. In 1993 he was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, in 2007 was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown, and in 2008 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to musicHe was ranked No. 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.

Our  man's main musical influences growing up were Ray Charles and Lonnie Donegan, his first experience singing in public was at age 12 when his elder brother Victor invited him on stage to sing during a gig of his skiffle group. In 1960, along with three friends,  he formed his first group, the Cavaliers. He left school to become an apprentice gasfitter while simultaneously pursuing a career in music

In 1961, under the stage name Vance Arnold, our man continued his career with a new group, Vance Arnold and the Avengers. The group mostly played in the pubs of Sheffield, performing covers of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles songs. In 1963, they booked their first significant gig when they supported the Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall. In 1964, he signed a recording contract as a solo act with Decca and released his first single, a cover of the Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead" (with Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page playing guitars). Despite extensive promotion from Decca lauding his youth and working class roots, the record was a flop and his recording contract with Decca lapsed at the end of 1964.

In 1966, after a year-long hiatus from music, Our man teamed up with Chris Stainton, whom he had met several years before, to form the Grease Band. He recorded the single "Marjorine" without the Grease Band for Cordell in a London studio. He then moved to London with Chris Stainton, and the Grease Band was dissolved. After minor success in the United States with the single "Marjorine", Cocker entered the big time with a groundbreaking rearrangement of "With a Little Help from My Friends". The recording features lead guitar from Jimmy Page, drumming by B. J. Wilson, backing vocals from Sue and Sunny, and Tommy Eyre on organ. The single made the Top Ten on the British charts, remaining there for thirteen weeks and eventually reaching number one, on 9 November 1968. It also reached number 68 on the US charts.

During his United States tour, the band played at several large festivals, including the Newport Rock Festival and the Denver Pop Festival. In August, Denny Cordell heard about the planned concert in Woodstock, New York and convinced organiser Artie Kornfeld to book our man and the Grease Band for the Woodstock Festival. The group had to be flown into the festival by helicopter due to the large crowds. They performed several songs, including "Delta Lady", "Something's Comin' On", "Let's Go Get Stoned", "I Shall Be Released", and "With a Little Help from My Friends". Cocker would later say that the experience was "like an eclipse ... it was a very special day." And it established his global career ...

He died age 70 earlier this week of cancer

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Most of the albums i 'll post made many millions for the music industry and a lot of what i intend to post still gets repackaged and remastered decades later, squeezing the last drop of profit out of bands that for the most part have ceased to exist long ago, although sometimes they get lured out of the mothballs to do a big bucks gig or tour. Now i'm not as naive to post this kinda music for all to see and have deleted, these will be a black box posts, i'm sorry for those on limited bandwidth but for most of you a gamble will get you a quality rip don't like it, deleting is just 2 clicks...That said i will try to accommodate somewhat and produce some cryptic info on the artist and or album.

Today's mystery album is one of the many compilation albums that's out there it's a recent remastered one but by no means complete with 19 tracks, still plenty to n'joy


Goldy Rhox 189 (flac 499mb)


Goldy Rhox 189 (ogg 175mb)

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Xmas bonus and join the discussion on how to kick Sony

Assasinate the small dictator party  (nothing to do with Rho-Xs)

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RhoDeo 1451 Aetix

Hello,

Today in Aetix an American funk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk rock and psychedelic rock. When played live, their music incorporates many aspects of jam band due to the improvised nature of much of their performances. Currently, the band consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), longtime drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined in late 2009. Red Hot Chili Peppers have won seven Grammy Awards, and have become one of the best-selling bands of all time, selling over 80 million records worldwide. In 2012, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Meanwhile here today the basis of their success .....N'Joy

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Few rock groups of the '80s broke down as many musical barriers and were as original as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Creating an intoxicating new musical style by combining funk and punk rock together (with an explosive stage show to boot), the Chili Peppers spawned a slew of imitators in their wake, but still managed to be the leaders of the pack by the dawn of the 21st century. The roots of the band lay in a friendship forged by three school chums, Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary, and Hillel Slovak, while they attended Fairfax High School in California back in the late '70s/early '80s. While Balzary and Slovak showed great musical promise (on trumpet and guitar, respectively), Kiedis focused on poetry and acting during his high-school career. During this time, Slovak taught Balzary how to play bass, while the duo encouraged Kiedis to start putting his poetry to music, which he soon did. Influenced heavily by the burgeoning L.A. punk scene (the Germs, Black Flag, Fear, Minutemen, X, etc.) as well as funk (Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone, etc.), the trio began to rehearse with another friend, drummer Jack Irons, leading to the formation of Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem, a quartet that played strip bars along the Sunset Strip during the early '80s. It was during this time that the four honed their sound and live act (as they stumbled across a stage gimmick that would soon become their trademark -- performing on-stage completely naked, except for a tube sock covering a certain part of their anatomy). By 1983, Balzary had begun to go by the name "Flea," and the group changed its name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Word spread quickly about the up-and-coming band, resulting in a recording contract with EMI. But before the Chili Peppers could begin work on their debut, Flea and Kiedis were dealt a disappointing blow when both Slovak and Irons announced that they were leaving to focus more on another band they were in, What Is This. With replacement members Jack Sherman (guitar) and Cliff Martinez (drums) filling in, the Peppers released their self-titled debut in 1984. But the absence of the two original members showed, as the album failed to capture the excitement of their live show. While the album didn't set the world on fire sales-wise, the group began to build a dedicated underground following with college radio buffs. By 1985, What Is This were kaput (after issuing a single self-titled album) and Slovak and Irons returned to the Peppers, resulting in the George Clinton-produced Freaky Styley. While the album was an improvement over its predecessor, it still lacked the fire of the band's in-concert experience, a problem that would finally be solved with their next album, 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. The album was the group's first to make an impression on the charts, and they followed it up a year later with a stopgap five-track release, The Abbey Road EP, in 1988. But just as the world was warming up to the Peppers, tragedy struck when Slovak died from a heroin overdose on June 25, 1988.

In the wake of Slovak's death, Irons left the group for the second and final time, while Kiedis (who was also battling drug addiction at the time) and Flea decided to soldier on. After a new lineup featuring former Parliament guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight and former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro didn't work out, the duo found worthy replacements in newcomers John Frusciante and Chad Smith. The new-look Chili Peppers hit pay dirt straight away, as their first album together, 1989's Mother's Milk, became a surprise hit due to MTV's exposure of their videos for a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" and a song about their fallen friend Slovak, "Knock Me Down," as the album was certified gold by early 1990. The bandmembers knew that their next release would be the most important one of their career, so they moved into a mansion-turned-recording studio with producer Rick Rubin to work on what would become their most successful release yet, the stripped-down Blood Sugar Sex Magik (their first for the Warner Bros. label). The album became a monster hit upon its September 1991 release (eventually going on to sell a staggering seven million copies in the U.S. alone), as it spawned such hits as "Give It Away" and the group's first Top Ten single, "Under the Bridge."

But not all was well in the Chili Peppers camp. Like his predecessor, Frusciante had become addicted to hard drugs, and abruptly left the band mid-tour in early 1992. Undeterred, the band enlisted new member Arik Marshall, and headlined Lollapalooza II in the summer. When the band returned to the studio to work on its sixth release overall, it quickly became apparent that Marshall didn't fit in, and he was replaced by Jesse Tobias. But before Tobias could record a note with the group, he was handed his walking papers as well, and former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro signed on. After a layoff of four years, the Peppers' much delayed follow-up to BSSM was released in 1995, One Hot Minute. While the album was a sizable hit, it failed to match the success and musical focus of its predecessor, as it became apparent during the album's ensuing tour that Navarro wasn't fitting in as well as originally hoped, and he left the band in early 1998.

After Frusciante had left the group, he released a pair of obscure solo releases, 1995's Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt and 1997's Smile from the Streets You Hold, yet rumors circulated that the guitarist was homeless, penniless, and sickly with a death-defying drug habit. After checking himself into rehab and putting his demons behind him, Frusciante emerged once again refocused and re-energized, and promptly accepted an invitation to rejoin the Peppers once more. The group's reunion album, 1999's Californication, proved to be another monster success, reconfirming the Chili Peppers as one of alternative rock's top bands. The band put in a quick guest appearance on Fishbone's Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx before hitting the road to support the album. The following months found the band getting involved in bizarre situations and controversies. First, their refusal to play songs from One Hot Minute during the tour was an unpopular decision with some fans and a sore spot for Dave Navarro. Next, they re-ignited a personal feud between Kiedis and Mr. Bungle singer Mike Patton by refusing to play a series of European concerts with Bungle. Patton responded with a "tribute" show for the Peppers, where Bungle mocked their stage moves, faked shooting up heroin, and imitated Kiedis' comments about Patton. They also played the ill-fated Woodstock '99 festival, where their headlining performance was met with piles of burning rubble and a full-scale riot. Tours with the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam brought them into the next year without problems, but they stepped off the road after a planned stop in Israel was halted due to security worries. They returned to the studio in November of 2001 and by the summer of 2002 they had a new album ready to drop, By the Way. Warner Bros. released a Greatest Hits compilation in 2003, followed by a chart-topping two-CD album of all-new material, Stadium Arcadium, in 2006.

After an extensive supporting tour, the Red Hot Chili Peppers took an extended hiatus and the members pursued individual interests. Flea began studying music theory at USC and played in a variety of side projects. Kiedis attempted to turn his autobiography, Scar Tissue, into a television show. Smith joined Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Joe Satriani in the party supergroup Chickenfoot. Frusciante released The Empyrean in 2009, by which time he left the band. His replacement was Josh Klinghoffer, who played secondary guitar on the Stadium Arcadium tour. Klinghoffer's first album with the band, I'm with You, was released in late summer of 2011

In 2012, three of the bands albums Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, and By the Way are ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ranked at 310, 399, and 304 respectively.

The band released their book, Fandemonium on November 18, 2014. The book is dedicated to the band's fans throughout the world. To promote the book, Kiedis, Flea and Smith did some in store book signings at Barnes & Noble in Los Angeles and New York. On November 17, 2014, Kiedis gave an interview with KROQ where he announced that the band would be returning to the studio in December to record their newly written album. Kiedis said that he hoped for the album to contain 13 songs, however it is likely they will "put 10 more songs on top of that". Kiedis felt the album will show Josh Klinghoffer's coming of age as their guitarist and that the new material will have him as a guitarist and songwriter stand out a lot.During the November 21 Q&A in New York with Rolling Stone's David Fricke, Kiedis confirmed that Rick Rubin would not be producing the next album.

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The closest the Red Hot Chili Peppers ever came to straight funk, Freaky Styley is the quirkiest, loosest, and most playful album in their long and winding catalog. It's also one of the best, if least heard. A year earlier, in 1984, they'd made their self-titled debut with a stiff album produced Andrew Gill of Gang of Four fame. The album had its share of good songs, most notably "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" and "Get Up and Jump," but Gill's cold and tinny production riddled The Red Hot Chili Peppers with the same sort of problem that made Gang of Four's early-'80s albums so distasteful. Namely, the production sucks all the life out of the music and makes it seem distant and unapproachable, as if you were listening to the album in a long tunnel with reflective metal walls. Here on Freaky Styley that problem is thankfully solved: enter producer extraordinaire George Clinton. The funk legend not only gives the Peppers the sort of warm and loose-limbed production that had graced many a Parliament/Funkadelic album over the years, but he also seemingly gives the band some serious inspiration. For instance, a pair of covers of funk classics instantly stand out -- "If You Want Me to Stay" (Sly & the Family Stone) and "Africa" (the Meters), the latter retitled "Hollywood (Africa)" here -- and they're made all the more standout with the addition of Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley on horns. the Peppers also write a number of strong songs of their own. If none stand out, per se -- with the exception of the two covers, that is -- that's because they're all fairly good, relatively rough songs. Sure, some are slight, no question about that, but they help the album flow from one song to the next, because the songs are all more or less different from one another in subtle ways. And they're performed with vigor, as original guitarist Hillel Slovak is thankfully back aboard (replacing Jack Sherman, who played guitar on The Red Hot Chili Peppers and co-wrote the bulk of these songs), and he makes a major contribution to practically every song, playing straight funk here more so than the funk-metal that would characterize the band's subsequent album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. And to make mention of that 1987 follow-up, the Peppers would move on to a new producer, making this their one collaboration with Clinton. They'd never quite recapture the pure funk sound of Freaky Styley again, likely as a result. That's one reason why this album is so special, but it's also because the Peppers have a good clutch of songs to work with in addition to excellent production. And too, they seem relaxed and at ease here, playing quirky songs without any self-consciousness, a quality lacking on their debut. It's a quality lacking on subsequent albums also, though to a lesser degree, when the Peppers would begin sharpening their pop smarts and crafting catchy songs rather than just fun jams like these. So if you're feeling adventurous and are drawn to the idea of the Peppers and Clinton together in the same studio back in 1985 without any pop-crossover ambitions, give Freaky Styley a listen by all means. It's a cult classic of sorts and a world apart from the where the band would go in later years, for better and for worse.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley  (flac 403mb)

01 Jungle Man 4:09
02 Hollywood (Africa) 5:03
03 American Ghost Dance 3:45
04 If You Want Me To Stay 4:07
05 Nevermind 2:48
06 Freaky Styley 3:38
07 Blackeyed Blonde 2:40
08 The Brothers Cup 3:27
09 Battleship 1:53
10 Lovin' And Touchin' 0:36
11 Catholic School Girls Rule 1:55
12 Sex Rap 1:54
13 Thirty Dirty Birds 0:14
14 Yertle The Turtle 3:37

15 Nevermind (Demo) 2:17
16 Sex Rap (Demo) 1:37
17 Freaky Styley (Original Long Version) 8:49
18 Millionaires Against Hunger 3:26

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley  (ogg 143mb)

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n a perfect world, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' breakthrough album wouldn't have been 1989's Mother's Milk, but 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and the history of this groundbreaking rock/rap band (and likely the entire subgenre it created) would've been drastically changed. But the Chili Peppers created most of the imperfections in their world, especially in the late '80s, and the unusual scenario of four original bandmembers recording together for the first time on that band's third album would tragically prove to be a one-shot deal. Veterans Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Flea (bass) had welcomed back original guitarist Hillel Slovak for the preceding Freaky Styley album after using Jack Sherman on their self-titled 1984 debut, doing the same at this point for original drummer Jack Irons, who replaced Cliff Martinez. The energy of having these four friends from Los Angeles back together jumps out of the opening anthem "Fight Like a Brave" and the experimental "Funky Crime"; tracks like the autobiographical "Me & My Friends" and closing "Organic Anti-Beat Box Band" would stay in the group's live repertoire for the next decade or more. Kiedis' barking rap delivery drives the cover of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and Flea's ahead-of-their-time slapping basslines stand out in "Behind the Sun" and "Walkin' on Down the Road," but Slovak and Irons brought things to the Chili Peppers that no one else ever has. The drummer's pounding funk backbeats left a blueprint for his successor, Chad Smith, and the manic intro to "Skinny Sweaty Man" sounds like Buddy Rich playing James Brown material. Slovak is at the height of his powers on the rap-rock reggae "Love Trilogy" and funky "Special Secret Song Inside," which gained some notoriety for its anatomical undertones. But Slovak would die of a heroin overdose the following year, with Irons quitting the band afterward from the depression of the loss. Kiedis and Flea would come to grips with their own drug habits and return with Smith and guitarist John Frusciante on Mother's Milk, breaking into the arena circuit with a hit cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" -- and leaving Kiedis and Flea to wonder what might have been.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan  (flac 344mb)

01 Fight Like A Brave 3:52
02 Funky Crime 3:00
03 Me & My Friends 3:06
04 Backwoods 3:07
05 Skinny Sweaty Man 1:16
06 Behind The Sun 4:40
07 Subterranean Homesick Blues 2:33
08 Special Secret Song Inside 3:15
09 No Chump Love Sucker 2:42
10 Walkin' On Down The Road 3:47
11 Love Trilogy 2:40
12 Organic Anti-Beat Box Band 4:03

13 Behind The Sun (Instrumental Demo) 2:55
14 Me And My Friends (Instrumental Demo) 1:54

Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan  (ogg 115mb)

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A pivotal album for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1989's Mother's Milk turned the tide and transformed the band from underground funk-rocking rappers to mainstream bad boys with seemingly very little effort. Mother's Milk brought them to MTV, scored them a deal with Warner Brothers, and let both frontman Anthony Kiedis and the ubiquitous Flea get back out into a good groove following the death of co-founding member Hillel Slovak. With a new lineup coalescing around the remaining duo with new drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, and with producer Michael Beinhorn again behind the boards, the band took everything that The Uplift Mofo Party Plan hinted at, and brought it fully to bear for this new venture. If anyone doubted the pulsating power that leapt from the blistering opener, "Good Time Boys," it took only a few bars of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' outrageous, and brilliant, interpretation of the Stevie Wonder classic "Higher Ground" to prove that this new lineup was onto something special. Wrapping up with the aptly titled and truly punked-out "Punk Rock Classic" and the band's own punched-up tribute to "Magic Johnson," Mother's Milk was everything the band had hoped for, and a little more besides. Effortlessly going gold as "Knock Me Down" and "Taste the Pain" careened into the charts, the album not only set the stage for the band's Blood Sugar Sex Magic domination, it also proved that funk never died; it had just swapped skins.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mothers Milk  (flac 584mb)

01 Good Time Boys 5:01
02 Higher Ground 3:22
03 Subway To Venus 4:25
04 Magic Johnson 2:57
05 Nobody Weird Like Me 3:49
06 Knock Me Down 3:43
07 Taste The Pain 4:31
08 Stone Cold Bush 3:05
09 Fire 2:03
10 Pretty Little Ditty 3:07
11 Punk Rock Classic 1:46
12 Sexy Mexican Maid 3:22
13 Johnny, Kick A Hole In The Sky 5:20
Unreleased Tracks
14 Song That Made Us What We Are Today (Demo) 12:56
15 Knock Me Down (Original Long Version) 4:44
16 Sexy Mexican Maid (Original Long Version) 3:59
17 Salute To Kareem (Demo) 3:24
18 Castles Made Of Sand (Live) 3:19
19 Crosstown Traffic (Live) 2:51

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mothers Milk  (ogg 188mb)

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RhoDeo 1451 Roots

Hello, the Germans are still getting to terms with the sudden death of one of their greatest music stars, Udo Jürgens who at 80 continued to fill concert venues in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, he dropped dead of a heart attack during a stroll along Lake Constance (Bodensee), a blessed way to go if you ask me. The contrast with the death of Joe Cocker (another big star in Germany) today, couldn't be greater he died of lung cancer- his heart is finally unchained...


Baaba Maal's music combines elements of the traditional music of the Pulaar-speaking people and various international and modern sounds. Sometimes these genres are combined within single songs, some are played out separately. Baaba Maal's CD releases are diverse, with some, such as 1989's Djam Leelii being completely acoustic and fairly traditional, while some, such as 2009's Television, are very modern, with pop sensibilities. Maal primarily plays acoustic guitar and some percussion, but is best known for his rich, piercing singing voice. Lyrically, Maal focuses on African traditions, human dignity and human rights, and world peace.....N'Joy.

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Baaba Maal was born on November 12, 1953 in Podor, Senegal, a small former French gold trading post on the Senegal River. Maal is of the Fulbe people, who speak the Pulaar (also called Pular, Fula, or Fulani) language group, and he primarily sings in Pulaar, occasionally dabbling in French, English, and other African languages as well. He was raised in the Muslim faith. Though he came from a family of fishermen and farm workers, but both of his parents were non-professional musicians who passed on a love of music in general, and specifically the musical traditions of their people. Baaba Maal is of the Toucouleur or Haalpulaar (pulaar-speaking) people, of northern Senegal, his mother sang for pleasure in weddings and other ceremonies. Young Baaba Maal thus became familiar with a cappella singing and traditional melodies.

Developing a passion for music, Baaba Maal began playing with friends during the school holidays. In 1974, after his baccalauréat (school leaving certificate) he chose to study music while also taking a fine arts course in Dakar. In fact, he did not really think he would become an artist but expected to become a teacher. However, he and his old friend Mansour Seck joined an association for the promotion of Toucouleur culture, called Lasly Fouta. They were thus part of a group of 70 musicians who toured part of West Africa.

In 1977 the two apprentice musicians formed a traditional music group, Yeli Taaré Fouta, with another musician, Mbassou Niang. They hit the road and followed the Senegal river to study musical traditions from the ground up. But Baaba Maal still wished to complete his musical training and therefore went to Paris in 82 for further study at the Conservatoire. Mansour Seck joined him and they began touring with a new group, Wandama, in various European countries and Senegal universities and associations. In Brussels they recorded their first duo, "Djam Leeli"..

In 1984 Baaba returned home because his mother had died. He decided to stay. The following year, he created Daande Lenol (The Voice of the people), a group of nine musicians with, of course, Mansour Seck and Mbassou Niang. Baaba Maal tried to develop music close to his roots while at the same time injecting more modern sounds, with instruments such as drums, electric guitar or keyboards alongside the kora or the tama. He sang mostly in Toucouleur language and fully intended to pass on messages, thus adding a political flavour to his work. He soon brought out their first cassette. While he was well known in Toucouleur circles, Baaba Maal and his group only became known to the Senegal public in general when they gave a concert at the Daniel Sorano theatre in Dakar in February 1986. The concert was under the spell of the singer, who was a true leader. His stage presence was impressive, and the concert was broadcast by national television, which helped promote the group.

The following year, he gave a series of concerts in Europe, particularly at the Chapelle des Lombards in Paris. His cassette "Wango" came out in Senegal in 1988. The song "Demgalam" (my language) was about minorities and their right to keep their cultural identity. It identified more precisely with the position of the black, especially the Toucouleur-speaking population, not the moors, in Mauritania, bringing down the wrath of the authorities on his head. Indeed, the artist's cassettes and records were destroyed in Mauritania.

Almost simultaneously, an English producer, Chris Blackwell of Island Records, found the tapes of "Djam Leeli". He signed Baaba Maal on his world music label Mango.

It was in fact his concerts at the New Morning club in Paris in November 89 and his Dutch tour that launched Baaba's career in Europe. He also sang on the Peter Gabriel album "Passion", for Peter Gabriel is a specialist in discovering new talent. In 1990, he brought out "Taara", just before bringing out the famous album "Baayo" in 1991, on the Mango label. Although the record was produced in London with all the tools of high recording technology, it was because the music was to be completely pure, back to roots, with the "yela", the Toucouleur rhythm associated with grinding the grain in a traditional society, taking pride of place alongside the singer's swooping voice. This record had considerable success in Europe, especially in England. He took part in the Womad in London, and sang in the concert for Nelson Mandela in Dakar, alongside Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour and Super Diamono.

"Lam Toro" is the groovier follow-up of "Baayo". The album came out in 93 and was followed by a remix concocted by Simon Booth and Macka B. These dance pieces are not everybody's taste, some feeling that the music has been travestied. In any case, like his compatriot Youssou N'dour, Baaba Maal recorded cassettes for the local market in between the big European productions: "Yélé" in 93, and "Tono" and "Tiim Timol" in 94.

Baaba Maal was fighting on every front, with the support of Chris Blackwell, of course, defending his Senegal discovery in the best possible way. In 1994, there was a new album, "Firin'In Fouta" recorded in Dakar in the famous Studio 2000, London, and in Peter Gabriel's studios in Bath. Several famous western musicians came to accompany Baaba Maal on this record: Jah Wobble (Bass guitar) David Bothrill (keyboards) and Michael Brook (guitar). "African Woman" is the star track on this album. It was followed by an acoustic tour, with a concert at the Elysée Montmartre in Paris in November. After "Africa Fete" concerts in the United States in June 1995, Baaba celebrated the tenth anniversary of Daande Lenol in Dakar in October, before an audience mainly composed of Haalpulaar people. But the big event of the autumn was Baaba Maal's return to Mauritania for a special concert in Nouakchott on October 19 and 20. The Toucouleur singer had not performed there for eight years.

Baaba Maal was nominated for a Grammy Award in the "World Music" category in February 1996. This equivalent of the Oscars for music went to the group Deep Forest in the end, with Baaba Maal coming second. Although he did not win the award, he was still recognised as one of the greatest in his category. In July of the same year, he sang the first half of the famous guitarist Carlos Santana's concert at Wembley Stadium, England, with Daande Lenol. This concert was one in the European tour which went to Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. In September he performed in South Africa on the occasion of the "Arts Alive International" festival in Johannesburg. Early the following year, he undertook a big tour with forty concerts in North America, on the wave of interest in Senegal music from Youssou N'dour to Ismaël Lô, and especially the rap group Positive Black Soul.

Two new cassettes, "Aïwa" and "Souvenirs" came out in Senegal at the end of 96. Here again, the "King of Yela" as some call him, seemed to want to satisfy lovers of tradition at the same time as partisans of modernism and dance spirit.

In 1998 the new CD, "Nomad Soul" came out under Chris Blackwell's new label, Palm Pictures. The album title refers to the nomadic roots of his people and the traveller's spirit permeating Baaba Maal's work. The Jamaican musicians Luciano and Robbie Shakespeare, and the producers Simon Emmerson, Brian Eno, Jon Hassel and Howie B. are also on the prestigious credits of this record. The inseparable Mansour Seck on guitar, Alioune Diouf on percussion, Hilaire Chaby on the synthesiser, and Assane Ndoye Cissé, the Daande Lenol guitarist, are also present. The CD opens to "Souka Nayo", the hymn to the Peule woman, to a backing of Irish choirs.

While travelling around the world, Baaba Maal released an album entitled "Live at the Royal Festival Hall" recorded in 1999. He then came to a halt and settled in Senegal for a while, among his family and friends. Using his influence there, he became very active outside the musical world, and he got involved in several agriculture and hotel ventures. He also endeavoured to draw Western people's attention to the ravages caused by AIDS in his country. Along with his fellow citizen, Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal belongs to a tradition of Senegalese musicians who use their worldwide fame to help their country.

In 2001, the Senegalese artist went back to the studio for his new album, "Missing You" ("Mi Yeewi"). The latter was mostly recorded in Mnunk, a small village near Dakar, which inspired Baaba Maal a come back to traditional Senegalese sounds. Indeed, a lot of Mnunk's background sounds, such as children and animal cries, were integrated in order to reflect the reality of the artist's original environment. However, it is in London's well-known studios of Real World and Abbey Road that Baaba Maal chose to give "Missing You" the finishing touch. He followed up with the album promotion in spring when he gave a series of acoustic concerts.

Baaba Maal brought the house down at the Café de la Danse in Paris in April and immediately followed up with a week's performance at the Printemps de Bourges. That same year, the Senegalese artist was very present on the Anglo-Saxon stages. He gave a concert in Philadelphia in January, then travelled to London, and went back again to the States in August. He was back there in January and February 2002 before joining Quebec artist Luc de la Rochelliere for a concert at the French Cultural Centre in Dakar, Senegal.
Youth ambassador

In July 2003, Baaba Maal was appointed as a Youth Emissary for the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP). As part of his role, the musician-ambassador  devoted a significant amount of time and energy to raising young people's awareness of AIDS and HIV. Meanwhile, Baaba Maal continued to tour in the U.S., raising his profile abroad. He returned to Senegal to perform a special "welcome concert" at the UNDP's Pan-African Youth Leadership Summit in Dakar in June 2004.

Maal took to the stage again in Dakar (2 - 4 July 2004) to celebrate the 19th anniversary of his band Daandé Lénol, performing on stage alongside a host of music stars including Thione Seck, Fatou Laobé, Abuu Jubaa Deh, rapper Bill Diakhou and the legendary drum maestro Doudou Ndiaye Rose. (The only musician missing from the line-up was the group's late kora-player, Kawnding Cissokho.) Baaba Maal continued his role as a human rights advocate on this occasion, publicly appealing for "moral support for deprived children so Africa can forge a future for itself." The musician also proclaimed his solidarity with the Hal Pulaar people (Baaba's family is Hal Pulaar, known in the English speaking world as Fulani.)
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 In 2006, Maal organised the first edition of "Les Blues du Fleuve" (River Blues) festival in Senegal. The festival has become an annual spring-time event, hopping between the countries that border the Senegal River and involving all branches of the arts from music to painting, crafts and public lectures. Later that same year, Maal released a new album, "Kettode & Sangoul", then headed off for a major summer tour of America, playing dates in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

In February 2007, Baaba Maal appeared at the African Union Summit, held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, performing at a gala dinner for government leaders and heads of state. In July of that year he was invited to Charlton Park in the U.K. to take part in the 25th anniversary celebrations for WOMAD (the world music festival launched by Peter Gabriel.) Rumours continued to circulate about the musician's alleged health problems. At the second "Blues du Fleuve" festival, Maal acknowledged that he had been slightly ill but had made a full recovery since.

Baaba Maal made a notable comeback on the recording front at the beginning of 2008 with a new album entitled "Internationale riche Afrique." The album featured ten hard-hitting songs recorded over a two-year period between London, Philadelphia and Dakar. In promotional interviews for his album, the singer strove to dismiss the clichéd view of Africa as a "continent riddled by suffering and riven by conflict," claiming that this detrimental image has been greatly exaggerated by the media. He insisted that his homeland is a rich, diverse and dynamic continent that has nurtured a hotbed of artistic talent. As usual, several of the tracks on Maal's new album were intended to educate listeners, "Léki Léki", for instance, raising public awareness about the environment.

Maal spent May and June 2008 on the road, playing a series of dates across Kenya, Belgium and the Netherlands. Meanwhile, he continued his mission as a youth ambassador for the UNDP, speaking on a number of issues ranging from digital technology to climate change and sustainable development. Baaba Maal's live album, "On the Road" (featuring a selection of recordings from various concerts around the world over the past decade) was released to critical acclaim in June 2008. The following month, leading British newspaper The Independent listed Maal's "On the Road" as number 1 in its Top 10 World Music Albums.  In March 2009, Baaba Maal joined Oliver Mtukudzi and the group Extra Golden on the road as part of the "African Soul Rebels" project. The three acts toured extensively in the U.K. "celebrating the soul of Africa."

Baaba Maal released a new studio album in June 2009 called "Television." The title was both an indication that this was the singer's own "vision of the world", but also expressed his concern about the power which the TV media exert these days. Baaba Maal branched out in a new musical direction on "Television", collaborating with trendy New York trio The Brazilian Girls who encouraged the Senegalese star to experiment with electro-pop. The album (co-produced by Jerry Reynolds and Maal and mixed by Jerry Boys) found Maal moving away from traditional West African inspiration and putting a more contemporary spin on his arrangements. Maal's new album also included a series of multi-lingual duets with Sabina Sciubba, The Brazilian Girls' Italian-German singer.

He is featured on two tracks "Hunger" and "Still" on the Black Hawk Down soundtrack and performed on the title track of the 2008 video game Far Cry 2. He played at Bonnaroo and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 2010.

He is featured on a track on the Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly album All of This Yours.

Baaba Maal sang the track for Kerala Tourism's 2010 ad campaign "Your moment is waiting" with music composed by One Giant Leap.

On 4 May 2013, Baaba Maal also performed at the 2013 edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Harare, Zimbabwe.

In 2014, he contributed to the BBC Music's remake of The Beach Boys song "God Only Knows".

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After its release to wide acclaim in 1984, first on Rogue Records in the United Kingdom, and then worldwide by Mango the following year, the record slipped into oblivion. Now Djam Leelii is available again, this time with some newly mastered tracks from the original 1982 sessions. It is the soul of West Africa, a model of brilliant guitar music and as sublime an example of Senegalese musical art as ever was made. Mansour Seck and Baaba Maal have been partners in music for a long time, always experimenting, always surprising, whether it's bold pop or subtle acoustics. This is one of the latter. Primarily two guitars and two voices, Djam Leelii insinuates rather than insists. There is a slight backing of electric guitars, a hint of balafon and a variety of small percussion, just enough to prod the music along, never rushing it. Even the excess of reverb seems to be in service of the surreal atmosphere they create here. For those who love West African acoustic music, and for those who love excellent musicianship in any form, this recording is a classic. Even if you already have an earlier release of the record, these three long tracks still make a second purchase worthwhile. Mixed in a drier ambiance, they feature grittier guitar sounds, a more urgent vocal combination, and some wonderful kora and balafon work by Mamad Kouyate and Jombo Kouyate. The closing track, "Taara," is one of the most gorgeous tracks of modern acoustic Hapulaar (Fulani) music available on disc. Djam Leelii has stood the test of time, and it sustains the listener year after year.

Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck - Djam Leeli (The Adventurers)  (flac  429mb)

01 Lamtooro 6:38
02 Loodo 6:08
03 Muudo Hormo 6:13
04 Salminanam 4:25
05 Maacina Tooro 5:47
06 Djam Leelii 6:00
07 Bibbe Leydy 6:25
08 Sehilam 6:21
09 Kettodee 4:53
bonus
10 Ko Wone Mayo 9:27
11 Daande Lenol 4:32
12 Taara 5:22

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Baayo is the logical extension of the gorgeous duet recording Baaba Maal did with fellow Senegalese guitarist and singer Mansour Seck, Djam Leelii, issued two years previously. Seck is back here, but this is clearly Maal's show. On one hand, he sticks very close to the open, droning whole-tone melodies in traditional Senegalese folk music. On the other, along with Seck and three other guitarists -- who all play in Senegal's kora-like style of fingerpicking on nylon strings and alternately keep rhythms by a series of repetitive patterns and interchangeable key signatures in chord patterns for harmonic depth and dimension -- keyboards and programming are added sparely and sparsely in certain places to beef up the percussion a bit and to layer guitars over others as well as create sonic ambience and space. None of it is over the top as it would become on his later records; if fact, it's barely noticeable. What is readily apparent is just how stunning Maal's voice is, and, when surrounded by a quartet of guitarists, how deeply he can dig in for the purpose of being a griot (storyteller), and to inspire religious faith and national pride in responding to calls to prayer, to provide for families, and to offer inspiration and example to coming generations. These are spiritual songs that reflect the joy and responsibility of a commitment to that way of life. It is quietly awe-inspiring and infectiously optimistic. Whether or not you can relate to the themes in these songs, their passion and sheer musicality will take you over.

Baaba Maal - Baayo  (flac  346mb)

01 Baayo 4:28
02 Mariama 4:56
03 Joulowo 9:41
04 Diahowo 6:45
05 Baaba 3:39
06 Bouyel 4:14
07 Yero Mama 4:39
08 Agouyadi 7:39
09 Dogata 7:31
10 Samba 5:45

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On this great album sung mainly in the Fulani language, Baaba Maal performs both traditional Senegalese music and his own particular modern fusion of rock and reggae-like rhythms with traditional styles. It has the elements that should appeal to Westerners--the funk of "Ndelorel," the hip-hop rhythms and dancehall rapping of "Hamady Boiro (Yelle)," but the pieces never quite fit together smoothly, and the production lacks the touches to put it over the top. Most successful, ironically, is the epic "Daniibe," which is the rootsiest song on the album, taking Maal back to his native northern Senegal. So, even though he tries to emulate countryman Youssou N'Dour, he never sounds completely comfortable trying to make his music into something it was never meant to be. More than his compatriot, Maal is a true roots artist, and when those roots show through strongly, he's at his best. Lam Toro is a classic of African music, provides a great introduction to the various musical styles of Senegal and is surprisingly accessible to the Western ear.

Baaba Maal - Lam Toro  (flac  311mb)

01 Yela 4:14
02 Toro 3:39
03 Daande Lenol 5:51
04 Hamady BoIro 3:39
05 DaniIbe 5:44
06 Gidelam 6:33
07 Olel 7:00
08 Sy Sawande 5:55
09 Ndelorel 3:36
10 Lem Gi 7:55
11 Minuit 4:00

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