Mojo - The Music Magazine

IT BEGAN IN AFRICA. Humanity that is. And rock'n'roll, too, if you trace it back to the blues (which you must) and from there to the western coast of the formerly "dark" continent (ditto), despoiled by slave traders to fuel the "new" world's economic miracle. And while in the West we've only ever seen the tip of Africa's iceberg of musical riches, it's enough to fill the open-minded music fan with wonder.

Specifically, the latest generation of African musicians seem to offer something that rock'n'roll has to some degree mislaid - its qualities of transcendence and invocation - since the heyday of psychedelia. Anyone who has seen Tinariwen live (or their Tuareg countryfolk Tamikrest and Terakraft) will attest to their tapping of a musical source shared by Hendrix, Santana, and other avatars of the triumphantly tripped-out on both sides of the Atlantic.

But that's just one style - a single thread in a ridiculously complex tapestry. Unique guitar styles, unearthly instruments and incredible voices abound, as MOJO's Danny Eccleston dips a toe in the water of African music on the net.

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Tinariwen - Mataraden Anexan

The stoner Tuareg groove at its heaviest on this classic from their never-bettered Radio Tisdas Sessions. Watch that bass player's skippy dance - he's feeling it!

Staff Benda Bilili - Polio

A gang of Congolese paraplegics who ride customized tricycles, sell black market ciggies and doss down in a zoo? Admit it - you're already interested. Here Ricky Likabu, Coco Ngambali and co ooze effortless Cubano soul on the greatest song ever about a crippling illness that isn't Spasticus (Autisticus).

Konono No.1 - Paradiso

From Congo again, proving what can be done with a likembé ("thumb-piano-type-thing", laypeople), a whistle and waste-metal cymbals. House, kraut and acid-rock taken back to the source, with ace distortion provided by a DIY megaphone-amp.

Toumani Diabate - Cantelowes

Weaving a magical spell, the Malian King of the Kora recorded live while on tour in Spain. This gorgeous track features on the new MOJO magazine's free Africa Rising CD.

Bassekou Kouyate - Bassekou

The Malian "Hendrix of the ngoni" proving the flexibility of his chosen instrument, the ancestor of the Western banjo. His wife Amy Sacko takes the vocal on this one.

Oumou Sangaré - Seya

Mali's Queen Of Song pours her astonishing instrument over buffed modern beats in the title track from her latest World Circuit album. Proving "crossover" needn't be synonymous with "horrible".

Vieux Farka Toure - Bamako Jam

Ali's eldest shows just why he's being mentioned in the same breath as his revered dad, the man who first fused American blues and African modes in one guitar-shaped whole. Here, Vieux cuts loose on a bunch of crazy riffs in his backyard. Well, his mate's amused.

Kasai Allstars - Mpofu (The Blind Man)

Mantric craziness on a Kinshasa cement lot as Mputu Ebondo and multi--ethnic pals groove through a live rehearsal for the brilliantly titled album, In The 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into A Swimming Fish And Ate The Head Of His Enemy By Magic. Read it and weep, Alanis Morissette.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Back in the day, when it were all Andy Kershaw and The Four Brothers on John Peel round these parts, southern Africa was where it was at. Here's South Africa's finest vocal group, still going strong nearly 50 years since their inception. Although mainman Joseph Shabalala threatens to retire imminently, they won their third Grammy this year.

Fela Kuti

No excuses for including someone a) dead and b) not on our CD, here's Nigeria's Black President morphing way-gone sex-dancing with superheated post-JB funkjazz in 1971. Great pants, too! Footage by, wait for it... Ginger Baker.