SUPER DJATA BAND DE BAMAKO - BIMOKO MAGNIN

Tangential Psychedelico says Happy Valentine's Day to you. Earth angel sounds from Super Djata Band de Bamako, via the impeccably curated Ghost Capital via worldservice. Worldservice has dedicated six posts to this band, which is from Mali but increasingly difficult to find recordings of in its home country, and nearly impossible in the rest of the world. This volume was released in the early 80s by Musique Mondiale. The guitar sounds like dripping tea and sun.

Don't miss Worldservice's meticulous collection of this band's work and his moving commentary, here.

MUSIC OF THE SHIKHAT

Via ghostcapital: a most incredible sample of Tunisian Shikhat dance music recorded by soloist and choreographer Mardi Rollow. Shikhat are "female performers in Moroccan society whose singing and dancing are central to all festivity, including rites of passage like marriage ceremonies and birth and circumcision celebrations. Despite their centrality, however, Shikhat are socially marginal due to the license that they exhibit both in performance and in their 'off-stage' lives" (JSTOR). Dancers sing, perform complicated handclap rhythms and work with finger cymbals. The joyous intensity of this music is arguably not higher than, but definitely very different from, traditional Western wedding music like this (which does still give me goosebumps).

Listen to Music from the Shikhat here.