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Jun 18, 2013

Living is Hard: West African Music in Britain, 1927-1929



I suppose the title of this compilation is a disarmingly blunt way conveying the motivation for a lot of the songs it contains. And living was surely hard for these musicians, although they at least didn't face the ever-present threat of lynching that their counterparts in the American South faced. The lack of English on this album makes it harder to convey this hardship, but at least we have the title to remind us. 

This is eerie music, and for most people will probably take a while to get used to. But the effort it requires to appreciate these complex rhythms and strange melodies is well worth it.

2 comments:

  1. This is a great site. I added it to my bookmarks. Look forward to future post.

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  2. Goddam, this is fantasic! Y'all always pick winners. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete