Francis Bebey – Awkwaaba

July 18, 2011

80s, West Africa

My buddy Shawn let me know about Francis Bebey a whiiile back but I didn’t find a tape until recently. This deep and minimal orgy of sanza (a type of thumb-piano) is alternately back-beat almost-dancey and ketamine heady. I posted the link in one zipped file above, you’re gonna want the whole thing.

Awesome Tapes from Africa DJ sets at Central Park SummerStage on Sunday, July 31 (FREE) followed by a show with Brooklyn homeboys The Sway Machinery on Tuesday, August 2 at 92Y Tribeca.

Also, I will be lugging my tapes around Europe in August, sharing sounds from island to village to city to harbour:

05.08 DK Sejerø Festival
07.08 PL Katowice Off Festival
08.08 UK London Cafe Oto
11.08 CH Geneva Ecoutes au Vert
12.08 NL Venlo Zomerparkfeest
13.08 DE Hamburg MS Dockville

BTW–ATFA is no longer fronting on Facebook. Show some like.

Side 1
Akwaaba
Bissau
Binta Madiallo
Ngoma Likembe

Side 2
Tumu Pakara
Sassandra
Di Sengi

Cameroon Drums / Percussion Folk / Traditional Pop

9 Comments

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

Kurtreply

July 18, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Original Music was a great label. It was John Storm Roberts’ label. Street Music of Java is one of my faves on Original Music.

icasticoreply

July 19, 2011 at 3:51 am

A true classic. Can’t say enough good things about it.

It is available here as well

http://holywarbles.blogspot.com/2011/05/francis-bebey-akwaaba-original-music.html

And lots more over here.
http://freedomblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Bebey

Modoreply

July 21, 2011 at 3:03 pm

This is an absolutely amazing album! thank you!

joeysimmsreply

August 27, 2011 at 5:50 pm

What Kurt said – nearly every Original Music release is chock full of amazing and inspiring sounds.

Thanks for posting this!

Paulreply

September 20, 2014 at 2:40 pm

Very different than the others album of F.Bebey ! Amazing sound from CAMEROON

Joostreply

March 26, 2015 at 8:54 pm

Hi,
Thanks for your great site!
Are the files for Francis Bebey – Awkwaaba still available?
I’m very curious but I can’t find the link.
All the best,
Joost

Gregg A Evansreply

June 30, 2016 at 4:26 am

the link bellow has the full album download (just a link I found) sooogoood

http://www.listentothis.info/2014/10/francis-bebey-akwaaba.html

June 30, 2016 at 4:27 am

I think Don Cherry had this in mind when he made brown rice

June 30, 2016 at 4:35 am

And Herbie’s Watermelon man. Or maybe this album is not as old as i think

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