“Hausa folkloric highlife” from northern Ghana. This cassette—like this and this—was produced and engineered by Blessed Gregory, currently a central figure in this music that weds northern Ghanaian musical sensibilities (references to Islam; extensive use of the dondo or “talking drum”) with mainstream highlife and neo-folk gome rhythms (like what you hear on the Allan Family cassettes).
Called simpa music, it’s been around for ages and has always simultaneously drawn inspiration from social issues important to Northerners and the popular sounds coming from Ghana’s coastal south. Noted ethnomusicologist and all-around incredible person John Collins has written on it a bit.
It was my pal Wills who supplied this tape. When I saw it in his collection I had to borrow/share…
*—don’t miss
Side A
Amore
Mugun Fata *
Karen Dawure
Side B
Ana ce Shashashai *
Hanu New Maka
Ni Da Yariga
Amuni Na
17 Comments
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Many thanks for this tape, you do an awesome work.
Thank You!!!
Nice one.
Thnx
Am I alone in thinking that this whole album sounds like it has been sped up? The androgynous sounding singer with fast vibrato, the high-voiced chords on the synths, the brisk tempos… maybe it’s just me.
In any case, thank you for this!
Many thanks for putting these up! Great site!
Ina son wakokin Hausawa! Na gode kwarai da gaske!
Any Idea on the release year of this? at least roughly?
Thanks and great work as always!
Jeff
good blog, great music.
Nice one! Have a look at this interesting article in Mute Magazine: ‘I Like Listening to Awesome Tapes from Africa’.
http://www.metamute.org/en/content/i_like_listening_to_awesome_tapes_from_africa
Love this article. You summarise your ideas very well. Keep up the good work.
This tape changed my life. Thankyou for posting this & all that you post. It brings a lot of colour & funk to a lot of people’s lives. PEACE!
I love this tape! Wonderful thunderous drums, and that weedy synth sound too – sounds a bit like like some early (and therefore good!) Rai from Algeria. But why on earth is the synth playing ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ in the middle of track 5?! Fantastic stuff.
May try 1.1’s suggestion & slow it down a bit – but it’s a great listen whatever speed. THank you!!
Good job done.Thank you for putting this up…I like this genre of
music so much.
How can I download Maurice maiga songs
Thanks soo much for putting this up .i’ve been looking for this album for ages.Allah ya Kiyaye ku ????
How do I load pls
How do I get to download please