mauricemaiga

Maurice Maiga and Amore Cultural Group – Mugun Fata

“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

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

  • October 19, 2008 at 12:52 am

    Many thanks for this tape, you do an awesome work.

  • October 21, 2008 at 1:30 am

    Thank You!!!

  • October 22, 2008 at 12:11 am

    Nice one.
    Thnx

  • October 23, 2008 at 2:30 pm

    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!

  • October 26, 2008 at 6:19 am

    Many thanks for putting these up! Great site!

  • October 30, 2008 at 12:38 pm

    Ina son wakokin Hausawa! Na gode kwarai da gaske!

  • November 6, 2008 at 8:14 am

    Any Idea on the release year of this? at least roughly?

    Thanks and great work as always!

    Jeff

  • November 15, 2008 at 12:33 pm

    good blog, great music.

  • November 19, 2008 at 11:58 am

    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

  • January 8, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    Love this article. You summarise your ideas very well. Keep up the good work.

  • September 13, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    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!

  • November 27, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    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!!

  • May 22, 2019 at 2:41 am

    Good job done.Thank you for putting this up…I like this genre of
    music so much.

  • November 14, 2019 at 2:35 am

    How can I download Maurice maiga songs

  • March 24, 2020 at 9:05 pm

    Thanks soo much for putting this up .i’ve been looking for this album for ages.Allah ya Kiyaye ku ????

  • April 21, 2020 at 4:25 am

    How do I load pls

  • April 21, 2020 at 4:26 am

    How do I get to download please

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