African Blues (compilation album)

African Blues
Compilation album by
Various artists
Released9 June 1998
GenreWorld, African blues
Length77:35
LabelWorld Music Network
Full series chronology
The Rough Guide to English Roots Music
(1998)
African Blues
(1998)
The Rough Guide to the Music of South Africa
(1998)
Complete list

African Blues is a world music benefit compilation album originally released in 1998, with proceeds going to Voluntary Service Overseas. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series,[1] the release features African blues (a genre which is not simply an African re-interpretation of the American style, but carrying on traditions that were also exported to the Americas—see Origins of the blues). The compilation was produced and coordinated by Phil Stanton & Sandra Alayón-Stanton, co-founders of the World Music Network.[2] Though they are named differently (the Rough Guide designation being omitted in this release and only found in the catalogue number, common practice for the label's charity releases), 2007's The Rough Guide to African Blues is sometimes considered this album's second edition.[3]

Mali is represented in this album five times, Guinea twice, and Senegal, Zimbabwe, the DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, the ROC, and Cape Verde once each.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]

Writing for AllMusic, Adam Greenberg found relevance in the album for its "relatively early collection" of artists who would subsequently become the biggest African stars in the world music scene over the next decade. According to Greenberg, though not all tracks remained within the delineated genre, the music remained "worthwhile".[4]

Track listing

No.TitleArtist (Country)Length
1."Talibe"Ismaël Lô Senegal4:19
2."Mouneïssa"Rokia Traoré Mali5:44
3."A Va Safy Va Lomo"Orchestra Marrabenta Star De Mocambique Mozambique6:09
4."Mansa"Super Rail Band Mali6:33
5."Paulette"Balla et ses Balladins Guinea7:43
6."Maggie"Alick Nkhata Zambia2:28
7."Omulanga Wamuka"Henry Makobi Kenya3:53
8."Heygana"Ali Farka Touré Mali5:59
9."Ndinderere"Stella Chiweshe Zimbabwe4:58
10."Shams Esh'shamusa"Hamza El Din Egypt5:15
11."N'Sangou"Antoine Moundanda Republic of the Congo4:11
12."Mouso Teke Soma Ye"Boubacar Traoré Mali6:18
13."Kankan Blues"Balla Kalla & Kante Manfila Guinea2:50
14."Miss Perfumado"Cesária Évora Cape Verde4:27
15."Saa Magni"Oumou Sangare Mali7:35

References

  1. ^ Douglas H., Henkle (2012-10-23). "Rough Guide Discography / World Music Network Discography". FolkLib Index : A Library of Folk Music Links. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  2. ^ World Music Network. "About Us - The WMN Story". Archived from the original on 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  3. ^ Nickson, Chris. "The Rough Guide to African Blues". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 Jan 2014.
  4. ^ a b Greenberg, Adam. "African Blues". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 Jan 2014.