When you think of the Sahara, you probably think of majestic dunes, solitude and silence – and less of music. A lot of very exciting music can actually be found there from desert rock to hip hop and techno to more traditional sounds. Ten years ago, the Sahel Sounds label published the first instalment in its series »Music From Saharan Cellphones«, which also represented the first encounter with Mdou Moctar for many people. At that time, music in the Sahara, as in other parts of Africa, was mainly sold or exchanged in file form – those days are obviously over now, too. In this respect, »Music From Saharan WhatsApp« documents a technological paradigm shift. Musically, however, time has not stood still in the Sahara. Jeich Ould Badu from Mauritania combines the archaic Tidnit lute with a drum computer. Mahamadou Moussa from Niger produces his very own kind of electronic music on a Yamaha synthesiser. The Malian rapper Luka Guindo alias Luka Productions experiences a surprisingly elegiac rendezvous with the goni player Kandiafa. Veyrouz Mint Seymali, on the other hand, is a descendant of the legendary Mauritanian singer Dimi Mint Seymali, whose legacy she continues. There is a lot to discover, including the incidental noises that come with the pieces from the last two years, which are often recorded on makeshift equipment.
Various Artists
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WeWantSounds