Spurred on by the rise of sampling in Hip Hop and electronic music and despite a downturn in vinyl production, in the 80′s and 90′s a rich vinyl collecting culture exploded in places like the U.S., Europe, and Japan. For years young hip DJs from the city, travelled to forgotten about record shops in backwater towns, the dusty basements of aging record collectors, or the back rows of an inner-city record shop looking for rarities that seemed to pop out of thin air. Collectors scoured their neighbors backyards for rare jazz, rock, and funk, motivated by unnamed sample sources, hoping to find that illusive breakbeat. The best DJs were the ones with the deepest crates. Around the early 00′s, Hip Hop stopped using samples and turned back towards synthesizers, the Internet started a deeper collective crate, and a vital source of inspiration dried up. For collectors, all the stones seemed to be overturned, the market had too many buyers, and people, starting to realize the value of what they had, turned to E-bay to make money off of their collections. With much of the rare vinyl being plundered locally, a few intrepid explorers decided to try their luck in uncharted territory. Of course, they made their way to Africa. The map and scenario (above) may both be a little hyperbolic, but it does seem that the current mad-dash for rare African vinyl could be analogous to Europe’s 19th Century Scramble for Africa, a mad-dash for rare African minerals. There is a trend among rare-groove DJs to “find fortune” in the (re)discovery of musical gems in places where the value of vinyl and recorded music from the past has diminished. Just go to your local record shop (if one still exists) and peruse the display shelves to encounter dozens of new releases celebrating the recently uncovered recordings of Africa’s unknown musical heritage. The image of these guys as plundering opportunists isn’t helped by their reception in “The West”. As one music writer puts it,”Frank Gossner’s DJ sets burst with exclusive tracks that are so rare that they can’t be heard anywhere else on this planet” (from ChoiceCuts.com.) Rare music from planet Africa!?! Who wouldn’t want to get a piece of that?
On the other hand, vinyl culture has been long dead in most African countries. Perhaps these diggers are doing a service by restoring historical and cultural memory. Much of the music they are interested in is music from the Independence era, an important and optimistic time period. Many of the artists they are tracking down have been retired for years and some enjoy a revival. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, Orchestra Baobab, Mulatu Astatke, are all touring and enjoying popularity with a young hip crowd. For various reasons in places like Benin, Senegal, and Ethiopia (and also the U.S.) younger generations don’t know the previous generation’s contribution to the popular musical landscape. The DJs are engaging in a pop culture archeology to teach the masses about their own history, and at the same time are showing Europeans and Americans that our shared tastes and desires prove that we’re not that different after all. The European powers of the 19th century, sought to change the face of the continent through the colonial project. In contrast, the boldest vinyl diggers amongst us are trying to preserve what’s being lost.
Perhaps then, what we have to question is for who’s value is it being preserved? My biggest criticism is not that they are going to Africa to shed light on these “lost” recordings and forgotten about artists. I’m instead worried that they concentrate too much on those forms of music that fit nicely into the story that they, the DJs, want to tell about the music. The cataloging tendency tends to be a colonial one. Also, many of the DJs and label owners, perhaps because of its shared lineage with Hip Hop, have concentrated on Afro-Beat, or have given more weight to genres that are popular in the west like Rock and Funk. For African artists, these are generally styles that artists often used as tools, or influences to fuse with their own popular local styles. The reissue train has been slow to recognize larger genres in Africa like Soukous, Highlife, or Benga, unless they find an artist that has an added funk or rock influence. In the past the tendency was to look for “authentic” music that sounded more “traditional.” Are they now shying away from things that sound too … African?
If you’re interested in discovering more about the history of African pop, now is a better time than ever. While the blogging world may at times suffer from its own imperial tendencies, there have been some great free sources of information on African pop music history like Benn Loxo du Taccu, Likembe, with Comb and Razor, and Africolombia.*
For a nice visual on the typical digging journey, check out the trailer for Frank Gossner’s yet to be released documentary, Take me Away Fast.
*I have to mention that South America is included in this “colonial project” as well, but it is through visits to Colombia that Soundway Records met the rich vinyl collecting culture of Colombia’s northern coast, a community in the midst of its own project to preserve African musical history. It’s an interesting comparison to look at the contrast between a community mediated project motivated by their own cultural heritage, and one that is more motivated by a commercial venture.
* Chief Boima is a DJ and cultural activist based in New York City. He is joining AIAC and this is the first of regular posts on music culture that he will doing for us.
UPDATE: The map was originally posted by Reynaldo on the Soul-Strut forum.
Uchenna – I am with you. Thanks Boima and AIAC for making the space. Chris
Uchenna! Great comment.
I remain reticent. Heh.
Uchenna for the win. That was a really inspiring comment!
I would also like to add that for every Samy, there’s 10 tools out there who just go to Africa on buying trips for no other purpose than to pay as little as possible for rare records and resell them for high profits upon their return to The West. The music itself is secondary to the prospect of the almighty dollar / euro / pound profits to be wrenched from a salivating international audience of music fiends who run the gamut from tastemaking DJ’s to vinyl speculating vultures.
To add a bit more:
Those vinyl speculating scumbags should be the real target of this discussion, not the loving reissuers of these rare gems.
I guess the real question is whether westerners can be sensitive to the feeling Africans might have about the ways their music is collected and disseminated and the impact it has their ability to define themselves and their cultural heritage. The argument being that africans are experiencing a form of cultural colonialism when they have no input into ways their music is used to define their cultural heritage, either in a commercial sense or an academic one. Reversing the situation you could ask how Americans would feel if Africans came over here and bought country music LP’s, found a market for them in africa, and used them as fodder for liner notes about what American music and culture was all about. It would be an incomplete picture of our musical heritage and we would lose the ability to influence the narrative. In terms of vitriol being aimed at speculating scumbags I would argue that multi-national music corporations that make and market music in africa have had a far more devastating impact on the cultural development of music in africa as they have controlled what is being played and what is being recorded. Who knows what kinds of indigenous music never sees the light of day because some record producer had not been introduced to it or did not think it was interesting. I think the vinyl speculators crimes are small in comparison.
I can’t help feeling that some of these posts underestimate Africans (if I can use such a general geographical term to cover such a heterogeneous mass of people). I think “Africans” are quite capable of resisting “cultural colonialism”. For sure the musicians of the continent were not impervious to the influences of the west (Cuban music, James Brown, European instruments to name but three) but they weren’t swamped by them. Congolese music remained Congolese, Senegalese music remained Senegalese, Malian music remained Malian, in spite of guitars and keyboards, in spite of ridiculously dotty renditions of Spanish lyrics.
I think we need to look at the word “heritage”. Perhaps for us in the north this word is too much tied up with the kind of things that Cecil Sharp and Harry Smith and Alan Lomax (and I guess to an extent Hugh Tracey around Africa) were doing which was to record the oral tradition before it disappeared. The emphasis is on getting the stuff on record and placing it in Cecil Sharp House or the Smithsonian Institute and preserving it for posterity. These exercises were not nationally or institutionally mediated but the work of individuals who felt that stuff shouldn’t be lost. Although Sterns and PAM and Analog Africa etc are doing valuable work in anthologising and contextualising the music of a handful of African musicians, I’m not sure this is “heritage” in the same sense. I wonder if there are African musicologists with the same collecting and preserving zeal as Sharp, Smith, Lomax et al. I would have thought the radio archives (if such exist) of the various countries of Africa might be a starting point for such collections.
So releasing an afrobeat is wrong because it doesn’t recognize other genres? If I’m releasing a comp of german krautrock I will be critized beacuse it doesen’t recognize traditional bavarian brass music? I don’t know one afrobeat or afrofunk comp with linernotes saying that this is the only african music.
Ant the argumentation that because of afrobeat and afrofunk other african genres aren’t reissued is bullsh*t. If I go to the next big cd-store they will have tons of african music but probably no afrobeat compilation. If I go to the small vinyl selling recordstore around the corner they will have a couple of afrobeat comps and reissues but probably no other african music genres, ’cause they don’t sell well enough on vinyl.
Ant the argumentation that because of afrobeat and afrofunk other african genres aren’t reissued is bullsh*t.
David, I really have no idea of WHOSE “bullsh*t” argument you’re raging against because I’m fairly certain nobody has said the above, nor has anybody suggested that reissuing afrobeat and afrofunk is “wrong. It’s this kind of oversimplification of the issues for the sake of scoring easy points that leads to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
I’m with you, though: I haven’t seen any afrobeat or afrofunk compilation liner notes suggesting that this is the only African music, but I have seen a few that do sort of contextualize them in a way that creates a not very accurate portrait of the scene. Like, imagine if you were to put out your krautrock comp–I don’t think anybody would require you to include some Bavarian brass in there, but if you made it look like NEU! and La Dusseldorf were the biggest bands in Germany for decades, you have to admit that it might be problematic. Michael Scott illustrated the same issue above with his country music example.
Anyway, I don’t think is really about any one compilation and more about the cumulative effect of release after release mining more or less the same ground (of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, if that’s what the audience wants).
Or David, what do you think about the following copy taken from the liners of the reissue of the 1977 LP Be Nice to People by the Nigerian rock group Question Mark:
Question Mark recorded this album in 1974 in Kenya, the land safari parks, of elephants & lions. 5 musicians, all English vocals, heavy fuzz guitar, 8 freakin tracks. If you think BLO and WITCH where great African albums, you will love this one. It beats most bands from Africa such as OFEGE, CHRISSY ZEBBY, RIKKI ILILONGA and MACK SIGIS PORTER, unless you are only into African rhythms and chanting. This album has mostly western style songs with great and heavy guitar sounds all over but with an strong African touch of course.
I mean, apart from the fact that they got the country and the year of release wrong, do you see anything troublesome in the above text?
(This is an extreme case, of course, and not at all reflective of the more rigorous efforts of labels like Soundway, Analog Africa, Strut and Academy.)
I greatly thank Boim Tucker. and his gentle bride Tamara Connely(Bolivia). they had the gentilesa to visit my humble home in Barranquilla, Colombia.
I had the honor of taking him to southern parts of my city and show the neighborhoods of african descendents in Barranquilla, also The Sound Systems and Picós old.
also experience. the mexcla of the painting and music, (Los Picós) is our coastal culture. unfortunately little time.
I know the Boiman had no intention of offending anyone, he is very generous.
Viva Africa!
-Fabian
Uchenna,
psych rock collectors really can be total weirdos, right? as long as a record’s got a fuzz guitar, the context from where it came from doesnt matter… and they end up hyping really subpar records like those question mark and ofege lps over some really great shit that doesnt get the reissue treatment; just because they didnt use fuzz pedals! same happens in asia and south america too
ToniK -
Yes, I learned what a peculiar bunch the psych rock crowd can be when I was really into those “Love, Peace, Poetry” compilations that collected psychedelic music from all around the world, completely devoid of context! (They’re still great to listen to, of course!)
Interesting discussion! Although I haven’t read all of it yet, I’d like to make a few comments.
As for criticism on reissuing African music that’s fused with western styles like funk or rock instead of more indigenous African music: before the appearance of compilations like Afro Rock Volume 1, Nigeria 70 or Ghana Soundz, there was hardly any awareness in the ‘west’ of the existence of these kind of fusions apart from Fela Kuti or Osibisa. The reissues by people like Miles Cleret, Samy Ben Redjeb and Frank Gossner have filled this gap and are a welcome addition to the other African music that’s out there in the stores.
As someone already pointed out above, there have been, and still are, lots of reissues and new releases of other African music styles on labels like Stern’s, World Circuit etc. etc.
Sure, there are still plenty of classic gems outside of the Afrofunk/-rock/-beat scope waiting to be reissued, but I think we will see more of those reissues in the near future. For example, Soundway’s Ghana Special compilation is already pointing in this direction: many songs on this album are pure highlife (which also originated as a fusion of African and western music, by the way).
Also, I think the current interest in Afrobeat/-funk/-rock will encourage people to dig further into African music and discover other styles as well.
Must say that when I have spoken to Samy Ben Rejeb and Will Quantic on the matter of vinyl digging they don’t seem to be in it for the money or the power,
which would perhaps be characteristics of colonialism.
A lot of old vinyl ended up thrown on huge fires and destroyed, if they have the passion to sift through it all and make great compilations and fully license the tracks so the artists or their estates get royalties plus entertain us in the process as well as encouraging more of an interest in music from the motherland then all grease to their elbow.
Funnily enough Frank Gosner’s great find Pax Nicholas and the Nettey Family which was re-released on Daptone records was found in a record store in Philadelphia I believe, according to his Voodoo Funk blog.
I guess its all down to how the record diggers conduct themselves and whether they try and pull the wool over someones eyes and rip them off blind.
Its interesting that no-one comments on Harry Smith who gathered masses of old shellac and vinyl from warehouses in the US. Vinvl that would otherwise go to the melting plants during the war effort… he sifted through them and compiled the Anthology of Folk music preserving for ever some early blues, spiritual, american folk and bluegrass.
Its not a simple call – although I did find the accompanying map humourous.
Jill
The post has been updated to credit the origins of the map. It was created by Reynaldo (The Latin Vinyl Junkie) on a thread about a disputed licensing issue at the Soul-Strut forum.
It’s an interesting discussion that I think sheds a little light on the reasons for the nature of some of the comments on this post. You can read it here:
http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/64091/
Wow, there is a such a focus on people’s feelings, whether African or those of the collectors. But feeling, or even intent, I think aren’t central to the point. Also, pointing out there are other bad things happening in Africa (or anywhere else) is kind of a derail too. Why is it a bad idea to examine the acts we actually do commit, rather than ignoring them to point the finger at acts beyond our control?
People who are genuinely acting in bad faith, planning to rip people off, are not folks who are necessarily going to think about these questions anyway. I don’t think the point of this post was to identify evildoers and call for punishment. I’m guessing the point was to try to inspire people to think more seriously about the larger implications of cataloging, collecting, transporting, sharing, and playing African records.
I find the OP’s characterization of John Storm Roberts to be very odd… he lived in various parts of Africa and collected both old and new vinyl releases at that time.
To propose that he was some kind of “neo-colonialist” for trying to get some sort of appreciation in the West for many different kinds of African music is, in my opinion, really absurd. (Especially given the fact that so much of what he issued was – still is – unpopular in both Africa and the West.)
Swahili taarab music. Some great comps of both Ghanian and Nigerian highlife – the latter pretty much ignored even today. Central and East African acoustic guitar music. Field recordings from Panama and Java (the latter being popular music, but not the kind of pop music that was being issued by contemporary record companies). Ibo guitar highlife.
I honestly don’t see anyone picking up where he left off.
Not to mention the Ugandan 45s and 78s that were collected by John Storm Roberts and reissued on his comp “The Kampala Sound.” No doubt all of the artists in question died during Idi Amin’s era.
But who, now, is going to Uganda and getting Ugandan music reissued? Or Rwandan, Botswanan, Zambian etc. etc. etc. music reissued – in its home countries as well as in the West?
Nobody, so far as I know. Maybe because too little of it fits into the trend that also fuels “rare groove” comps?
God knows, Kenyan and Tanzanian taarab 78s don’t move that crowd. And there are far too many other genres of music from all over the African continent that simply don’t resonate with a lot of folks who hold Afro-funk dear.
What I wish: that Africa’s best music be available for all Africans to hear – and to anybody else in the world whose ears are attuned to what’s good.
That’ll really take some doing, and I don’t hold out a lot of hope that it will ever come to pass. But we can try, no?
Hí buzzbase1,
Excuse me a question? John Stor Robert be alive?. he continues as an producer. after visiting my friend Sydney Reyes in Barranquilla, told me about this person, i remember in the 90s. I think I said back then that the productions performed under the Original Music label, also I think I said at the time you purchased or communicated for fax with John Stor
Thanks.
Fabian-
John Storm Roberts died last December. Here is his obit from the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/arts/music/10roberts.html
I found him to be a very funny , sensitive, and knowledable fan of African music. His book “Black Music of Two Worlds was one of the first works to conceptualize the Afro-Atlantic.
Like the current generation of reissue-ers, he didn’t get rich, his company went bust in the early 90s.
Some of his records have been pirated and reassembled by Mississippi Records (the songs on Love is Love and Lipa Kodi Ya City Council almost all were issued by JSR’s Original Music).
Chis- KTRU,
is a sad news, I thought it he was alive, my friend Sidney
wanted to talk with John . they interchange communication by Fax and some time he replied in Spanish.
is sad
Sidney once showed me a small brochure and a CD of the Eastern Band of Brother International. in a catalogue o Original Music
Peace in his tomb.