#3782: Afropean Music

Hear music that is part of both African and European traditions: Afropean music, on this New Sounds. Listen to music from French electronic music artist Ludovic Navarre, better known as St. Germain, who has just resurfaced with his first record in over 15 years. During the intervening time, he immersed himself in the music of West Africa, became a huge fan of the late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, and spent time studying in Malian pockets of Paris. As a result, Malian traditional music plays a central part of this latest release, with djembes, balafon, plucked n'goni and kora strings, along with western instruments like saxophone and electric guitar. St. Germain has shaken and stirred together these acoustic elements against a backdrop of loops, and the occasional blues sample – say of Lightnin' Hopkins' s voice chants;  the music is anything but a western electronica record and took six years to make.

Also, there’s music from the Belgian Marie Daulne and her band Zap Mama, which has its roots in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Listen to one of their early recordings and their quintet of a cappella voices.  Plus, hear Baka Beyond  - English musicians who lived with the Baka pygmies in the forests of Cameroon.Their music fuses African beats with Celtic and Gaelic melodies. Plus listen to collaborative music made by Malian musicians Afel Bocoum and Toumani Diabate together with the English musician Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), and more.

PROGRAM #3782 Afro-pean music (First Aired 10-06-2015)