#4396, Music From and About the African Diaspora

Hear music from the African diaspora for this show by the supergroup project Keleketla which is Ninja Tune cofounders Coldcut and South African musicians, new collaborative music by Art Ensemble of Chicago, now into its sixth decade with Moor Mother and other guest musicians, music from New York quartet Miyamoto is Black Enough, work from the most recent record by Shabaka & the Ancestors and a collaboration from trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and Mivos Quartet.

Listen to ‘Freedom Groove’, by jazz supergroup Keleketla! featuring musicians and artists from across the diaspora: Afrobeat-powered groove by the late pioneer Tony Allen and Dele Sosimi, legendary L.A. spoken word pioneers The Watts Prophets, and West Papuan activist Benny Wenda, along with the brass by the Antibalas horns. Then, hear new work by sax player and composer Shabaka Hutchings, who with his ongoing collaboration with​ a group of young South African musicians called Shabaka And The Ancestors, have recently released a new album called We Are Sent Here By History. Hutchings has described it as “a reflection from the ruins, from the burning,” which takes on the history of colonialism in Africa.

There's music by Art Ensemble of Chicago, whose surviving members Mitchell and Moye have recruited a mighty group to continue the magical music-making into their sixth decade, including Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid, Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa), Christina Wheeler, Silvia Bolognesi and Jean Cook – women who are without peer as improvisers and performers. Also, sample music by Miyamoto is Black Enough, a New York band based on Ariana Miyamoto, a Japanese national who grew up as a self-described mixed race “hafu.” The quartet combines hard driving rhythms and biting social commentary with steelpan by Andy Akiho, cello from Jeffrey Zeigler, Sean Dixon on drums, bass, synth and programming, and poetry/vocals by Roger Bonair Agard. Hear their “Panifesto” and other tracks. Plus, listen to the sanza, as played by Cameroonian singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet, and musicologist Francis Bebey and his music for thumb piano.  -Caryn Havlik

Program #4396, Music From and About the African Diaspora (First aired 8/4/2020)

ARTIST: Art Ensemble of Chicago, ft. Moor Mother
WORK: Mama Koko [1:00]
RECORDING: We Are On The Edge
SOURCE/INFO: artensembleofchicago.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Miyamoto is Black Enough
WORK: Panifesto Part 1 [2:37]
RECORDING: Burn / Build
SOURCE: National Sawdust Tracks
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Miyamoto is Black Enough
WORK: Revolver [6:00]
RECORDING: Burn / Build
SOURCE: National Sawdust Tracks
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Miyamoto is Black Enough
WORK: Panifesto Part 2 [4:37]
RECORDING: Burn / Build
SOURCE: National Sawdust Tracks
INFO: nationalsawdust.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Keleketla!
WORK: Freedom Groove [7:08]
RECORDING: Keleketla!
SOURCE/INFO: keleketla.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Francis Bebey
WORK: Creation Myth with sanza [7:09]
RECORDING: Live, WNYC 3/18/1993
SOURCE: This performance not commercially avilable
INFO: newsounds.org/vaults_bebey

ARTIST: Art Ensemble of Chicago, ft. Moor Mother
WORK: Mama Koko [7:34]
RECORDING: We Are On The Edge
SOURCE/INFO: artensembleofchicago.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Shabaka & the Ancestors
WORK: You've Been Called [6:29]
RECORDING: We Are Sent Here by History
SOURCE: Impulse! Records
INFO: https://impulse.lnk.to/WeAreSentHereByHistory

ARTIST: Ambrose Akinmusire, Mivos Quartet, rapper Kool A.D.
WORK: particle / spectra [3:33]
RECORDING: Origami Harvest
SOURCE: Blue Note Records
INFO: bluenote.com