Sound Travels le monde Français all week this week and honestly, I'm sad it's almost over. I speak a bit of French and music from the French-speaking world has been at the foundation of my world music fascination. All week, from garage to pop to the traditional Celtic sounds of Milwaukee's own Myserk, we've been exploring the sound that has no border.
And today, we continue with a few cuts from Africa, where French is widely spoken; a colonial legacy that shines right through the music. Today, new music from Les Nubians brand new album Nü Revolution which came out earlier this year and is quite good. Also Senegal's Daara J Family, who somehow manage to come across like some long lost kin to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on an African rap comp I recently came across.
Les Nubians "Veuille Veiller" Nü Revolution
Daara J Family "Bayi Yoon" Retour Vers Le Futur Part 1
Also had music from Africa's best-known reggae artist, Tiken Jah Fakoly, whose music is subtle, political and quite good. He's got several very solid albums but this one comes from one of his best, 2008's Le Chameleon. I also had North African rap from Big Red, a group that may have one of my favorite French language albums ever, Red-emption. What's amazing about Big Red is that he's equally adept at rap and reggae vocal deliveries and on this album, crafts masterpiece after masterpiece. Très brilliant! Taste 'em.
Tiken Jah Fakoly "Baba" Le Chameleon
Big Red "Je Prends Le Mic" Red-emption