God, I love radio for many, many reasons. One thing I don't love is how it predisposes me towards shorter, "poppier" tunes because that's what radio "likes." It caters to lower quaity by presuming a certain amount of dislike, pre-fitting itself to a lower commitment of listeners you know, actually listening to a song. Songs stay short so investment is low, and in a couple of minutes you're on to the next song. Well lately, I've been connecting with songs, particularly African songs, whose strength is not brevity but are long running jams. The ones you'll find in this mix are pure paydirt, songs gifted with a tunefulness that given their time-stamp, will worm their way straight into the part of your mind that craves real escape. Some of the jams in this mix are nearly 10 minutes... but those are some good moments. When a song is long and good, the groove stays strong and lingers.
This mixtape is vintage West African music from the 60's and 70's for the most part, from all over the region. While not a statement or a sonic historical record, they are excellent songs from a range of artists both well known and quite scarce. When you dig deep, you get close to the heart of the jam...
AFRO PICK! The Golden Age of West Africa Mixtape || 09-28-14 Sound Travels by Marcusdoucette on Mixcloud