I'm definitely still trying to get my mind around 2018 by looking back at the accumulated mess of tastes I sampled throughout the year. After pouring through the compilations I loved last year, I had some hard choices to make; lots of great compilations really, and though I'm haunted by the thought that I've probably even missed hearing a few great ones, I feel like this last Sound Travels hour-long exploration got into some really dope ones.
For whatever reason, many of the new comps that I discovered were either African or African adjacent (ie. from her diaspora) and for me 2018 really shone a light on East Africa. Four of the compilations came from the Horn of Africa alone; two from the Sudan and one each from Somalia and Ethiopia. Two Brazilian releases at diametric ends of a sonic palette as well as two dope records from Caribbean lands round out my top ten.
Tracklisting:
1.
"Amor Verdadero"
Afro Cuban All-Stars
2.
"Van Van"
Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta
3.
"Sereia do Mar"
Camarao
4.
"Teleyeshign"
Merawi Yohannis
5.
"Nas Fi Nas (People on People)"
Abu Obaida Hassan
6.
"Igd Allooli (The Pearl Necklace)"
Saied Khalifa
7.
"Yabaal"
Dur-Dur Band
8.
"A Min We Vo Nou We"
Les Sympathetics de Porto Novo
9.
"Dissan Na M'Bera"
Orquestra Super Mama Djombo
10.
"Africamerica"
Dodo Da Bahia & As Virgens
