Jason Molina

                                     

I recently learned of Jason Molina's death and now I cannot believe how I never heard of him before.  The amount of amazing music he made throughout the late 90's and early 2000's as Songs: Ohia, or Magnolia Electric Co, or as himself, is humbling-- and all before he was 40!  This was an inspired dude.

His website has opened their Molina collection for free streaming for a short time.  If you get the chance you should definitely check one or both of these (or any of the others).  The acapella song Calling Bird from the compilations category sounds like something John Lomax would have recorded.






                       

                                         

Request...found! - Christy Azuma

Here is a full version of the title song from the film Bamako?


And unrelated except by virtue of an amazing song, via the great Likembe blog, is a 70's Somali song that absolutely fucking rocks:




UPdate a few days later: Thanks Ngoniba for the sleuthing--  Christy Azuma & Uppers International from (didn't see this coming) Ghana!  In the film the character and singer Mele is from Senegal* but married and living in Mali, and apparently singing a Ghanaian song.  The track can be found on Ghana Soundz Vol. 2.  Some searching will yield a copy.

Enjoy!

(* or, at least speaks to her mom in Wolof on the phone)

Ensaaf

Check out this video recently put out by Ensaaf.  One of my friends is in it!  Also if you're in CA register for the 5k walk to raise money.  I recently submitted a few versions of a drawing to them too late for their poster contest, but just in time for...to send it in anyway.

Who Are the Disappeared? from Ensaaf on Vimeo.