SOUNDTRACK: BLACK MOTION-Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #233 (July 8, 2021).
Black Motion specializes in Afro-House and this set is infectious.
Afro-House has spread joy and healing across the country of South Africa, transcending local boundaries to become a thriving global dance phenomenon. In my experience, Its indigenous sounds and percussive rhythms drench the soul and heart with healing powers and cultivate communion with the infinite.
This Afro-House set is brought to life thanks to several featured vocalists and guest musicians. Black Motion’s Tiny Desk (home) concert, recorded at the former residence of Nelson Mandela, feels like a spiritual sound bath. The South African production duo turntablist Bongani Mohosana of the Zulu tribe and percussionist Thabo Mabogwane of Sotho tribe — open their set with “Mayibuye iAfrica,” a cry for Africa to return to its culture and history.
“Mayibuye iAfrica” opens with a fun introduction. There’s whooping, growling, cawing, (from DJ and producer Bongani Mohosana and keyboardist Almotie “Alie-keyz” Mtomben). There’s some great percussion (producer and drummer Thabo Roy Mabogwane’s set has over ten different drums and a few cymbals). Then, after a minute or so Siyabonga Hosana Magagula’s grooving bass and Lifa “Sir_Lifa” Mavuso’s slow but perfect-sounding guitar enter the picture.
Then the singers come in singing a beautiful chorus. The three of them are: Lusindiso “Jojo” Zondani (tenor), Gugu Shezi (soprano) and Noxolo Radebe (alto), and there voices gel wonderfully.
Up next is “Rainbow” which shuffles along with the DJs sampling and a simple keyboard melody (that sounds a bit like The Way It Is).
South African singer Msaki makes her third appearance in our (home) concert series, after earlier credits with Black Coffee and our Coming 2 America special. She lends her vocals to “Marry Me,” a soulful jam from Black Motion’s 2020 album, The Healers: The Last Chapter.
Next up is “Marry Me.” Msaki sings lead vocals on this song which has a grooving echoing lead guitar. “Alie-keyz” plays a cool retro organ solo before “Sir_Lifa” jams out a guitar solo.
Interestingly, Msaki’s voice was relatively deep, but on the next song, “Joy Joy,” Brenden Praise’s voice is pretty high (in the choruses). For the verses, he sings a bit deeper. I like the way the backing vocalists sound like gospel singers here.
“Imali,” featuring Nokwazi, soothes the lingering remnants of pandemic fears,
The snare drum introduces the colorfully dress Nokwazi who sings “Imali.” Her call and response singing is really great, as is her intense, growling style.
Tabia closes with the lilting “Prayer for Rain.”
Tabia comes out for “Prayer For Rain” and says “let’s pray” as she sings some wordless notes to warm up the song. When she starts singing, I don’t know what language she’s singing, but the passion is palpable. And the thunderclap that DJ Bongani Mohosana adds at the end is a welcome touch.
This is a powerful and moving (emotionally and physically) set of songs.
[READ: May 10, 2021] “Easy, Tiger”
After reading David’s story about shopping in Tokyo, it was funny to go backwards and read about one of his first few trips abroad and how he started learning the local language(s).
He says that he had been using Pimsleur Japanese and felt fairly comfortable when in Japan. But on this trip he was also going to Beijing and he had forgotten to study.
But this is not so much about China as it is about learning languages in general.
Since he doesn’t drive, phrases like “as for gas, is it expensive” don’t really help him out. But he uses “fill her up please” when asking for a tea refill. He also gets to say that he is a man with children since they do not have a phrase for “I am am middle aged homosexual… with a niece I never see and a small godson.”
He recommends Pimsleur for pronunciations and memorization. But he also likes Lonely Planet. (more…)
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