Assalam Aleikoum Africa Volume 2 (Traditional And Modern Folk Music Of West Africa)

Assalam Aleikoum Africa: The West African Series Volumes 1 & 2: A rare sampling of the popular, progressive and folk music of West Africa, centered mainly around the musically rich and creatively volative Republic of the Ivory Coast. Once a French colony, the small nation has become the musical focal point of West Africa, attracting musicians from across the continent. Culled from the extensive singles catalogue of the Societe Ivoirienne du Disque (SID) based in the Ivory Coast capital, Abidjan, the two volumes highlight some extraordinary music and immense talents working in a variety of styles and approaches. Volume 2: (Traditional and modern folk music of West Africa) features one of the Ivory Coast's biggest stars, Amédée Pierre, as well as the Zoulous and Bony Pascal. The record encompasses both tribal folklore sung in Bété (the musically richest tribe in the area) and regional dialects from neighboring Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal and the Congo as well as modern folk themes incorporating European instruments, electric guitar, sax, bass, etc. The modern folk maintains the same essential beats as the traditional, is based on the same stories and myths, and the audiences dance the same dances as if it were traditional folklore. In both cases, Volume 2 offers an enlightening look at the a culturally rich and musically diverse people, the roots from which many American branches have since emerged.