BALLA AND EBENEZER
Adding a little zest and balance to that sublime track/post over at mudd up! There’s never enough Balla to go round. I’m not sure what this song is really about. It is a praise song for someone named Moussa Konate (who was a driver? an apprentice? I’ll have to consult my aunt or one of my cousins) but this doesn’t sound like a traditional praise song. This music was designed to blaze dance floors. What was Conakry nightlife like in 1968 or ‘71? What about Lagos? or Freetown? I have a bunch of 7 and 12 inches serving as windows, looking into the past and discovering a part of your parents that they’ve abandon a long time ago. Maybe abandon is a strong word. Either way, expect more of these in the future.
Balla Et Ses Balladins – Samba
The Chief Commander of Juju Music Ebenezer Obey is also a praise-singer, combining the rich cultural and spiritual musical traditions of Yoruba people from the Ogun State in South-Western Nigeria with the excitement of Lagos highlife and Christian themes to create melodious, dance floor music and praise songs for the wealthy, famous and the powerful. Listen for the talking drums, which you can also hear these days in NYC underground/subway drummers.
Ebenezer Obey – Oro Nipa Lace
July 3rd, 2008. african, everything, funky, guinea, juju, nigeria, praise, soul, south, syliphone, tropical | 4 comments »
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
thanks for these Lamin!! the Sambja jam is FIERCE, wow, talk about sung praises.. lets keep opening up these windows and looking through.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I get what you mean Lamin. I look back at old pictures and videos even from when I was alive as a child and try to remember, feel what it was like. Back then, then tho, independance times. Man music was crackin!
July 5th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
By the way, do you have any Dr. Ohlo?
July 10th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
the name Doctor Ohlo sounds familiar. I don’t know if they have any. Next time I go down there, I’ll try to look/ask about him.