WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting

Rough Guides
Congo Gold
“Rumba was invented in Belgian and French Congo in the late ‘30s/early ‘40s as a kind of re-extracted music; in that it married traditional Congolese and other African musical forms with those from the Caribbean and South America, which had evolved largely from African music in the first place. The new form gained dominance throughout Africa over the next couple decades, along the way picking up the name soukous (literally “shake”, after a popular dance done to accompany the rumba), by which it is still known today in its myriad forms. Only those looking for a raucous Afro-beat fest will likely be disappointed by the easy, loping rhythms on offer, their horn charts nodding toward jazz more than soul or funk.” (Nate Cunningham)
comments / tracks of interest:
#1: aged vinyl recording sound
#3: wood block rhythm counts
#8: a lively song about Zimbabwe
#9: strong female vocals and horn section
#12: most produced song on album

Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Dub Qawwali Remixes
“Electronic explorer Gaudi blends the incomparable vocals of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with Reggae and Dub elements.” (spectre) The album features two of Nusrat’s songs mixed by Gaudi and friends, Cheb I Sabbah, Bombay Dub Orchestra, and the UK’s Pathaan.
comments / tracks of interest:
#2: dark new-wave remix
#3: quite rhythmical
#4: lingering pace
#6: calming, cooling groove
#’s 7 & 8 are original tracks

The Garifuna Women’s Project
Umalali
“Descendents of shipwrecked African slaves who intermarried with the Carib and Arawak Indians of the Caribbean, the Garifuna people live primarily in small towns and villages on the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.” (cumbancha) A collector of Garifuna song and traditions has produced Umalali to capture the soul and spirit of Garifuna women, putting their voices in a modern context. While men are most commonly spotlighted, it’s Garifuna women who are the caretakers of Garifuna songs, and they who are responsible for new compositions about day-to-day issues.
comments / tracks of interest:
slow tempo:
#10: slow and low bluesy tones, #12: sad sound
medium tempo:
#1, #2: traditional work song, #3: about the pain of childbirth, #4: Afro-pop flavor, #5, #6, #7: riveting drum intro
up tempo:
#8, #9, and #11