Midweek Bonus Picks - WOMAD Retrospective, Kuti Siblings Tour & Zimbabwean Legends Tribute
Midweek Bonus Picks are short bits of interesting stuff that turn up now and then.
Live at WOMAD 1982 is a historic live recording celebrating the 40th anniversary of a landmark cultural moment including performances by Echo & The Bunnymen, Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, The Beat, The Drummers of Burundi, The Musicians of the Nile and many more. This album is a window onto three days of amazing music – highlights from multiple stages, of artists from many corners of the globe.
A few of Fela Kuti's sons are touring the United States this summer. The Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Heavier Yet Tour kicked off in the US in late April and goes until mid-May, before moving overseas. Here's a 2011 interview with Seun. Femi Kuti's Politics Don Expose Them tour makes its way through the US over the course of the summer months.
Here are some of the musicians that were paid tribute at Legends Night, recently held in Harare, Zimbabwe:
Fans were taken down memory lane, two or more decades back as they danced to the classic “Solo naMutsai” from Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, “Character” from the late music crooner Tendai Mupfurutsa, Calvin and Muzi’s “Tombofara”, Leonard Zhakata’s “Mugove”, Andy Brown’s “Mapurisa” and “Todii” from national hero, Dr Oliver Mutukudzi.
The band churned out the late Andy Brown’s “Mapurisa”, “Shungu Iwe”, “Rudo Imoto” from Marshall Munhumumwe, Shingisai Suluma’s “Fara Zvakadaro”, “Nyoka Musango” from Thomas Mapfumo, “Huya Uzoona” from late Stella Chiweshe and “Special Meat” from Callisto Nyamhute.
Some great African musicians are touring the US. I saw Seun last week, and I have tix for Femi. Ebo Taylor was also touring the US, and I saw him this past Saturday. Ebo is very frail, so he only came out for three or four songs. However, his son and a band of young players absolutely blew the packed crowd away as they played a two-hour electrifying set of Ebo's songs. Pat Thomas was also there, and he came out and sang a few songs.
Finally, Zamrock legends WITCH are returning to the States and will be touring late summer. Only two are original members, and the rest of the band is a group of musicians from Switzerland (I think?). Nevertheless, I saw them a few years ago, and they were fantastic!