West African Instrumental Quintet, 1929

West African Instrumental Quintet | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 11, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Heritage Music
• ASIN: B0000039XL
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,244 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. YY. 17557- 2 Insu Shi Wu

2. YY. 17570-1 Ontsi Bro Fu

3. YY. 17558- 2 Bea Tsin-No.1

4. YY. 17559- 2 Bea Tsin-No. 2

5. YY. 17560- 2 Con Ko Bey

6. YY. 17566-1 Ye Na Ako Fia

7. YY. 17564-2 Kara So

8. YY. 17565-1 Awu Raba

9. YY. 17567-2 Som Mi Mu

10. YY. 17568-1 On Yer Whi

11. YY. 17569- 2 Ser Akul Per

12. YY. 17572- 1 Pa Pa Bi

13. YY. 17571- 1 Tin Ka Tin Ka

14. YY. 17573- 1 Mi Wi Wi

15. YY. 17574- 1 Ader Su- No. 1

16. YY. 17575- 1 Ader Su- No.2

17. YY. 17553- 2 Almer Bou

18. YY. 17556- 1 Swe Ter

19. YY. 17554- 2 Mia Nko

20. YY. 17555- 1 Bra Sil

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intense, early archival African pop, July 8, 2002

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: West African Instrumental Quintet, 1929 (Audio CD)

Banjo-led tunes with instrumentation that is disarmingly similar to American old-timey music, though very different stylistically. Not much is known about these musicians -- not even which West African tribe they may have came from. The recordings were made in England, and released in 1929-1930 as 78s on the Zonophone label. Although it all begins to sound the same after a while, there are some interesting aural effects on tracks #18-20, where the banjo and guitars are completely out of tune with each other, yet the song goes on, creating its own, off-kilter musical logic. The effect is disconcerting -- even a bit creepy, in a music-box kind of way.