Hard to believe, but it was just over 2 years ago that our first release, Akwaaba wo Africa, came out worldwide. What a journey it’s been since then! 2 dozen releases spanning the gamut from Nigerian highlife to Gambian griot kora, Angolan kuduro to Benin salsa… We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with artists from 12 countries, not counting the numerous remixes pouring in from Mexico, Israel, Argentina, all over Europe and North America.

For us this release is at heart a big thank you, Thank you for helping us carve out a niche on this overcrowded web. Thank you for helping us connect the dots between talented, hardly-known local artists and music lovers worldwide. Thank you for playing our music on your radio shows, for pushing it on your blogs, for playing it at work and letting the world know where the music is coming from. We have been overwhelmed with the response, the emails, big ups and shout outs, and we start the year with a huge smile, filled with all the energy required to keep tons of fresh music coming your way.

So here it is, a collection of 50 songs giving a thorough taste of what Akwaaba is about: an open ear tuned in to sound made in Africa. We priced this mega-compilation at a ridiculous minimum price of $10. I mean, in many ways the price tag seems ridiculous, but if you feel differently, hell, shoot us an email and let’s bargain some more You can buy this compilation from us directly only, secured credit card payment and all that good stuff. It will not be available on iTunes or anywhere else.

Along with the songs comes a fantastic mix by DJ Zhao. We asked him to do this mix for us because he is one of the very few DJs we know, who can piece together a mix not made exclusively for the dancefloor. So here goes one hour covering so many of the sounds we have been pushing. Really, an epic journey into the heart of contemporary African pop music.

(Approximate BBRAVE vs Google translation from www.radiofazuma.com):

Dive into the archives of the RTP [national Portuguese TV]. The idea was to select images that illustrate the hidden story behind “Bazuka”. We [DJ Mpula & Radio Fazuma team] hand-picked historic archival footage, added some contemporary images we collected, and footage from our documentary “E Dreda Ser Angolano”.

Lots more to say, but our Portuguese isn’t quite cutting it… and Google translate is very, very little help on this one. But more importantly, dig the video!!

Who’s they? undomondo.com, a very nice blog based in Turkey who feature all kinds of music, and have featured some of our releases in the past, in particular Mamou Sidibé here and there. Check them out, always on point + loads of freebies!!

To balance out our kuduro release, Akwaaba Sem Transporte, here is a beautiful collection of Carlos Lamartine’s recordings, from the mid 1960s til 1975. He was a member of several bands, including Os Aguias Reais, and was backed up by some of Luanda’s best conjuntos: Os Merengues, African Show.

The album comes out August 18 on iTunes..

It’s time for an update: We’ve been in Angola for 2 weeks now, meeting many musicians both old and new, and mesmerized by the diversity of music here. What strikes us most is the newer kuduro, which stands somewhere between hip hop, techno and traditional African drumming. You can hear a sample and read more about it here.

We’re also looking for classic 1960sa and 1970s Angolan music, particularly the semba which served as a musical backdrop for the charged political and social messages of the last decade in colonial Angola. Today we spent the day with Carlitos Vieira Dias, son of Liceu Vieira Dias, one of the founders of Ngola Ritmos. For most Angolans, Ngola Ritmos epitomizes the strife musical resistance. Carlitos’ father for instance was sent to jail for a decade. Carlitos founded a number of bands and participated in many more, two of the most famous being Os Merengues and Africa Show.

Carlitos took me to Mangalha’s house in the Barrio Operario, also a historically charged part of town, a place where many artists lived and performed. We went through his ridiculous record collection, over 23,000 records in total, among which many, many Angolan gems, in various states of decay. Until we can all enjoy the music, enjoy these classic covers. Much, much more here.

Akwaaba meets Carlos Lamartine from Akwaaba Music on Vimeo.