Joey Le Soldat – L’Hivernage

[:en]

hivernage_web_lo

From the album Burkin Bâ out February 11.

Produced by DJ Form for Tentacule Records.

L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”

Florent Mazzoleni, writer and author of “L’Epopée de la Musique Africaine” (The Epic of African Music), “Afro Pop: L’Age d’Or des grands orchestres Africains” (Afro Pop:The Golden age of the great African orchestras, “Memphis: Aux racines du Rock et de la Soul“(Memphis, at the root of rock and soul).

Lyrics:

Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful

First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work

Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields

It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:de]

hivernage_web_lo

From the album Burkin Bâ out February 11.

Produced by DJ Form for Tentacule Records.

L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”

Florent Mazzoleni, writer and author of “L’Epopée de la Musique Africaine” (The Epic of African Music), “Afro Pop: L’Age d’Or des grands orchestres Africains” (Afro Pop:The Golden age of the great African orchestras, “Memphis: Aux racines du Rock et de la Soul“(Memphis, at the root of rock and soul).

Lyrics:

Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful

First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work

Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields

It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:fr]

hivernage_web_lo

From the album Burkin Bâ out February 11.

Produced by DJ Form for Tentacule Records.

L’Hivernage [the rainy season] is a return to the childhood village. Joey praises the merits of the bountiful rain, saying at the heart of the hot season, rainfall can always come. Before him, Creedence Clearwater Revival sang Who’ll Stop The Rain, a metaphor asking who would stop the Vietnam war, right as the Nixon presidency disintegrated. Today, Joey Le Soldat says in essence that all forms of hope are allowed, even within the harshest of conditions. There is no doubt the recent January 18 demonstrations, during which rain came miraculously, are nourishing this hope for change. Far from a grumbling, rearguard battle, Joey Le Soldat and a handful of other African rappers are writing the soundtrack of a future where everything now seems possible.”

Florent Mazzoleni, writer and author of “L’Epopée de la Musique Africaine” (The Epic of African Music), “Afro Pop: L’Age d’Or des grands orchestres Africains” (Afro Pop:The Golden age of the great African orchestras, “Memphis: Aux racines du Rock et de la Soul“(Memphis, at the root of rock and soul).

Lyrics:

Chorus:
Farmer I salute you
The first rain, marking the Hivernage, has come
Once more we are all going to the fields to plant seeds
A new rainy season is given to us, it’s time to plow
May the Gods bring rain so the season is plentiful
May the Gods bring rain so the harvests are plentiful

First Verse:
A big cloud darkens nature
I invoke: come, cloud, to water the land
Come down so the season is good
It’s the rainy season, the weather is gentle, the grasses have grown back
Goodbye great heat
In the Mossi language we say
“when the fig tree recovers its leaves the rainy season is coming”
So farmer, hang on and don’t let go
I know it’s hard at times but your craft is noble
By these words I come to praise your work

Second Verse:
In my land it’s the rainy season
Mother nature wore her prettiest dress
I admire her greeneries
It is raining in my village
Goodbye April heat, long period of heat
Rainy season in our villages
From the morning and the rooster’s crow
Man, woman and child
A cart and a donkey are back on the road to the fields

It is raining in my village
Me, from my window
I’m looking at the rain.[:]

Joey Le Soldat – D.M.D.

[:en]

Joey le Soldat, the other half of Burkinabé hip hop powerhouse Waga 3000, unleashes the first burst from his sophomore album due out next month. D.M.D. is the voice of Ouagadougou’s kids, speaking up against injustice in their land of upright men. After the success of Art Melody‘s Wogdog Blues, this is another exciting collaboration with France-based Tentacule Records. Beats by DJ Form. Grab the track as a hi rez mp3 from soundcloud below:

[:de]

Joey le Soldat, the other half of Burkinabé hip hop powerhouse Waga 3000, unleashes the first burst from his sophomore album due out next month. D.M.D. is the voice of Ouagadougou’s kids, speaking up against injustice in their land of upright men. After the success of Art Melody‘s Wogdog Blues, this is another exciting collaboration with France-based Tentacule Records. Beats by DJ Form. Grab the track as a hi rez mp3 from soundcloud below:

[:fr]

Joey le Soldat, the other half of Burkinabé hip hop powerhouse Waga 3000, unleashes the first burst from his sophomore album due out next month. D.M.D. is the voice of Ouagadougou’s kids, speaking up against injustice in their land of upright men. After the success of Art Melody‘s Wogdog Blues, this is another exciting collaboration with France-based Tentacule Records. Beats by DJ Form. Grab the track as a hi rez mp3 from soundcloud below:

[:]

Art Melody – Very Limited Edition Vinyl

[:en]

0001934646_10

This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!

0001934645_10[:de]

0001934646_10

This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!

0001934645_10[:fr]

0001934646_10

This is very, very exciting: Akwaaba’s very first vinyl release! And also the first vinyl release from any Burkinabé artist in years… and the only African hip hop vinyl in years – or even ever? We only pressed very, very few copies of Art Melody’s album Wogdog Blues, grab one of 150 records from Bandcamp – while supplies last!

0001934645_10[:]

Art Melody – Great Review on +d’Afrique (French)

[:en]

Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo
For those of you who speak French…

[:de]

Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo
For those of you who speak French…

[:fr]

Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo
For those of you who speak French…

[:]

Gargantuan: Hip Hop Heavyweights

Gargantuan: Hip Hop Heavyweights

]Gargantuan_poster_web

Akwaaba Music presents: Gargantuan – Hip Hop Heavyweights

Wednesday 28th August 2013 –  7.30pm, La Paillote Takpekpe at Alliance Française, Accra 

Gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity. What better way to describe this stellar lineup of fearless MCs, who speak their minds with very little concern for what people consider appropriate.

Art Melody (Burkina Faso) is a veteran on Ouagadougou’s hip hop circuit. His irreverence has mostly kept him away from airwaves at home, but it has helped him build an audience in France and across Europe, ever since his critically acclaimed second album Zound Zandé in 2011. In 2012 he teamed up with Joey le Soldat to form Waga 3000, a hint at Ouaga 2000, an absurdly posh neighborhood in Burkina Faso’s capital. Melo and Joey have been touring Europe, but this is their very first show in Ghana.

Elom 20ce (Togo) is a highly engaged Togolese rapper. Like his Burkinabé counterparts, he has had more luck touring in Europe than at home in Lomé, where self censorship has kept his music mostly away from the airwaves. Nevertheless, Elom has built a following among emancipated Africans from Lomé to Paris. This is also his first show in Ghana.

Wanlov the Kubolor (Ghana) is another master of irreverence, on a mission to shake up mentalities anywhere he sets foot. Too often dismissed as eccentric by the mainstream Ghanaian media, Wanlov is a visionary who uses pidgin and humor to spread his message across the widest audience possible, at home in Ghana, as well as Europe where he was recently nominated artist of the year by Mondomix.

Yaa Pono (Ghana) is another veteran microphone slayer, one who started alongside the likes of Sarkodie in Tema over a decade ago. To this day, he is considered to be one of the finest twi lyricists in Ghana, one who also uses humor to sharpen his social critique.

In collaboration with Akwaaba Music, Accra dot Alt, Fullish Art and Tentacule Records.

Free songs:

Art Melody: Yamb Sabaab, Futur feat High Priest (Antipop Consortium)

Waga 3000: Dal Fo Yi Kin Dao

Videos:

Art Melody: Yamb Sabaab, Futur, Barka Barka

Waga 3000: Sak Sin Paode

Wanlov: Veverita feat. King Ayisoba, Human Being

Yaa Pono: Good Morning feat Efya, Tare Tare

Photos:

Art Melody & Joey le Soldat

Elom 20ce

Wanlov

Yaa Pono

Press:

Art Melody: Fader, This Is Africa, Africa Is A Country

Waga 3000: Fader

Elom 20ce: This Is Africa[:d

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Gargantuan: Hip Hop Heavyweights

]Gargantuan_poster_web

Akwaaba Music presents: Gargantuan – Hip Hop Heavyweights

Wednesday 28th August 2013 –  7.30pm, La Paillote Takpekpe at Alliance Française, Accra 

Gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity. What better way to describe this stellar lineup of fearless MCs, who speak their minds with very little concern for what people consider appropriate.

Art Melody (Burkina Faso) is a veteran on Ouagadougou’s hip hop circuit. His irreverence has mostly kept him away from airwaves at home, but it has helped him build an audience in France and across Europe, ever since his critically acclaimed second album Zound Zandé in 2011. In 2012 he teamed up with Joey le Soldat to form Waga 3000, a hint at Ouaga 2000, an absurdly posh neighborhood in Burkina Faso’s capital. Melo and Joey have been touring Europe, but this is their very first show in Ghana.

Elom 20ce (Togo) is a highly engaged Togolese rapper. Like his Burkinabé counterparts, he has had more luck touring in Europe than at home in Lomé, where self censorship has kept his music mostly away from the airwaves. Nevertheless, Elom has built a following among emancipated Africans from Lomé to Paris. This is also his first show in Ghana.

Wanlov the Kubolor (Ghana) is another master of irreverence, on a mission to shake up mentalities anywhere he sets foot. Too often dismissed as eccentric by the mainstream Ghanaian media, Wanlov is a visionary who uses pidgin and humor to spread his message across the widest audience possible, at home in Ghana, as well as Europe where he was recently nominated artist of the year by Mondomix.

Yaa Pono (Ghana) is another veteran microphone slayer, one who started alongside the likes of Sarkodie in Tema over a decade ago. To this day, he is considered to be one of the finest twi lyricists in Ghana, one who also uses humor to sharpen his social critique.

In collaboration with Akwaaba Music, Accra dot Alt, Fullish Art and Tentacule Records.

Free songs:

Art Melody: Yamb Sabaab, Futur feat High Priest (Antipop Consortium)

Waga 3000: Dal Fo Yi Kin Dao

Videos:

Art Melody: Yamb Sabaab, Futur, Barka Barka

Waga 3000: Sak Sin Paode

Wanlov: Veverita feat. King Ayisoba, Human Being

Yaa Pono: Good Morning feat Efya, Tare Tare

Photos:

Art Melody & Joey le Soldat

Elom 20ce

Wanlov

Yaa Pono

Press:

Art Melody: Fader, This Is Africa, Africa Is A Country

Waga 3000: Fader

Elom 20ce: This Is Africa[:d

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Walk like a champion was shot by Daniel Kwabena Marmo of The 3 Suns. The video captures high spirits from the start, as the kids run together through the neighborhood. Shows a champion mindset and how it's accompanied by hard work (Muscle guy in the gym). it captures...

Official Video: Petite amie/Elle veut by Ozaki

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  Ozaki is part of a new generation of Ivorian artists inspired by global trap legends, Ozaki’s words are firmly rooted in Bassam and Abidjan’s bustling culture, and his La Bassamoise EP is yet another milestone pushing the envelope of the local Ivorian rap...

Music Video : Flowking Stone – Let them Know

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  Kumasi (Oseikrom) based Ghanaian rapper Flowking Stone releases a band new video titled "Let them Know". Let them know is one of the songs of his recent album Gifted II . The song  which is a fusion of 60's Ghanaian highlife and hiphop trap beats was produced by...

Art Melody – Barka Barka Video

[:en]

If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.

 [:de]

If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.

 [:fr]

If you missed Melo on his European tour, here is a small glimpse of the action. Backed by the Waga Block Band along with Joey le Soldat on vocals, Numa Lakroch’ on drums and pads, and Mama J on percussion and backing vocals. I myself have not had the pleasure of witnessing them live, but I keep hearing rave reviews. Until Melo comes back for his next tour, enjoy this rehearsal vid for the song Barka Barka, off of his Wogdog Blues album. Sneak peak: vinyl coming soon!!! Full video credits over at youtube.

 [:]