"Au menu cette semaine" : a little special mix of 5 Cameroonian Psych songs, some of them taken from pretty good records digged during my last trip there - no tracklisting this time, for your ears only - Hope you'll enjoy it !
You can download this mix here (as always, right clic, save as or download)
Amadou Traore dit Balake is a burkinabé singer who recorded many songs from very different genre (mandingo rhythms, afrobeat, salsa, quiet balads, soukouss) and in many countries/cities all over the world (New york, Abidjan, Paris, Accra, Lagos..).
This beautiful 7 inch was recorded in 1969 with l'Orchestre Super Volta, in the country of Burkina Faso, on the great "La Compagnie Voltaique du Disque" label (CVD), known for its magical psych tracks.
This track deals with a musician (him, maybe ?), who performs every night at the Don Camillo Club. Each night, coming back from his show, this guy meets the same prostitute he is totally in love with, but the girl prefers to spend her night with white guys in Abidjan's hotels, because they are rich, and musicians are poor ("Musicien c'est pas quelqu'un, tu es pauvre garçon").
There are actually 2 different versions of this track (the lyrics are the same), because Amadou re-recorded it in the 70's for one of his LP's, out on the famous Ivory Coast's SACODIS label, in an afrobeat way.
I definitely prefer the first quiet version, hope you'll understand why (listen to this amazing hypnotic guitar..).
Amadou is still alive, and plays now with the famous Africando salsa band.
Amadou Balake - Bar Konou Mousso
As bonuses, two tracks :
To begin, here comes the other version of Bar Konou Mousso - the Afrobeat one - called Super Bar Konon Mousso.
Amadou Balake - Super bar Konon Mousso
Next, another song from Amadou Traore out on the CVD label, Johnny.
(all the copies of the Kambele ba / Johnny record I heard from now have the same pressing default, this Woush woush woush you can hear.. Shame but lovely in a way..).
I'm in Yaoundé right now, go back to Paris next monday !
Too many things done and many more to come, just met mr Eko Roosevelt in his house in Kribi last weekend, found pretty good records in Yaoundé and Douala, amazing food, beautiful landscapes..
I have not the time to write more, photos and articles to come, be there dears readers !
