Tag Archives: South Africa

Shabaka and the Ancestors: We Are Sent Here by History

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On March 13, 2020, “Impulse!” label released “We Are Sent Here by History”, the second Shabaka and the Ancestors studio album. It was recorded in 2019, at “Milestone Studio” in Cape Town, South Africa, “Sumo Sounds Studio” in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was produced by Dilip Harris and Shabaka Hutchings.

Personnel:

  • Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Mithunzi Myubu – alto saxophone
  • Mandla Miangeni – trumpet
  • Siyabonga Mthembu – vocals
  • Thandi Ntyuli – piano
  • Nduduzo Makhathini – electric piano
  • Ariel Zamonsky – double bass
  • Tumi Mogorosi – drums
  • Gontse Makhene – percussion
  • Murray Anderson – recording
  • Peter Auret – recording
  • Jethro Harris – recording assistant
  • Tshepo Mothwa – recording assistant
  • Dilip Harris – mixing
  • Guy Davis – mastering
  • Daniela Yohannes – illustration
  • Jacob Lerman – CD design

Track listing:

All lyrics by Siyabonga Mthembu, all music by Shabaka Hutchings.

  1. They Who Must Die
  2. You’ve Been Called
  3. Go My Heart, Go to Heaven
  4. Behold, the Deceiver
  5. Run, the Darkness Will Pass
  6. The Coming of the Strange Ones
  7. Beast Too Spoke of Suffering
  8. We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood)
  9. Til’ the Freedom Comes Home
  10. Finally, the Man Cried

Thirty Seconds To Mars: A Beautiful Life

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On August 30, 2005, “Virgin” label released “A Beautiful Lie”, the second Thirty Seconds to Mars studio album. It was recorded 2004 – 2005, at “Pulse Recording” and “The Laboratory” in Los Angeles, “The Center for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound” in Alaska, “Lionshead Studios” in South Africa, “Circle in the Square Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Josh Abraham.

Personnel:

  • Jared Leto – vocals, rhythm guitar, creative direction, design
  • Tomo Miličević – lead guitar, synthesizers, programming, creative direction, design
  • Matt Wachter – bass guitar, keyboards, creative direction, design
  • Shannon Leto – drums, percussion, creative direction, design
  • Matt Serletic – piano
  • Oliver Goldstein – additional synthesizer
  • Steve Dress – double bass, strings contractor
  • Caroline Campbell – violin
  • Neel Hammond – violin
  • Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – viola
  • Vanessa Freebairn-Smith – cello
  • Wataru Hokoyama – string arrangements
  • Jeremy Rubolino – programming
  • Brian Virtue – engineer
  • Ryan Williams – engineer, mixing
  • Brandon Belsky – engineer assistant
  • Dave Riley – engineer assistant
  • Sean Geyer – engineer assistant
  • Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
  • Femio Hernandez – mixing assistant
  • Brian Gardner – mastering
  • Sean Mosher-Smith – creative direction, design
  • Olaf Heine – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Jared Leto, except where noted.

  1. Attack
  2. A Beautiful Life
  3. The Kill
  4. Was It a Dream
  5. The Fantasy
  6. Savior – Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Miličević, Matt Wachter
  7. From Yesterday – Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Miličević, Matt Wachter
  8. The Story
  9. R-Evolve
  10. A Modern Myth (includes hidden track Praying for a Riot)

Roy Harper: Lifemask

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In February 1973, “Harvest” label released “Lifemask”, the sixth Roy Harper album. It was recorded in 1972, at “Abbey Road Studios” in London, and was produced by Peter Jenner.

Personnel:

  • Roy Harper – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass, harmonica, bells
  • Jimmy Page – guitar
  • Brian Odgers – bass
  • Laurie Allan – drums
  • Brian Davison – drums
  • Tony Carr – drums, bongos
  • Steve Broughton – bongos
  • Ray Warleigh – flute
  • John Leckie – engineer
  • Phil McDonald – engineer
  • Nick Webb – engineer
  • Aubrey Powell – design
  • Storm Thorgerson – design
  • Nancy Adler – mask artwork
  • Chris Blair – lacquer cut

Track listing:

All tracks by Roy Harper.

  1. Highway Blues
  2. All Ireland
  3. Little Lady
  4. Bank of the Dead
  5. South Africa
  6. The Lord’s Prayer

a) Poem

b) Modal Song Parts I to IV

c) Front Song

d) Middle Song

e) End Song

Young Fathers: Heavy, Heavy

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On February 3, 2023, “Ninja Tune” label released “Heavy Heavy”, the fourth Young Fathers studio album. It was recorded in 2022, at “Out of the Blue” in Leith, Scotland, “Narcissus Studio” in London, “Northwind” in Durban, South Africa, and was produced by Graham “G” Hastings At the 2023 “Mercury Prize”, the album won the “Scottish Album of the Year Award”.

Personnel:

  • Alloysious Massaquoi – vocals, toms, percussion
  • Graham “G” Hastings – vocals, percussion, piano, organ, Vox Continental, Transcendent, Jasper, Korg Minipops, Boss PC-2, Mellotron, Syntrx, ER-1 drum machine
  • Kayus Bankole – vocals, percussion
  • Liam Hutton – drums, percussion, talking drum, timpani, bin with chains
  • Iain Berryman – guitar, bazouki, piano, percussion
  • Richard Adlam – drums, programming
  • Hal Ritson – keyboards, programming
  • Raven Bush – strings
  • Tapiwa Mambo – vocals
  • Toyiz Mchunu – vocals
  • Nomasonto Mthembu – vocals
  • Anele Mthembu – vocals
  • Nonhlanhla Mhlongo – vocals
  • Graham “G” Hastings – engineer
  • Iain Berryman – engineer, mixing, additional production
  • Drew Dungate-Smith – additional engineering
  • Kristian Donaldson – additional engineering
  • Niklas Fairclough – additional engineering
  • Andrea Cozzaglio – engineer assistant
  • Sophie Ellis – engineer assistant
  • Ben Baptie – mixing
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Hingston Studio – design, art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Kayus Bankole, Graham “G” Hastings and Alloysious Massaquoi, except where noted.

  1. Rice
  2. I Saw
  3. Drum
  4. Tell Somebody
  5. Geronimo
  6. Shoot Me Down
  7. Ululation – Kayus Bankole, Graham “G” Hastings, Alloysious Massaquoi, Tapiwa Mambo
  8. Sink or Swim
  9. Holy Moly
  10. Be Your Lady

Ray Charles: Just Between Us

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In July 1988, “Columbia” label released “Just Between Us”, the 49th Ray Charles album. It was recorded in 1988, at “RPM Studios” in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was produced by Ray Charles and Quincy Jones.

Personnel:

  • Ray Charles – vocal, piano
  • B.B. King – guitar
  • Kenny Carr – guitar
  • Gladys Knight – vocals
  • Lou Rawls – vocals

Track listing:

  1. Nothing Like a Hundred Miles – James Taylor
  2. I Wish I’d Never Loved You at All – K. Morrison Phelps, R. Hice
  3. Too Hard to Love You – Jim Johnson
  4. Now I Don’t Believe That Anymore – David A. Morgan
  5. Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  6. Stranger in My Hometown – Percy Mayfield
  7. Over the Top – Tony Colton, Keith Christopher
  8. I’d Walk a Little More for You – Ken Hirsch, Doc Pomus
  9. If That’s What’cha Want – Dave Loggins
  10. Save the Bones for Henry Jones – Danny Barker, Vernon Lee

Randy Weston: Uhuru Afrika

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In April 1961, “Roulette” label released “Uhuru Afrika”, the thirteenth Randy Weston album. It was recorded in November 1960, at “Bell Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Teddy Reig. The album features lyrics and liner notes by the poet Langston Hughes and was banned in South Africa in 1964.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – piano
  • Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Benny Bailey, Richard Williams, Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Slide Hampton, Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone, flute
  • Yusef Lateef – tenor saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Sahib Shihab – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Jerome Richardson – baritone saxophone, piccolo
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • George Duvivier, Ron Carter – bass
  • Max Roach, Charlie Persip – drums, percussion
  • Wilbert Hogan – drums
  • Babatunde Olatunji – percussion
  • Armando Peraza – bongos
  • Candido Camero – congas
  • Martha Flowers, Brock Peters – vocals
  • Tuntemeke Sanga – narrator
  • Melba Liston – arranger

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston, except where noted.

  1. Introduction: Uhuru Kwanza – Langston Hughes
  2. First Movement: Uhuru Kwanza
  3. Second Movement: African Lady – Randy Weston, Langston Hughes
  4. Third Movement: Bantu
  5. Fourth Movement: Kucheza Blues

Miriam Makeba

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On November 9, 2008, Zenzile Miriam Makeba died aged 76. She was singer, songwriter, actress, civil rights activist, and United Nations goodwill ambassador, nicknamed Mama Africa. She was the first African woman to win a “Grammy Award” (for “Best Folk Recording” in 1966 with Harry Belafonte for “An Evening with Belafonte and Makeba”). Makeba popularized African music among Western audience. Few of her popular songs were critical of apartheid, making her a symbol of opposition to the apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa. Upon her death, former Nelson Mandela said “her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us.”

Paul Simon: Graceland

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Graceland

On August 25, 1986, “Warner Bros” label released “Graceland”, the seventh Paul Simon solo studio. It was recorded October 1985 – June 1986, in South Africa, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Louisiana, and was produced by Paul Simon. In 1987, “Graceland” won “Grammy Award” for “Album of the Year”. In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Graceland” at number 71 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album earned Paul Simon the “Best International Solo Artist” award at “The Brit Awards” in 1987. It was certified 8 x Platinum in Australia by the “ARIA”; Platinum in France by “SNEP”; Platinum in Nederlands by “NVPI”; Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”;Platinum in Portugal by “AFP”; Platinum in Spain by “PROMUSICAE”; 7 x Platinum in the UK by the “BPI”, and 5 x Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Paul Simon– lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, Synclavier, six-string electric bass
  • Ray Phiri– guitar
  • Adrian Belew– guitar synthesizer, guitar
  • Demola Adepoju – pedal steelguitar
  • Daniel Xilakazi – lead, rhythm guitar
  • Sherman Robertson– guitar
  • César Rosas– guitar, backing vocals
  • David Hidalgo– guitar, accordion, backing vocals
  • Lulu Masilela – tambourines
  • Rob Mounsey– synthesizer, horn arrangement
  • Alton Rubin, Sr.– accordion
  • Jonhjon Mkhalali – accordion
  • Forere Motloheloa – accordion
  • Conrad Lozano– bass
  • Alonzo Johnson – bass
  • Lloyd Lelose – bass
  • Bakithi Kumalo– bass
  • Isaac Mtshali – drums
  • Vusi Khumalo – drums
  • Petrus Manile – drums
  • Alton Rubin, Jr. – drums
  • Louie Pérez– drums
  • Steve Gadd– additional drums
  • Makhaya Mahlangu – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald– percussion
  • Youssou N’Dour– percussion
  • Babacar Faye – percussion
  • Assane Thiam – percussion
  • James Guyatt – percussion
  • David Rubin – washboard
  • Alex Foster – alto saxophone
  • Morris Goldberg– penny whistle, soprano saxophone
  • Johnny Hoyt – saxophone
  • Steve Berlin– saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber– bass and baritone saxophone
  • Barney Rachabane – saxophone
  • Mike Makhalemele– saxophone
  • Teaspoon Ndela – saxophone
  • Lenny Pickett– tenor saxophone
  • Earl Gardner – trumpet
  • Jon Faddis– trumpet
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet
  • Lew Soloff– trumpet
  • Alan Rubin– trumpet
  • Dave Bargeron– trombone
  • Kim Allan Cissel – trombone
  • The Gaza Sisters – vocals
  • Joseph Shabalala– vocals
  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo– vocals
  • Linda Ronstadt– additional vocals
  • The Everly Brothers– additional vocals
  • Diane Garisto – backing vocals
  • Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals
  • Roy Halee – engineer

Track listing:

  1. The Boy In the Bubble – Forere Motloheloa, Paul Simon
  2. Graceland – Paul Simon
  3. I Know What I Know – General MD Shirinda, Paul Simon
  4. Gumboots – Lulu Masilela, Jonhjon Mkhalali, Paul Simon
  5. Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes – Joseph Shabalala, Paul Simon
  6. You Can Call Me Al – Paul Simon
  7. Under African Skies – Paul Simon
  8. Homeless – Joseph Shabalala, Paul Simon
  9. Crazy Love, Vol. II – Paul Simon
  10. That Was Your Mother – Paul Simon
  11. All Around the World Or the Myth of Fingerprints – Paul Simon