Timbuktu, not the city

In most of the the world Timbuktu refers to the former university city and metropolis in northern Mali, long since deprived of its glory. In England it's an expression for any place really distant. But in Sweden the first thing that comes to mind is the hip hop artist.

Yesterday he had an hour on Swedish radio in the annual summer series. A good hour, on racial identity, music and his first encounter with the city he chose as his stage alias.

Here's his talk. Unfortunately the music in the show (which most likely will prove to have been the best selection this summer) is reduced to short previews in the online version.

One interesting part is the one about the old Malian emperor Mansa Mousa's trip to Mecca, during which he singelhandedly started a financial crisis in Egypt by giving away huge amounts of gold, overflowing the local market. I mentioned the same episode (originally told by medieval Egypt historians) in a piece I wrote a couple of years ago on the history of the various Malian empires (in Swedish).

Close reading the Roskilde spilleplan

Intended schedule. Perhaps a little optimistic.


Thursday:
Frente Cumbiero
Daniel Norgren
PJ Harvey

Friday:
Wang Lee
Bright Eyes
La Makhina del Karibia
Seun Anikulapo Kuti AND Femi Kuti
Shangaan Electro
Rango
M.I.A.
Juju
Gonga Sain

Saturday:
Shutka Roma Rap
Ililta Band
The Tallest Man on Earth
OFWGkTA
Ouaden
Calle 13
Congotronics
Ivo Papasov
Fally Ipupa
Awesome tapes from Africa
Jagwa Music

Sunday:
Tremor
Chancha Via Circuito
Afro Cubism
Anibal Valesquez Y Los Locos Del Swing
Big Boi
Justin Townes Earle

Stockholm Jazz Festival 4: Late night at Fasching with Wanlov and Ayisoba

Seun to play with Femi at Roskilde

Stuck in heaps of Cumbia at the moment, but I just saw an interesting detail in the Spilleplan for the Roskilde Festival.

Yes, it is Femi Kuti & Positive Force, same stage and same time as his younger brother Seun and his (and before that their father's) band Egypt 80. The two have often been portraid as, if not enemies then at least rivals. That may have of course have been exaggerations, or simply a well established literary convention one could easily slip into, but it's still a concert not to miss. Apart from the Kuti brothers performing together, there are also the practical problems (and artistic possibilities) of two 15 man afro beat bands sharing one stage.

Stockholm Jazz Festival 3: Kuti and the wind

For the benefit of my swedish readers, here's the links to the reviews of Zap Mama's and Seun Kuti's concerts. If I seem a bit negative I, well I guess I was, but at least in the case of Kuti I just couldn't write about the concert without taking into account the impact of the wind, the cold and the seated audience. The show in itself was really good though and the simple fact that he played the here an example of how the jazz festival has become more interesting lately.

Stockholm Jazz Festival 2: Wanlov and Ayisoba playing in the lobby (almost)

I have some poor quality footage of Wanlov and Ayisoba playing at Clarion Sign in Stockholm, but until I'm able to upload it, and perhaps also find some material from their late night jam at Fasching, here's a short clip uploaded by Pidgen Music yesterday.

Also coming up later: a brief summary of the seminar between me and Panji at the hotel.

Stockholm Jazz Festival 1: A lost Ayisoba

The jazz festival has barely started but I already met the cousins (I thought they were brothers) Almou from the Festival au Desert, for a half hour talk about how to arrange a festival in the poorest part of one of the poorest countries in the world. Also said hi to Panji Anoff, Wanlov the Kubolor and King Ayisoba. Wanlov arrived barefeet, honouring his nickname The African Gypsy and defying the realities of Swedish summer (14 degrees and rain). King Ayisoba wore traditional garments and got lost at the airport, his pick up got the name wrong, maybe he was confused by the "king" part of it. Ayisoba still managed to get a ride into town somehow, waiting out the confusion at the hotell before the organizers were able to locate him.
But more of them tomorrow. Now the real festival starts. Tonight I will see, and write about, Zap Mama, who travelled far from her congolese roots. Too far? That's exactly what I intend to find out.