Doua piese clasice, care imi incanta auzul ori de cate ori le ascult. Impletirea armonioasa dintre techno si acid house emana un vibe pozitiv si plin de energie. Astept pareri

Mory Kante – Yeke Yeke (Hardfloor Remix)

Lemon8 – Model8 (Lemon8 Remix)

Mi-a făcut mare plăcere să descopăr pe youtube mega-hitul lui Mory Kante în formatul original (nu diversele remixuri din ultimii 20 de ani). Eu unul n-am avut ocazia să ascult vreo melodie africană care să se apropie măcar de asta. Enjoy.

P.S. Titlul e, de fapt, “Yé ké yé ké”, dar în Europa toată lumea îl ştie de Yeke Yeke.

A few years ago I read a book called ‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland, after falling head over heels in love with it (and wanting to buy a first class ticket to Thailand to go find this Island) I decided to watch the film. The film, as the saying goes “wasn’t as good as the book”, but was pretty good nevertheless. And since that moment, I have watched the film repeatedly and with the help of an amazing soundtrack, I have fallen in love with two particular scenes and songs.

The first scene was when Richard, Étienne, and Françoise first get their glimpse of “the beach”. While you can see the glorious white sand, the clear blue sea and the rolling green hills in the distance ‘Porcelain’ by Moby is playing in the background. I’ve watched this film so many times now that whenever I hear this song (and I play it also quite a lot) it takes me to this place.

The second scene is when they are celebrating their “Tet Festival” (the anniversary of their arrival on the island) and they are all raving to the remix of ‘Yéké Yéké’ by Mory Kanté. I don’t know what it is about this song, but as soon as I’d heard it, I wanted it and couldn’t stop playing it. I guess this was the same for a lot of people as it was the biggest ever selling African single, selling just over a million copies. Although the remix isn’t what you’d call traditional World Music, it was pretty much my first introduction to the genre, and I haven’t looked back since.

Yesterday, I finally got through the Mory Kanté album that I had been waiting for. The album is called “Sabou” and is an all-acoustic release from 2004. To put it simply, it’s brilliant. The fact that the album is acoustic makes the release seem a lot more traditional than Mory Kanté’s other more western stuff, and the familiar griot roots and fantastic kora playing are still prominent but the balafon, soaring vocals and female choruses make this album not only seem contemporary but homely.

I decided to take to the sofa last Sunday, not leave the house and fill my afternoon with movies.   Danny Boyle’s The Beach was one of them. 

At eight years old, it’s maybe quite an old (very good) film but its soundtrack still packs a punch with tracks such as  Mory Kante’s Yeke Yeke and William Orbits No. 1 hit Pure Shores by girl band All Saints…remember them?  Hold out for the titles and you’ll get to hear the best track by far: Lonely Soul by UNKLE.  Released in 1998, it’s equally as old as The Beach but I’d forgotten just how good it is.  It’s also prompted me to start what I’ve entitled ‘Trackback’ (a music related flashback) and to have nothing but UNKLE’s amazing album Psyence Fiction on my iPod for the rest of the week. 

Enjoy.

Today, I bring you one of my personal favorites. It is Mory Kante’s Afro-Acid remix of ”Yeke Yeke”, released in 1995. It has a great tribal-like vibe, with soothing vocals that make you want to dance and feel happy no matter where you are. Always a great record to play at a club, it will bring everyone to the dancefloor. Guaranteed!

Mory Kante – Yeke Yeke (Afro-Acid Remix)