Moving (finally) into the upper-half of the list. Here Africa gets a big nod, hip-hop gets pissed, and Todd Snider and Kimya Dawson slip sweet, funny songs into the atmosphere.
27.
Album: Francophonic — Franco (Stern’s, 2008)
Franco is the Congo’s greatest musician, and perhaps all of Africa’s, even if he never became as well-known in the U.S. as King Sunny Ade or Fela. There are many collections of his work that vary in quality and (particularly) availability, but this recent two-disc collection, which spans from 1953 to 1980, might be the best on either count. Intially, I had several Afropop compilations/reissues on this list, but decided to cut them out to make room for more made-in-the-aughts music. I’m including Francophonic — arguably the best of the bunch — as a stand-in for a decade full of great vintage Afropop collections. A few others well-worth tracking down:
A History of Township Music — Various Artists (Wrasse)
The Best of the Classic Years — King Sunny Ade (Shanachie)
The Best Best of Fela Kuti — Fela Kuti (MCA)
Wamato — Les Amazones de Guinee (Stern’s)
Pirate’s Choice — Orchestra Baobab (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
The Voice of Lightness — Tabu Ley Rochereau (Stern’s)
Giants of East Africa — Orchestra Super Mazembe (Earthworks)
Song Sample: “Tika Kondima Na Zolo”
