Various Wallahi le Zein 2cd

2cd
2011
new
A zillion compilations of West African music out there, but most of them have to ignore Nouakchott, Mauritania, the largest city in the Sahara. Full of shanty towns made out of sand covered tents, it's a place where you have to buy water, and also a place where almost all music is performed live rather than disseminated through recordings. Intensely dirty, burning & ornate electric guitar solos, studded with hammer ons & phase shifter pedals, all improvised, & seemingly powered by car batteries that're busy leaking psychedelic green acid. Those lines wind, pop & shudder over drum bonks, underneath vowel-wrestling singers, & respond with jarring immediacy whenever someone that you can't see dances well or hands over cash. Collected by Matthew Lavoie (of Voice of America) by recording shows onto cassette. Extremely detailed notes give a history of the last 30 odd years of music in the city, explain why drag queen drummers are in demand for weddings, give you some idea of what combination of electronics and dirt make those noises, who had the dream that caused everyone to put 20 extra frets on their necks, etc. Tracklisting: Mohammed Guitar-Banjey & Medh, Kebrou-Banjey Boogie, Kebrou-Banjey, Mohammed Guitar-Banjey, Mohammed Guitar and Sheyniat-Guelbi Vatmetou, Baba Ould Hembara-El Shams w'al Qamar, Baba Ould Hembara & Isselmou Ould Hembara-Henoun, Baba Ould Hembara & Badi Ould Hembara-Ayni Ana, Ateg Ould Syed-L'Ensijab, Mohammed Cheikh Ould Syed Sbar, Mohammed Cheikh Ould Syed-Chewr, Baba Ould Hembara-Wezin, Jeich Ould Chighaly-Wezin, Jeich Ould Chighaly-Wezin, Baba Ould Hembara-Wezin el Horr, Lulcide Ould Dendenni & Ooleya Mint Amartchitt-Hayak el Vennane, Lulcide Ould Dendenni-Wezin, Mohammed Cheikh Ould Syed-El Horr & Az Zrag, Kweli Ould Seyyid & Kleyhid Ould Meylid-Gav, Baba Ould Hembara-Ma'na Arbiya, Deye OUld Amartchitt-Wezin, Baba Ould Hembara-Wezin, Baba Ould Hembara & Mamma Mint Hembara-Moulana Laa Moulana, Deye Ould Amartchitt-Paris, Deye Old Amartichitt-Wezin, Baba Ould Hembara-Il Leyla, Kweli Ould Seyyid & Klayhid Ould Meylid-Wezin.