Many people associate Wagadu with role-playing games rather than grooves. Not surprising, since »Wagadu Grooves« was mainly distributed on cassettes and in digital form in the Soninke community. Once the founders of the kingdom of Ghana, the Soninke are now scattered across West Africa and the rest of the world. Modern Soninke music, in which Gaye Mody Camara plays a key role, bears traces of these migratory movements. He moved to Paris in the mid-1970s where he built up a veritable music empire. Hot Mule is now making a selection of his work available on vinyl for the first time. This beautiful double LP vinyl set could be used to tell many stories about the fluidity of culture, the history of Africa, intercontinental migration, nationhood and much more. The liner notes, which can also be read online, tell the centuries-old story of these recordings. But it is the music itself that tells the story best. On »Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1987-2016« you can find traces of disco and reggae, but also ancient rhythms, of course. Autotune meets traditional instruments. Those with a little knowledge about West African music will be reminded of the voice of Malian diva Oumou Sangare on Babani Koné’s »Soyeba«, while the rolling grooves of the Sahel can be heard on Diaby Doua’s »Boliñaame«.
Lord Spikeheart
The Adept
Haekalu