Resources on African Music
Discographies that will be maintained here:
Zaïrean and Congolaise Music on CD and Vinyl (this is a discography that will attempt to include any African music on any media that I get to know of. But to start with I will list only CD's and Vinyl .In this first web-version of the discography I will concentrate on that which is closest to my heart, namely the Zaïrean & Congolaise music.
This preliminary list contains only the CD's in my own collection, but my aim is to exclude nothing, so if you have additional information, please let me know and I'll include it here. I will also try to bring some better structure to this list. As it is now, it is just sorted by label, and as it is already rather large, it can be quite cumbersome to search. As work progresses, I will add some search facility and try to list it also by order of artists and groups.Both the above lists exist in more complete versions with tracklistings.
On Zaïrean and Congolaise Music on CD (+ tracklistings)
On Zaïrean and Congolaise Music on Vinyl (+ tracklistings)
(in preparation, at the moment only preliminary tracklist for 360 000 series)
This list is intended for those who like me take a specially keen interest in the CD-reissues of material by Franco and T.P. OK Jazz.
(click the above link to see a preliminary version, soon to be updated with the last couple of months reissues.)
(For this I am hoping on help from all knowledgeable people interested in such an undertaking. Among the persons preliminary contacted I have been promised future aid by both Graeme Ewens and Vincent Kenis who have already generously shared their infromation with me. I hope that anyone interested in participating in this project will contact me.)
the African 360 000-series (+tracks, preliminary list)
the Sonafric 50.000-series
the Esperance series (in preparation)
the Syllart series (in preparation)
the Songhaï series (in preparation)
the Kouma series
etc. etc. (in preparation)(click any of the above links to see the preliminary versions)
Biographical information that will be maintained here:
Under editing, a preliminary list will be put here and as the material developes it will also be made searchable. One of the goals is that it shall also be linked to recordings to make it possible to see what records a specific musician participates on. And hopefully I will have the perseverance to let it provide links to the CD's.
Bibliographies that will be maintained here:
Some articles that will be available here:
Some articles on the early recording industry by Paul Vernon that describes African operations.
Articles that just touches on African matters.
I have also scanned and edited some articles that I have enjoyed reading and found informative on related topics. It is my hope that gathering this and similar material here will provide some aid for people looking for a certain kind of music, but I also hope it shall be of some use to the specialist.
I am of course aware of the immense territory that I am trying to cover and also that a large part of it has no really good map follow, certainly there will be many flagrant misstakes and obvious gaps in the beginning, but I hope that I will be able to build something more complete and useful with the cooperation of all you other specialist and afficcionados that I feel are bound to come to my help.
I will also try to get the permission from various authors to prepare electronic versions of ther articles on african music already publishedin some other media as well as to try to constantly include any other relevant information that I come across.
Although this in itself is a totally non-commercial undertaking.
I am taking into account both commercial and non-commercial recordings, and with an aim at functioning as a source of information describing at least some of the admirably creative musicians and the music of this culturally rich continent that is Africa and to make that truely great music more known and accepted worldwide.Lars Fredriksson 970428 - revised 2003.07.21
If you do have any relevant material that you feel belongs here please send it to me and I will try to include it. I can OCR material if I find them worthwhile additions to these pages and you send me the original or a clear copy.
Please send any comments or additional info to e-mail: disco@bolingo.org