SXSW: Ditching the hype to chase music of Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa
The group had played earlier in the day on the corner of 5th and Brazos, and clad in matching white outfits, had drawn a sizable crowd of passersby — many of whom then sought them later at Copa. During the day, the sound created a pack of toe-tapping, head-nodding new fans. In the evening, though, the music transformed from outdoor curiosity into indoor dance music. The little room ended up jammed with dancers grooving to the sound of the Pacific coast of Colombia.
That traditional sound is a mishmash of African and Caribbean sounds, and if you close your eyes you can hear hints of West African and Afro-Cuban music. Grupo Canalon, though, is dedicated to keeping alive the Afro-Colombian sounds that germinated when African slaves arrived in the 19th century, bringing with them their rhythms. Hipster reissue labels have been scouring Colombia for early recordings of this music, perhaps unaware that groups like Grupo Canalon are dedicated to bringing the sound to new ears. These ears felt quite relieved to relax, take in the rhythms and groove alongside the least pretentious, and one of the most enthusiastic, crowds in Austin, Texas.
Down the street was a very happy bunch of Nigerian emigres giddy that Nigerian rapper Naeto C was onstage. Presented by Spinlet Music, a digital music company that focuses on mobile phone distribution across Africa, the showcase featured a host of Lagos artists who, judging by the tightly packed shout-along crowd at the itsy Beso Cantina, are getting their message into the ears of a devoted Nigerian American audience. Naeto, who is now based in Houston, presented bounce-along tracks rapped in English that drew on complicated rhythms but were cut of the same general cloth as their American pop-rap counterparts.
American labels have started looking to Africa for artists more and
Category: Africa News
