BaraBara.fm [v.3] - A Journey into the Sound of Kenya

Album Overview III

Agnieszka — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:03:34 +0000

The album is finished. It is not mastered yet but I finally drew up 13 different tracks that hopefully fit together pretty well. The album won t come out before October 2010 but the last days I have posted extracts of all 13 tracks to give you a better overview of the result. Furthermore you can listen to some extracts of the original field recordings I used for the tracks. And finally: Don t miss the videos of the Kenyan recording sessions, Agnieszka did on our journey into the sound of Kenya.
We are happy about any comments on the tracks.
Best wishes
Sven & Agnieszka

Track No 7: Lamu Flute Player
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/flotenst-track.mp3 ^{Flute Player Extract}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/flote-solo.mp3 ^{Flute Player From Lamu}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/flote-lamu.mp3 ^{Lamu Soundscape}

Track No 8: Singers From Kwale
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kwalefrauen-track.mp3 ^{Kwale Singers Extract}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kwalefrauen-rec1.mp3 ^{A Cappella Choir}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kwalefrauen-rec2.mp3 ^{Solo Singer}

Track No 9: Matondoni Orchestra
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/matondoni-track.mp3 ^{Matondoni Orchestra Extract}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/matondoni-rec1.mp3 ^{Matondoni Rhythm Section}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/matondoni-rec2.mp3 ^{Matondoni Orchestra 1}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/matondoni-rec3.mp3 ^{Matondoni Orchestra 2}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with the Matondoni Orchestra

Track No 10: Joseph Oganga
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/oganga-track.mp3 ^{Joeseph Oganga Extract}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/oganga-rec1.mp3 ^{Nyatiti Take 1}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/oganga-rec2.mp3 ^{Nyatiti Take 2}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/oganga-rec3.mp3 ^{Vocal Take 1}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with Joseph Oganga

Track No 11: Rongo Village People
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/crazyman-track.mp3 ^{Rongo Village Extract}
Fieldrecodings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/crazyman-rec1.mp3 ^{Rongo Village Rhythm Section}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/crazyman-rec2.mp3 ^{Rongo Village Band}
Click here to watch the recording session in Rongo Village

Track No 12: Mwatela & Mbui
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/mbui-track.mp3 ^{Mwatela & Mbui Extract}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/mbui-rec1.mp3 ^{Vocal Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/mbui-rec2.mp3 ^{Shaker Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/mbui-rec4.mp3 ^{Village Soundscape}
There is no video of the recording session yet. But you can watch a video Agnieszka did of the traditional schnapps ceremony right before the session started.

Track No 13: Takaye Preaching
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/prediger-track.mp3 ^{Takaye Preacher Extraxt}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/prediger-rec1.mp3 ^{Divine Service}

Album Overview II

Agnieszka — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:42:54 +0000

Track No 4: Olith Ratego
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/olith-track.mp3 ^{Olith Ratego}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/olith-vocals.mp3 ^{Olith Vocal Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/olith-car.mp3 ^{Road Trip}

Track No 5: Kayamba Orchestra
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kayamba-track.mp3 ^{Kayamba Track}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kayamba-kayamba1.mp3 ^{Kayamba Take 1}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kayamba-kayamba2.mp3 ^{Kayamba Take 2}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kayamba-tuctuc.mp3 ^{Tuc Tuc}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with the Kayamba Orchestra

Track No 6: Ohangla Band
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ohangla-track.mp3 ^{Ohangla Band}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ohangla-band.mp3 ^Band
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ohangla-drums.mp3 ^Drums
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with Jack Nyadundo & Band

Comments are welcome!

Album Overview I

Agnieszka — Sun, 23 May 2010 14:10:00 +0000

Track No 1 : Ogoya Nengo
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ogoya-track.mp3 ^{Ogoya Nengo}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ogoya-vocal-extr.mp3 ^{Ogoya Vocal Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/gebet-extr.mp3 ^{Village Atmo/Preaching}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with Ogoya Nengo

Track No 2: Okumo Korengo
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/okumo-track.mp3 ^{Okumo Korengo}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/ogoya-vocal-extr.mp3 ^{Okumo Vocal Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/okumo-nyatiti.mp3 ^{Okumo Nyatiti Take}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session wit Okumo Korengo

Track No 3: Owino Koyo
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/owino-track.mp3 ^{Owino Koyo}
Fieldrecordings:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/okumo-drums.mp3 ^{Owino Drum Take}
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/okumo-vocals.mp3 ^{Owino Vocal Take}
Click here to watch the video of the recording session with Owino Koyo

Please leave a comment.

Takaye Preaching

Agnieszka — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:21:25 +0000

This is an idea for the last track of the album. The track is based on a field recording I did on a hot Sunday in Takaye Village, just a stone ´s throw away from the Centre of Malindi. Early in the morning I had the chance to join a divine service. I got in touch with a small church community about 15 people. The preacher preached himself into a rage. Thank god that I had my MD-Player and the okm-mics with me…..

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/prediger5-1.mp3 ^{Takaye Preacher}

Kayamba Track Idea

Agnieszka — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:01:33 +0000

This is a first try based on the great Kayamba Recordings we did in Kwale. Don t miss the video of the recording session. It s amazing to see how 8 people play the Kayamba in unison.

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/kayamba30-12.mp3 ^kayamba… Read the rest

Pictures put in on New Year’s Eve to remember the folks in africa

Agnieszka — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:25:07 +0000

Journey in the Nyanza region on March 11th, where we met with the nyatiti player Okumo Korengo :

The People at Ogoya Nengo’s Village:

Best wishes for the new year 2010 to all of you !!

Matondoni Video

Agnieszka — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:00:49 +0000

Here comes a new video about the recordings we did on march 25th in Matondoni, this small island close to Lamu.
The music of the traditional Kaswida group was so different from everything else, we had seen the days before.
At least ten male singers of three different generations sang a fiew melodies over and over while the rhythm group played and hammered continuously a very monoton and ruminant beat.
The slow and coordinated movements of the old men and young boys were graceful and full of inner fragility. A lot of children were playing around us and the veiled women regarded the dance from the background. While we sweat at 35 °C.
Listen to the version, Sven created based on the Matondoni Recordings.
And here is the corresponding video track:

How do you like it?

Lamu 2nd Version

Agnieszka — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:38:13 +0000

This is a new version of the Lamu- flute track. I recorded some kind of solo handdrums in the middle part of the song. Though the track sounds different from the extracts I have already posted, I hope, that you gonna like it.
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/floetenstuck13-12-9.mp3 ^{Lamu 2nd version}

Lamu

Agnieszka — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:15:31 +0000

On march 22nd I recorded a flute player in Lamu. Last week I played some simple beats on two different tamobourin drums, which I bought in Kenya, on top of the original recordings.
Yesterday I added a soft brush pattern and two other percussive elements.
This is a first extract:
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/floetenstuck1-12-9.mp3 ^Lamu

Mbui, Mbutch & Mwatela Track Idea

Agnieszka — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:35:49 +0000

On march 22nd Mbui and Mbutch invited us to meet their great band in a small village very close to Malindi. First we had to drink a glass of self made coconut schnapps (video)
Then Mbui, his father Mwatela and up to ten other musicians played many great tunes for us. We stayed there until night. After some more glasses of coconut schnapps we set out through the incredibly black night back for Takaye Village.
Here is a first Track idea based on the recordings we did on march 22nd.
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/mbui2129.mp3 ^{Sengenya Music}

Matondoni Track Idea (Extract)

Agnieszka — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:12:30 +0000

This is a first try out based on the great recording we did in Matondoni, this small island just a stone´s throw away from Lamu.
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Matondoni25-11.mp3 ^{matondoni extract}

The Ohangla Session

Agnieszka — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:57:05 +0000

The recording session we did at the home place of Jack Nyadundo on the 11th march was the first reording for the barabara-project at all. you can see some pictures here.
Jack Nyadundo and his young band are playing a style called “Ohangla”. At the moment “Ohangla” is really the latest craze in Kisumu. It is played in all of the clubs. People dance a very hot style to the rythms and the kenyan women shake their “hips” in an uncredible flexible way: they can move their bumcheeks in every directions!
It was fun to meet Nyadundo and his band. Finally Sven had to play the main drum. Later on Nyadundo advised him to go round in circle while the rhythm had do go on. Sven failed and the crowd laughed lustily.
During the next days of our Nyanza trip together with Tabu, Patrick and George we realized that a certain kind of buoyant spirit is something that all of the people at the Nyanza region radiated even though most of them lived in an extremly poor backround.

Listen here to the track that Sven created based on the original recordings.

Six Finished Nyanza Tracks (Extracts)

Agnieszka — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:04:43 +0000

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Ogoya-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Ogoya Nengo}
Ogoya Nengo Video

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Nyatiti2-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Okumo Korengo}
Okumo Korengo Video

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Koyo-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Owino Koyo}
Owino Koyo Video

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Ohangla-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Jack Nyadundo Orchestra}
Jack Nyadundo Photos

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Olith-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Olith Ratego}

http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Nyatiti1-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Joseph Oganga}
Joseph Oganga Video

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Okumo Korengo

Agnieszka — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:23:49 +0000

The kenyan guitar-like instrument called Nyatiti is one of the most important instruments of the Nyanza Region. On march 11th we met with two different Nyatiti players. First we went to the village of Joseph Oganga. (Watch the video) Later on Oganga joined us to visit one of his friends, who is also a great musicians. The last days I worked out a three-minutes track based on the recordings we did with Okumo Korengo. There is also a great video of the recording session, Agnieszka did this day.
http://www.barabara.fm/videoblog/music/Nyatiti2-Ausschn.mp3 ^{Korengo Extract}