World Passport

FELA KUTI & BROKEN ENGLISH

As the first truly Pan-African musical movement, Afrobeat was often sung in the most widely understood language in Africa at the time, known as Broken or Pidgin English. The Language’s invention was necessitated by local African and colonial commercial interests of the 19th century and developed as a means for many ethnic groups to communicate amongst each other as well as with Europeans.

Like other forms of colloquial pidgins such as American Ebonics and Creole, Broken is a highly inflected language. Specific tenses, prepositions and entire words are often left out. While fewer, the words that are actually spoken belie the multiple and complex meanings that can be derived from the context and tone of a given phrase.

Here's a link to an English translation of Fela Kuti’s “ODOO”, a musical masterpiece and epic poem about the state of African politics. This is a subjective and approximate translation because Broken English only truly exists through speech. It is also important to remember that broken is a language which, through irony and sarcasm, forces you speak about the most serious of issues in the most un-serious of ways.

33. Fela - Overtake don Overtake Overtake

34. Bola Johnson - Lagos Sisi

35. Geydu Blay Abolley - This Hustling World

36. Ikenga Super Sats - Soffry Soffry Catch Monkey

37. Fela - Swegbe and Pako

You May also visit the "Comments" link to see a version of the translation.

42. The Real Sounds - Tornados vs. Dynamos

43. TP OK Jazz - Namiswi Misapi

44. TP OK Jazz - Massu - a very mean song, indeed!

45. Bopol Mansiamina - Papy Ozonga

46. Orchestre Les Mangelepa - Safari ya Mangalepa

47. The Four Brothers - Vimbayi

23. King Wassiu - Unknown Live Appala

24. Ebenezer Obey - Lanre Badmus

25. Segun Adewale - Play For me

26. Lucky Stars and Rosy Mornings - Unknown Ibadan Juju

27. King Jesse Friday - Ore Mi Serere Fun Mi

28. King Sunny Ade - 365 is my Number

29. Great African Highlife - Vol 2 A - 08

30. King Sunny Ade - Uknown Groove

31. King Wasiu - Uknown Groove

32. Haruna Ishola And His Apala Group - Abere

1. Joe Cuba Sextet - El Guaguanco de Jibarito

2. Celia Cruz y Willie Colon - A Papa

3. Orquesta Aragon - Calculadora

4. Alen Gonzalez - El Rumbon

5. Mongo Santamaria - Viva La Felicidad

6. Típica '73 - Sabrosito Rumbón

7. Mongo Santamaria - Wolenche Para Chango

8. Ray Barreto - Viva La Musica

9. Joe Cuba - Salsa y Bembe

10. KXLU Los Angeles Music Library - Unknown Groove

11. Celia Cruz - Ritmo Tambor

12. Tipica 73 - Guaguanco de los Violentos

13. Tito Puente & His Orchestra - Varsity Drag

14. Ray Barretto - La Negra Tomasa

Most easily discernible to Western ears, the roots of both Blues and Reggae can be found in the music of Francophone West Africa. The indigenous musical traditions of the greater Manding and Wolof cultures provided the basis into which was incorporated the stylistic imports of Islam and the later colonial Portuguese and French. The music presented in "Vive l'Afrijazz" represents the result of electrification and amplification on this piece of musical history, as well as the cross-pollination that occurred as African musical forms on both sides of the Atlantic became more readily accessible to each other.

1. Bembeya Jazz National - Lan Naya

2. Labah Sosseh - Seyni

3. Balla et ses Balladins - Assa

4. Super Biton de Segou - Saajuru

5. Le Diamano - Lam Lamo

6. Orchestre Baobab - Toumaranke

7. Orchestre Regional de Kayes - Sanjina

8. Balla et ses Balladins - Paulette

9. Etoile de Dakar avec Youssou N’Dour et El Hadjifaye - Walo

10. Horoya Band National - Konimba

Arguably the single most influential musical movement in world history, the formative years of early American Jazz are explored here in this new World Passport series.

1. Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - Sugar Foot Stomp

2. James P. Johnson - Charleston

3. The Mills Brothers - Chinatown, My Chinatown

4. Duke Ellington - Unknown Groove

5. Louis Armstrong - La Cucaracha

6. Gene Austin - Tonight You Belong To Me

7. Miff Mole - Original Dixieland One-Step

8. Willie The Lion Smith - Finger Buster

9. Lionel Hampton - I Surrender Dear

10. Helen Kane - Me And The Man In The Moon

11. Louis Armstrong - Ain't Misbehavin'

12. Fats Waller - Your Feet's Too Big

13. Jelly Roll Morton - The Pearls

14. The Boswell Sisters - Shuffle Off to Buffalo

15. Benny Goodman - Whispering

16. Trixie Smith - Jack I'm Mellow

17. Lil Green and Louis Armstrong - Come Back Sweet Papa

18. Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians - Boo-Hoo

19. Duke Ellington and his Jungle Band - Mood Indigo

20. The Mills Brothers - Darling Nellie Gray

21. Bix Beiderbecke and Paul Whiteman Orchestra - Mississippi Mud

35. DO Misiani & Shirati Jazz - Jamoko Wange Tek

36. Tchico - Nostalgie D’Afrique

37. L’Empire Bakuba - Femme Infidele

38. Pamelou Mounka - Amour de Nombakele

39. Orchestre Le Peuple - Massavi Fololo

40. TP OK Jazz - La Bralima et sa Brasserie

41. King Kester Emenaya - Ndombolo

11. F.A. Jimmy West & His Rosy Mornings Band - Wa Bami Gbe

12. Haruna Ishola And His Apala Group - Abanije Koni Gbayi

13. King Sunny Ade - Salps Vol. 1 Side B

14. Ebenezer Obey - Ori Mi Ko Ni Buru

15. King Sunny Ade - Mafowo Segberaga

16. Ebenezer Obey - Ota mi Dehin

17. I.K. Dairo - Labondo

18. I.K. Dairo - F’eso J’aiye

19. Ebenezer Obey - Gbebe Mi Oluwa

20. King Sunny Ade - Afaibo 1

21. Kayode Fashola, Tunde Nightingale - Ru Domo Ini won Se

22. Pepsi-Orlando & His Young Star Band - I Love You So

60. Willie Colon - Guajira Ven

61. Bobby Valentin - Huracan

62. Héctor Lavoe - Bandolera

63. Bebo Valdes Y Su Orquestra - Sabor de Cuba

64. Celia Cruz & Ray Barreto - Mala Suerte

65. Ismael Rivera - Lo que Dijo la Gitana

66. Tipica 73 - La Botija De Abuelito

67. Ismael Rivera - Tuntuneco

68. Eddie Palmieri - Unknown Groove

69. Cuarteto D'Aida - Yo Si Tumbo Caña

70. Ruben Blades & Willie Colon - Plastico

71. Ismael Rivera - Lo Ultimo En La Avenida

72. Graciela y Machito - Uknown Groove

73. Ray Barretto - Descarga Criolla

27. Orchestre le Peuple - Nzoto Ya Muana Ya Moto

28. Madilu Coeurs - Boreau Deg Bonyenye

29. Orchestre Super Mazembe - Ji Ji

30. Bopol Mansiamina - Cardiaque Ya L’amour

31. Pamelo Mounka - Ngwai Mwana Ya Mana

32. Nyboma - Unknown Groove

33. The Mulemena Boys - Lizzy 1 & 2

34. Sam Mangwana et African All Stars - Bonne Annee