The track I’ll be opening my next DJ set with
Sekonti Wango Group: Sonn
This is from a tape I got in Ghana recently, all bells and group chanting – pretty beautiful.
The track I always play to rescue a dancefloor
Penny Penny: Dance Khomela
Lights up the dancefloor when all else fails. My label reissued this tape on vinyl a few years ago and I’ve never got sick of it.
The track that currently gets the most rewinds
Georges Ouedraogo: Cherie Coco
It is probably too worn out to really sound good but the breaks and wild vocals make me excited to be DJing, and I love it even though I don’t tend to play tonnes of funk-oriented tracks.
The track I wish i’d signed to my label
Francis Bebey: Akwaaba
I love anything with this stripped-down sanza [thumb piano] sound.
The track I’d play to show off my eclectic tastes
Julee Cruise: Falling (The theme from Twin Peaks)
Obviously, it’s not even remotely African in nature. I get a lot of quizzical looks when I play it.
The track that got me out of bed this morning
My neighbour banged on the door at 1am last night because I was playing this YouTube video of a Fela concert from Berlin in 1978 too loud. When I woke up, I wanted to continue some of it. The concert introduction is very long, you need to skip to 11:00 for the music.
The track I’d play at my auntie’s wedding
Dur-Dur Band: Tajir Waa Ilaah
I love Somali pop music and some of it seems really suited for a party of any kind. So maybe for a relative’s wedding, if someone were crazy enough to invite me to DJ there, I would play something like this. But honestly, I hope I never DJ at a wedding, people would be bummed.
The track that should have been a crossover hit
Brenda & The Big Dudes: Weekend Special
People in the UK often request this track. I have come across vinyl copies in the States but I don’t think it was as big of a crossover hit as it should have been.
The track I’d play at my funeral
I’d love to have them play funeral songs from the Lobi area in north-west Ghana, I love the xylophone music they play. The songs go from arrhythmic to highly dance-oriented.
Awesome Tapes From Africa plays Field Day, Victoria Park, E3, Sat 6 June
