Dinner Music 70: The weekly lineup
100% groove with funky afro-soul, nigerian high life and brazilian bops
This week the sound is centered firmly around danceability — and how that transcends and is amplified by region. We hear groove sounds from Nigeria, synth-forward disco from Italy, bongo-ladden funk from Brazil. Many of these sounds are descended from very different musical traditions, yet they still groove together so nicely, like seeing your best friend at an unexpected place. These songs make you luxuriate in space.
First, we begin with Cosmic Sounds, a cosmic disco album from Nigeria that existed arguably before the genre even existed in the States. It features that “pew pew” laser sound that I dearly love and the vinyl is a collector’s dream — before it was re-issued one sold for $1300. This album is the Real Deal, a holy grail of disco in general. We hop skip to Italy for 70s album that is not entirely disco, but it’s also not not disco. Radius was a guitarist in many other bands, mostly rock and prog rock. If you’re looking for something that is a little bit of everything, start here. Next, we move into a group that was at the center of West African music in the 60s and 70s, Volta Jazz. There are no rules to this album, it combines Congolese rhumba, American R&B, French yé-yé, Cuban son, and regional Senufo and Mandingo traditions. This is the record you hope the listening bar will play while you’re sipping Sangiovese in the garden outside, sweating, just a little. The physicality of Vontade de Rever Você brings sweat to mind, with it’s high energy, bustling tracks that call to soul and funk traditions from the US that keep the vibe going and going and going. “An essential album for lovers of Brazilian boogie.” Hell yes. We end with Christy Essien Igbokwe, “Nigeria's Lady of Songs.” One Understanding is an album that calls to mind Linda Ronstadt with it’s spirit and complete, utter enthusiasm for something that can only be described as verve. This is decidedly boogie, but, like Ronstadt, it’s just a damn good piece of work. Listen to this on Friday, once you’re free.
Enjoy.
The playlist
Monday
Cosmic Sounds - N'draman Blintch (1980)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Tuesday
Carta Straccia - Alberto Radius (1977)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Wednesday
Air Volta - Volta Jazz (60s-70s)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Thursday
Vontade de Rever Você - Marcos Valle (1981)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Friday
One Understanding - Christy Essien Igbokwe (1979)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Pair with
Iwuk Edesi (One-Pot Rice With Chicken). Easy one pot meal that is prepared in the tradition of southeast Nigeria. This one requires some ingredients you may not have on hand, but find them, make this right away.
Italian broccoli salad. Easy, make ahead side dish for anything, but would also pair well with the iwuk edesi. We are mixing regional foods with our meals!
Everwild La Vie En Rose red-ish blend. This is a medium bodied red (i know!) that has a gorgeous berry flavor that is so bold and goes with anything, especially the flavors in the chicken dish above. I also think it could do well with a curry.
A quick drink at the Quill Room. This is a bit of a hidden gem in Austin, at least to me? It’s right in the Proper Hotel and is easily the sexiest bar in town.
The History of Ideas Podcast episode on Susan Sontag. The issue talks about her essay Against Interpretation and talks about how it applies to art and politics. TL;DR, if you haven’t read it, look at what something is not what it might mean.
Thank you, thank you. Have a great weekend.