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Saphire D’Or
Ahmed Vall operates a small record store in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It’s called the “Saphire D’Or”, but there’s no sign, and the name isn’t displayed anywhere — save the records themselves, a faded...
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da art of storytellin
The hodou, the traditional Pulaar guitar, is often used to tell a story. And perhaps one of the best known modern storytellers in Mauritania was musician Saïdou Ba: Saïdou Ba – Sayglare “Born in 1939...
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turquoise hexagon rim
public service announcement / boards of canada mashupThe post turquoise hexagon rim appeared first on sahelsounds.
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le dimanche à nouakchott
Premiere Wedding, NouakchottThe post le dimanche à nouakchott appeared first on sahelsounds.
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l’orchestre national de mauritanie, revisted
Finally wrapped up an album that has been in production for over three years – which is not saying much, considering that the music had been sitting, locked away for over four decades. I first...
View Articlenouakchott wedding songs
In 2011, I traveled to Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania to record wedding music. Over the course of six months, I went to a variety of weddings: from the luxurious, high end invitations in...
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it takes two – waande kadde & top wzn
Starting off this new year with two new releases: Waande Kadde, dreamy acoustic Pulaar music from the villages of Fouta Toro, and Top WZN, synth, drum machines, and electric tidnit from the capital...
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turquoise hexagon rim
public service announcement / boards of canada mashupThe post turquoise hexagon rim appeared first on sahelsounds.
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Field Recordings from the Sahel
I recently put together this compilation entitled “Field Recordings from the Sahel.” It’s what it says on the tin. Since the inception of this blog (way back in 2009), field recording has been at the...
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Ahmed Sidi Bella’s Tidnit
Ahmed Sidi Bella – Bundja (tidnit) Ahmed Sidi Bella – Wezen (guitar) I first met Ahmed Sidi Bella, way back in 2009, during my first field recordings. At the time, he only had a tidnit and a child’s...
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abba’s home recordings, or how whatsapp is changing everything (pt 1)
The sand in Mauritania always carries the scent of the sea. You can tell you’re far from the iron rich dust of Timbouctou. Sitting under a tent in a wide empty space of sand and brush, dominated by...
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Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla, Mauritanian Synth & the Internet
I was first introduced to Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla while living in Nouakchott. His mauritanian synth became the soundtrack to nearly every taxi ride through the desert capital, a sublime ambiance to a...
View Articletimbouctou no. 1
? The first time I met Yacine Ould Nana was in a crumbling mansion in the posh neighborhood of Nouakchott. I was sitting on the floor recording the rambling songs of his brother when he marched in....
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