Various Artists “Sweet As Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa” (Ostinato)
via Ostinato: In 1988, on the eve of a two decade civil war, Somalia’s authoritarian ruler Siad Barre launched punishing air strikes on the north of the country, known today as Somaliland, in response to agitations for independence. The bombing levelled the entire city. Barre targeted Radio Hargeisa to prevent …
Various Artists “Synthesize the Soul: Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica from the Cape Verde Islands” (1973-1988, Ostinato Records)
via Ostinato Records: “In Cape Verde, we had no access to electronic instruments,” said Tchiss Lopes, a Cape Verdean singer based in Rome. “In Europe, we had access, but we had to adapt. Audiences expected electronic sounds, but we still stayed true to our sound. At first, the music was …