When the (bon)fire is low...

So, remember that Shakira song "Waka Waka?" The one that they played all the time at the World Cup? Well, she recorded it with a group from South Africa called Freshlyground, and it turns out they are awesome!

Look at all those beautiful people of all shades

Here is a GOOD (SUMMER) SONG of theirs: Fire Is Low by Freshlyground

The members of Freshlyground hail from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, and are assorted ethnicities, and their diverse cultures and backgrounds make for some really cool music. They formed in 2002 in Cape Town. They released their first album, Jika Jika, in 2003, then followed it with another in  2004 and another in 2007. Fire Is Low comes from their most recent album, Radio Africa, from last year (2010). They are Afro-pop with a bit of jazz. Or maybe Indie with a bit of jazzy pop. Or maybe African with an indie-pop twist. However you describe their sound, they are a lot of fun. The lead singer, Solani Mahola, has a really beautiful, jazzy, smooth voice that is extremely smile-inducing. The other band members include Simon Atwell, Peter Cohen, Kyla Rose Smith, Julio "Gugs" Sigauque, Josh Hawks, and Seredeal "Shaggy" Scheepers. All those band mates means lots of instruments: flute, mbira, harmonica, drums, sax, violin, guitar, bass, keyboard, etc., etc. How can you not love it??

This song makes me want to dance around on a summer night when the bonfire gets low. It's impossible not to groove to that beat! Listen! The sax! The clapping!
I hope you enjoy this song, because I sure do.

If you did, indeed, like this song, you might also check out:
Paul Simon
Manu Chao
Arno Carstens
Belleruche
Laura Izibor

Over and out,
Anna

P.S. If you are in DC and free (I'm not. Oh well.) on July 2nd, you should totally go see their show at Black Cat!

Best of 2010

My 11.5 favoritest albums from 2010, in no particular order...

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
GOOD SONG: Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Sufjan Stevens- Age of Adz
GOOD SONG: Get Real Get Right

Florence + the Machine- Lungs
GOOD SONG: Hurricane Drunk

Josh Ritter- So Runs The World Away
GODO SONG: The Curse

LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening
GOOD SONG: I Can Change

Deer Tick- The Black Dirt Sessions
GOOD SONG: Mange

Justin Townes Earle- Harlem River Blues
GOOD SONG: One More Night in Brooklyn

Delta Spirit- History From Below
GOOD SONG: Salt in the Wound

The National- High Violet
GOOD SONG: Bloodbuzz Ohio

The Black Keys- Brothers
GOOD SONG: Ten Cent Pistol

Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt

GOOD SONG: King of Spain

(note: his EP "Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird" is also awesome and gets an honorary mention on this list. GOOD SONG: Thrown Right At Me)

What were YOUR favoritest? What do you think I left out? What would you not have included?

Over and out,
Anna

P.S. Merry Christmas (it's still Christmas time for another 10 days) and Happy New Year!