FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD: The Very Best: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best

HANK ALTOGETHER:

When Paul Simon released Graceland in 1986, it not only became an overnight sensation, the record landed Simon in a heap of political turmoil as well. Simon violated the UN cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa by not only recording there, but using mbaqanga a genre of South African pop to craft the majority of the sound on the album.

Simon's usage and adaptation of mbaqanga touched a nerve. Rock and Roll has often been plagued by racial inequity like Elvis "stealing" from African-American's to create his boogie-woogie sound of the late 50s. Ironically, of course, Simon's album title conjures up the image of Presley as did his usage of a traditionally African sound for Graceland. Simon's intentions were not nefarious, but the distance between Graceland, Graceland, and the UN's cultural boycott was uncomfortable to say the least.

The 2008 version of this, tho not nearly as dramatic, is the stylings of Vampire Weekend and their purposefully hybridized version of Soweto (which sounds as if it has as much to do with Simon as it does South Africa). Of course, Vampire Weekend's cultural tourism isn't blatant - banal and overwrought, maybe - but it stops far short of whole-heartedly stealing a culture's sound. Still, given the Columbia grad's pension for African sounds, it's nice to see Africa strike back.

Enter: The Very Best: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best, who are currently giving out their debut for free! Mwamwaya and Radioclit's music is a global take on Western and African tunes. Far more than cultural tourism from the West or Africa, one can see them, on this album assimilating, musically, on a scale that we haven't seen before by reworking tunes by Architecture in Helsinki, Vampire Weekend, and MIA. Remixing and filling in the spaces with African sounds, making a sound as wide and diverse as the globe in the process.

Tracklist:
1) Kamphopo (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races)
2) Wena (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & Bleksem, music: DJ Cleo - Wena)
3) Tengazako (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: M.I.A - Paper Planes)
4) Chikondi (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: Hans Zimmer - True Romance Theme)
5) Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (The Very Best Remix) (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: Radioclit & Vampire Weekend)
6) Hide And Seek (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & Teki Latex, music: TTC - Batards Sensibles)
7) Salota (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya and Blk Jks, music: Cannibal Ox - Life’s Ill)
8] Boyz (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, Akon & M.I.A, music: M.I.A -Boyz)
9) Sister Betina (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & Mgarimbe, music: Mgarimbe - Sister Betina)
10) Birthday (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & The Ruby Suns, music: The Ruby Suns)
11) Funa Funa (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: Radioclit)
12) Kada Manja (classic version) (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya, music: Radioclit)
13) Dinosaur Of The Lost Ark (The Very Best remix) (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & Ben Brewer, music: Bermuda)
14) Get it Up (The Very Best Remix) (vocals : Esau Mwamwaya, Santogold, M.I.A & Northern Cree, music: Radioclit)
15) Will You Be There (vocals: Esau Mwamwaya & Michael Jackson, music: Michael Jackson - Will You Be There)

free download