Album lore

Grand Maquis (African Music Extra Ordinaire), issued by Sushiraw in 2005, assembles fourteen tracks spanning a broad swath of West and Central African dance genres. From the pulsing beats of coupé décalé and ndombolo to the rhythmic intricacies of bikutsi and the melodic strains of rumba congolaise, the compilation offers a cross-section of the continent’s vibrant club and street music scenes. The featured track, “On va sauter,” exemplifies the kinetic energy threaded throughout the collection, with its driving percussion and call-and-response vocals.Though the record’s reach in digital listening circles remains modest, its value lies in capturing a moment when these styles circulated beyond local borders, converging under one imprint. The inclusion of genres such as gqom and azonto hints at shifting trends in African popular music during the early 2000s, while tracks like “Electrik Bantuu Jazz” nod to more experimental or hybridized forms. This artifact from Sushiraw functions as a modest but instructive document within the canon of African club music.

Album lore

Grand Maquis (African Music Extra Ordinaire), issued by Sushiraw in 2005, assembles fourteen tracks spanning a broad swath of West and Central African dance genres. From the pulsing beats of coupé décalé and ndombolo to the rhythmic intricacies of bikutsi and the melodic strains of rumba congolaise, the compilation offers a cross-section of the continent’s vibrant club and street music scenes. The featured track, “On va sauter,” exemplifies the kinetic energy threaded throughout the collection, with its driving percussion and call-and-response vocals.Though the record’s reach in digital listening circles remains modest, its value lies in capturing a moment when these styles circulated beyond local borders, converging under one imprint. The inclusion of genres such as gqom and azonto hints at shifting trends in African popular music during the early 2000s, while tracks like “Electrik Bantuu Jazz” nod to more experimental or hybridized forms. This artifact from Sushiraw functions as a modest but instructive document within the canon of African club music.