#mengwesnsick

[lifeilin]

Hey all! My name is Anabelle and I made an album titled "Feet on the ground", which I'll release in February.

I don't want to make this post TOO long even though quite frankly, the story behind putting these ten songs together is an extremely long one. I will share more about it when those who want to hear them, get to. For now, I'm excited to say that I worked with very talented Cameroonian and American musicians to bring this little story to life in music form and I'm endlessly thankful for every single one of them. Again, more about them later!

I've been sitting with the mastered files of this record since September 2021, thinking of the millions of ways to release it, not having much of a clue about the "right" time to do it. The truth is, there's no "right time" to make art, and there's certainly no "right time" to share it. There are standards and there's History, precedents that need to be respected, but there's no "right way" to make or share art either. I'm just grateful for art. It saved my life.

Sooo, to make my pulp cover idea for this pulp music (HA! 🤣) a reality, the amazing @kimberleyclaudia (no really, she absolutely is amazing), conceptualized the album's artwork from top to bottom, down to the colors and the textures. She also shot and edited it in November 2021, assisted by @davybell. Hair and makeup by yours truly and @estherrosaline. Last but not least, the super fun @vijith.illustrations took care of the graphic design early last year.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this, and be on the lookout for album content in the upcoming weeks!

Love, always.

Anabelle. Check out my Instagram page @_thebelle_

[megwesnsick]

Geo William Masso was a Cameroonian Makossa singer who just passed. This was my favourite by him. 

Qu’il repose en paix. 

I can’t wait to go back to posting as much as before. Hope everybody is well. 

[megwesnsick]

Why do I feel like I haven’t logged in since last year? HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Something tells me I’ve already shared a Baaba Maal song to this blog, and it might be this one. Regardless I’m sharing it again because it’s my favourite song of his. Baaba Maal is from this country a good friend of mine would call ‘The Land of Awesomeness”, Senegal, which I’m yet to visit, but certainly will. I remember my friend also used to tell me in college that Baaba Maal doesn’t speak in Wolof if I remember correctly. I will ask again. 

It is called Souka Nayo and probably means I will follow you. I liked everything about the song while being a child, from the beautiful voices in English at the beginning to the upbeat turn the song takes to his amazing voice. I still do absolutely love this song and I thought it’d be fitting to make it the first post of 2018. 

Portez-vous bien et écoutez toujours plus de musique Africaine!!!

[megwesnsick]

“L’argent appelle l’argent”. “Money calls money”. This is basically a Congolese classic that spilled over to the entire continent. So many musicians covered it, revisited it and sampled it for as long as I remember. As the Youtube links suggests, it was originally performed in 1981 by Pamelo Mounk’a who was a singer/songwriter and record producer from Congo Brazzaville. He also worked with legendary Congolese artist, record producer, singer songwriter Tabu Ley (whom I’ve featured on this blog before). Pamelo Mounk’a is credited for having contributed greatly to Congolese Rumba but also to Afro-Cuban music (he spoke Spanish really well). Pamelo Mounk’a died of diabetes in 1996.

Ce morceau est une référence dans la musique Congolaise mais aussi Africaine, parce qu’il a en effet eu beaucoup de reprises. C’est l’une de mes chansons préférées, comme vous pouviez certainement l’imaginer.

[megwesnsick]

Tshala Muana, from ex-Zaire, Congo! This is an old one as well. (I mean I can’t help that I have a thing for vintage things - save me from myself!) It is titled “Tshibola” and is probably one of her most popular songs in the region. You’d have to be very open if you’re not from the culture to appreciate it, but I like it a lot. Mainly because it does take me back to childhood (not sure what year it came out), but local TV channels would broadcast her videos and concerts a lot when I was a child. I remember mixing her up with Tina Turner growing up, when in actuality they don’t have much in common at all. It was probably the facial expressions while she sings and her (hips) moves and legs! Just a beautiful Congolese woman. 

En tout cas, ceci est ‘Tshibola’ par la chanteuse Congolaise Tshala Muana. Je pense être en mesure d’effectivement mettre un morceau, un lien Youtube ou Spotify sur ce blog chaque jour jusqu’à Noël! Je suis sur la bonne voie. 

[megwesnsick]

Qui se rappelle du Bisso na Bisso? Le super groupe de Hip Hop et de Rap constitué d’une diaspora Congolaise dynamique, artistique et talentueuse? MOI.

I already posted ‘L’union’ to this blog, and I’m coming this time with the lead single of their ablbum “Racines”, which ‘L’Union’ is also a part of. It’s in French, and it’s fun, and man I brings about a lot of memories! The title is “Bisso na Bisso”. Do enjoy quality rap and quality music whenever you can, beautiful people! 

[megwesnsick]

Yooooo I randomly thought about this song a minute ago. I remember hearing it first when I came home from a very traumatic experience abroad in the first world 5 years ago. I was switching through music channels and bumped on this. The song didn’t change my life per se but it immediately brightened my mood and made me smile. It had that effect on me because it took me back to the 90s when Eagle Eye Cherry’s ‘Save Tonight’ and ‘Falling in love again’ where some of my anthems. I believe there is something very comfortable and happy about their sound. I also found it interesting that a rock band from Senegal had such a nice video and would switch between Wolof (I believe), French and English languages in one song. That’s the colourful beauty of Africa! I also remember finding the lady cool and the frontman handsome in their visuals. 

Cette chanson s’intitule ‘Fire’ et je me demande pourquoi Takeifa n’a pas explosé, ou du moins n’est pas plus connu, ne serait-ce qu’en Occident. Je trouve sincèrement leur style rafraîchissant, leur dreadlocks époustouflants, et la guitariste albinos ravissante. C’est dommage qu’on n’en entende pas vraiment parler, parcequ’ils sont énormément bourrés de talent. Qu'à cela ne tienne, voici le lien de leur page tumblr! 

https://takeifa.tumblr.com/

[megwesnsick]

I’ve shared Zangalewa’s music here in the past and mentioned that Shakira took their song 7 years ago for her Waka Waka world cup anthem. I was listening to them earlier today and I realised I hadn’t updated this site in a while. 

Ceci s’intitule ‘Maladie difficile à soigner”. J’aime beaucoup. Cameroun all day! 

[megwesnsick]

This is K-Tino in “Mod Ane Abé” which is Ewondo for ‘Human Beings are heartless” or something along that line. K-Tino used to be the Queen of raunchy Ewondo lyrics in the Bikutsi genre in Cameroon. She no longer releases anything so explicit but her music hasn’t been the same! It used to be exquisite when the lyrics were ridiculous. Her band was just always on top and on point.

This is Bikutsi that will take you straight to the village and dance around a big fire, as long as you bump it with really high volume and feel the bass! X-mas D-day -4, which means 4 more songs! 

A plus! 

[megwesnsick]

This song. This bass player. This is ‘Ponce Pilate’ by Kotto Bass, late Cameroonian bassist and singer. It is actually a remake of a song with the same title by a GREAT Congolese singer, composer and artist, Tabu Ley Rochereau, also dearly departed. I have already posted some of his tunes to this blog before. I also happen to like Kotto Bass’s version better, which is rare from me as I always have special soft spots for original tunes in general. I almost asked for permission to re-record this song for a project of mine but unfortunately dropped the idea. I hope to do so for future projects, if it’s in the cards for me.

Cette chanson est absolument l’une de mes reprises préférées de Kotto Bass. Originalement chantée par Tabu ley Rochereau, elle est rapidement devenue une source d’enthousiasme et de bonheur temporaire pour moi chaque fois que je ne me suis pas sentie en forme. Bref, c’est un véritable délice. 

PS: Apparently Christmas is in a week. I’ll try and upload a tune everyday until then. Je vais tenter de partager un titre chaque jour jusqu’au 25 Décembre.

[megwesnsick]

I posted a photo of Malian singer and actress Fatoumata Diawara last week. Today I’m posting her ENTIRE album ‘Fatou’, that I have listened to while trying to read things that were too stressful, and that I happen to enjoy a lot as much.

Voici le lien de son album qui est disponible sur Youtube et sur d’autres plateformes je suppose!

Un bisou. 

[megwesnsick]

I posted a Sally Nyolo song to this blog years ago. The title of the song was ‘Shana’. This is ‘Tam Tam’, the song that made her known in Cameroon back when we weren’t even teenagers. It’s folky, it’s bikutsi, it’s Ewondo, it’s black, it’s Cameroon and it’s awesome.

Passez un très bon début de semaine! 

[megwesnsick]

Can’t believe I never posted this Senegalese classic to this blog (or did I?). Youssou N’dour is a Grammy award winning artist from the beautiful country of Senegal, West Africa. He is also a refined vocalist. Some of the notes he hits on Birima alone attest to how skilled the man is vocally. He’s a legend in Senegal and one of the most popular African singers, so it should be quite easy to find information about him online. If you’re an African music fan and you do not know who Youssou N’dour is you’re not big enough of a fan.

Ceci est ‘Birima’, sorti en 2000 et c’est chanté en Wolof je pense (je suis ouverte aux contradictions au cas où je me trompe).

Enjoy and Happy Sunday!

[megwesnsick]

The South African Mahotella Queens and Mahlathini “Kazet’ song was rather popular even in Cameroon when I was growing up. Stumbled upon it today and decided to share on this blog as it is always a pleasure and a massive throwback every time I hear it.

Happy Wednesday!

[megwesnsick]

I uploaded a song by one of the coolest smooth voiced Cameroonian young male singers to this blog before. His name is Andy Djemea. I decided to upload another song of his, years later. It’s the song that introduced me to him a few years ago. It’s chill, it’s in Douala, and it’s the perfect song if you are trying to study or just have a nice cocktail by the beach in Kribi at sunset, with a special someone, or just with friends.

C’est intitulé ‘Maggie’. Passez un beau Mercredi! 

[megwesnsick]

I’m in an old school kinda mood tonight! (When am I not lol) 

I’m in an old school Makossa mood tonight.

I’m in an old school, third world, Cameroon music video mood tonight.

I’m in a Gauthi Helle mood tonight.

This is ‘A Moumi’ and I’m posting it solely because I’m in one of those weird moods that take me back to my childhood and to my young parents bumping Makossa music all the time.

C’est vraiment juste un délire. C’est chanté en Douala et les souvenirs se bousculent dans mon cerveau tels des jeunes professionnels à leurs entrevues d’embauche.  

Peace and love.