Burundi beat
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| - | Burundi Beat is best known as a song title by British [[New Romantics]] bands | + | '''Burundi beat''' is an [[African drumming|African drum]] rhythm, a recording of 25 drummers of the [[Ingoma|Ingoma tribe]], made in 1967 in [[Burundi]]. It is best-known as an [[appropriation|appropriated]] [[drum]] style of British [[New Romantic]]s bands [[Bow Wow Wow]] and [[Adam and the Ants]]. |
| - | [[appropriation]] | + | ==Recording history== |
| - | [[Bow Wow Wow]], [[Adam and the Ants]], and several other British bands poses yet another moral conundrum. | + | |
| + | '''Burundi beat''' is a ''[[tribal music|tribal]]'' rhythm is a recording of 25 drummers of the [[Ingoma|Ingoma tribe]], made in 1967 in a village in [[Burundi]] by [[Michel Vuylsteke]] and [[Charles Duvelle]], a team of French [[anthropologist]]s. The recording was included on an album, ''[[Musique du Burundi]],'' issued by the French [[Ocora]] label in 1968. | ||
| - | The original source of this ''[[tribal]]'' rhythm is a recording of 25 drummers, made in a village in the east African nation of Burundi by a team of French anthropologists. The recording was included in an album, ''Musique du Burundi,'' issued by the French [[Ocora]] label in 1968. It is impressively kinetic, but the rhythm patterns are not as complex as most African drumming; they are a relatively easy mark for pop pirates in search of plunder. During the early 70's, a British pop musician named [[Mike Steiphenson]] grafted an arrangement for guitars and keyboards onto the original recording from Burundi, and the result was ''[[Burundi Black]],'' an album that sold more than 125,000 copies and made the British best-seller charts. | + | In 1971 [[Mike Steiphenson]] grafted an arrangement for guitars and keyboards onto the Ocora recording for [[Barclay Records]], and the result was "Burundi Black" (Pt. 1 and 2)[http://www.discogs.com/release/479209] a [[Single (music)|seven inch]] that sold more than 125,000 copies and made the British best-seller charts. The track was arranged, composed by [[Mike Steiphenson]]. The sleeve notes that the recording contains [[drum]]s [tambour] by the [[Ingoma|Ingoma Tribe]] sampled from the album on [[Ocora]] records (OCR 40 - ''Musique du Burundi''). |
| - | Ten years later, Britain's foppish, acutely fashion-conscious ''new romantics'' and their tribalist cohorts rediscovered ''Burundi Black.'' They found it rhythmically compelling, but [[Mike Steiphenson]]'s pop arrangement was out of date. So [[Rusty Egan]], drummer with the new romantic band [[Visage]], and a French record producer named [[Jean-Philippe Iliesco]] recorded a new pop arrangement over the hapless Burundian drummers. Their revised ''Burundi Black'' was released in Britain this year and rapidly became a dance-floor hit. Now a New York label, [[Cachalot records]] (55 Mercer Street, New York, N.Y. 10013), has issued the Egan-Iliesco ''Burundi Black'' in this country. | + | In 1978, Barclay released a [[12-inch single|twelve inch]] version. |
| - | This latest ''Burundi Black'' is glitzy pop-schlock, a throwaway with a beat. But its perpetrators are making money with it, and so is Mike Steiphenson, who has held onto the ''Burundi Black'' copyright. Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, and several other bands have notched up an impressive string of British hits using the ''Burundi beat'' as a rhythmic foundation. But the Burundian drummers who made the original recording are not sharing in the profits. Nobody told them to copyright their traditional music, and trying to obtain copyright for a rhythm would be a difficult proposition in any case. -- Robert Palmer, 1981 via Nytimes [Sept 2006] | + | In 1981, the track was re-released on Barclay and [[Cachalot records]]. This time, [[Rusty Egan]], drummer with the new romantic band [[Visage]], and a French record producer named [[Jean-Philippe Iliesco]] recorded a new pop arrangement over the Burundian drummers. |
| + | ==Copyright status== | ||
| + | Mike Steiphenson holds the ''Burundi Black'' copyright. Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, and several other bands have made hits with the ''Burundi beat'' as a rhythmic foundation. The Burundian drummers who made the original recording are not sharing in the profits. In any case, as the [[riddim|Jamaican recording industry]] and the [[Amen break]] cases have shown, obtaining copyright for a [[rhythm]] is a difficult proposition. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == See also == | ||
| + | *[[Cultural appropriation in western music]] | ||
| + | *[[Hoomba Hoomba]] | ||
| + | *[[Techno-Bush]] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
| + | [[Category:WMC]] | ||
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Burundi beat is an African drum rhythm, a recording of 25 drummers of the Ingoma tribe, made in 1967 in Burundi. It is best-known as an appropriated drum style of British New Romantics bands Bow Wow Wow and Adam and the Ants.
Recording history
Burundi beat is a tribal rhythm is a recording of 25 drummers of the Ingoma tribe, made in 1967 in a village in Burundi by Michel Vuylsteke and Charles Duvelle, a team of French anthropologists. The recording was included on an album, Musique du Burundi, issued by the French Ocora label in 1968.
In 1971 Mike Steiphenson grafted an arrangement for guitars and keyboards onto the Ocora recording for Barclay Records, and the result was "Burundi Black" (Pt. 1 and 2)[1] a seven inch that sold more than 125,000 copies and made the British best-seller charts. The track was arranged, composed by Mike Steiphenson. The sleeve notes that the recording contains drums [tambour] by the Ingoma Tribe sampled from the album on Ocora records (OCR 40 - Musique du Burundi).
In 1978, Barclay released a twelve inch version.
In 1981, the track was re-released on Barclay and Cachalot records. This time, Rusty Egan, drummer with the new romantic band Visage, and a French record producer named Jean-Philippe Iliesco recorded a new pop arrangement over the Burundian drummers.
Copyright status
Mike Steiphenson holds the Burundi Black copyright. Adam and the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, and several other bands have made hits with the Burundi beat as a rhythmic foundation. The Burundian drummers who made the original recording are not sharing in the profits. In any case, as the Jamaican recording industry and the Amen break cases have shown, obtaining copyright for a rhythm is a difficult proposition.
See also
