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Non-paywalled copy: https://archive.ph/Rw054

Very different rent but this reminds me of the story of the US musician Sixto Rodríguez. Who became very popular in South African without him knowing. I recommend watching the documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man

Prince Nico Mbarga “Sweet Mother”: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3mecNrIaWOA

Funnily enough, this is man is namesake!

@Geekette, if you read this comment. I am making an african music startup. And I would love to get in touch !

I imagine there are countless of individuals that are very famous within some region, but little known outside of it. It's not easy to have global recognition.

I was waching the other day a documentary a bout a rock moviment called Zanrock, very common in Zambia in the 70s. They would perform for great crowds and press discs in South Africa.

Unfourtunaly civil wars, the conflit in Rodhesia, and the lifestyle of Sex drugs and rock and roll in a country ravaged by AIDS, killed a lot of musicians destroyed the movement. A guy started colleccting old records and released on spotify.

of the bands, theres a great one called Witch that reminds me a lot of bands like Steppenwolf and Black Sabath.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1kcs8gftls

If you're interested in unheard music from Africa, this is an incredible project: https://analogafrica.bandcamp.com

Linking to the Bandcamp but they are on Youtube as well. They have new vinyl releases of some fantastic funk and soul spanning the last 5-6 decades in Africa.

Very nice. Made me think of Paul Simon, made me relisten to Graceland, the song. Always a great listen, great sound. Thought it was just about him paying tribute to musical roots, 'Mississippi delta' and all that. But wait what? 'after the failure of his marriage.'... 'Actress and author Carrie Fisher'. Well internet, Today I Learned.

Huge aside aside, aren't these songs a little similar?

Clickbait headline. It outsold any of The Beatles singles *in Africa*:

> “Sweet Mother,” his 1976 one-hit wonder, had sold at least thirteen million copies across the African continent – more than The Beatles’ bestseller “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

Prince Nico Mbarga was not someone I expected to see on HN. What a throwback to the past. Sweet Mother was practically required on the playlist at any event where your mother was going to be recognized in some form or the other (which is pretty much every important event)

If you like it checkout this epic soukous song called Nairobi Nights by Loketo Soukous Starts that includes Sweet Mother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93pse3-23A

Because his hit was sold across Africa, not Europe or North America.

>“His only weakness was temptation,” says Rogers. For alongside Esame, his wife, and Lucy, his first love, he had numerous other lovers.

Funny this is cancel-worthy sometimes, and in other times it's treated as a quaint personality trait.

Also, the Beatles aren't famous because I Want to Hold Your Hand sold 12 million copies. The Beatles have 50 multi-million selling singles.