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Fela Kuti pictured in Detroit, 1986
Pimp my pop song Jay-Z may have recently caused a wave with the high-profile launch of streaming service Tidal, but the Brooklyn rapper is the latest artist to become embroiled in a legal dispute over sampling. The iconic melody line from ‘Big Pimpin’’ was originally the croon of Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez on ‘Khosara Khosora’ (1960), composed by Baligh Hamdi. The use of the sample was green-lit by EMI Arabia, however in 2007 Hamdi’s estate issued a lawsuit claiming the major label never had the rights to sub-licence the track. The eight-year long legal battle will now go to trial in October. Who else has sampled world music? Jason Derulo ‘Talk Dirty’ samples Balkan Beat Box’s ‘Hermetico’ Michael Jackson ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’’ samples Manu Dibango’s ‘Soul Makossa’ MIA ‘Jimmy’ samples Parvati Khan’s ‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja’ Nas & Damian Marley ‘Patience’ samples Amadou & Mariam’s ‘Sabali’ The Roots ‘I Will Not Apologize’ samples Fela Kuti’s ‘Mr Grammarticalogylisationalism is the Boss’ Black Eyed Peas ‘Don’t Phunk With My Heart’ samples Asha Bhosle’s ‘Aye Naujawan Hai Sab Kuchch Yahan’
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Henrietta Bulter
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Touareg Time Throughout June the Royal Geographical Society will host an exhibition recounting the history of Touareg culture in Algeria, Libya, Niger and Mali from the 19th century to the present day. Through stunning photography, traditional poetry, debate and music, visitors will be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the lives and history of these embattled yet incredibly resilient nomadic people. Currently embroiled amid
the turmoil of North Africa, the Touareg have overcome famine and political upheaval and are at risk of being overshadowed by insular conflict. The exhibition, curated by photographer Henrietta Butler, will include her own photos as well as others by some renowned Saharan photographers and artists. Robin Hanbury-Tenison, cofounder of Survival International commented: “this event will thoroughly illuminate and explain
the Touareg’s intriguing, vibrant culture – contradictory but sincere and powerful. A timely, important show, and to my knowledge the first major exhibition on the Touareg in the UK.” There will be music from Toumast, Moussa Ag Keyna and singer Aminatou Goumar, who play at the Troubadour Café on June 4. +D ATES The exhibition will show from June 2-20 +O NLINE www.tuaregtime.co.uk
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22/04/2015 15:50