August 29, 2008

Around the World: Chad




The next stop around the world is Chad. The Republic of Chad is located in Africa, bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. Largely desert, the nation has been inhabited for thousands of years, with a long history. The country has been in French hands since 1920, and as a result, French, along with Arabic, are the official languages. Currently, the nation has been destabilized with neighboring problems in the Sudan causing an influx of refugees.

The band representing Chad is Chari Jazz. The group was founded in 1964 and is considered the first modern band in Chad. I haven't been able to find a whole lot of information on this group, but Archive.org has a couple tracks. Listening to them, there's a great sound here, bubbling with energy and a solid beat. There are some Jazz influences here, as well as what I suspect are more traditional African influences here.


Kag N'Dil - Chari Jazz