Super Somali Sounds from the Gulf of Tadjoura

In 2019, Ostinato Records became the first label to gain access to the archive of Radio Television of Djibouti. Before you is the first in a series of compilations from this archive, the anthology 4 Mars, a Somali group of 40 members. 4 Mars wrote the most listened to track Sweet As Broken Dates, from another compilation by Ostinato Records, released in 2017 and nominated for a Grammy. The name of the group translates from French as March 4th. On this day in 1977, the People's Rally for Progress party was founded, leading Djibouti since gaining independence. 4 Mars was the party's ensemble. Turkish synthesizers, Jamaican reggae, brass instruments, Bollywood vocals, Egyptian and Yemeni rhythms—all of this can be found in East Africa, a region that has connected Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean for centuries; all of this can be found in the music of 4 Mars.

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