African music bass style instruction?

[smackbass]

I have recently become interested in learning the bass playing style of African music and wondered if there were any method books or DVDs anyone could recomend.

 

[seamus bass]

a good primer is paul simon's "graceland" disc

 

[basmartin]

Jaco influenced alot of african bass players, so I would start with checking out him. Then there is Habib Faye, plays with Youssou N'Dour.

I don´t know any book or methods. I think the best way is to listen and imitate. The rytms and articulation are the imortant things to get the right feel of it.

Africa is a big continent so bass playing varies a lot depending of which region the music comes from. It seems that music from the west Africa, countrys like Senegal, Cameroon has more percussive and rythmical bass playing than from south Africa, more fun to play perhaps.

 

[Sav'nBass]

Yeah I agree.. I am in a similar mood with latin music.. I have played some African style gospel.. some from Soweto and some from Ghana, Nigeria.. and Kenya..and it is different...

Right now I am getting into Salsa ... I am just listening and imitating at the moment.. until it clicks..

 

[bass12]

For instructional material, the only thing I'm aware of is a book called Les Secrets De La Basse Africaine (which I don't think you'll have an easy time finding). As others have mentioned, African music is not just one style. The bass you hear in Congolese rhumba, for instance, is very different from what you'll hear in township jive. The music itself is probably your best bet. Have a look here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609122&highlight=afrobeat

and here:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=586443&highlight=afrobeat

I would suggest you pay particularly close attention to what the drums are doing in various African styles. See if you can find Brice Wassy's instructional book - that should point you in the right direction. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and pick up Jean-Luc Ponty's "Tchokola" album.