BBC History of Africa theme music

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

So, I've been watching episodes of the BBC's History of Africa, thanks to a tip from TG on the Black History Month thread (thanks TG!). And one thing that has struck me is the hauntingly beautiful melancholic theme music. But it struck me not just for its quality, but also for its apparent familiarity. Specifically, the main refrain in it reminds me very strongly indeed of the tune in Amadou and Mariam's "Je pense a toi". So I was really confused to see that the music is credited solely to some film music composer called Didier Recloux, with no mention of Amadou and Mariam. I'm not suggesting that there is actual plagiarism, partly because I don't know the crediting conventions where one person's work is incorporated into another's, but mainly because my musical ear is so hopeless that I could easily be confusing two totally different tunes that only sound the same to a tone deaf muppet like me.

See what you think. Here's the BBC History of Africa theme music, just try the first 20 seconds of this video:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6&&FORM=VRDGAR

and here is Amadou and Mariam's hit (in the francophone zone),song. Try, for example, from 0:25 to 1:05 in the video:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...tail&FORM=VIRE

It's just me being a musically illiterate idiot I expect.

[Sam]

It's the same song. I googled a bit and found this article on the website of the production company, which says (right at the bottom in the 'Post Production' section) that Recloux is responsible for the incidental music, but that the title music is indeed 'Je Pense a Toi'.

I'll be giving this a watch!

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Thanks Sam, that's reassured me!

[Bored Of Education]

Thank you for that, it is gorgeous. I was very disdainful of world music when I was younger as it reminded me of my mates' hippy parents that let their offspring call them by their first name. Perhaps due to that, I disliked African music. Even when it popped up on the John Peel show, I saw it as a distraction from the middle class white boy music that I was listening out for. As I got older, I got into cajun/zydeco music then, after, a visit there, Cuban music and, a decade ago, I got a gig cataloguing Peel and Andy Kershaw shows and really got into the African and specifically West African guitar music from that. The most recent stuff I have got into - although it is fairly Western-orientated - is Songhoy Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPVVLxVX9w

[Sam]

Watched episode 1 of History of Africa today and there is in fact a mention of Amadou and Mariam, EEG. You must have missed it! The screen during the end credits that mentions Recloux has 'Title Music – Amadou and Mariam' underneath.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Ah ok thanks Sam.