POSTED ON
March 27, 2015
the Ramblers International –
“Doin’ Our Own Thing”,
Decca 1971
This Ramblers album from 1971 contains both covers and
songs by Jerry Hansen himself. A sweet mixture of their
own and international hits. The Ramblers were here on 4
other occasions, this is their fifth contribution to the GG.
I love every record I heard untill now and this one forms
no exception, Jerry Hansen is the man that never
disappoints. Get it and spread it,
you know the drill..
tracks;
01 – Obaa ahoofe
02 – Me nim beebi a wewu mada
03 – Owu adaada me
04 – Nine miles high
05 – Dzi dzo
06 – Grazing in the grass
07 – Vete pa’ la luna
08 – Muntie
09 – Caramelo a kilo
10 – Womma yen whe yie
11 – Se eye mi do
12 – Wo gya me a me ye mobo
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Hello Moos.
An record od excellent quality, thank you.
The Ramblers Dance Band was formed in 1961, formerly the brass-section of the Black Beats.
In the 60s and early 70s they were among the most popular bands of West Africa. Their time was over mid of the 70s, for many years they were and remained the house-band of the Ambassador Hotel but disbanded in the early 80s.
Their music was a blend of Higlife, R&B, Soul and Latin rhythms. If this music is compered with the music of the Kumapim Royals the result would be: nothing in common.
What should be known: Highlife is not a music-style only it is also a “glue” used by the politicians to “unite” the tribes to build the nation.
Greetings / Thomas
Zombie by Fela was actually a song against the government, criticizing the conduct of the police/military … It was eventually banned … “Ebe te yie” by African Brothers Band was also a song criticizing how government officials are making wealth at the expense of the population, using a story with animals as the characters … “Oman Bo Adwo” by African brothers was also rumored to be about Kwame Nkrumah’s exile … Most highlife songs are about everyday issues that people can relate … Only a few venture into politics for fear of losing fans on the other side they might speak against
A thousand ‘thank you’s, always and every day. So glad you kept up the good fight for all these gems.
Another gem from the master Jerry, The Ramblers were a Ghanaian institution. Songs in Twi . fanti, ga, ewe endeared them to all. As a side issue he gave the young Nana ampadu his start in recording . Medaase
Hello Moos,
Highlife and glue, it need some more words.
Doubtless there were many artists who condemned politicians by their songs but there were as many who praised the same politicians by their songs.
Above however is not what I wanted to point out.
Who is interested to listen to the “old” highlife, should go to
>http://satyr78curiosa.blogspot.de/2014/04/kumasi-trio-zonophone-1928.html<.
(2x 78rpm-disc from the 20s).
This kind of music is the basement of the the later Guitar-Highlife, Palmwine-Highlife and Funk-Highlife.
Dance-Band-Highlife is based on swing which was brought by the engl. and us-am. soldiers within the 2nd world-war, about 1950 the Dance-Bands started to look backward on their own past and implemented local rhythms too.
By the way, Takoradi would had become seat of government of Britain if Nazi-Germany would have had invaded England.
The basic instrument of highlife is the guitar, an instrument from Europe brought to
West Africa by the Kru, in the early years of the 18th century already. The guitar was accompanied by european music, which was melted with traditional local music and became Highlife.
(more infos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kru_people). African traditional instruments were any kind of percussion and flutes, within middle of the 19th century the accordion joined.
When the Gold-Coast was seeking independence their leaders had to find something to unite the people to build the new nation. This was difficault because each tribe even if it was dominated by the Asante before had its own history and tradition therefore something else had to be found or created. Team-sports was the first choice, a unique music the second, therefore the musicians were asked (ordered) to consider own traditional music, furthermore was done but politic should not be tackled here.
What Nkrumah ordered for Ghana was copied by other political leaders (Senegal – Senghor = Mbalax / Guinee – Sékou Touré – Syli + "a network of state-sponsored groups" as part of authenticite, more tried but did not succeed).
I hope that above makes it a little more easy to understand a difficult story.
Greetings / Thomas
[…] Doin’ Our Own Thing 1971 Ramblers International, self titled 1977 Dance with the Ramblers 1967 The Hit Sound of the Ramblers Dance Band 1968 Self Titled 1976 Seven 7 Inches from Ghana Stars of Ghana vol. 1 1980 Stars of West Africa vol. 2 1963 Jerry Hansen, Wikipedia Discogs […]