The lp we’ve got selected for you today concerns an album
by two great artists. It is suggested these guys are in some
kind of battle singing in turns. The record is divided however,
instead of taking turns, Manuel Caraballo is doing the a-side
and Morgan Blanco the b-side. They perform with the same
group, ‘Los Principes Vallenatos’. One way or the other, I
like both of them and am unable to pick a favourite. What
do you think ? How about you Gerrit, I noticed you are
into vallenato too..by the way return my best wishes
to Agnes, greetings from old buddies in ‘t Gooi..

tracks;

1 Manuel Caraballo – Triste abandono
2 Manuel Caraballo – Cruz maria
3 Manuel Caraballo – Recuerdo inolvidable
4 Manuel Caraballo – Lloras tu dolor
5 Manuel Caraballo – El bocon
6 Manuel Caraballo – Solo el amor
7 Morgan Blanco – Los dos amores
8 Morgan Blanco – El hombre pobre
9 Morgan Blanco – Profunda ensoñacion
10 Morgan Blanco – Por un amor perdido
11 Morgan Blanco – El bucanero
12 Morgan Blanco – Mi muchachita

We had us a few records with Empire Bakuba already
but this one is somehow different. It tells us frontman
is Papy Tex instead of Pépé Kallé. His name doesn’t
even appear. I am sure to hear him a few times though.
Papy Tex wrote the tracks on this album and comes
out strong to my opinion. I dare say this is a
typical Empire Bakuba slice and it rocks
like always, listen and dance away..

tracks;

1 Livre d’or
2 Pebi ya pembe
3 Litama
4 Ce n’est pas ma faute

We knew them as Michigan and Smilie but here on their first
lp they are still called General Smilie and Papa Michigan.
They scored big time with their hits Rub-a-Dub Style and the
second song on this lp, Nice Up the Dance. Being one of the
first duo’s, they caused a craze for this type of reggae, they
toured Europe early eighties. I saw them in the Amsterdam
Paradiso. On the famous Studio One label, produced by
the great Sir Cocksone Dodd who also arranged it and
took care of all engineering and sound recording.
Don’t you just love their style, towell and all..
It was big fun those days.

tracks;

1 Rub-a-dub style
2 Nice up the dance
3 Thank you jah
4 Compliment to studio one
5 Time to be happy
6 Eye of danger

It is always difficult, what to do if backsleeve and label do not
agree on trackorder ? I recorded it as label suggested but saw
only in second instance that there was no match with the sleeve.
One way or the other, same songs, different order, all good to me.
Let’s focus on the music and find 11 very nice vallenatos, I don’t
know about you but I really like’m a lot, check & listen..

tracks;

1 Rosita guamalera
2 Ni pie ni pisa
3 Amor comprado
4 La ceiba
5 La rebelde
6 Margarita
7 Corazon apasionado
8 Mulata
9 Añoranza
10 Solo faltas tu
11 Africa

Okay Kwabena, let’s do one with the funky highlife field
marshall, Tony Sarfo composed and arranged all songs
on this album. He is backed by the Afrosibi gang in which
also Sammy Cropper plays his part. This time he does the
Bass guitar. Voice over by Tony Mensah of Kumasi and
Tony Sarfo. Track #1, little angel, was his biggest hit in
1983, but too sweet for me. Today’s album contains a
song called ‘Mensu’ just like yesterday’s record by Vis
a Vis. Same song, different version? I wonder
was it written by Tony Sarfo?
tracks;

1 Little angel
2 Momma yendo yenho
3 Obi de ba anopa
4 Mensu

“Tops
It’s Vis a Vis again in a different mood altogether.
This album of the group will ensure fans that they
were truely the creaters ‘Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu’.
Now, all the songs on this album were written,
arranged and directed by Sammy Cropper, the
lead guitarist and assistant leader of the group.
And to know the hands on this album, let’s start
from the leader who is the person of superstar.”
( backsleeve notes )

This lp is from 1979 on Brobisco, it has been played
a lot and sounds a little dusty. The backsleeve speaks
of only two tracks but the lp’s label gives us one title
on the a-side and three on the b-side. Love the rhythms
on track #4 myself, give it a spin and
see what you think..

tracks;

1 Kalabule
2 Mensu
3 Enkobesie
4 Mankra yie

Sampler volume 48 is here, it contains 15 songs from posts
from almost two years ago, march to november 2013. If you
like something, just copy/paste the name in our search-bar
and find the album it is on straight away. Have fun diggin’..

tracks;

01 – Bopol Mansiamina – Ça c’est quoi
02 – Amakye Dede and his Apollo Kings Int. – Dantuo mu awosee
03 – Los Corraleros de Majagual – La burrita
04 – Johnny Bokelo – Sakina
05 – Docteur Nico & Orchestre African Fiesta – Runeme mama
06 – La Sonora Cordobesa – Bocachico sinuano
07 – Pablo Lubadika – Y’a plus confiance
08 – Balla et ses Balladins – Moi je suis decourage
09 – Opambuo International Band of Ghana1984 – Nsona moa yafunu
10 – Chico Cervantes y su Conjunto Internacional – Cumbia de la paz
11 – Angel Nino y su Conjunto – Guayaba por guayabo
12 – Orchestre Shika-Shika – Makopa 1
13 – Calixto Ochoa y su Conjunto – La medallita
14 – Angel Vasquez e su Conjunto – La gustadera
15 – Sonora Curro – Matimbá

Maybe it is bacause of Forró em Vinyl, that site has so much forró
to offer that I neglected the genre. Only three albums over the past
seven years, about time to post some. For those who don’t know,
forró is from Brazils north eastern regions, always accompanied
by accordeons, ( or almost always ) and very happy. Today’s
album is a collector that contains songs by various popular
artists from the era, Jackson do Pandeiro is the most
famous but there’s Zé Calixto and others that bring
all short and catchy songs. I like’m a lot..
Get & spread ..

tracks;

1 Jackson do Pandeiro & Almira – Na base da chinela
2 Jararaca & Ratinho – Viva são joão
3 Gabriel e seu Violino – Saltitando com a rabeca
4 Moura júnior – Avuale fulorão
5 Zé Calixto e sua Sanfona de Oito Baixos – Forró do carroussel
6 Zé Fernandes – Rancheira do porom pom pom
7 Jackson do Pandeiro & Almira – Vem amor
8 Zé Calixto e sua Sanfona de Oito Baixos – Milho verde na fogueira
9 Jackson do Pandeiro & Almira – Muié muderna
10 João Mello – Segure o fole calixto
11 Gabriel e seu Violino – Toca fogo na fogueira
12 Moura Júnior – Amor naquela base
13 Zé Fernandes – Oito baixo renitente
14 Jararaca e Ratinho – Quadrilha do arraiá

In the following video we see Zé Calixto and others explaining
the difference between a normal accordeon and the ‘sanfona de oito baixos’,
( sanfona with eight basses ) sorry, no subtitles..

and one about the Brazillian sanfona..

At first I didn’t realise, we had him passing by here in august 2011.
He was on that album called ‘les Grands Succes des Editions Samay’.
It gained many happy listeners I remember.
Today Samba Mascott is here with an album of his own, what can
I say, I think it’s one of the better Congolese lp’s we had so far.
Les Bantous de la Capitale at their peak and Samba’s
wonderful voice to round it all up, sweeet..!
I really need me to find his other records.

tracks;

1 Cheri amouzoud
2 Milagros-fromenta
3 15 mois de grossesse
4 Pete na mosapi

Normally I wouldn’t fix a cover that’s been worn out or so but
some idiot had written his name all over the clouds and back
sleeve of this album so I made an exeption and fixed it a bit.
This is volume 5 in the Kenya Partout series, we had volumes
1,2,4 and 6 so far. Orchestre International de Nelly appeared
on several volumes already but this is just them. Very nice
and uplifting benga on Playa Sound from 1976.

tracks;

1 Lamu ketho wat
2 Elisha obonyo
3 Adhiambo wakili
4 Bethwel juma
5 Dan obonyi
6 Rich anyango gy lucy
7 Dan ogijo
8 Bayo kayem
9 Penina ya nelly
10 George mijuka