…Duke Reid then became the new champion of Beat Street:
He was crowned ‘King of Sound and Blues’ for the years 1956-58
at the Succes Club in Kingston’s Wildman Street. Born in 1915,
the colourful Reid had served in the police force, where he had
been a champion marksman. After leaving the police he kept up
his connections, ran a thriving liquor business with his wife, and
continued to rear his guns at all times – pianist Theophilius Beck-
ford remembers Duke with a .45 and a .22 tucked into his waitband
and a rifle at his side, and Cocksone joked that he even kept them
on in the bath. The armaments created a forceful impression that
couls often be intimidating, as singer Derrick Morgan cecalled,
talking about his 1959 audition: “I go down by Duke Reid, an’ when
I go down there I see this man in a him liquor store. I say: good
mornin’ mista Duke. Im say: What can I do for you now? I think
he ‘ave two two gun a him side, an’ him finger full a ring. I say:
I hear that you havin’ audition suh, an’ I come fe sing too. Im say:
You can sing? I say: yes, so ‘im say: sing – in front of all who
buying’…”
The combination of powerful sound system and Duke’s aggressive
bearing also attrackted the so-called ‘bad men’ of the day – man
like Dapper Dan, Buggy an’ Horse, Sam Jeggy and Gearge Moore.
They acted as ‘enforcers’ around the dance, and they or their friends
would also sabotage dances held by other sounds, usually by lobbing
stones over the fence or by starting fights…
( the Rough Guide to Reggae )

tracks;

1 You don’t care
2 Here I stand
3 Rock steady
4 You don’t need me
5 Do it right
6 Only a smile
7 Baba boom
8 Persian cat & once a man
9 I caught you
10 Last train to expo ’67
11 Midnight hour
12 Music is my occupation

Although I realise that most of our visitors find samba a bit
difficult to listen to I can’t resist posting some of the stuff.
Ever since I heard Dona Ivone Lara first time I got captured
by her pleasant voice and music. Personally I think the best
samba was made a bit earlier but Dona Ivone Lara managed
to keep alive the sound that I like so much. If you are into
Brazilian samba do not miss this one, I strongly recommend
you give it a spin, who knows what will happen depois..

Então gente, se você gosta de samba, não se esquece de
baixar ese disco aqui. Dona Ivone Lara com a voz deliciosa
dela esta aqui pra fazer vocês feliz. Eu fiquei muito e espero
que vão também. Pega rapido e pasa para os seus amigos..

tracks;

1 Roda de samba pra salvador
2 Prea comeu
3 O samba não pode parar
4 Lamento do negro
5 Nasci para sonhar e cantar
6 Sambas de terreiro ( prazer da serrinha )
– Serra dos meus sonhos dourados
– Orgia
– Alegria minha gente
– Eu ja jurei
– Me abandonaste
– Meu destino é sofrer
– Chorar não resolve
– Serra dos meus sonhos dourados
2 Coração porque choras ?
3 Vejo em teus labios risos
4 Uma rosa pro cartola

It’s been two weeks since our last post, I am very busy with
renovation work and just didn’t find the energy to record anything.
Today we’re back with an lp you’ll enjoy for sure, hope it will
make up for the hiatus..

We had several of their albums, mostly they have beautiful covers,
piano and panther or a swell photo, this record has a dull sleeve
but don’t be misled. The music of this group never disappointed
me yet and this lp makes no exception. Four wonderful songs to
spend your sunday afternoon with. Do not hesitate
and get it while you can.

tracks;

1 Bibila
2 Massa
3 Zunia amie espoir
4 Boni medos

Posting juju music is something I’ve been doing right from
the start of this blog in 2008. It is the sound of juju that I
really love and promote, the message however is often one
I can not support. As soon as jesus titles appear my hair
stands up of annoyment, being heretic I must take distance
from any religious content. That being said we can now sit
down and listen to the funky twist in Admiral Dele Abiodun’s
juju, one I can appreciate a lot. So don’t be affraid and suck
in this slice of Nigerian sweetness from 1978, enjoy..

tracks;

1 Awa o ni legba
– Adawa lofi agba han won
– Ajanaku koja eran a mupa leya
– Aba teni je
– Kekerenke
– Ajuwa ye ye o
2 Baba wa gbo ebe omo re
– Alhaji jimoh mustafa ( alias chop-life )
– Mo ti ba jesu le sode
– Tani matele jesu
– Ayo ayeni

…Fruko was also involved in a group called the Latin Brothers,
who had a string of hits in the mid-seventies.Like most of the
Disco Fuentes projects there was something faintly old-fashioned
about their trombone led sound, but over the decades they have
acted as a school for some of the greatest of Colombia’s salsa
and tropical musicians, both instrumentalists and singers.
Among their number was Joe Arroyo, the biggest Colombian
figure in salsa, and inventor of the purely Colombian phenomenon
called musica tropical, a salsa based music that incorporates
the native rhythms of the coast.
A masterful singer who merges cumbia, salsa, merengue,
compas, soca and other Caribbean musics seamlessly into his
Joe-son mix, Joe Arroyo’s early life followed the the well-trodden
path of many Colombian singers; he started singing professionally
at the age of eight, and by seventeen he joined Fruko y sus Tesos.
After a period with the Latin Brothers, he formed his own group
La Verdad in 1981. His effective mixture of Colombian and general
Caribbean rhythms presented in an exhilarating and colourful stage
show has brought him to the forefront of those Latin musicians
whose appeal is not limited to one country, but stretches
across the continent and beyond..( the Rough Guide )

tracks;

1 El son del caballo
2 Suavecito… apretaito
3 Deja ese orgullo
4 Para tí mi cantar
5 La india catalina
6 El palito de limón
7 Guantaranure
8 A sol caliente
9 La mondonguera
10 Juan retazo

Goodmorning groovers, it has been a long time since I’ve
posted some samba. I know that most of our visitors don’t
like it a lot but I am a sucker for good samba. I also know
that some of our frequenters do like it, in fact one of them
specifically asked me to post more Brazillian material. So
here is an lp by a very popular group, we had four of their
albums in the past.

Remco, check these out, I’m sure you’re gonna like what
you hear, take your guitar and play along..cheers..

tracks;

1 Saudade e flores
2 Samba do “Arnesto”
3 Cabeça que não tem juízo
4 Tragédia no fundo do mar
5 Pra que tristeza
6 Mulata faceira
7 Boato
8 Canto de amor
9 Buchicho
10 Complicação
11 Quem me dera
12 Não sei de nada

For this occasion we’ve got a cd ripped for ya, usually
I only use lp’s but today we make an exception. These
guys are absolutely on top if we speak of Nigerian highlife.
It’s a 1990 release with tracks from respectively 1973, 1973,
1974, 1984, 1987 and 1988, original on Afrodisia Records.

tracks;

1 Oriental Brothers – Umamwesi special
2 Oriental Brothers – Ihe chinyenre
3 Oriental Brothers – Uwa atu alamujo
4 Dan Satch Opara – Ihe ejiaku eme
5 Oriental Brothers – Anyi aiala ozo
6 Dr. Sir Warrior – Na kwa echeki

I think we had some twelve of their records in the past. Lp’s by
these guys keep appearing time after time and I have no idea
how many they made. Here’s one I recently found, good thing
it is in reasonable condition. The problem with Ghanaian lp’s
from that era is mostly the poor shape they are in. So, don’t
hesitate and get it while you can. Have a nice sunday..
P.S.
The lp’s backsleeve and label speak of 11 songs only,
however, the album itself contains 12 tracks, if anyone can
tell us the correct title of track #12, please do so..

tracks;

1 Okwaduo
2 Ma anoma nua
3 Eye koko
4 Obra pa
5 Abotokura
6 Yenko yemma
7 Nkran abrabo
8 Owuo begya hwan
9 Enne ye nna
10 Medee beba
11 Mede ama nyame
12 Mystery track

I kept wondering for years, after seeing this album cover
on the backsleeve of other Sonafric releases, how would
it sound ? Today we finally solve the mystery. Kin-Bantou,
is it the name of a group or man ? I don’t know. What I do
know is that I really love the sound on this wonderful album
and keep playing it over and over now I finally got it. Hope
you’ll feel the same sensation I did when first listening to it.
Get it & Spread it..enjoy..

tracks;

1 Kayuka ilunga
2 Nakokamua
3 Bandoki pt.1
4 Bandoki pt.2
5 Tokabwana
6 Nakufa-boyce

I could impossibly say it like Leadbelly, so I’ll leave it to him.
Leadbelly said it this way;
“Never was a white man had the blues, ’cause nothin’ to worry about.
Now, you lay down at night. You roll from one side of the bed to the
other all night long. You can’t sleep.
What’s the matter ? The blues got you. You get up and sit on the side
of your bed in the mornin’. You may have a sister and a brother, mother
and father around, but you don’t want no talk out of ’em.
What’s the matter ? The blues got you. Well, you go and put your feet
under the table, look down at your plate, got everything you want to
eat, but you shake your head, you get up.
You say, “Lawd I can’t eat and I can’t sleep.”
What’s the matter ?
The blues got you. Wanna talk to you.
Here’s what you gotta tell ’em:
“Good morning blues, blues how do you do ?
Good morning blues, blues how do you do ?
I’m doin’ all right, good mornin’, how are you ?
I lay down last night, turnin’ from side to side,
Ohhhhhhhhhh, turnin’ from side to side,
I was not sick, but I was just dissatisfied.”
John Lee Hooker is another man who knows what it is to have the
blues, and how to tell it.
Proof that he can do so with individual style and dramatic force and
surging swing is amply displayed in this collection, which must be
regarded as one of the great blues albums of recent years.”

tracks;

1 Walkin’ the boogie
2 Love blues
3 Union station blues
4 It’s my own fault
5 Leave my wife alone
6 Ramblin’ by myself
7 Sugar mama
8 Down at the landing
9 Louise
10 Ground hog blues
11 High priced woman
12 Women and money