Daniel Owino Misiani and Shirati Band
Benga Blast!, Earthworks 1989
Benga Blast ! Kenya’s Hottest Sound, Oh yes, most certainly.
Daniel Owino Misiani and Shirati Band rocked Africa through
the eighties with earth-shattering bass, bubbling and stinging
guitars, strong vocals and totally compulsive rhythms. The whole
topped with sharp witty lyrics. Backsleeve states the following;
WARNING,
BENGA BLAST CAN DEMOLISH WEAK STRUCTURES!
tracks;
1 Joshirati Misiani ( Shirati and Misiani )
2 Safari Tanzania ( visit to Tanzania )
3 Wuoro monono ( Greed is useless )
4 Dr. J. Abuya
5 Honourable Horace Owiti Ongili
6 Agnes Nyashirati ( Agnes, Shirati’s friend )
7 Alice Atieno
8 Okoth Atari ( Okoth is supercool )
Kyeremateng Stars – Mesu mefre nyame,Ambassador 1981
Good evening, I found myself playing Ghana highlife this
morning and continued to do so throughout the day. Time
to share some of it with you. Kyeremateng Atwede and his
Stars are here to brighten up your time, whether you listen in
your car, at home or at work, these guys play the real thing.
The sleeve had a whole corner missing so for this one
time I took the liberty to fix it a little bit. Incredible album.
tracks;
1 Agya behwe me dabre mu
2 Manhyia no a anka meye den
3 Nsem nyinaa ne nyame
4 Mesu mefre nyame
5 Bra odo
6 Ao yadie yi
Alhaji ( Chief ) Sikiru Ayinde Barrister & his SupremeFuji Commanders – Eku Odun, Siky Oluyole Records Ltd. 1982
As usual in fuji music, one Chief honours the other on this
1982 album. I see a certain link between the Chiefs we know
from the New Orleans Mardi Gras, such as these,
and the Chiefs we see in fuji music. They both wear pink dresses..,
no but serieus, we better don’t compare Big Chief Jolly with
Chief Benjamin Famuyiwa. This LP was requested by
one of our visitors, enjoy it.
tracks;
1 E ku odun
– Chief Benjamin Famuyiwa
– Adebayo Ogundare
2 Inu bibi ma ya lodo mi
– Alhaji Chief M.K.O. Abiola
– Alhaji Olansile Shaf Awu
– Yegede Yegede a o yale yin
Bokelo – Maître ya ba Maître,Africa New Sound 1984
Bokelo is short for Johnny Bokelo of course, the legendary
guitarplayer. I have always been impressed by his skills
and on this 1984 LP Johnny brings us some Soukous
many can take as example. Enjoy Bokelo !
tracks;
1 Isabelle
2 Kakese
3 Lilly
4 Zonga nandako
Admiral Dele Abiodun & his Top Hitters Band Super 6 -Adawa King, Olumo 1977
Are you into politics ? I am trying not to be but at the
moment there’s quite some turbulence in the Dutch
political situation. Leaders of party’s come and go and
major changes take place. There will be elections in june
and the papers are full of speculations and predictions.
Personally I am very happy with a fresh new wind blowing
in The Hague in the future, the old one brought us nothing
but shame. I welcome the former mayor of Amsterdam,
Job Cohen, to the political stage, the best of luck to him.
How was the political situation in Nigeria in the 70’s ?
I found us Adawa King, Admiral Dele Abiodun, on a 1977
Nigerian juju album. He can tell us some stories,
listen well. His style’s called adawa, a mixture of juju
and Afro-beat with highlife elements. Both sides of the LP
start quite noisy but during the number it gets a lot better.
tracks;
1 Ile ola
– Adupe lodo baba wa
– Bobo Doherty ( mama Koko )
– Oke ibadan prestige circle
2 Tewe tagba
– Ma se wa bi ko se wun wa
– Ore mi ko mi lofo kan
– Ma ta omi si mi lara
– Abiodun okunuga
CDE Chinx – Ngorimba,ZMC Production
Liberation war singer CDE Chinx is committed to revolutionary
music. His music is based on battlesongs, and deal about patriotism,
discipline and anti-imperialism. It’s been censored a lot and it’s said that
either you love it or you hate it. To me it’s quite difficult to determine,
the shona language is impossible to understand so I just judge it by
it’s musical value. Mellow mbira sound, jit, shona, chimurenga ?
I am still learning here but I kinda like it, cool and easy Zimbabwe beat.
tracks;
1 Ngorimba
2 Zuva guru
3 Mose garirayi
4 Dzefunde
5 Pasi wempadagu
6 Hazvitenderwi
7 Dzikai mutemo
Les Veterans, Me Ne Ngon Oyap
Ebobolo 1983
From Cameroon we have this LP by Les Veterans. It’s a big band that
plays both Bikutsi, a typical Cameroonian style with naughty lyrics
and the use of ballaphones and more Rumba like styles like Soukous.
On this 1983 album they bring us both. Soukous on track 1 & 4,
Bikutsi on 2 & 3. Have fun with Les Veterans.
tracks;
1 Si
2 Kulu
3 Jeannine
4 Ze manga
Théo-Blaise Kounkou – Zenaba
Adios Records
This blog, my dear friends of the Global Groove, is helping me
big time. In the first place of course cause it opens the way to
you. You know how hard it is to find like-minded people among
your acquaintances. Through this portal I reach you, at last someone
who knows what I’m talking about, as far as I know myself that is.
Second thing to help me is the fact that every post means one less
LP to digitize. The goal is to digitize every LP that’s not been released
as a CD and I gathered quite some over the years. It’s fun to do and
if you think I got no social life left, please don’t worrie. I’m a happy guy.
Now about today’s post, I am very glad to add this one to the galery.
Accompanied by the great guitar of Lokassa Ya Mbongo, Sam Mangwana
and the African All Stars, this LP is a killer. Théo Blaise Kounkou’s
sweet voice matches perfect with the sound of this superb Band.
So, hang on, down this one and listen, I’m sure you’ll
manage to find the time, it’s too good to leave.
tracks;
1 Zenaba
2 Liteya choc
3 Alesia
4 Massy
Four Brothers – Rugare,WEA Records 1986
Dance rhythms hot like fire, strong and sharp guitar-riffs and
four voices that round up the sound to make you go mad on
the dancefloor. The Four Brothers were Zimbabwe’s No 1 band
in this genre for decades. The band’s leader, Marshall Munhumumwe
is Thomas Mapfumo’s uncle, he suffered from a stroke in 1997 and
can unfortunately perform no longer. ‘The Four Brothers’ took this
name to remain equal, so no brother would become ‘big’. Many
Zimbabwean groups broke up because of that before them.
Shona music or Chimurenga, either way seductive stuff.
Go dance like crazy with the Four Brothers.
tracks:
1 Rugare
2 Pahukama
3 Uchandifunga
4 Wakasarudza akanaka
5 unondichimera unondipei
6 Usagare ne chigumbu
7 Ndakatadzeiko
8 Swere ngoma
Le Grand Kalle, Don Gonzalo, Manu Dibango -et l’African Team, african 1970
Long stories, short stories, Le Grand Kalle is known as the father
of modern Congolese music. Afro-Cuban in this case, with the
participation of Don Gonzalez and Manu Dibango. Classic album
by one of Congo’s biggest stars and his African Team.
african 360.017, enjoy it.
tracks;
1 Gauche / Droite = Debordement
2 Africa d’ambiance
3 Cambridge… mai ya piyo
4 Laurent fantome
5 Safari muzuri
6 Africa boogaloo
7 Kimbombo kimbombo
8 Disiplini na K.D.L.
9 Valentina – Valentina
10 Miango
11 Bongaloo la fontaine
12 Congo soyo
13 Charanga in Paris
14 Suzi N’edo
Alhaji (Chief) Sikiru Ayinde Barrister – Iwa,Siky Oluyole Records Ltd. 1982
Some Fuji for your sunday, and it’s about time. I received a few
comments concerning this music. A good moment to share some
of the stuff. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister is one of the heroes in the field,
he made lots of records. Check out ‘Iwa’ from 1982, rhythm sweetness.
tracks;
1 Iwa
2 Alhaji Rasaq Okoya ( eleganza )
3 Late Alhaja Sidikat Abeni
( Haruna Ishola Bello )
– Olabisi Ajala
– Owolabi Ilori
– Fuji Americano
– Singing roundabout
The Ethiopians – The Original Reggae Hitsound
Trojan 1986
The Ethiopians were founded by Leonard Dillon and Stephen Taylor
around 1966 and started recording for Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd. After
that they worked with several other studio’s amongst who Lee Perry’s.
This is a 1986 compilation with their music from between 1966 and 1972.
When Ska was starting to change, late sixties, Ethiopians’ sound
was hot and leaning towards rocksteady. I think two or three songs were
already on the album ‘Everything Crash’ which I recently re-uploaded.
Tomorrow evening, saturday 6th, I’ll be doing a reggae and dub evening
with Sista Poca from Poca TV, check her out here. It takes place in a tiny
coffeeshop called Andorra in Hilversum. Fat Back Pumping Dub and Reggae
accompanied by coffee and some sweet smoke, I’m looking forward to it.
tracks;
1 Free man
2 Train to Skaville
3 Engine 54
4 Come on now
5 Train to glory
6 The whip
7 Everything crash
8 Things a get bad to worse
9 Well red
10 One
11 Hong Kong flu
12 Gun man
13 What a fire
14 Woman capture man
15 Feel the spirit
16 Drop him
17 Good ambition
18 No baptism
19 The selah
20 Pirate
21 The word is love
l’Afrique Danse No. 4
Le Seigneur Rochereau et l’Orchestre African
Fiesta National, “le Peuple”
african 360.004, 1969
Today is my best friend’s birthday, Sjakie made eleven years and
that makes me happy. Only two years ago he had a hugh abscess
on his shoulder and got operated. He recovered wonderwell and is still
doing great today, happy birthday buddy, you’re the best.
With such a happy day comes happy music. Le Seigneur Rochereau
is still one of Congo’s greatest singers to my opinion. This is african
360.004, and also No 4 in the l’Afrique Danse series. Le Seigneur
Rochereau and l’Orchestre African Fiesta National “le Peuple”.
Sweet Congolese music from the late sixties.
tracks;
1 Mokrano
2 Gipsy
3 Kashama nkoy
4 Caroline mama
5 Toyota
6 Kasala
7 Mon mari est capable
8 Bel Abidjan
Original Super 5 – on Tabansi Label
Soul Posters 1977
On Soulposters comes this LP, I don’t know from what year it is.
It looks like late 70’s, if anybody knows ? Another Nigerian highlife
band and not the least. I am sorry that it has a couple of songs,
1 and 3 especially, that open with lots of crackles and pops.
Maybe someone can clean it and return, I don’t have that technology.
The album would certainly deserve it, thanks folks, vous amusez.
Click on that pantherprint suit, ain’t that a party outfit ?
tracks;
1 Original Super 5 / Tabansi label
2 Road safety
3 A go die
4 Life before money
cleaned version