I always thought and still think, Pascal Rochereau has
one of the greatest voices Congo has ever brought us.
This LP opens with a beauty I can hear over and over.
Historic material you don’t want to miss. Grab it.

tracks;

1 Pitie
2 Mongali
3 Londende
4 Felie
5 Objectif 80
6 Cassius Clay
7 Amitie Senegalo Congolaise
8 Mathinda-Mathi

Last week, when I posted Essous and Nino and read they
feel their version of El Manicero is the best African one, I
got this idea. I made a collector with 15 versions of the song.
I am sure you can come up with loads of versions I did
not use, there are so many but here are some of my favourites.
Hope you like them too..

tracks;

1 Trio Matamoros – El manisero
2 Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino Orchestra – El manicero
3 Red Nichols – The peanut vendor
4 Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe – Onyebu chi
5 Rolando la Serie – El manicero
6 Conjunto Siboney – The peanut vendor
7 John Kirby and his Orchestra – Peanut vendor boogie
8 Dexter Johnson & the International Band Ft. Laba Sosseh – Manicero
9 Stan Kenton – The peanut vendor
10 Tommy mcCook – Peanut vendor
11 California Ramblers – The peanut vendor
12 Fantastic Tchico – El manicero se va
13 J.S.Essous & Nino Malapet – El manicero
14 The Skatelites – Peanut vendor
15 Monguito el Unico and his All Star Band – Manicero

It’s incredibly strong, the power of music, once you’ve
put up this album, there ain’t no stoppin’ anymore.
You’ll start listening quietly and then..when the rhythm
takes of, …you’re gone…move it like you’ve never done before.
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and his Nigerian
Sound Makers International rock the floor…

tracks;

1 Imo Social Club
2 Onye achonam
3 Eze obinwa

tracks;

1 Orchestre Les Trois Freres – Kumbe-kumbe
2 Orchestre Stukas Caïman 78 – Nostalgie
3 Orchestre Viva la Musica – Diana
4 Orchestre Viva la Musica – Zonga-zonga
5 Orchestre Zaiko Langa Langa – Verra
6 Orchestre Stukas Mombombo – Idee econo
Caiman Kita-Mata

A little reggae for your sunday evening perhaps ? Junior
Byles in his ‘Upsetter Years’. With Lee Perry at the controls
in his very best years, it’s like everything falls in it’s place. One
song is more beautiful than the other on this superb compilation.
Steve Barrow did a great job here. 10 straight hits and two more
experimental tracks. ( No.s 11 & 12 ) An album not to miss I’d say.
As an extra bonus I have added tracks 15 and 16, have fun.

tracks;

1 Beat down Babylon
2 Da da
3 I’ve got a feeling
4 Don’t know why
5 Demonstration
6 Coming again
7 Joshua’s desire
8 Place called Africa
9 Poor Chubby
10 A matter of time
11 Fun and games/Motion dub
12 Pretty fe true/Pretty dub
13 King of Babylon
14 Pharoah hiding/Hail to power
15 Curly locks
16 Fade away

Hello Groovers,
We’ve got some Nigerian music for your saturday.
In these parts of the globe winter took a headstart .
Holland is completely white, covered with snow and it’s still
falling down in large amounts. Absolutely beautiful if you don’t
need to ride through it on your bicycle or have to camp out,
like in some other parts of the same world. All I can do to
make you feel warm is provide you with tropical sound.
Victor Uwaifo helps us today with this ‘Best of’ album, pure joy.

tracks;

1 Guitar boy
2 Joromi/Monkey yanga
3 Ebiss ebiss
4 Eserie
5 Erico
6 Do lelezi

Some oldies but goodies tonight. These recordings are from
1957 and 1958. Being from ’58 myself, I can tell you, good stuff
was produced in those days. ha ha, no serious, it should be
possible to update that old rubbish. Give me a USB gate some-
where and a regular update, wouldn’t that be 2011 ? This album
brings us 6 songs by the grand master and 2 by Vicky. As usual,
it is high class material, did the old man make one bad album ?

tracks;

1 Motema ya lokoso
2 Oyangani ngai ?
3 Oleka tukomane
4 Ngai oyo nazongi
5 Bana ages
6 Oh ! Katharina
7 La mulata rumber
8 Malambo zela
9 Mami majos
10 OK Jazz makila mabe
11 Grupo O.K. Jazz
12 Baboni mboka

It’s been a while since we had Pambou Tchicaya Tchico at the GG,
so when he passed by last week I decided to post this one.
It was waiting because the a-side, tracks1 & 2, is ( are ) quite wobbly
and gets a bit false towards the end. Still a couple of songs
worth having. Message was also on an album called ‘Tam Tam
d’Afrique’, but this version is quite different. All together, perhaps not
his very best but yet another LP to complete Tchico’s discography.

tracks;

1 Message
2 Lucie e now
3 Soucis yamboka

This LP by Nigerian Highlifers ‘Ikenga, Super Stars of Africa’
is on ‘african’. On the front it shows us also the logo of ‘Afrodisia’.
Same time backsleeve is typical ‘RAS’. Distributed by ‘Sonodisc’
and licenced by ‘Decca West Africa’, Lagos Nigeria. All the important
clubs seem involved in this project. Combining forces had a great effect,
the album sounds perfect. I can already hear it blast from the
speakers of some pumping ‘picó’ in Barranquilla,
how ’bout you Fabian ?

tracks;

1 Nwa enwe nne
2 Anyi ga gbalu enu oso

The best saxophones in central Africa, that’s how they call
Jean Serge Essous and Nino Malapet on this fine LP. They
also claim to play the best African interpretation of ‘the Peanut Vender”,
‘el Manicero’, quite an assumption. I don’t know if it’s the best
one but I love the guitars that play the basic melody. So many
versions around. check out Isabelle by Pambou Tchico, golden
voice. On Editions Bakolo Mboka de Brazzaville.

tracks;

1 Pot pourri sur le passe
2 Bongo
3 Na gagner bango
4 El manicero/Mayéya
5 Suzy
6 Isabelle