Mar 15, 2012

Get it: "The Beaters"!! ... Thanx to "electricjive.blogspot.com" for the amazing post!



Amazing electricjive.blogspot.com posted this band years ago and currently I re-discovered and listened to this album again, therefore I am not hesitating to recommend you this amazing album from South Africa.


... Here's some information provided by electricjive.blogspot.com:

This LP emerges as a product of so many polarities and cross-roads that continue to challenge the fusion of South African identities – modern/traditional; urban/rural; north/south; foreign/local. Imagine a sixteen-year old Soweto schoolboy in 1965 identifying with the hippie movement and forming a band called “The Beaters”.

Performing bare-foot in mandarin-collared white jackets, Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse Selby Ntuli, Alec Khaoli and Monty Ndimande became a hit with the urban hip black crowds in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Their first album “Soul-A-Go-Go” was released in 1969. American Soul and Jazz was assimilated into what became known as Soweto Soul.

"We listened to mostly white radio stations, the influences were The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zep, Deep Purple, and the Woodstock festivals," Mabuse says in an interview with Miles Keylock. The question arose: 'why all those overseas influences, when there’s all these other influences just across the border?'"

Mabuse recalls how urban and locally specific – perhaps its own sub-cult – their blend of music was. When the Beaters toured Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho they struggled to attract any attention. The Beaters resorted to playing some mbaqanga songs to pull the crowds in. (see Gwen Ansell’s “Soweto Blues”).

In 1976 the Beaters toured Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) their success turned a three-week tour into three months. Stories go that they helped smuggle liberation movement recruits out of South Africa in their amp boxes. Their new song “Harari” was such a hit with the township residents of Harari in the capital Salisbury that everyone began calling the band Harari – and so it was assimilated and stuck.

This LP reflects the band’s eclectic influences. The second track "Love, Love, Love" might not have been out of place at Woodstock, while the third – Inhlupeko Iphelile – was an optimistic statement (the distress is over) and is probably in response to the South African Jazz classic “Inhlupeko” played by The Soul Jazzmen in 1969. “Push it on” has some soul and funk roots; Thiba Kamo with jazz fusion influences, and “Whats Happening” firmly rooted in the ‘bump jive’ tradtition.

Harari was recorded before band-leader Selby Ntuli died in 1978. This LP was re-released in 1981 on the As-Shams label. It was also released on the A&M label. Enjoy.

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Some other information about Sipho Hotstix Mabuse can be found here!





Tracklist

01. Harari
02. Love Love Love
03. Inhlupheko Iphelile
04. Push it on
05. Thiba Kamoo
06. What's Happening

Mar 12, 2012

Le Super Borgou De Parakou - The Bariba Sound



Analog Africa returns to Benin – a journey that began with the African Scream Contest compilation – this time to Parakou up in the North Eastern part, to bring you The Bariba Sound from Le Super Borgou de Parakou.



Bariba and Dendi linguistic folklore, alongside Islamic-influenced melodies, fused with soul, Pachanga, breakbeats, rumba and afrobeat, Super Borgou’s sound has a penetrating and unpolished directness, blurring the line between the erstwhile rhythms of the devout village and the modern grooves infecting the forward-thinking city.

Lost sounds are the archives of a forgotten history. The raucously raw, Vodoun-inspired rhythms of Cotonou have confirmed Benin as a mecca of 70s Afro sounds and revived the story of its people, but the unopened vaults housing the country’s catacombs of musical riches are endless. With this as our compass, Analog Africa charters its fifth expedition to Benin, traveling far north to delve deeper into the obscured repertoires and tales of the Bariba and Dendi people.

Originating from the Kwara state of northwest Nigeria, the Bariba – a predominantly Islamic people – now dominate the Borgou department of Benin with the market city of Parakou at its heart. The rhythms of their culture constitute just one domain of the Islamic Funk Belt – a distinct musical swath of land encompassing northern Ghana, Togo and Benin.

Once frequented by Muslim merchants and traders, the belt has yielded a rich harvest of talent with the likes of Uppers International (Ghana), Orchestre Abass, the Black Devils (Togo), Anassoua Jazz (Benin) and, undoubtedly the most powerful band from Parakou, Orchestre Super Borgou, who were first introduced to many Western ears via Analog Africa’s defining release, “African Scream Contest.”

The birth of modern African music in Parakou is inextricably linked to Super Borgou. The progressive-minded father of the band’s founder, Moussa Mama, imported modern music – which he learned while working as a goldsmith in Accra, Ghana – to the region in the 50s. His return to Borgou and subsequent teachings spawned countless bands from villages across the department.

In its infancy, Super Borgou served as a cover band for Congolese rumba hits but, in line with the most enigmatic – and experimental – African bands of the day, they developed their own musical identity by reinventing traditional songs and rhythms.

With Benin’s foremost drummer, Bori Borro, in their ranks, Bariba and Dendi linguistic folklore – alongside melodies of an Islamic ilk, Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou manufactured a sound of penetrating and unpolished directness, blurring the line between the erstwhile rhythms of the devout village and the modern grooves infecting the forward-thinking city.

Performing live at the bar ‘Congolaise’, Parakou’s finest troupe also captured the imagination of Celestin Houenou Sezan, co-founder of Albarika Store (Benin’s most important music label), and Super Borgou were, in fact, the legendary label’s very first EP release. Apart from Albarika, Discadam – and its sub labels Impressions Sonores du Nord and Echos Sonores du Borgou – were the band’s major backers who helped galvanize the sound of northern Benin.

Armed with a keen sense of philosophical observation, multi-instrumentalist Moussa Mama and rhythm guitarist Menou Roch, through their lyrics, reported on the socio-economic ills of their time – the rampant inequalities they saw around them – which established the band as noteworthy commentators on top of their gift of unique rhythm.

Sticking with the label’s dedication to dig deeper with each compilation, Analog Africa’s Orchestre Super Borgou anthology opens an entirely new chapter of lost and resurrected Afro sounds. Remastered to recreate the energy of their legendary high-octane live performances and accompanied by the signature full-colour booklet, the story of this remarkable ensemble and the traditions of the people of Northern Benin is set to be revealed and documented like never before.

SHAKARA.BE





Tracklist
01. Gandigui (Bariba Soul)
02. Wegne´Nda M´Banza (Bariba Soul)
03. Me Ton Le Gbe (Pachanga Fon)
04. Abakpé (Afro Beat Bariba)
05. Guessi-Guéré-Guessi (Pop Bariba)
06. Sembe Sembe Boudou (Folklore Dendi)
07. A Na Gan Garo Ka Nam (Afro Beat Bariba)
08. Bori Yo Se Mon Baani (Pachanga Dendi)
09. Aske (Folklore Dendi)
10. Ko Guere (Folklore Bariba)
11. Abere Klouklou (Cavacha Dendi)
12. Hanoubiangabou (Soul Dendi)
13. Dadon Gabou Yo Sa Be No.2 (Afro Beat Dendi)
14. Bininhounnin (Dendi Boucher)
15. Adiza Claire (Cavacha Bariba)

Mar 6, 2012

Ebo Taylor - Appia Kwa Bridge (coming soon)



“I wanted to go back to a highlife feeling with this album,” explains Ebo Taylor. “The songs are very personal and it is an important part of my music to keep alive many traditional Fante songs, war chants and children’s rhymes.”

‘Appia Kwa Bridge’, released this April, is a strident return from the Ghanaian highlife guitar legend. Featuring six new compositions, his sound is more dense and tightly locked than ever with Berlin-based musicians Afrobeat Academy, a rock solid unit since regular touring worldwide following his ‘Love And Death’ album in 2010, including a string of dates for WOMAD. Jochen Stroh works his analogue magic once more from his base at Berlin’s Lovelite Studios.

The album covers a variety of themes dear to Taylor. The title track references a small bridge in Ebo’s hometown of Saltpond on the Cape Coast: “it is a tiny bridge but a place known in the town where people meet, where lovers get together.” The firing, rousing ‘Ayesama’, first demo-ed during the ‘Love And Death’ sessions, is a Fante war cry, a taunt – “what’s your mother’s name?”; ‘Nsu Na Kwan’, based on a Fante proverb, asks “Which is older – the river or the old road” with the sub-text to respect your elders and the brilliant ‘Abonsam’ carries the message that Abonsam (The Devil) is responsible for evil in the world and that we should follow the Christian message.

Elsewhere, the album features a new version of highlife anthem, ‘Yaa Amponsah’, first recorded during the ‘20s by Jacob Sam’s Sam’s Trio before becoming a popular standard in Ghana, and a cover of an original track from Taylor’s time with Apagya Show Band during the ’70s, ‘Serwa Brakatu’, re-titled here as ‘Kruman Dey’. The closer, the acoustic ‘Barrima’, is a poignant tribute to Taylor’s first wife and one true love who sadly passed away during Summer 2011. “Ebo wrote the song following her passing and recorded this in one take during our last day in the studio,” reflects bandleader Ben Abarbanel-Wolff. “He was very emotional.”

The album features a number of special guests within the credits including incomparable drummer Tony Allen, original Africa 70 guitarist Oghene Kologbo and conga maestro Addo Nettey a.k.a. Pax Nicholas. Representing the younger players, keyboard genius Kwame Yeboah, son of Ghanaian legend S.K. Yeboah, makes full use of Lovelite’s famed collection of Farfisa and Wurlitzer organs.

Ebo Taylor’s ‘Appia Kwa Bridge’ is released on Strut as a 1CD, 2LP and digitally . He will be touring worldwide from May 2012.

Strut Records




Tracklist

01. Ayesama
02. Abonsam
03. Nsu Na Kwan
04. Yaa Amponsah
05. Assom Dwee
06. Kruman Dey
07. Appia Kwa Bridge
08. Barrima

Mar 2, 2012

Rob - Make It Fast, Make It Slow (coming soon)



Soundway re-issue ROB’s second album for the first time outside Ghana on CD, vinyl and digital.

ROB was an enigmatic recording artist from Ghana who cut two albums for the legendary Essiebons label in 1977. Neither of these were big domestic hits at the time and have since become prized amongst collectors in recent years. The title track from this LP was always one of the most popular on the first Soundway release Ghana Soundz and over the years we have been asked many times to re-issue the LP in it’s entirety. A stranger, slower offering than his more dancefloor funk-laden and Spartan first LP, this record sees ROB in similar territory but with the tempo switched down and the introspection turned up.

ROB’s trademark horns dominate and are supplied by the Mag-2, an army band founded by leader Amponsah Rockson, who named it after the army unit the band played for – the “magnificent” second battalion. In 1977, Rob traveled to the coastal town of Takoradi in search of Mag-2, which had an entire section of its line-up dedicated to horns, with the intension of laying out his proposal to them. Luckily for Rob, the band took him up on it.

With religious overtones and a broody, slightly off-key atmosphere at points it’s certainly one of the stranger afro-funk records to come out of West Africa but with tracks like Loose up Yourself and Make it Fast, Make it Slow he nails it for sure.

Soundway Records

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The orginal album is quite a collectable and researched album:

End Price: $1025.00 USD
End Price: $861.00 USD
End Price: $647.00 USD

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The second re-release of one of his albums, another one by analogafrica.

Check out information here!

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Tracklist

01. Loose Up Yourself
02. Make It Fast, Make It Slow
03. Not The End
04. I've Got To See You Again, Lord
05. He Shall Live In You
06. But You
07. Bargain
08. Back On You

Mar 1, 2012

Akwaboa's International Band – Meye Meye (get it)



Big 70's highlife music hit!



Tracklist

A1. Odasani Tane Wo A, Na Otawo Aye Nmmoa
A2. Yoyeo Ala Sakiki (Song In Hausa)
A3. Eye Ahometo Wuo
B1. Meko, Meko Menko No Kwa (Medley)