Bonga - Kualuka Kuetu (1983)

The sun is flooding through the windows, and one might imagine that the palm trees behind Bonga on the album sleeve are just in reach. Spring is indeed here, though the two feet of snow over the weekend and this morning's -18° F thermometer reading have dampened any enthusiasm for its arrival. Still, the fluffy white stuff, the work in moving it out of the way, and the abrupt cold have kept me off my bike, letting me focus on music and a few other important things.

Listening to Bonga is always such a pleasure. Weaving Angolan folk music with influences from other lusophone countries' cultures. Threads from Cape Verde, Brazil and Portugal abound, but where do they originate? There has been such coevolution of music that those threads are found in the music of each of those countries.

This album, from relatively early in Bonga's long career, alternates between ballads and dance-oriented sembas, with a few surprises. The birimbau in "Pió-Pió" is delicious. Listening to this great, uplifting album as I write, I realize it might not be THAT cold outside. Time to ride!

Enjoy!

PS. This is the third Bonga album I have had the pleasure to digitize. The others can be found here!

Oku & AK7 - Pressure Drop (1984)

When I read WorldService's eloquent, recent post describing the surreal politics in Italy, without even mentioning the sublime and sordid fiasco in the clerical state-within-a-state, and depicting corruption in the Netherlands, where politicians in bed with financiers are fleecing the ordinary taxpayer, it made me think of this country, the U$A. How normal, how absolutely mundane, in comparison. Here our enlightened government has a very hard time deciding whether it has the right to murder its own citizens on our own soil. Whether or not it is okay to have a drone bomb a cafe to kill a U$ citizen who may be reading something objectionable online, or chatting with relatives in Pakistan via Skype. You know, those imminent-threat characters. Collateral deaths (deaths of the innocent) are regrettable, of course. Executing people anywhere else in the world is fine, naturally, so be careful who you are sitting next too! Our eminent president already has assumed authority to kill anyone he deems to be a threat to the U$, theoretically even someone who may have voted for him, believing he would bring a more humanitarian approach to the world's most powerful office. What gives him this right? Legal arguments that are classified and therefore hidden from the citizenry.

As I contemplated the gloomy state of reality, I happened to digitize this record of scorching dub poetry by the "grandfather" of the art, Oku Onuora. His first poem "A Slum Dweller Declares," written from prison, begins:

We wan fi free, free from misery, we want to live like human beings.

That powerful poem is followed by ten more uncompromising ones, mostly set to tough riddims and tight instrumentals. Anyone familiar with the music of Linton Kwesi Johnson will feel at home in this rich, provocative environment. A hard life informs Oku's cry for justice, and passion drips from his voice. In these days of callous, imperial governments around the world, and exquisitely manufactured apathy among entire populations of consumers, this music has never seemed more essential. Where are today's militants? Not the ones motivated by delusional belief systems, but those seeking justice?

Listen!

Pepe Kalle & Empire Bakuba - Le Tube De Vos Vacances (1990)

Are you sitting around, bored? Have some work to do and need something with a kick to get you through it? Or how about music to move your body without thought, which considering the state of the world, is something we all need occasionally?

Here is a high-octane blast of soukous from one of the style's most dynamic and popular bands, Empire Bakuba, with its great, large-as-life singer Pepe Kalle. The tepid ink was practically wet when I picked this record up in Zimbabwe; it was quite a hit at the time in Bulawayo. If you would prefer the graphics from the Paris release, you can find them at VibesDafrique here (though the track listing order is different and possibly incorrect on the Paris sleeve).

I previously posted two other Pepe Kalle albums here and here, but I know, you are after something fresh. Well here it is!

Enjoy!

Jonah Moyo & Devera Nqwena - Taxi Driver (1987)

During the peak popularity of the Bhundu Boys, and a few years before the band and his own personal delamination began, Biggie Tembo lent his endorsement to this British production of Jonah Moyo & Devera Ngwena. "If there was any group to be where we the Bhundus are, then I would look no further than Devera Ngwena," Biggie proclaims on the back of this album. Unfortunately the band did not achieve the ephemeral international fame of the Bhundus, but its prolific output of infectious dance music made it very popular in Zimbabwe. In 2011 I posted one of Devera Ngwena's later records here.

I'm not sure if this record is a reissue of a 1985 Zimbabwe release, or if it also collects various hits like "Too Cheap" from earlier records. In any case this was a blistering international release, and if you missed it then, you can enjoy it now.





P.S. I processed this sound file on the road and attached the front and back record sleeve images from discogs. If you would like higher resolution scans, email me.

Oliver Mtukudzi - Zvauya Sei? (1986)

Oliver Mtukudzi's rich voice and unique musical style have made him popular throughout the world. "Tuku Music" draws from Shona, Ndebele and South African roots that made it broadly accessible. Wikipedia lists fifty-five albums in Mtukudzi's discography, and many of those from the second half of his career were international CD releases. With his tireless touring and prolific song writing, he became a darling of the world music industry. For awhile the CDs came so frequently that each one seemed routine.

This record is from relatively early in Tuku's career, when his popularity in Zimbabwe was ascendant. I prefer it to some of the later, slicker releases, though the intimately familiar sound is essentially the same. By the way, earlier I posted a great live set from Tuka here.

Enjoy!

Zvishavane Sounds - Mutongi Gava (1987)

One of the many ephemeral Zimbabwean bands, Zvishavane Sounds sprouted in a mining community with this powerful album featuring the title track hit. Led by Joseph Mutero, this band is a great example of the high energy guitar music paired with great singing that characterized Zimbabwean pop music of the era. This is one of a pile of records I collected in Zimbabwe in early 1991, one of my favorites. I could discover little about this band apart from an interesting insight, including the names of the musicians, here.

Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for the absence. After being away from home for a while unexpectedly, we'll get back on track with a few from Zimbabwe. And thanks to Tony, for giving me a more focussed date! I confirmed it with the record label when I dug it out.

Franco et le T.P. O.K. Jazz - 20eme Anniversaire (1976)

This magnificent double album was rereleased in the late '80s on two individual CDs; I have the first, and it has become as familiar to me as any recording in my collection. I love it! From the first notes of "Liberté," I was enchanted. Now that I've digitized the double set, I have double the pleasure!

While intending to post this treasure before Xmas or New Year's or Kwanza or whatever holiday you may observe, ordinary life thwarted my goal. I did refer to the wonderful Aboubacar Siddikh YouTube channel to supplement the metadata on these tracks. I encourage you to read more informed analysis of this recording there, where you may also stream the songs.

Enjoy LP1 and LP2!

You may have noticed that I love the music created by Franco and the incredibly talented host of musicians who participated in T.P. O.K. Jazz. In case you missed them, I have other Franco posts with some of his greatest records here, here, here, here and here.

Chief Ebenezer Obey - Je Ka Jo (1983)

I've had this record in the hopper for awhile, and forgot why I did not post it 18 months ago when I digitized it. Perhaps it was available elsewhere, then, or maybe because my record sleeve was trashed by water damage. The image to the left is one I gleaned from the web and enhanced.

Ebenezer Obey, of course, is one of juju's premier ambassadors, having carried his bubbling music around the world. Released on the major Virgin label during the juju rush in 1983, this album was crafted to cross boundaries, incorporating funk influences and a global pop sensibility. Simple English lyrics make the music even more accessible, and at times it sounds like juju lite. Keep listening until you reach the second side, where the wonderful dun dun talking drum is given much more space to help create rich, percussive rhythms. Mixed with laid-back singing, spacey guitar and off-key keyboards, the dun dun sets up a perfect groove to bring on the weekend.

Enjoy!

Segun Adewale and his Superstars International - Adewale Play For Me (1984)

If it were not for the mightier marketing muscle of Island Records promoting Sunny Ade, this bopping album may have introduced juju music to the world. Released in the UK by Stern's in 1983 and a year later in the U$, by Rounder, Adewale Play For Me is full of tremendous percussion, great harmonic singing, and sweet slide guitar.

Segun Adewale began his career in I.K. Dairo's band, before moving on to work in a succession of bands and ultimately forming his own successful Superstars International. A short biography can be found here. One of the earlier recordings of the band, this record is an upbeat drop to counter the darkness that fills the news.

Enjoy!

Afro Sunshine - This Is Afrika (1989)

The small, arid country Botswana has not been a fount of music, and its pop scene has been dominated by the teeming culture of its southern neighbor, South Africa. Yet in the late 80s a couple of bands produced records, and one, Duncan Senyatso and the Kgwanyape Band,  even achieved international distribution.

This is the other record, by Afro Sunshine, which proved popular in Gabarone, but never crossed as many borders. Weaving strands of influences from the south, and from Ndebele Zimbabwe, soul and even Prince-like funk, this is a pretty mixed recording. I particularly like the song "Tote." See what you think. . .

Enjoy!

Prince Nico Mbarga & Rocafil Jazz - Sweet Mother (1977)

Today I present one of the all-time classics in African dance music. When this marriage of highlife guitars with the most earnest, universal tribute to Mother exploded from the studio in Nigeria, Sweet Mother swept over the continent like a fresh breeze. Prince Nico Mbarga's sweet voice delivers his simple, upbeat messages mostly in English, with a lightness that influenced, among others, Tchico. "Aki Special" is the other mega-hit on this album, which also lent its title to the CD rerelease that likewise is long out-of-print.

This ± 1981 U$ release was among the first handful of 'world' music releases by then-vibrant, independent Rounder Records. Licensed from Rogers All Stars, there is abundant information on the back sleeve and album insert (included in the download). Rereading those notes today, which foreshadowed the 'world music' boom by a few years, is nostalgic. So is the sweet music.

Enjoy!

Tchico - Giselle (1983)

Pambou Tchicaya Denis, better known as Tchico, came of age in Les Bantous de la Capitale, but in the late 70s left Brazzaville on a musical odyssey that would take him first to Nigeria, and then to other neighboring countries. This record captures sweet-voiced Tchico during a mid-career period in Paris, with support from a first-rate session band that included Bopol, Dally Kimoko and others.

Perhaps because of his light voice, Tchico's music seems like the champagne of rumba, not-too-serious but refreshing and pleasurable. While the cover of this album would indicate its title is the singer's nickname, excellent discographies here and here use the first track's name as the title. At one time Global Groove had this record and a treasure trove of Tchico's numerous, varied recordings. This may be a slightly cleaner version than previously available.

Enjoy!

Viva! Zimbabwe - Dance Music From Zimbabwe (1984)

Released a few years after the overthrow of the apartheid Rhodesian government, this compilation celebrated independence and the vibrant music that surrounded it. First released in Britain by Earthworks, it also introduced Zimbabwe's torrid, guitar-driven dance music to the world.

Many of the groups on this record became internationally successful and famous, including The Four Brothers, Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, and especially Thomas Mapfumo. There also are treats from Nyami Nyami Sound, New Black Montana, James Chimombe, and Super Sounds. A well-traveled record, it took a while to get the sound where I like it. It works. . .

Enjoy!

Sound D'Afrique II 'Soukous' (1982)

By the early 1980s reggae had gained a large audience in the U$, perhaps the greatest "foreign" penetration of the music market since the Cuban wave that began decades earlier. After Bob Marley's tragic death in 1981, Island Records saw an opportunity to experiment with marketing African music, which already was ubiquitous in many European urban centers.

Among the first probes were the two Sound D'Afrique  compilations of African pop. This second volume was released in 1982, and while it is not exactly a collection of soukous, it is a set of Congolese music and three songs from nearby countries influenced by rumba. What is remarkable is that none of the musicians collected was a major star, except perhaps for the very talented Pablo Lubadika Porthos. A few months after this record was released, Island unleashed King Sunny Ade's Juju Music, completely eclipsing the Sound d'Afrique records and igniting the "world music" heyday.

This album does collect the major hits from the assorted musicians, however, and it is a pleasant listen. The opening two cuts, from Central African Republic's Lea Lignanzi and Cameroon's Mensy, are sweet, and Pablo's "Madeleina" is fine. A few individual albums from these and other musicians on the album, as well as this record itself, were once available on the excellent Global Groove site.

Enjoy!

Le Grande Maître Franco et son Tout Puissant O.K. Jazz - Mario (1985)

After a prolonged silence catalyzed by flooding and extended by beginning a project to digitize my CDs, I owe you the sublime. Mario has been my favorite Franco et le T.P.O.K. album since it first appeared: A real treasure. The title track is one of Franco's major hits, but all three tracks on this album are great.

"Mario" is the perfect Madilu/Franco symbiosis, the two trading verses and both singing with incredible soul. This album was recorded during golden years where T.P.O.K. reached a pinnacle of tightness and power. Words do not really suffice.

This is a pristine pressing, so for a limited time a FLAC version is referenced in the comments.

Enjoy! 

A kind reader informed me that I had the wrong song titles for Side B on this album; I relied on an internet database because I only had the cover images with me, while I processed the sound file and post, and I mistakenly used the song titles from the first "Mario" album. It's not my first mistake, nor will it be my last. Below is a photo of the B-side label, so you can grab the correct titles.

There are a couple of YouTube videos with the band performing "Mario." Here is one I enjoyed: