Orlando Owoh - Dr. Ganja's Polytonality Blues (1995)

"Stravinsky did it. Charles Ives did it. Over three decades of juju-highlife heavydom, Orlando Owoh did it far more than the other guys ever did." That is how John Storm Roberts colorfully introduces this extraordinary album, explaining how the two guitars and bass tuned in three different keys create a polytonality that  "sticks in your brain like burrs." Exactly. Over many years I keep coming back to this album for the polytonality and its unique rendition of highlife guitars, and for the massive juju percussion paired with it.

Orlando Owoh began his professional career in the 1960s, forming his own Omimah Band and recording his first record by the middle of the decade. He became extremely popular in Lagos for his songs addressing topical issues faced by ordinary Nigerians. Through nearly four decades, until shortly before his death in 2008, Owoh's ganja-relaxed voice was a mainstay of popular culture.

www.nigerianfolks.com

Besides having one of the best album titles ever, this Original Music release is packed with over 72 minutes of music from three Owoh albums (sides from His Omimah Band's 1972 albums Ire Lowo and Ajo Ko Dun Bi Ile, and 1981's album Obirin Asiko from Owoh and His African Kenneries Beats International). Four long medleys give an ample sample of Owoh's abundant talents: voice, songs, percussion and torqued guitar genius. If you get hooked, Global Groove has another dynamite album here. It gives me great pleasure to offer this great music to you today, right here.

Enjoy!

Dimensión Costeña - De Que Suda Suda (1984)

I am astounded that the first Dimensión Costeña album I posted is the most popular, by far, on this site. Well, folks, here is the next infusion of coastal Nicaraguan party music. Like their first record, this one has a long Caribbean medley for extended dance mayhem and, as the title suggests, abundant sweat. The best song on this album, however, is the great "Cole, Cole," which is a guaranteed hit on any dance floor.

I'll leave it at that today, with few words between you and the music. I'm trying to get music out between bouts of clearing my driveway of snow, and am anxious to drop the next album, an absolute bomb.

Enjoy! (link fixed)

Tshala Muana - Biduaya (1989)

As the 1980s came to a close, zouk music was extremely popular in dance halls all over the world. It should be no surprise that Tshala Muana would open her album Biduaya with a track imbued with zouk, but perhaps it also signals a phase shift in her career where the music became less tied to her mutuashi roots.

This album is certainly more "produced" than the other two Muana albums offered on this site, at least in the dominant use of keyboards and programmed rhythms. When I looked at the cover, while listening to the album as I digitized it, it occurred to me that the music was about as natural as her hairdoo.

The two best songs on the album are Tshala's own, the title track "Biduaya" and "Ngoyi," and it might be my imagination, but I think she sings with more conviction on them than on the three songs by Dino Vangu. Of course her two songs are produced by Souzy Kasseya, with a completely different band than on the other songs. They make the album worthwhile. There is also a version of the classic "Africa Mokili Mobimba;" a yawn version.

Enjoy sometime soon!

Review: Guelewar - Halleli N'Dakarou

The moment this live Guelewar set began playing on my stereo, I stopped in my tracks. What was this?! Did some psychedelic rocker from the 70s get ahold of some West African traditional recording and sample the heck out of it? Was it one of those hybrid bands looking to break boundaries?

No, Guelewar was a short-lived, creative band from The Gambia, the tiny West African country surrounded by Senegal. The original Guelewar began life in 1970 as the Alligators, singing cover songs of U.S. soul music, but quickly began incorporating traditional percussion in one of the earliest experiments leading to mbalax. Led by Bai Janha and Laye Ngom, the group disbanded in 1975 having had made no recordings.

In the late 70s Laye Ngom reformed the band with his cousin Moussa as lead singer. They had two recording sessions that led to four records, but the band only received limited payment for the first, Sama Yaye Demna N'darr, which you can find on the net here. The second album, Tasito, is available here. Until recently band members did not even know that a fourth album was released, in Europe! Guelewar and Ifang Bondi, where Bai Janha went from Guelewar, were the two most influential bands from The Gambia, totally revolutionizing music in the country, while also having a notable impact on Senegal's pop music.

I would have loved to be at the gig when this extraordinary set was recorded! The twelve band members were in the zone, and the remarkably clean recording captures a brilliant performance. The opening track sets the pattern for the entire performance: a fierce rhythm section establishes a torrid pace as guitars and a mini-Moog synthesizer weave cyclical patterns with the vocalists. Listening through this recording, the synthesizer bores grooves on your brain. The guitars can be polite, mimicking the kora, or they can freak out in distorted psychedelic harmony with the Moog. Moussa Ngom's vocals can recall the griots, and then abruptly enter call-and-response discourse with the other vocalists as the percussion ramps up. And always, always, the synthesizer is part of the conversation.

Certainly this was experimental music. It was brilliant! This is one of the most exciting albums I have heard in a long, long time, and I am so thankful that this recording was rescued from near oblivion. Every time I listen to it, I hear new things. It occurs to me that the small labels working hard to uncover "lost," essential music, like Teranga Beat, the producer of this superb release, are moved by the same passion that motivates many of us in the blogosphere. It's a privilege for me to recommend Halleli N'Dakarou, without reservations.

While I've discovered no videos of the band on the internet, here is a slideshow of various images set to my favorite song on this set, "Balla Jigi," a wonderful percussive workout laced with funky mini-Moog keyboards and great singing. Since this blogging platform does not have an easy way to post audio, YouTube is often a solution:

Halleli N'Dakarou is available at the usual download vendors, or here, for the complete physical package with its informative notes.

Kandandu - Bonga (1980)

Whether it is a morna from Cape Verde, a revolutionary song from Guinea Bissau, a nineteenth century horns and percussion piece, or any one of the songs that draw on his Angolan roots, Bonga produced one of his finest albums in 1980. Kandandu is simply a masterpiece from the Angolan superstar. Listening to this exquisitely beautiful album years ago is what led me to collect any Bonga recording I could find.

One of my early posts on this site was a 1984 release from this great musician, and that post had a fair amount of information about Bonga. Accordingly I write sparingly about the man today, and rush this music to you. The songs that feature Bonga singing along with simple percussion and lovely acoustic guitars, like the sublime title cut "Um Kandandu Amigo" and "Nguzu," are terribly moving. Others will have you dancing. It's no wonder that his gravelly voice became the epitome of Angolan popular music.

Enjoy!

James Chimombe and the Huchi Band - Jemedza (1990)

One of Zimbabwe's great singers and guitarists had a short-lived career, but one that left a permanent legacy in the country. In his 39 years James Chimombe passed through several bands, including Thomas Mapfumo's formative Acid Band, before developing into a headliner himself with the Ocean City Band.

Chimombe was a passionate singer, and this final album of his career showcases his fine voice as well as his light-fingered guitar style. While one can hear similarities to Mapfumo's chimurenga, there also are also strands of rumba as well as echoes from Kenya and South Africa.

I usually do not draw from text on a record sleeve, but in small print on this one is a great summary and touching tribute to this musician that I cannot surpass:

On Tuesday 23rd October at only 39 years old James Chimombe passed away having established himself as one of the most professional and dedicated musicians in Zimbabwe. Not only a dedicated musician, James was also a director of Z.I.M.R.A. and a staunch supporter of the College Of Music's Ethnomusicology Program.

James was born in Chivhu in 1951,  but grew up and was educated in Highfield Harare. Whilst in his teens he joined the Pop Settlers as lead vocalist, singing cover versions of popular songs. From Pop Settlers James progressed to the Harare Mambos and then to Thomas Mapfumo's Acid Band in the early seventies, playing lead guitar. The mid-seventies saw James playing with O.K. Success Band and in 1983, James Chimombe joined the Ocean City Band. With them, as lead vocalist and guitarist, the O.C.B. had several hit singles and albums. . . In 1988 James made his final move, forming his own group called 'Huchi Band.' Together they released several singles, and their debut album Zvaitika released in November 1989.

Jemedza is the last album to be completed before James' death, and long-time friend and producer Tymon Mabeleka believes that songs included here are of particular significance as James seemed to know that death was imminent and there are many references to the ancestral homes of the spirits.

Jemedza is a wonderful tribute to a man who dedicated his life to music — creating it, playing it and teaching it. James Chimombe was a quiet, considerate and dedicated person. His music will live on in our hearts forever. 

Indeed. This is a very nice album.

Enjoy!

 

Transkei Special: Accordion Mbaqanga (1990)

Blame the weather. Or maybe the seasonal change and decreasing light. Perhaps it's the desire to occupy something. There are a plethora of reasons that posts have slowed down on this site; today it is -11° as the sun begins to set at mid-afternoon, and I begin to wonder if wood heat is so sensible. Yet never fear, posts are about to resume at our usual pace. Nothing beats a cold, dark winter for generating enthusiasm for hot music!

Today's offering is an upbeat collection of accordion mbaqanga instrumentals produced by accomplished David Thekwane, one of South Africa's premier mbaqanga producers. As the notes on the record admit, the musicians and tracks are rather obscure, but they are fine examples of the style. It is a short 25 minutes of sunshine from the 70s.

Enjoy!

Review: Desert Blues by Twos - Tinariwen and Terakaft

When Tinariwen emerged on the world stage with their album The Radio Tisdas Sessions, in 2000, Tuareg rebel music became an instant sensation. The band's introduction of electric guitar into a traditional call-and-response music in the '80s, paired with revolutionary lyrics and insistent, throbbing rhythms, led to the band's legendary status among the Tuareg. Listening to the music for the first time, one could hear a great desert space: It was a revelatory experience.

The desert remains at the heart of Tassili, in many ways a more austere and intimate recording than earlier Tinariwen CDs. Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, the band's leader, penned the songs, and his guitar and voice center the album, especially on the solo acoustic lament, "Tameyawt." The whole album has a solemn tone; perhaps that reflects the reality of drier, hotter deserts and atrophied liberation struggles. 

Tassili reaches for a more international sound on two songs. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band drops some chops into "Ya Messinagh," which is a little startling on first listen, just because it is so foreign to this music and therefore unexpected. It is not a perfect marriage, but it does explore the blues frontier of the song. The following "Walla Illa" has the harmonic vocalizations of Tunde Adebimpe, giving it a pop smoothness that seems out of place. The generous twelve songs on this album leave room for these experiments, however, and whether acoustic or electric, the whole album is charged. It's a great one to listen to with headphones.

The recent Terakaft release Aratan N Azawad is in the same genus, though Terakaft has a much more evident rock edge powered by dual electric guitars. Propelled with ample, driving percussion, many of the songs on this album gallop, and if you close your eyes, you can imagine camels and horses.

Terakaft and Tinariwen are closely related bands, with several Tinariwen veterans forming the core of Terakaft, so it is not surprising to find similarities in their music. Terakaft's lyrics are more directly confrontational, decrying the plight of the Tuareg peoples caught in changing reality. The attitude of defiance imbues the music, too, giving it a brash edge. Rebel music, for sure, apart from "Akoz Imgharen." That song is just as surprising as the departures in Tassili, but this time it is a West African guitar mash-up that creates an intriguing mix that may have made it onto my exclusive dance tape.

Both these bands have been characterized as 'desert blues' by promoters and critics alike, trying to shoehorn this music into a box with Ali Farka Touré and others. Don't believe it. This is authentic music that adapts and appropriates what ears hear, like all music, evolving in the creative process with tentacles that extend in all directions. Both of these albums are powerful blasts from the desert. That's characterization enough. You can get them at your usual digital download source, or with their beautiful and informative packaging here.

Fatala - Fatala (1988)

Returning from a couple of weeks of hiding from the cyber world, in a more verdant environment, today I bring you a tasty dose of mandé percussion with the Guinean group Fatala. Recorded in the pristine Real World Studios, this album has long been a favorite of mine.

Led by percussion master Yacouba Camara, the nine tracks are dominated by intricate and compelling drumming, but the singing of Mabinty Sahko is noteworthy, despite being mixed underneath the percussion. The timeless classic "Yékéké is given a refreshing roots interpretation, but the love song "Boke" is perhaps the strongest and best-balanced production on the album.

This record was rereleased on CD in 1993, as Gongoma Times, which still may be available, but this is the original release.

Enjoy!

Dimensión Costeña - Palo de Mayo (1984)

A few months ago I posted the first palo de mayo record made in Nicaragua, the wonderful Barbaros del Ritmo. Today I offer another listen to the infectious dance music from the Atlantic coast, a land of tropical rainforest rimming the Caribbean Sea. Dimensión Costeña was the hottest dance band in Nicaragua during the 1980s, performing at countless festivals and celebrations. This is one of two records I have from this band, and it has a characteristicly long, amped Caribbean medley that leads inevitably to sweaty bliss at a dance party. Rustic, but hot!

Enjoy!

Jazz and Hot Dance in South Africa 1946-1959 (1985)

Occasionally you happen upon a golden album by chance, in a bin where it's totally out of place or one where normally you would never look. Although I do not quite remember where I found this one, I know it was serendipitous, and that I was in luck.

Jazz and Hot Dance in South Africa is a compilation of early jazz recordings from that country. The bopping begins with the Manhattan Brothers, and it does not slow down through 16 songs lasting 43.5 minutes. These are African mutations of American jazz from earlier decades, treasures from the shabeens that grew into distinctive township jazz. There are too many bands to name, but the highlight for me is the early Dorothy Masuka hit, "Ba Zali Bami." The hip song from the Shanty City Seven is sweet, and the closing track spotlights well-known penny-whistle jive master, Spokes Mashiyane.

This collection reminds my of John Storm Roberts' Original Music efforts due to its unearthing of rare vintage recordings and their detailed presentation. Every track has all available details included on the record sleeve: musicians, original publishing date and source, and English translations of song titles. I've included close-up photos of the extensive notes in the download, but a better option is to head over to the wonderful archive FlatInternational, where all the notes are published on the web.

Most, if not all of the songs, were taken from original records, so there is normal surface noise, but that does not detract at all from the great music. Jump and jive to this one, baby!

Enjoy!

Franco and his All Powerful O.K. Jazz - Sorcerer of the Guitar (1984)

Here is the U.S. version of Franco's classic Tres Impoli from 1984, which was posted last year on Global Groove. I post this version for the somewhat garish cover, the English translation of "Tres Impoli" on the back cover, and the exceptionally clean sound. One of my favorite Franco songs is on this record, the duet with Madilu called here, "Tu Vois?" That song is so good, it reappeared a year later renamed "Mamou," on the album Franco et le T.P. O.K. Jazz Presents Madilu System. Under either title, it is classic.

All three of the songs on this album are delicious and need no other recommendation.

Enjoy!

Zulu Jive Umbaqanga (1983)

Today I present a superb collection of diverse music from relatively unknown South African artists. This was the second record published by the nascent Earthworks label, almost two decades ago, and it stands alongside the label's two subsequent The Indestructible Beat of Soweto releases, among the best compilations of SA music from that era.

What I appreciate in this collection is the selection of groups exhibiting four distinct styles. The album opens with classic Zulu guitar mbaqanga from Aaron Mbambo, with a lovely female chorus; he adds screechy fiddle on his second cut. Is that Noise Khanyile? Joshua Sithole, perhaps the best known of the artists on this label, pairs his guitar with the swirling township organ that was such a feature of Lucky Dube's reggae. The four cuts from Sithole are a world apart from his soul workout presented recently on ElectricJive. The Rainbows play accelerated guitar and accordion instrumentals, while Shoba pairs Zulu guitar with penny whistle, squeezebox and singing.

Unfortunately little information is available on the records; there is no detailed band info, no indication of where the tracks were recorded or when, not even the name of a compiler or producer. We just have to thank them all, the musicians especially, for this fine listen.

Enjoy!

Marxist Brothers - Mwana Wedangwe (1983)

The Marxist Brothers were one of the leading rhumba bands in Zimbabwe during the 1980s, a group of four Chimbetu brothers. I believe this is the first Marxist Brothers album, recorded in the fervor of revolutionary optimism that filled the country at that time. One of the tracks on this record would become the title track of the equally upbeat Goodbye Sandra compilation from 1988.

Despite suffering from a terrible pressing that especially mars the first tracks on both sides (and the last on the second!), this album sparkles with bright guitars and lovely harmonic singing from Naison and Simon Chimbetu. A couple of the slightly slower songs, such as "Ndiri Wenhano" and "Denda," are wonderful. Simon would split from the band in the late 80s to become a leading rhumba star in the country, but most of the band continued to back him as Orchestra Dendera Kings throughout the 1990s. In fact even on this early album the band's persistent split personality was evident, as the record label says Marxist Brothers (Orch Dendera Kings).

There are a few more Chimbetu recordings coming up here, but at a time when the global capitalist system is in crisis, here is a dose of Marxist rhythms to enlighten the situation.

Enjoy!

Nyami Nyami Sounds - Kwira Mudenga (1986)

Time to dip into Zimbabwe gold again for this fine album from Nyami Nyami Sounds, a band from northern Zimbabwe named for a Shona river god. The records opens with the strong chimurenga cut, "Ndiani Apisa Moto," that was collected on the 1990 Zimbabwe Frontline: Spirit of the Eagle compilation, and it ends with a song more akin to jit. In between are five other strong songs featuring cycling, intertwined guitar lines, thumping drums and lovely, harmonious vocals. Recorded at the venerable Shed Studios, this one is a keeper.

Enjoy!