From Mulatu Astatke’s own Bandcamp site: “Formed in 2012 on the south side of Tel Aviv, the 12 member Hoodna Orchestra is a collective of musicians and composers who initially bonded over a shared love of Afrobeat. They have gone on to incorporate psychedelic rock, hard funk and soul, jazz, Continue Reading
Afrobeat
The Beaters – Harari (1975)
I will be preparing for travel and starting a new job in August, so no review today. I leave you with The Beaters, a rock band out of South Africa. From their YouTube page: “Step into the pulsating rhythms of South African Afro-rock with The Beaters and their iconic album Continue Reading
Oluko Imo – Oduduwa
You would be forgiven, I’d imagine, if you thought this release came to us from Nigeria, but as it turns out, Oluko Imo comes from Trinidad. I had no idea they had Afrobeat there. Imo is ably supported by both the legendary Fela Kuti and his son, Femi. Quite an Continue Reading
Etran de L’Aïr – 100% Sahara Guitar
From Sahel Sounds’ promo sheet, and this is an album worth waiting for!: “Etran de L’Aïr the STARS OF THE AÏR, the longest running wedding band in AGADEZ, capital of Tuareg guitar, return with a new album of sun-schlazed desert sound! Their first album, No.1, brought their music to critics Continue Reading
Nicodème “Tjap’s Trap” Oum – Oa
Work was busy today, so in lieu of a review, here is a rather joyful offering from Cameroon.
Ofege – How Do You Feel
This album is quite a revelation! Ofege, A group of hippies from Nigeria came together to record an absolutely solid disc full of tunes that sound less Afrobeat and more West Coast psych. A cool album, indeed.
Kofi Ayivor – Adzagli (Jungle Funk)
Though Kofi Ayivor now lives in Amsterdam, there was a time where he was the disco king of Nigeria as well as a conga legend with Osibisa. The music here is what one can call proto-Afrobeat, proto-Nu Jazz, and it sounds so incredibly modern that I thought it was a Continue Reading
Felix Lebarty – Girls For Sale
It’s safe to say that 1976 Nigeria was a somewhat different world from today’s. The Edo-Delta region must have been a rather swinging place if this reissue of Felix Labarty’s classic, Girls For Sale, is any indication. The music is lush, perhaps a little tinny, disco mixed with reggae vibes Continue Reading
Dur-Dur Band Int. – The Berlin Session
Somalia’s Dur-Dur Band have released fresh material, so if you’re interested in Somali music, Afrobeat, funk or soul, you might want to pick this up quickly. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “The Berlin Session travels far beyond the gems collected from dusty cassettes. It is a bridge between the sorrow Continue Reading
Afro National – African Experimentals (1972-1979)
An Afrobeat treat from Sierre Leone originally formed in 1972 is what we have here from Afro National. From their Bandcamp site: “The Afro National band was formed in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1972. Their inspirational leader, Sulay Abu Bakarr accompanied by his wife Patricia and Ayo Roy Macauley split Continue Reading