Clelment Melome Et L'Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou

Hi there,

This week no mix, but a deep song from a great benineese artist, Clément Mélomé, leader of "L'Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou" (that will become later "Le Tout Puissant Orchestre de Cotonou") formed back in the 60's.

This track, a cover from a well known American standart from Brian Hyland, "Sealed With A Kiss",  was recorded on a tiny Benineese Label (there was hundred labels like this one at the time), "Disques Sachey", probably in the mid 70's.

This Song is dedicated to my cousin and my brother, Jean.

Repose en Paix, mon frère.

Clément Mélomé et L'Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou - La Fin de L'Ete

The Super Eagles Of Gambia - Love Is A Real Thing

"The Super Eagles" was a band of 8 Gambian & Senegalese musicians that joined together in 1967. They recorded a few LP on the English label DECCA (Gambia is an ancient British colony, Senegal is an ancient French colony and, more in the in the past, Senegal and Gambia formed only one country but the story is what it is..).

More, they recorded a few 7 inches (I know only 2 of them) on a tiny Ghanaian label, "Ghana Film", maybe i'll share them later.

I decided to make you discover one beautiful track taken from their first LP, recorded during an tour of England, "Love Is A Real Thing". Nothing to add, the instrumentation, the voices, everything seems just as it should be in this track, perfect.

This one is for my beloved Soum.

The Super Eagles of Gambia - Love Is A Real Thing

 

 Enjoy,

Armand

The Sweet Talks, City Boys, Vis a Vis, K Frimpong, Psychedelic Aliens, Kelenkye Band, Gyedu Blay Ambolley : A Sunny Sunday In Accra, Ghana

Hi everyone !

This week, as promised for a long time, a 70' minutes Funky & more "traditionnal" Highlife selection of several Bands from Ghana, including : The Sweet Talks, The City Boys, The Vis-a-Vis orchestra, K. Frimpong, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, The Kyeremateng All Star, The Psychedelic Aliens & many more !

Armand de Preseau - A Sunny Sunday In Accra

To download, as usual, right clic and "save as" just right here

Take care,

Armand

Moussa Doumbia, Miriam Makeba, Pivi et Ses Baladins - Samba covers /// A journey through Guinee

On this picture : The two main singers of the Guinean Orchestra Bembeya Jazz

Hi everyone !

I decided to make you (re)discover this week different versions of a huge African classic, the song Samba, a traditional Guinean song.

Originally released in 1972, this song by les Balladins, a Guinean Orchestra, was made world famous by the cover of the African diva Myriam Makeba in 1974.

This song was first released in 1972 on a 7' by Balla et les Balladins, and an extremely similar (same ?) version by Pivi et les Balladins (the same Orchestra, with a different conductor) out the same year on the "Discotheque 72" compilation on Syliphone Conakry

This song talks about samba, a man from the country of Guinea, who experiences many hilarious stories, characters and problems.

Many covers, from different styles, were made during the 70's & the 80's, to traditional from Afro Rock and Funk.

I selected for you 6 versions of this song (actually the only recorded I know !), hope you'd like them !

Pivi et Les Balladins - Samba (1972)

For me the first one and the best one from Les Balladins, Pivi or Balla it doesn't matter.

Myriam Makeba - Samba (1974)

Beautiful cover from this african Diva.

Super Boiro Band - Samba (1976)

Great afro psych funk instrumentation by another great Guinean Orchestra that recorded several albums on Syliphone Conakry, the same label as Les Balladins.

Moussa Doumbia - Samba (1978)

Killer funky version with killer grunts from the Malian James Brown, the amazing Moussa Doumbia.

Les Amazones de Guinee - Samba (1983)

Amazing live version by this girls band from Guinea, recorded at the "Theâtre de la Mutualité" (Paris, my hometown !) on the 6 of April 1983.

Afrique du Folklore - Samba (release date unknown)

Lovely cover from an Ivory Coast band of Balafon players (actually I'm not 100 % sure if it's really a cover of the Guinean song, some parts are similar but this one is really far for the original so..)

If you know other covers of this beautiful song, don't hesitate to leave a comment !

All the best, see you next week,

Armand

The Hygrades, The Funkees & Wrinkar experience : A Selection of Afro Rock & Funky 7 Inches from Nigeria

Hi everyone !

As promised, here comes a little summer selection of 10 funky / afro rock tracks taken from some seven inches of my personal collection.

These 7', from famous Nigerian bands, were issued at the time on the Nigerian division of the well known English label EMI / HMV (remember the deaf dog ?) and are really hard to lay hands on, specially in this condition.

Armand de Preseau - A selection of Afro Rock & Funky Nigerian 7 inches

You can download this mix here (as always, right clic, save as or download), and listen to it near the beach or the pool, drinking a fruit cocktail.

(due to an imminent travel from the rainy Paris to the Southern France, i didn't have the time to clean some of the records before recording the selection, so sorry for the dusty quality of some tracks !).

Tracklist :

1 - The Hygrades : In The Jungle (Vocal)
2 - The Funkees : Breaktrough
3 - Dan Satch & His Atomic Dance of Aba : Je nr'okan
4 - The Apostles : Your Bussiness
5 - The Ceejebs - Life In Cannan
6 - Founders 15 - Amen
7 - Danie Ian & His Spades : New Day
8 - Wrinkar Experience - I am a natural Man
9 - Mono Mono : Wake Up the Ded Onez
10 - Wrinkar Experience - Soundway

See you soon dear readers !

With love from the Southern France,

Armand

Egypt : A Holliday Souvenir (feat Salah Ragab)

Hi dear readers !

For this new article, I decided to present to you a very nice Egyptian compilation from various artists : Egypt - a holliday souvenir.

This record pressed in Greece and issued in the 1970's on the EMI label was offered to tourists visiting the mystic country of Egypt.

All the tracks on this LP are winners, and it contains one astonishing tune, "Amber of the Nile", from Salah Ragab (or Rageb), an Egyptian Jazz Player.

This tune is actually a different version of his well known track, "Egypt Strut", that exists only on this compilation (and that is faaar better according to me), a mixture of Funk, Jazz and Oriental Groove.

Salah Ragab - Amber of the Nile

Here are some pictures on the inside parts of the gatefold cover, that show several famous historical places around the Nile to be visited by tourists.

As a tip, another track (the last one) taken from this record by Karim Shukry, an Egyptian crooner (my favourite song of the LP !)

Karim Shukry - Take me Back to Cairo

Enjoy !

Ali Farka Toure - Le Jeune Chansonnier du Mali

Hi there !

I presented last week a great Malian band, L'Orchestre Rail Band du Buffet Hotel de la Gare de Bamako, and I decided for this week to stay a little bit more in this beautiful country with another greeeat artist, Ali Toure "Farka".

Father of the "Desert Blues" genre, Ali Farka Touré was a very well known Malian artist (considered as one of the greatest African guitar player ever), who recorded many albums during his life (his last from 2005, "In the Heart of the Moon", recorded with Toumani Diabate won a Grammy award) and who collaborated with many national & international artists.

Ali Farka Touré died in 2006 in Bamako at the age of 67.

The track presented here, Manakoide, is taken from one of his first albums (my personnal favourite), out on the famous Sonafric label in 1976.

Ali "Farka" Touré - Manakoide

Remember John Lee Hooker : ) ? 

Enjoy !

Armand