Eric And George - Over The Bar (Ghana, ???, Tower)

We stay in Ghana with this little Bonus, an obscure cosmic synth proto house track a la Onyeabor from the early 70's !

No info on this record, veeeery innovative drumbox and synth using for this period in Africa !

If you have some info on this record, don't hesitate to leave a comment !

Armand

Pat Thomas and Marijata - I Need More (Ghana, 1977, Gapophone)

Born in 1951 in Agona (Ashanti region of Ghana), Pat Thomas is, with Ebo Taylor (an old friend of him, who plays guitar on the track presented here), one the greatest figures of the Ghanaian music.

Immersed in the musical scene since his childhood, Pat Thomas has recorded more than 20 albums, dozens and dozens of singles, and has played with many bands through the years, from Highlife to Afrobeat : The Blue Monks, The Satellites, The Sweet Beans (his own band), Marijata..

Pat Thomas - who lives in Ghana today - is, like Ebo Taylor, still playing and recording nowadays, and is regularly on tour.

The track presented here, "I Need More", is taken from his last album on the Gapophone music label (one of the best record label from Ghana) and was recorded at the time by Kayode Salami and Monday Oki, the two mythical recording engineers of the EMI NIGERIA Studio based in Lagos.

Pat Thomas and Marijata - I Need More

Enjoy,

Armand

The Apostles - Battery Rock (Nigeria, 1973, BEN)

 

Down Down The Valley / Battery Rock is the very first single from one of the best Nigerian Afro-rock band from this era, The Apostles.

The Apostles was a band composed by members from Aba, a city in the east of the country, in the Abia state.

The Apostles recorded 6 albums (or more, who knows ?), several singles and backed many other artists during between the 70's and the early 80's.

Very rough track, furiously funky with acid psychedelic influences, "Battery Rock" is a very precursor and innovative track for the period - Remember we were only in 1973, Nigeria..

The Apostles - Battery Rock

All the best,

Armand

This one is for you Uchenna ! Thanks..

Orchestre Les Bakubas (Zaire, 1972, Editions Bakuba)

Some rumors link the band presented here, "L'Orchestre Les Bakubas", with "L'Empire Bakuba", one the most influent soukouss Congolese (Zaire) bands back in the days.

The name of the band refers to the Bakuba Kingdom, in the South East of the modern day Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo), and is also called sometimes "Empire Bakuba du Grand Kalle", refering to Joseph Athanase Tchamala Kabasele ("Grand Kalle"), one of the father of the Congolese music that founded the band in 1972.

Unusual for this period, "Requiem", the track presented here, is a very refreshing afro soul track, roughly recorded, sung in Lingala.

Orchestre Les Bakubas - Requiem

Truly yours,

Armand

Sory Bamba du Mali - Kanaga 78 (Mali, 1979, Sonafric)

 

Hi dear readers !

Malian Mood today, with a song taken from the 3rd album by the singer Sory Bamba, who belongs to the Dogon ethnic group (Souh-East Mali, near the town of Bandiagara).

Sory Bamba released several single albums, and used to played also with great Malian bands such as "L'Orchestre Kanaga de Mopti" or "L'Orchestre Regional de Mopti".

This really hard to fin album, out on 1979 on the Sonafric label, contains 6 great tracks, and "Kanaga 78", the track I want to make you discover today is one of those.

A crossover of Disco, Traditionnal Malian music and furious psychedelic groove, close your eyes, you're in the Malian desert..

Sory Bamba du Mali - Kanaga 78

See you soon,

Armand

MFB - Beware (Nigeria, 1979, EMI NIGERIA)

 

MFB was a a Nigerian band, composed of 3 members (as the same as BLO, one letter for each member of the band) :

Melvin Noks : Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and Percussion

Franck Ikpefuran : Drums, Percussion and Vocals

Soca Benson : 

They released their one and only album, "Where Are Our People", on the famous EMI NIGERIA (NEMI) label, back in the end of the 1970's.

One of my former selections, "Take Me Back To Lagos", (link here) included one of the track of this record, "Boredom Pain", a nice Afro rock track.

For now, I decided to present you "Beware", the last track of the LP, an Afrobeat ballad.

MFB - Beware

Sincerely yours,

Armand

Jeeraphan Wiraphong - Num Kangfu Khorong (Thailand, Around 1976, Chor Chor)

 

Hi everyone !

A short travel to Thailand again today, with a cover of a very well known song again in our Western countries... Will you manage to guess what ?

Jeeraphan Wiraphong - Num Kangfu Khorong

Sincerely yours,

Armand