Admiral Dele Abiodun and his top Hitters Band - 1000 Miles (Nigeria, 1982, Adawa Super Records)

Dele Abiodun is one of the most important figures of the Juju scene, a musical genre from Nigeria between Jazz, Highlife and Traditionnal music.

He was born in 1948 in Sobe (Nigeria), a town on the boundary between West and Mid-West Nigeria.

He made his first steps in music as a drummer in his school band, and studied music has a teenager in Accra (Ghana) at the Young Pioneer School of Music.

In 1970, he founded his band, Prince Admiral Dele Abiodun and His Top Hitters Band (influenced by musicians such as Cardinal Rex Lawson or I.K. Dairo), and recorded more than 20 albums from the 70's to the 90's.

He stills lives and performs in Nigeria today and he's the president of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria.

For today, I decided to presend you "1000 Miles", an incredible track showing that Juju music can sometimes be as bouncing as Afrobeat does - Enjoy !

Admiral Dele Abiodun and his top Hitters Band - 1000 Miles

See you soon,

Armand

Eddy Pollo - Money (Nigeria, 1978, EMI NIGERIA)

Nee Quaison-Sackey was a Nigerian studio guitarist, who played on many albums between the 70's and the 80's.

He played for Tony Grey, Manu Dibango, Christy Essien, Melvin Ukachi and many other artists.

The song I want to present you today, Money, is taken from is one and only album, released in 1978 on the mythical EMI NIGERIA record label, and engineered by, as always on the good NEMI albums, Kayode Salami and Monday Oki.

You'll notice the typical moving bass playing style of the great Kenneth "Kenny" Okulolo on the track !

Eddy Pollo - Money

Best regards,

Armand

CK Mann Big Band - Fa Wakoma Mam (Ghana, 1976 , Essiebons)

C.K. Mann Big Band was one of the most popular and important Ghanaian band at the time, leaded by Charles Kofi Amankwaa Mann, who released many 7 inches and LP's from the 60's to the late 80's.

This album is my favourite, bringing together 4 outstanding talents : Oscar Sulley, Ebo Taylor, Papa Kofi Yankson and C.K. Mann).

I decided to make you discover my favourite track of the band, a melancholic Highlife ballad, "Fa Wakoma Band".

CK Mann Big Band - Fa Wakoma Mam

Have really nice Sunday evening,

Armand

Dyo Withs and Ferry Djimmy - Love Love (Ivory Coast, 197?, Revolution Records)

 

Sweet soul 2 tracks 7 inches composed and backed by the mysterious legend Ferry Djimmy from Ivory Coast, who released one LP and a few (I only know for of them..) on his own private record label "Revolution Records".

Dyo Withs and Ferry Djimmy and his Dji Kins - Love Love

 

Thanks, 

Armand.

Voices Of Darkness - Bonjour cherie (Nigeria, 1974, Decca)

 

Picture courtesy of Voodoofunk / Superfly

The "Voices of Darkness" was a band created in the early 70's in Douala, Cameroon, and composed of 6 Nigerian and Cameroonian musicians :

Joe Brown (the leader of the band) on the Organ, Lead Guitar, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar 

Cel Anderson on the Bass and Vocals

Emmanuel Ovo on the trumpet and Congas

Paul Mony on the Drums

Emmanuel Ebot on Congas, Timbals and Vocals

Dennise Kenneth on the Percussions and Alto Saxophone

"Bonjour Chérie" (Hello Darling) the track presented here is taken from their one and only LP, recorded in 1974 in Nigeria.

This album never had a properly release, it was mispressed in France with an Ebenezer Obey LP (check the picture of my personal copy at the end of this article), on DECCA, the French divisionary of the Afrodisia label, and never had a cover..

Beautiful Afro Soul Ballad, this track relates a phone conversation between a man (Cel, the bassist of the band) and his ex-girlfriend, who raised alone their child - Enjoy !

Voices of Darkness - Bonjour Cherie

Best regards,

Armand

Prince Nico Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz - Sickness (Nigeria, 1978, Roger All Stars)

 

Nicolas "Prince Nico" Mbarga, with his Nigerian band the Rocafil Jazz, was one of most famous African musicians (or THE most), who released more than 20 albums.

Prince Nico, children born in 1950 of a Cameroonese father and a Nigerian mother, became a PanAfrican celebrity in 1976 with his interplanetary hit "Sweet Mother".

His music, easy identifiable, is a mixture of Highlife, Slow Afrobeat and Congolese Rhumba.

Nicolas left music in the early 80's, became a businessman and died of a bike accident in 1997 in Nigeria.

I decided to present you tonight "Sickness", an Afrobeat song with very sweets guitar parts in it - Enjoy !

Prince Nico Mbarga and Rocafil Jazz - Sickness

Thank you,

Armand

Roger Damawuzan - Wait For Me (Togo, 1970's, Disques Aziza)

 

Classic track tonight with "Wait for Me", crazy afro funk track by Mister Roger Damahouzan, the Togolese James Brown, who also played with "L'Orchestre Les As du Benin" (listen here) - Enjoy !!

More, this compilation, pressed in Ghana, is full of treasures by the greatests figures of the Togolese musical scene (Julie Akoussah, le Super Boboto, Bella Bellow..).. Recommended !

All the best,

Armand

William Onyeabor - Something you will never forget (Nigeria, 1978, Wilfilms Records)

"A Tragedy Of How An African Princess Rejects The Love That Money Buys"

Hi Everyone !

Sorry for the delay, I just came back from Thailand yesterday evening ! Found around dope 80 records there, listenend more than 2000 records.. I'm preparing right now a new Thai selection !

I selected for today a track from the great William Onyeabor, from Enugu, Nigeria.

Mr Onyabor was a very prolific composer and producer (9 records between 1977 and 1985), owner of the Wilfilms records label and who had his own record pressing plant.

Secret USSR agent, Businessman that became billionaire working in oil or movie producer, no one could say who is exactly William Onyeabor..

This song is taken from the first LP of Mr Onyeabor, originally out in 1977. Actually 2 versions of this LP exist, because it was "remixed" later in a more electronic way, with synths and drummachines.

 I decided to present you "Something you'll never forget", a groovy and catchy funky track taken from the 2nd version of his first LP, hope you'll like it !

William Onyeabor - Something You Will Never Forget

Take care,

Armand

Blo - Don't Pull The Form Under Me (Nigerian Afro funk, 1975, Afrodisia)

Hi !

Today, I decided to present you a Nigerian Afro Rock & Funk classic band, B.L.O.

B for Berkely "Ike" Jones, on the guitar and vocals

L for Laolu "Akins" Akintobi, on the drums

O for Mike "Gbenga" Odumosu

Blo was formed by 3 musicians that used to be very prolific on the Nigerian musical scene of the 70's.

They released 6 records, and played with some great Nigerian musicians, such as Segun Bucknor (Pianist), Tunde Williams (Trumpetist) or Joni Haastrup (Organist).

Here is an extract of their 3rd LP, hope you'll like it !

BLO - Don't Pull The Form Under Me

Best regards,

Armand

New Selection : Nigerian Afrodeapness (feat. SJOB, Ikengas, Etubom Rex Williams..)

Hi dear readers !

As promise last week, here comes the new selection I've prepared for your little ears !

A selection of 6 afrobeat tracks taken from 6 veeery hard to find Nigerian records, especially in this condition !

I know that for many people "Afrobeat" word is mainly connected with the work of Fela Kuti, so I wanted to make you discover other, and deeper artists - Hope you'll enjoy this mix !

Armand de Preseau - Nigerian Afrodeapness

 

You can download the selection here (as always, right clic and "Save as")

See you soon, and don't hesitate to leave some comments if you liked the selection !

Sincerely yours,

Armand

New Selection : Nigerian Disco Grooves - My Definition of The Nigerian Disco Inferno (blo, ofege, ipa..)

Hi Everyone !!

Today, we come back to Nigeria, with a Disco Oriented Selection of 6 tracks. Short but good, I truly hope you'll enjoy this 23rd selection (yes, this is the 23rd !!).

Armand de Préseau - Nigerian Disco Grooves

You can download the selection here (as usual, right clic on the link, "save as")

Take care, don't hesitate to leave a comment if you liked this selection !! See you soon for another selection !!

Sincerely yours,

Armand

New Selection : Douala Express - A Cameroonese Afrobeat, Jerk and Mako Funk Selection

Hi dear readers !!!

It's been a while !! I'm very proud to present you my new selection, another Cameroonese one, of Afrobeat, Jerk and Mako Funk tracks ! Hope you'll enjoy them, those tracks are taken from unknown or ultra hard to find records !

Armand de Preseau - Douala Express

You can download this selection here (as usual, right clic, "save as")

(Sorry, no tracklist this time..)

All the best, and see you very soon !!!

Sincerely yours,

Armand