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Tag - AFRO

Nik Weston presents Mixed Grill - Brand New Wayo: Nigerian Afro Funk Boogie Badness - out on Mukatsuku

Tuesday 08 November 2011, 15:40

Nik Weston presents Mixed Grill Brand New Wayo
Nik Weston presents Mixed Grill - Brand New Wayo: Nigerian Afro Funk Boogie Badness
(Limited 7" + Sticker) Mukatsuku Records MUKAT023, 2011-10-31

Mukatsuku Records new release is are two officially licenced stonking afro boogie funk tracks taken from the 1979 holy grail Cry For Peace & Love album from Nigerian band Mixed Grill. GUYNAMUKAT revisit both tracks from the album repeating the funkier elements of both tracks whilst editing them down to a handy 45 length. The tracks have then been mastered by the legendary Mastering Engineer, Sean P, who made a series of disco/boogie compilations with Joey Negro and also a best selling compilation called Originals on Claremont 56. These two tracks should surely keep the heat up on the dancefloor with the chilly onslaught on winter just around the corner…

Check the free Nik Weston/Mukastsuku Afro Tropical Special mix from the Paris DJs mixes podcast!

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Pyramid Blue - African Jungle - out on Enlace Funk

Wednesday 12 October 2011, 19:54 1

Pyramid Blue African JunglePyramid Blue African Jungle
Pyramid Blue - African Jungle
(7") Enlace Funk EF41-2011, 2011-09-02

"In the beginning there was the Afro Soul Toasting All Star, a band created by Oscar Martos, launched at the same time the Soul Toasting recording studio, in Madrid (Spain). This band's main objective was to produce rhythms and grooves based on the diverse stylistic schools, like Africa, New Orleans, Philadelphia, or Kingston. We played their superb track Be A Looser in the mythical 21st Century Afro Extravaganza 4 hours/50 tracks mix. Oscar has since then started a new project, called Pyramid Blue, who's just released their first 45 on Enlace Funk at the end of the summer, African Jungle. Influenced by artists and bands like The Heliocentrics, The Budos Band and Mulatu Astatke, this 9-piece ensemble might just be the most important spanish Afrofunk band today. They blend Afrofunk with Ethio-Jazz (jazz from Ethiopia) and Afrobeat (afrofunk & soul from Nigeria)… and you can hear hints of Tango in there too! It's quite avery influenced and unique sound at the same time, so the 45 is heavily recommended and we can't wait to hear a long player from Pyramid Blue!" (Djouls/Paris DJs)

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Bambara Mystic Soul - The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979 - out on Analog Africa

Monday 10 October 2011, 00:20

Bambara Mystic Soul The Raw Soul of Burkina Faso 1974-1979
Various - Bambara Mystic Soul - The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979
(CD/2xLP) Analog Africa n°10 AACD 070/AALP070, 2011-10-10

For its commemorative 10th release, Analog Africa indulges in Burkina Faso, one of the jewels of the Sahel, a harsh and arid strip that straddles the southern Sahara, stretching from Dakar in the west to Djibouti in the east. Formerly known as Haute Volta, Burkina Faso's sound was organized and nurtured during the country's time as part of a vast patchwork making up French colonial West Africa. While it might be Analog Africa's venture into possibly the most obscure of African sounds thus far, the sounds of the golden age of Burkinabé music deserve to be heard and the varying styles that came to define the era are completely covered in this 16-track release.

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El Rego - El Rego - out on Daptone Records

Monday 03 October 2011, 00:49

El Rego Daptone
El Rego - El Rego
(CD/LP+7"/Digital) Daptone Records DAP023, 2011-10-03

El Rego is a true legend of African Soul Music, he was one of the main Afro-Funk performers in Benin, West Africa, alongside the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. His top of the range, tough Afro Funk doesn't really get any better. Here for the first time on album are 12 of his greatest recordings from the late '60s and early '70s hand-picked by Daptone Records. CD version includes a nice booklet with El Rego's own story of his life and music, along with pictures from his personal collection and artwork from his original 45's. The music has been remastered with great care, and the vinyl contains an exclusive bonus 45'of Se Na Min, one of his most sought after afro-funk tracks.

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MonoMono - Give The Beggar A Chance - out on Soundway Records

Monday 26 September 2011, 11:21

MonoMono Give The Beggar A Chance
MonoMono - Give The Beggar A Chance
(CD/LP+bonus 12"/Digital) Soundway Records SNDWLP030, 2011-09-26

Tummy Touch and Soundway Records are excited to present the debut album from Joni Haastrup's band MonoMono. Re-issued on CD, LP and digital, the LP comes with a bonus 12" featuring three extra tracks. Soundway have been championing Joni Haastrup since day one featuring tracks on both the Nigeria Special! and Nigeria Rock Special! releases. Most recently Joni appears as a guest keys players on Black Goddess, an Afro-jazz soundtrack collaboration with Remi Kabaka. Joni formed MonoMono in 1971 with his friend and bassist Baba Ken Okulolo, guitarist Jimmy Adams and percussionists Candido Obajimi and Friday Jumbo. The band recorded seven original tracks for their debut LP, a drastic departure from the soul covers of the 60's groups in Nigeria but a logical progression from the jazz-rock fusion saturating the London scene. Joni's keys on the lush, meandering title track Give the Beggar a Chance reminds one of Ray Manzarek (The Doors) while on Kenimania he wails like an African counter-point to the Skatalites' master organist Jackie Mittoo. Written in London and recorded in Lagos, the album was released in 1972.

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MonoMono - Dawn of Awareness - out on Soundway Records

Monday 26 September 2011, 11:20

MonoMono Dawn of Awareness
MonoMono - Dawn of Awareness
(CD/LP+bonus 12"/Digital) Soundway Records SNDWLP029, 2011-09-26

Soundway Records and Tummy Touch are proud to present Dawn of Awareness the second album by Joni Haastrup's band MonoMono. Re-issued on CD, LP and digital, the LP comes with a bonus 12" featuring two extra tracks. Amid the OPEC oil embargo, Watergate and IRA bombs, the sound of MonoMono's follow-up record, 1974's Dawn of Awareness, took on the bluesrock grooves of Santana and Hugh Masekela but with their own unique Yoruban flavor. A deeply spiritual record, Dawn of Awareness was Haastrup's reaction to what was going on in the world around him. One hears echoes of the Allman Brothers' Revival on MonoMono's Awareness is What You Need and after listening to Plain Fighting you could easily imagine the band sharing the stage with the Doobie Brothers at an East Side San Jose street festival.

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Joni Haastrup - Wake Up Your Mind - out on Soundway Records

Monday 26 September 2011, 11:19

Joni Haastrup Wake Up Your Mind
Joni Haastrup - Wake Up Your Mind
(CD/Digital) Tummy Touch/Soundway Records TUCH2028, 2011-09-26

Growing up in a royal household in Nigeria, Joni Haastrup began his musical journey performing for his brothers band Sneakers and was quickly snapped up as a vocalist for Orlando Julius Ekemode and his Modern Aces' Super Afro Soul LP, one of Afro-beat's formative LPs. Soon after, Ginger Baker of Cream fame replaced Steve Winwood with Joni on keys for Airforce's UK concerts in '71 and the success of the collaboration led to further shows with Baker as part of the SALT project before he returned to Nigeria to set up MonoMono. Back in London in 1978, Joni recorded his solo gem Wake Up Your Mind for the Afrodesia imprint. Laced with funk basslines, swirling keyboards and screaming guitars, this is Joni's most 'western' record but at the same time unmistakably of the African origin. From the slow-motion disco of Greetings to the stone cold groove of Watch Out to the Reuben Wilson style funk of Free My People Joni was soaking up the sounds of the times and blending them with the music of his roots.

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Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band - Rubber Orchestras - out on Heavenly Sweetness

Monday 12 September 2011, 00:35

Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band Rubber Orchestras
Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band - Rubber Orchestras
(CD/2xLP/Digital) Heavenly Sweetness/Naïve HS048, 2011-09-12

"The griot is the sound of universal culture." The opening words of his third album (after Leggo de Lion on Kindred Spirits in 2007 and Bird Head son in 2009) introduces us to the universe of Anthony Joseph. Born in Trinidad and based in UK since 20 years, Anthony is one of the UK's most exciting and innovative voices, poet, novelist, musician and lecturer. Anthony has called on the talents of producer Malcolm Catto, drummer and lead singer with The Heliocentrics. The decisive presence of the producer isn't the only new ingredient in the retro-futurist blend, which combines raw jazz and deep soul, black rock and Afrobeat, soca funk and free swing... This is no backward-looking revival or sterile fusion; this grand mix gives a new and modern perspective to all these musical styles. There are other guests on Rubber Orchestras, as the singer Jasnett Lindo but also Jerry Dammers, the legendary founder of The Specials took to the controls to arrange and enhance a visionary and revolutionary poem, the iconic suite called Generations. To announce this new fantastic and unique album, Anthony Joseph is back on Paris DJs with a new podcast - and you can still download his Roots & Influences one hour mix from late 2008...

"One of the deeply essential rare groove releases of 2011!!" - Djouls/Paris DJs"
"Rubber Orchestras is simply a grand album. Very impressive." - Nicolas Ragonneau/Paris DJs

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BLNRB - Welcome to the Madhouse! - out on Out|Here Records

Monday 29 August 2011, 11:44

BLNRB Welcome to the Madhouse
BLNRB - Welcome to the Madhouse!
(CD/Digital) Out | Here Records OH019, 2011-07-07

From early 2009 to 2011, three bands from the world-renowned Berlin electronic music scene and some of the best bands and musicians from Nairobi engaged in an intense music project. Two studios were established in a townhouse in Nairobi, where all BLNRB artists worked, performed and lived together. After concerts in Nairobi and Berlin, the long awaited CD is out! The album features 18 original recordings - as diverse as the more than 20 artists involved. This album bridges the gap and opens a path into a new global clubsound. It is about digging deep into the local Berlin and Nairobi music scenes, building a new urban sound together with some amazing talents from the next generation of African musicians. Featuring: Jahcoozi, Teichmann, Modeselektor, Ukoo Flani, Mr. Abbas, Kimya, Lon'Jon, Michel Ongaro, Radi, Nazizi and Just A Band, the album is released on Outhere Records and available in music stores as well as iTunes and Amazon. Soon it will also be available in Kenya!

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Paris DJs present Joni Haastrup & MonoMono

Friday 26 August 2011, 15:14

Joni Haastrup and MonoMono reissues on Soundway Records
MonoMono - Give The Beggar A Chance / Dawn Of Awareness; Joni Haastrup - Wake Up Your Mind

Soundway and Tummy Touch are proud to present three blistering albums of Afro Rock and Funk from Nigerian multi-intrumentalist Joni Haastrup and his band MonoMono. Re-Issued For Release On CD, Download And Replica Gatefold LP Are Three Of Nigeria's Most Coveted Releases; Monomono's 1971 Debut Album Give The Beggar A Chance, The Follow Up Dawn Of Awareness And Joni Haastrup's debut solo record Wake Up Your Mind. Soundway have been championing Joni Haastrup since day one featuring tracks on both the Nigeria Special! and Nigeria Rock Special! releases. Most recently Joni appears as a guest keys players on Black Goddess, an Afro-jazz soundtrack collaboration with Remi Kabaka.

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We'd like to thank the following key labels for their long-time support :