Afrobeat Vinyl 676 Items

12" | 2022 | UK | Original (No Wahala Sounds)

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Of the many great talents of the classic Nigerian highlife scene, none contained the existential depth, transcendence and grace of Celestine Ukwu. During his brief time in this world, he pursued education, music, and philosophy; first as a school teacher, then ultimately a singer, lyricist and musician, first as a member of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha's Premier Dance Band, and eventually fronting his own groups, The Music Royals and The Philosophers National. Beginning in the early 1970s, The Philosophers National established a radical shift in the possibilities of Nigerian highlife by moving away from the typical mid-century style and cutting a new path with a distinctly hypnotic and cerebral atmosphere. This sense of depth was apparent in the lilting, multi-layered and pulsing music of The Philosophers National, as well as the concise and clear-eyed lyrics sung so beautifully by Celestine Ukwu. The arrangements establish a living, breathing environment for each song; muted trumpet solos, hypnotic guitar runs, driving percussion; every instrument gracefully following a tide of patience, tranquility, wonder, climax, knowing and unknowing. "Celestine ditched the jaunty dance rhythms and relatively facile lyrics typical of the reigning highlife tunes, and ignoring the soul music tropes most of the highlife bandleaders were appropriating in an effort to inject new life to their ailing format. Instead Celestine concocted a new highlife style that was more contemplative and lumbering; with the layering of Afro-Cuban ostinato basslines and repetitive rhythm patterns that interlocked to create an effect that was hypnotic, virtually transcendental. Meanwhile, Celestine himself sang as he stood coolly onstage in a black turtleneck and a sportscoat, looking like a university professor. The message was clear: this was not necessarily music for dancing_even though the rhythms were compelling enough. This was music for the thinkers." - Uchenna IkonneThis LP compiles some of Celestine Ukwu's deepest and most affecting songs fr...

Go to Item

Kanda Bongo Man

Kekete Bue

The Movers - Volume 1 1970-1976

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

'Kekete Bue' is the first new album from legendary Congolese musician Kanda Bongo Man since 2010, and his first vinyl release in over two decades.
The master of soukous, the infectious and uptempo guitar-driven music from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kanda's latest album features new tracks alongside reinterpretations of some of his classic songs.

Go to Item

The Movers

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

32,99 €*

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Mambo Productions)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

It’s a special, but also a strange sensation to be releasing an album of one of your early musical heroes. I first discovered The Movers on my very first “record safari” in 1996. My destination was Bulawayo, in southern Zimbabwe, and to get there I had to travel via Jo’burg. While in town I stopped at a store called Kohinoor, in search of Mbaqanga – also known as Township Jive – and found a few tapes which I listened to non-stop on the bus that carried me to the land of Chimurenga Music. One of these cassettes included the songs “Hot Coffee” and “Phukeng Special” which instantly became part of my daily life. Twenty-five years later I’m still grooving to them.

What I didn‘t know at that time was that The Movers were hugely successful during the 1970s; so when it came time to release some of their music, I though it was going to be “a walk in the park” to track down information about them and write their biography. I was in for a rude awakening. Despite their legendary status, there was almost no information available on band or any of its members.

Fortunately Nicky Blumenfeld from Kaya Radio came to the rescue. A few days after I reached out to her, she had managed to get the phone number of Kenneth Siphayi, who is considered to be the founder of the band, as well as vocalist Blondie Makhene and saxophonist Lulu Masilela. Although we left no stone unturned, we were unable to find any of the four original members who seem to have passed away in total anonymity.

The story of The Movers began in 1967 when two unknown musicians – the brothers Norman and Oupa Hlongwane – approached Kenneth Siphayi a stylish and wealthy businessman from the Alexandra township to ask if he could buy them musical instruments. In return he would receive a cut from future life shows and record deals. Kenneth, ended up doing much more, becoming their manager, setting them up in a rehearsal space, and introducing them to an organist who would prove to be the missing link in the band’s skeletal sound. He also gave them their name: The Movers … because, as he said, their music was going to move you, whether you liked it or not.

The band exploded onto the country’s racially-segregated music scene at the dawn of the 1970s with a sound that applied the rolling organ grooves and elastic rhythms of American soul to songs that came straight from the heart of the townships. Rumours of the band started to spread throughout the country and soon the record labels were sending their talent scouts to the Alexandra township to hear it for themselves.

The Movers finally signed to Teal Records in 1969, and their first album, Crying Guitar, went on to sell 500,000 copies within the first three months, launching them into the front rank of South African bands. In their first year they went from local sensations to being the first band of black South Africans to have their music cross over to the country’s white radio stations,

Although the first record was entirely instrumental, The Movers started working with different singers soon after – scoring an early hit with 14 year old vocal prodigy Blondie Makhene – and enriched their sonic palette with horns, extra percussion and various keyboards. Their stylistic range also expanded, incorporating elements of Marabi, Mbaqanga, jazz, funk, and reggae into their soul-steeped sound. But the essence of their music came from the almost telepathic connection of its founding members: the simmering organ of Sankie Chounyane, the laid-back guitar lines of Oupa Hlongwane, the energetic bass grooves of Norman Hlongwane and the simmering rhythms of drummer of Sam Thabo.

The band reached their apex in the mid-1970s, and their hit ‘Soweto Inn’, sung by Sophie Thapedi, became inseparable from the student revolts that signalled a new resistance to the apartheid government. In 1976, however, their manager was forced out, and their producer started to play a more active role in the band’s direction. By the end of the decade there were no original members left. But at their height The Movers were titans of South African soul who left a legacy of over a dozen albums and countless singles of pure groove. On The Movers 1970–76, Analog Africa presents 14 of the finest tracks from the band’s undisputed peak.

Go to Item

Tchavolo Schmitt

Miri Chterna

21,24 €* 24,99 € -15%

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

12" | 2022 | EU | Original (Mawimbi)

Jally Kebba Susso

Freedom

14,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Born in a Gambian griot family, kora virtuoso and afro-fusion pioneer Jally Kebba Susso has been active in the UK music scene for twenty years. While based in London, he has tirelessly, through both personal and collective endeavours, built a singular musical identity by working hard on making the timeless Mandinka kora, an instrument he's been playing since his youth, sound like never before, combining the ancient West African strings with forward-thinking aesthetics and myriad of musicians and producers from the thriving London music scene such as Onipa, Dark Sky and Kay Suzuki. Jally Kebba Susso has already released two albums as a solo musician ("Malaye Warr", 2012 and "Banjul - London", 2017), as well as a member of the successful afro-fusion band Afriquoi, whose latest EP has garnered a very wide support, culminating in several million streams and performances on some of UK's biggest festival stages (Boomtown, Glastonbury). Freedom! A heartfelt shout expressing the newfound joy of an African musician whose working conditions, despite his long-standing roots in the London music scene, have sometimes been precarious. A newfound freedom to be able to look ahead and fully persue one's need of self-actualisation. Hence this new EP, written with the help of Jally's accomplished band members (Yuval Juba Wetzler, Nim Sadot and Oli Arlotto) and produced by Tom Excell (Onipa, Nubiyan Twist), whose 4 tracks all deal with topics (identity, homesickness, family, social justice) which are dear to Jally's heart as a Gambian native and West African musician settled in Europe. A pleasant atmospheric opener, "Wulu Doula" rides on a classic Afrobeat groove, while Jally reminds us how we are only what we become, no matter where we come from and who we inherit from. "Justice" is a stomping mandinka funk hit, in which "freedom, equal rights and justice" are claimed by Jally for all fellow artists and musicians from the West African diaspora working in Europe. Clearly anchored in Gambian music tropes and reminiscent of the pioneering mandinka fusion of Ifang Bondi, "Fakoly" tells the story of Jally's family lineage, as a member of the 74th Susso generation. As Jally puts it, "being a griot is a way of life". Homesickness can be a bitter feeling. But you can turn it around. That is exactly what Jally achieves with "Banjul", a cheerful, funky tribute to the Gambian capital, in which Jally grew up, learning words of wisdom from his elders.

Go to Item

2LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Wagram)

Caribbean Rare Groove

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Wagram)

Zouk

14,39 €* 15,99 € -10%

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Crossroads Kenya: East African Benga And Rumba, 1980-1985

12" | 2022 | UK | Original (No Wahala Sounds)

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Kujua)

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

This compilation collects a number of 7" singles produced by Audio Productions Ltd. in Kenya's capital Nairobi in the first half of the 1980s and released on the Wendo, Lulus, Mlima and APL imprints. The bands featured on this release are the New Gatanga Boys, Ruwengo Bros Band, Banana Hill Band and Les Victoria 'C' Kings from Kenya, Les Moto Moto and Orch Les Volcano from Tanzania (the latter being led here by Charles Ray Kasembe after the death of the legendary Mbaraka Mwinshehe). The closing track is by Orch Zaituken Band, whose name is a contraction of the countries its members came from: Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. The group is emblematic of the Kenyan capital's role as a magnet for East African musicians seeking to earn a living by recording and playing live in the 1970s and 1980s.

No Wahala Sounds are proud to bring you this latest collection of rare 45s from the golden era of benga and rumba, which have never been released outside Kenya before.

Go to Item

Shane Cooper & Mabuta

Finish The Sun

2LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Chapter Two)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Finish The Sun, the second offering from Shane Cooper & Mabuta, is a glowing and energetic album, rooted in grooves from all over the African continent. The six-piece outfit draws on influences from Mali, Nigeria, the Sahel, Morocco; and the many sounds that make up their native South Africa. This musical trip seamlessly dances through Afrobeat, maskandi, funk and hip hop, to moments of cinematic beauty. All embedded with subtle hints of 70s psychedelia. The core group of Shane Cooper, Bokani Dyer, Sisonke Xonti, and Robin Fassie invited international guests on drums including: Jamie Peet, Arthur Hnatek, Christopher Cantillo, and more…

Go to Item

Lass

Bumayé

29,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass From Sudan's Red Sea Coast

Noori & His Dorpa Band

12" | 2022 | UK | Original (Ostinato)

Borga Revolution! Ghanaian Music (1983-1992)

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

A soundtrack of Sudan's revolution and the first ever international release of the Beja sound, performed by Noori and his Dorpa Band, an unheard outfit from Port Sudan, a city on the Red Sea coast in eastern Sudan and the heart of Beja culture.

Beja Power! is a living archive of the finest, most heartfelt Beja songs—a six-track portal to another time and place, of melodies long forgotten and never before interpreted by an electric and brass-driven ensemble. Few older Beja recordings were produced. Even fewer, if any, remain.

Electric soul, blues, jazz, rock, surf, even hints of country, speak fluently to styles and chords that could be Tuareg, Ethiopian, Peruvian or Thai—all grounded by hypnotic Sudanese grooves, Naji's impeccable, airy tenor sax, and of course, Noori's tambo-guitar, a self-made unique hybrid of an electric guitar and an electric tambour, a four-string instrument found across East Africa.

A truly ancient community, Beja trace their ancestry back millennia. Some say they are among the living descendants of Ancient Egypt and the Kingdom of Kush. They are even depicted in the hieroglyphics. Beja melodies—nostalgic, hopeful and sweet, ambiguous and honest—are thousands of years old. Yet their sounds are also reminiscent of Dick Dale's 1963 "Misirlou" and jazz great Charlie Rouse's 1968 "Meci Bon Dieu". This album could be 6,000 years, 60 years, or 6 months old.

Along with his Dorpa Band, formed in 2006, Noori's instrumental Beja music forms the latest link in an unbroken chain of an inherited, arresting sound that is local as it is global, a gift of a storied past and the exchanges of the well-traveled Red Sea.

Ostinato Records is honored to bring the nearly forgotten Beja sound in all its nostalgia, sweetness, honesty, and power, recorded and mastered to maintain the warmth of Sudan's signature aesthetic, to your sound system.

180g heavyweight vinyl with a 10" x 10" insert.

Go to Item

Kalita Records Presents

2LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Kalita)

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Egoli)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Kalita are proud to unveil the first ever compilationvfocussing on the phenomenon of 'Burger Highlife', avcrossover of West African melodies with synthesizers, discovand boogie that took over Ghanaian airwaves during the 1980's and beyond. Highlighting key recordings fromvgenre-defining artists including Thomas Frempong andvGeorge Darko, as well as more obscure sought-after tracksvby elusive bands such as Aban and Uncle Joe's Afri-Beat,vKalita come to the rescue of audiophiles, DJs andvmusic-lovers alike with 'Borga Revolution!' Spread over avdouble-LP housed in a gatefold sleeve. Accompanied by av16-page booklet featuring extensive interview-based liner notes on each artist and never-before-seen archival photos.

Go to Item

Eddy De Clercq & Friends

Afrotronic

18,74 €* 24,99 € -25%

Afrotronic Orlando Voorn Remixes

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Afrotronic is the new album by legendary Dutch dance pioneer and producer Eddy de Clercq, inspired by African rhythms and atmospheres.

All songs on the Afrotronic album are influenced by music from Southern to North Africa. Largely recorded in South Africa, not only electronically but also with an instrumentation of typical African instruments played live, such as the mbira (kalimba) and traditional drums and percussion. Exotic instruments adding a fresh characteristic sound to the music, not programmed via any existing electronic soundbank.

The plaintive vocals of a muezzin on 'Ibrahim' and the melody of 'Topaz' are unmistakably North African. The funky dance track 'Miss Ghana (Afro Baby)' is sung by the Ghanaian singer Consular. Although not typically African in origin, the didgeridoo, perhaps the oldest wind instrument on earth, plays the leading role in the North African-inspired instrumental 'A Track Called Africa'.

Inspired by his travels through South Africa and his love for the African languages of that country, Eddy wrote texts that he had translated into Xhosa. 'Coral Reef' was the first song recorded with South African singers Yemu Matibe and Alungile Sixishe, supplemented with classical arrangements for cello and piano. The original English text describes the loss of coral reefs worldwide due to climate change.

Afrotronic has ultimately become an adventurous, electronic, jazzy album, in which influences can be heard from Afro-pop, Dub Step, Deep House and South African Amapiano.

Go to Item

Eddy De Clercq & Friends

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Egoli)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

" These six remixes by legendary producer Orlando Voorn are inspired by Amapiano from South Africa, mesmerizing beats and grooves from North Africa, Dub Step, Deep House and future Techno. "

Go to Item

Music From Saharan Whatsapp

LP | 2022 | US | Original (Sahel Sounds)

26,99 €*

LP | 2022 | UK | Original (Meet Me There)

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

In 2020, Sahel Sounds hosted a project called Music from Saharan WhatsApp. This series consisted of ephemeral digital EPs, documenting live performances by some of the most exciting acts in the Sahel playing music, including Nigerién techno, wedding rock, Woodabe guitar, WZN, traditional music, Mandingue music, and more. Responding to an open call from our network of artists, musicians recorded a handful of tracks on their cellphone and sent them over the popular mobile app WhatsApp. Each session was hosted for a month on Bandcamp and sold on a sliding scale, with all profits wired directly to the musicians. After a month, the EP would disappear, replaced by another one. Now, some of the label's favorite tracks from this series are collected for the first time outside of Bandcamp as the Music from Saharan WhatsApp compilation LP. This LP features tracks by established Sahel Sounds artists such as Etran de L'Aïr, Hama, Alkibar Jr, Amaria Hamadaler (of Les Filles de Illighadad), and artists new to the label like Bounaly and Andal Sukabe.

Go to Item

Saltpond City Band

Boko A Ko

LP | 2022 | UK | Original (Gusstaff)

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Introducing the 'Saltpond City Band'. A buoyant 8-piece outfit hailing from Ghana, blending soulful highlife and percussive funk in their new album 'Boko A Ko', forthcoming on Meet Me There Records.

The Saltpond City Band was initially formed by the legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Ebo Taylor and is now led by his son, keyboardist and lead vocalist, Henry Taylor.

The album 'Boko A Ko' is a blend of highlife, funk and afrobeat, woven into a refreshing take on traditional Ghanaian highlife. With the core of the band set deep in the highlife experience, Taylor and company deliver a combination of driving horns, fluid percussion and earthy vocals. The album features Ebo Taylor himself on 'Mennbo Wobi', which also showcases Ghanaian flute extraordinaire Dela Botri adding fine elements of melodic escape.

The forthcoming album is set to be released on the brand new label 'Meet Me There Records' (mmtr). Mmtr is a community-based project aiming to put the artist first. With profits split 50:50 between artist and label, 25% of the label profits will go directly towards the building of a recording studio in the local community of Dzita in West Ghana, Wornana Studios, which will become one of the first accessible recording studios in the Volta region.

'Boko A Ko' is already receiving praise from highly acclaimed artists and DJ's, but is also an example of what else is to come from Mmtr and is paving the way for new and unexplored talent that is coming out of the Ghanaian and West African music scene.

Go to Item

Black Mango

Quicksand

18,99 €*

Pape Nziengui Et Son Groupe

Release: 2022 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Based in Bamako for sixteen years, Philippe Sanmiguel has been the producer of albums by the famous Malian bluesman Samba Touré since his international debut. Over the years, Philippe has expanded his work with other artists such as the legendary Tuareg band Tartit, Anansy Cissé, Mariam Koné or Djimé Sissoko among others.

While working on the albums of these artists, he often had the inspiration to add influences from his original rock culture but in small measures. That's how Black Mango was born, to gather his favorite musical collaborators around his own compositions and expand the vision. It started with an EP released on Glitterbeat Records in 2014 from which the idea for a full-length album was born.

Black Mango's Quicksand album was recorded in Bamako over a period of several years, in various recording sessions, giving each musician free range to play on a rhythmic and melodic basis prepared in advance. The alchemy was immediate in all cases, often from the first takes.

Philippe originally met producer and musician Hugo Race with Chris Eckman during their stay in Bamako for the recording sessions of Dirtmusic's Troubles & Lion City albums. Hugo loved the raw feeling of the tracks and offered to remix the album in his Melbourne studio, bringing his own unique touch.

The fruit is ripe!

Recorded at Akan Studio & Funhouse Studio in Bamako, Mali by Konan Kouassi & Philippe Sanmiguel Produced, mixed and mastered by Hugo Race at Helixed Studio

A few words about the main " stars " :

- Samba Touré is Samba Touré. - Anansy Cissé is a young songhoy artist for whom Sanmiguel has produced two albums, including the recent and acclaimed "Anoura". - Mariam Koné is one of the most beautiful voices of Mali, who has a self-produced album and teaches music at the conservatory of Bamako. - Singer Bocar Sana Coulibaly & Ali Traoré are singer and guitarist from Niafunké, nephews of the great Ali Farka Touré and have a band called Espoirs de Niafunké.

Go to Item

Kadi Yombo

2LP | 2022 | US | Original (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

30,99 €*

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Kadi Yombo, published in 1989, is the most successful album in the quest for a fusion between tradition and modernity in Bwiti harp music of the Tsogho people of Gabon. Combining beating rattles with a layer of synthesizers, Papé Nziengui blends in a contrapuntal dialogue characteristic of harp playing: male song in appeal and female choir in response, male voice of the musical arc and rhythms of female worship. But above all it's Tsogho ritual music and modern studio orchestration. The result is an initiatory itinerary of 10 musical pieces which are all milestones likely to be simultaneously listened to, danced, meditated on, and soon acclaimed. In the years since, Nziengui has traveled he world from Lagos to Paris, from Tokyo to Cordoba, from Brussels to Mexico City to become a true icon, the emblem of Gabonese music. Like Bob Dylan, "electrifying" folk and Bob Marley mixing rock with reggae, some purists have criticized Nziengui for having distorted the music of harp by imposing a cross with modern instruments. They even went so far as to claim that Nziengui was just an average harpist covering his shortcomings with stunts that were only good for impressing neophytes; like playing a harp placed upside down behind his back or playing two or three harps simultaneously. Sincere convictions or venomous defamations, in any case, Nziengui never gave in to such attacks, imposing himself on the contrary to pay homage to the elders (Yves Mouenga, Jean Honoré Miabé, Vickoss Ekondo) while instructing the maximum of young people. He is thus the promoter of many young talents, the most prominent of which is certainly his nephew Jean Pierre Mingongué. In a conservative society where the sacred is confused with secrecy, exposing the mysteries of Bwiti in broad daylight can be punished by exclusion or even execution. Papé Nziengui has always claimed that he faces such risks because he never felt enslaved to a community that governs his life, that regulates his conduct, that has a right of censorship over his activities. Like Ravi Shankar, the famous sitarist, Papé Nziengui is a man of rupture but also of openness, a transmitter of culture. As proof, he has established himself in Libreville, Gabo's capital, as the main harpist for sessions and concerts, accompanying the greatest national artists (Akendengué, Rompavè, Annie-Flore Batchiellilys, Les Champs sur la Lowé, etc.) as well as foreign artists (Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Kassav', Toups Bebey, etc.). In 1988, he was the first harpist to release an album in the form of a cassette produced by the French Cultural Center (Papé Nziengui, Chants et Musiques Tsogho). At the same time, he created his own group (Bovenga), combining traditional music instruments (musical bow, drums, various percussion instruments, etc.) in the framework of a true national orchestra, which gave the first concert and the first tours of a traditional music that was both modern and dynamic, thus "democratizing" the harp, to the dismay of certain purists. On the other hand, in modern music, dominated by the logic of profit or even commercialism, artistic creation must often be adjusted for a specific audience based on reason rather than heart. But instead of allowing himself to be distorted, Papé Nziengui has always tried to produce music that is not a caricature, worthy in its expression as in its content, of the sacredness and transcendence of the music of the Origins. This is what makes Nziengui-not only the musician, but the man-someone whose age hasn't altered any of his freshness or authenticity.

Go to Item

3LP Box | 2022 | EU | Original (Outre National)

Volume 1-2-3 Box Set

89,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Raï is the music of a youth hungover from Algeria's recent independence. It became a space for a liberated, transgressive dialogue that told the social truths of its time -- an up-front yet poetic voice that covers the taboos and frustrations of daily life, expressing emotion without detour. This voice is heard at weddings, cabarets, in the nightclubs of the Oranese coast, and casually on the street... With the boom of the audio cassette, an avalanche of raï tapes were produced in Oran and diffused all over the world. Both women and men sang and listened to the new sound, as raï is intimately tied to parties, alcohol and the night. With the spontaneous improvisation of its singers as the main part of each song, raï keeps reinventing itself. In this style, Cheb Hasni, along with Cheb Nasro, incarnates a second generation of musicians. With the "love raï", or sentimental raï, Hasni sings about love, passion and its setbacks -- moving away from the bittersweet daily chronicles of the first chebs and chebates. Having recorded nearly 150 cassettes, Cheb Hasni remains one of the most prolific and talented raï singers of his generation. Almost thirty years after his death, this three-volume compilation of rare tracks from his cassette releases on the Oriental Music Production label is a tribute to the lasting legacy of Cheb Hasni -- ya raï! The three volumes come in a ince 12’’ box set including liner inotes and large postcards. Limited to 300 worldwide.

Go to Item

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Outre National)

Volume 3

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Go to Item

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Outre National)

Volume 2

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Go to Item

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Outre National)

Volume 1

12" | 2022 | EU | Original (Awesome Soundwave)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Go to Item

Digital Afrika

Heart Of Drums

Lova Lova & Atelier Kamikazi

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

With obvious intent Nui and Simon set out to create an album that encompasses all of their influences and experiences as musicians and journeymen in the world of African inspired rhythm and sound and have arrived at a work that is at once global, innovative and deeply funky. It’s been an incredible journey that has taken them from the wilds of the northern hinterlands of New South Wales in Australia to the dreamy secret gardens of Marrakesh, from the onsite recordings of Afro-Cuban choirs of Havana, to the Gnawa street sounds of Moroccan medinas. Nui and Simon have traversed the globe to create these recordings and have collected diverse and international group of artists to collaborate with in the making of Heart of Drums. Artists such as Cazeaux Oslo, who is an African-American Mc and vocalist hailing from California. Olugbade Okunade , Nigerian trumpeter and vocalist , was formerly a member of the Femi Kuti Positive Force band. Members of Clave y Guaguanco, One of Cuba’s foremost folkloric groups, who have been around since the 60’s. Lalita Yagnik, Portuguese Speaking Indian, vocalist and martial artist. Radouan Naim, Traditional Moroccan vocalist and instrumentalist. And Close Counters, Australian Up and coming Electronic duo. Digital Afrika is made up of two main protagonists: Zhonu ‘Nui” Moon (Future Roots) An African-Australian producer, percussionist and Dj that has performed and recorded all over the world. With a strong focus on African music,He has worked with the likes of Femi Kuti , Mulatu Astake and Tony Allen. And Simon Durrington (Si Fixion ) who is an Australian based producer, keys player and DJ. With extensive experience of working with Melanesian , Indian and world musicians. Drawing on these influences, Si weaves these styles together seamlessly with his unique high quality electronic production. This album ‘Heart of Drums’ is a synergy of lush analog electronica and fiery African percussion, vocals and instrumentation. With occasional reinvented throwbacks to the Disco and Funk era as well as forward thinking Afro-futuristic Record bag essentials, Heart of Drums really brings the party! These are constructed dance floor motivators for any environment. The artwork for this record deserves special mention as the mask was handcrafted by the interesting and talented artist Ju Mu Monster. Based in Berlin, the studied fashion designer creates colourful, wildly dancing image-worlds, in which beings from diverse cultures are combined with shamanism and spiritual worlds. Her enchanting works of art include murals and canvases as well as magical masks. All tracks produced and arranged by Zhonu (Nui) Moon & Simon Durrington

Go to Item

Mokili Na Poche

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Seismographic)

Akale Wube & Manu Dibango

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Hip Hop, Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo - a group of street children gathered around the artist Lova Lova to form the Atelier Kamikazi and record the album "Mokili na poche" in cooperation with Oyo Projects. They are "shégués", sons of soldiers, orphans or accused of being "child sorcerers". They talk in a funny and provocative tone about the difficulties encountered in their daily lives, about rivalry, politics, sexuality, and survival. These kids know they are fucked - and they fuck back. Comes with bilingual (English/French) printed info inner sleeve.

Seismographic Records is a label for global hybrid music, run by Martin Georgi (Quiet Elegance Records). «Seismo» deals with connections of local and international sounds, of cultures and epochs far apart. It wants to break through the boundaries of Western music history and focus on the unheard. On currents that have so far been excluded from algorithms and streaming services due to their lack of market relevance. This is about the localization of new trend-setting centers in the Global South. In this way «Seismo» wants to make visible the potential of a decolonized music development. Music takes on the function of a seismograph. It is a sensitive instrument to register social transformations.

The focus of the label is on the production of vinyls and their distribution on the global market. The pressing makes the projects materially tangible. The productions are preceded by a close collaboration with artists, researchers, designers, and journalists in order to explore the cultural and historical contexts of musical trends and to make them audiovisually accessible. Texts, graphics, and videos are used to illustrate the background and contextualize the music. Seismographic Records also collaborates with cultural institutions in order to provide a platform for the projects in the form of exhibitions, concerts, radio broadcasts and to anchor them in cultural discourse.

Go to Item

Anbessa Glitter Vinyl Record Store Day 2022 Gold Colored Edition

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Diggers Factory / Soul Makossa)

45,99 €*

7"+Book | 2022 | EU | Original (Jagwar)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2022.

Go to Item

Terakaft & Philippe Brix

Jagwar

38,99 €*

2LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Les Disques Bongo Joe)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Welcome to the fascinating world of Terakaft, one of the most legendary bands from the acclaimed Desert Blues / Tuareg Rock scene that’s been nurturing in the Sahara desert for the last two decades. A world made of light, dust, goats, tree shadows, gas, tea and fire. A world where teenagers don’t dream of being footballers but guitarists like Ibrahim of Tinariwen, like Sanou of Terakaft, or like Ousmane of Tamikrest. A world made of constant stuggles, of war zones, where getting a visa to tour is nearly impossible, where covering your face and head with tuareg turbans to face the desert winds will turn you into a potential islamist when boarding an airplane. A world that Phillipe Brix knows damn well: he’s been managing those guitar heroes for the last two decades. Jagwar is his coming-of-age story, a tale of resilience, of doom, of family, of utmost tensions and unrivaled peace, the adventure of a life time. His journey will take you from the deepest deserts of Mali, Morocco and Mauritania to the biggest music festivals all across Europe and America. "In the desert, the dry air carries sound with clarity" Philippe Brix "A Kalashnikov has thirty bullets in a magazine; once you’ve emptied it, it’s over. A guitar has no limits." Diara, Terakaft

Go to Item

Africa Negra

Antologia Volume 1

Over Fields And Mountains White Blossom Vinyl Edition

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Continuing our work on Sao Tomé and Principe with curator DJ Tom B., we are pleased to announce the release of an anthology of the group África Negra.

This first volume includes 12 of their key tracks, remastered for the occasion and selected only from those officially released on different media. The album is accompanied by a booklet with the original covers and interviews with the band members still with us. A second volume containing only unreleased material, digitized from the studio tapes by their tour manager, and filled with period photos, is expected soon.

Formed in the early 1970s by Horacio, a butcher by trade, and his guitarist friend Emidio Pontes, África Negra is the best known of the great São Tomé and Principe bands. The catchy melodies in the local Forro language, provided by lead singer João Seria, and subtly harmonized by the enchanting backing vocals of the rest of the band, quickly ensured their influence outside the archipelago. Their incomparable blend of Puxa and Rumba rhythms and subtle melodies made them the most regular touring band from Sao Tome.

Their first album (Aninha) was released in 1981, followed by three more in 1983. They contain an incredible collection of timeless hits and have achieved high ratings on the second-hand market. Then came the excellent San Lena in 1986, which was unfortunately only released on cassette, but for which we were able to digitize the original tape. In 1990 their last album in vinyl format (Paga me uma cerveja) was released, the rarest. Three CDs and five cassettes followed in the 1990s. Like most São Tomean bands, they recorded their compositions at Radio Nacional STP, the only studio on the island at the time, whose cramped premises forced the big bands to do sessions outside in the courtyard, at night, facing the ocean and in front of their fans.

Reformed around João Seria, the band has recorded three albums since 2012, and has been touring again for a few years, offering, always with the same energy, their frenzied rhythms, their graceful harmonies, their poetry full of social metaphors, and their typical dance steps.

Go to Item

Branko Mataja

LP | 2022 | US | Original (Numero Group)

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Recalling Ennio Morricone spaghetti westerns, the electrified belly dance music of Omar Khorshid, and '90s bedroom psychedelia at once, the music of Branko Mataja is from its own epoch. Snatched from the streets of Belgrade as a teenager,Mataja spent World War 2 in a German work camp, escaping the insanity of postwar Europe to settle in North Hollywoodto live out the American Dream to its fullest. Crafting handmade music on homemade guitars throughout the 1970s,Mataja taught himself to play in order to pay homage to his ancestral home of Yugoslavia, a place he would never returnto except through these guitar meditations.

Go to Item

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Wagram)

Mambo

15,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

12" | 2022 | EU | Original (Soundway)

Pigeon

Yagana

14,99 €*

Saudade (De Mama) Red Vinyl Edition

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Born out of an impromptu post-pub jam session in Margate, the 5-piece group Pigeon swoops onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Yagana.

As the tracks cross effortlessly between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz, the cohesive symbiotic relationship of the band members is obvious from the start. The powerful vocals of Guinean singer Falle Nioke are complemented by a wealth of talent from Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.

Having moved to the UK from West Africa in 2018, Falle Nioke has recently been in the spotlight with EPs heavily supported by indie radio and BBC 6 Music playlisters. On Yagana, he continues to sing in a multitude of languages, but this time shifts towards a more organic musical direction, showcasing his incredible versatility as a vocalist.

This new path can be attributed to the pedigree of the rest of the group – veteran musicians Steve Pringle and Graham Godfrey are key members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band, the latter also performing with Little Simz, Cleo Sol and Sault, among others.

Furthermore, Tom Dream and Josh Ludlow are electronic artists in their own right – with a number of artistic projects in the works, as well as having performed together as ambient duo Soma World. Both used to play in metal and grunge bands in earlier years, an influence which has made its way into Pigeon’s distinctive sound.

The Yagana EP is an emotionally-charged offering, exploring themes of lust, saudade, homesickness, and hope for peace. The title track ‘Yagana’ translates to “it’s been a while”, and though its up-tempo disco rhythm and wild synth solos lend a cheerful disposition, the lyrics describe a melancholic yearning for Africa. Nioke sings in Susu, Wolof and Malinke – as he describes the struggle of being separated from one’s family, as well as hustling to support them financially from afar.

As a teenager, Nioke would train his voice by the great river Rio Nunez in Boké, among the remnants of the slave trade, pathways and crumbling buildings being swallowed up by the forest. While most Western teenagers grew up with traditional pets, Nioke disclosed to his band members that his closest animal friend in West Africa was the pigeon – and so the name of the group was chosen.

Moving through the record, ‘Nothing Grows’ follows on from the Afro-disco opener, bringing down the tempo and intensity. The heavily swung jazz rhythm is driven by the drums, while soft guitar tremolo picking and synth pads produce a delicate atmosphere over which the singer mournfully longs for a lost love.

But having lured the listener into a meditative and pensive state in ‘Nothing Grows’, feathers are suddenly ruffled by the entrance of “It’s You” - a sultry story of burning desire. Channelling grunge and elements of no wave, the song is defined by a rumbling bass that pulses alongside the kick, while an atonal synth riff and fuzzy guitar licks provide the minimal melody. Piercing through it all is the hypnotic spoken word of Nioke, switching between French and English, as he beckons – and at times even demands - a lover to enter his room.

Finally, ‘War (Jam)’ returns the record to its 4x4 disco pace, featuring rapid-fire hats and high-pitched guitar riffs seemingly nodding to Mugithi, a genre often associated with political commentary. This concept is built upon with lyrics sung in Susu, as Nioke condemns wars around the world and their ongoing futility, pleading for people to unite and create a better place. Running just over 7 minutes, ‘War (Jam)’ is an improvised long take which continuously evolves, allowing each musician an opportunity to shine.

Recorded in a single weekend, Pigeon’s Yagana EP is a clear testament to each member’s skilfulness and varied experiences, creating a fully-fledged being that is greater than the sum of its parts. With an opening hand like this, we await with bated breath to see what more the humble Pigeon can bring to the world.

Go to Item

Marcos

LP | 2022 | EU | Reissue (Comets Coming)

Release: 2022 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

When you think you already know everything that has been done in Cape Verdian music during the last 5 decades you’ll get surprised with this one. Saudade, a self released LP from 1984, recorded in a studio in Portugal, with Paulino Vieira in the line up along with other well known CV heroes from the 80’s such as Chibanga on the drums, this is maybe the ultimate discovery of the Cape Verdian funana music. Not much is known about this fantastic record or about the obscure Marcos. The 6 tracks recorded on the LP are pure killer funana, no synthetiser, only keyboards, guitars, drums and bass. Till date only a couple of cópies known exist. First time rissued now on Comets Coming.

Go to Item

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Comet)

Afro Rhythms Volume 2

The Strings Of Sao Domingos

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Comet Records presents Afro Rhythms Vol. 2, the first repress of Comet’s singles and Remixes from 2009 – 2017 with floor filler tracks from Tony Allen Afrobeat pioneer 'African Man" remix by Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer along with the afro deep house reedit of "Cotton’s Field" by French producer Jeff Sharel, the "Awakening" remix from Krazy Baldhead, former artist of Ed Banger and producer of electro malian band Donso and finally Africaine 808 to end this Afro Rhythms comp with their stunning remix of Afrobeat classic tune "Afrodiscobeat". A proper trawl through the vaults of Comet Records.

Go to Item

The Ano Nobo Quartet

2LP+Book | 2022 | US | Original (Ostinato)

Riviera Drive / Genius Of Love

Release: 2022 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

In the small inland town of São Domingos on Cape Verde's Santiago Island, The Ano Nobo Quartet delivers a fresh take on Koladera, a guitar-driven, subtly rhythmic sound of a lighter spirit. Their sound tells a global story with Cape Verde at its center, a creole melting pot in the middle of the Atlantic attracting the best from four continents: hypnotic, haunting Koladera guitars inflected with twangs of Salsa Cubano, Spanish Flamenco, Brazilian Samba Canção, Jamaican Reggae, Argentine Tango, Mozambican Marrabenta, and finished with a dash of Black American Blues. It's all here. Absent percussion, the quartet's sound still drips with rhythm. Rich, raw acoustic music you can dance to.

This album was recorded in three locations on Santiago Island: at homes, by the sea, and on the volcanic hills of Cape Verde. Each location used a mobile recording studio equipped with different mics placed near and far to capture both the Spanish and Chinese-made guitars and the natural environment that shapes the saudade, a melancholic longing, of Koladera. Each space has its own atmosphere heard in the interludes.

Go to Item

Magic Source

12" | 2022 | EU | Original (Favorite)

13,99 €*

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Glitterbeat)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

French label Favorite Recordings presents the new 12" from Magic Source (from The Mighty Mocambos and Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band). Expect tropical disco and funk flavours, hypnotic percussion and a really well-produced cover of Tom Tom Club's "Genius Of Love". Tip!

Go to Item

Park Jiha

The Gleam

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Vibro Success Intercontinental Orchestra

Drunkard

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Dig This Way)

7" | 2022 | EU | Original (Four Flies)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Vibro Success Intercontinental Orchestra was an extraordinary group from the Central African Republic, founded by the sax player Rodolphe 'Beckers' Bekpa, also known as Master Békers, in the late 60's. The band achieved surprising domestic success after Beckers introduced the first drums to the Congolese Rumba rhythm. His innovation proved to be wildly popular so they were hired as the resident band of “ciel d’Afrique au Km5”, a night club in Bangui. The club was renowned as the temple of the Olympic Réal football team's fans and that visibility propelled them into becoming the official national orchestra. 1970 marked beginning of the band's international fame . Their fame spread beyond national borders until they became so popular that invitations began to arrive from nearby countries like Cameroon and Chad, the former of which the band would then tour that same year. The success of their performances prompted a further tour in 1972. According to Rodolphe Bépka, the audience enthusiasm Vibro encountered was bewildering. "We filled the old military stadium in Yaoundé in 1970, in 1972 the new Amadou Haïdjo stadium ... We are running with great success in the cities.” Their popularity was also growing in Chad, where they would tour several times through the early and mid 70's.

Towards the end of 1976, Vibro Success decided to take their music global and introduce Central African music to listeners worldwide. It worked. The turning point came in Nigeria. There the group achieved extraordinary success, with live performances followed by contracts with local labels like Scottie and Ben/Clover resulting in hit releases. Most of their LP's were originally released on this later label, Ben Limited, owned by Ben Okonkwo.

Ben, also known as Clover Sounds, brought a great number of the biggest bands from the country to market, bands like The Apostles, Akwassa,The Doves, Aktion, The Visitors, Mansion, Folk 77 and many others. Nearly all those groups started their recording careers in the label's studios based in the commercial heart of Aba, Abia State, one of Southeastern Nigeria’s largest cities. Aba at that time was a flourishing city, an important crossroads of people and culture with an intensive and active and cutting edge live music and nightlife.

But after that golden era the group began to lose its popularity. In the 1980's they returned to Bangui and resumed their old-time gigs in dance halls there - only to realize that their music didn't have the appeal it used to. Making matters worse, the domestic economic downturn accelerated, forcing the orchestra to slowly end its activities . Vibro Succès Intercontinental Orchestra disappeared at the end of the 80s and most of its members died in the 90s. We discovered this LP during our first trip to Nigeria in 2016. While traveling in the east to meet up with a musician, we stopped for a night in a village. As often happens in Nigeria, information has a way of traveling fast. The news that a couple of white guys looking for records had arrived in the village the day before spread like light. When we awoke, we found a couple of elderly music lovers in the hall of our hotel with a little pile of records for sale. The nice cover of the “Drunkard” album was right on top! At first we thought it was just another really good soukous album made by Vibro Success but after we heard “Drunkard” - we knew we had stumbled onto something very special. That was the “easy” part. Soon after, we had the idea of reissuing this LP and that was a bit harder. There were no credits on the cover and not much information about Vibro Succès. We started to ask to our friends to ask around, see if somebody knew them or the producer. That's when sadly we discovered that Ben Okonkwo had passed. So with no leads to follow and seemingly without any possibility of making progress on the matter, we "gave up" and returned to Italy. A couple years later, in the summer of 2019, we found ourselves again in Aba. This time we had the chance to meet Nnamdi Okonkwo, the eldest son of the late Ben Okonkwo. After Nnamdi's mother and family agreed, he was glad to cooperate with us for the re-release of this special album. One of the foundational beliefs of Dig This Way Records is to work hard and try to do everything possible to bring back this rare, unknown music to market, allow people to enjoy these beautiful, vibrant vibes!

Go to Item

Giuliano Sorgini

Mad Town / Ultima Caccia

13,99 €*

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Four Flies is delighted to present a super juicy treat for all 7-inch vinyl devotees: the first 45 ever to feature tracks from Giuliano Sorgini’s masterpiece ZOO Folle. To ensure maximum DJing pleasure, we’ve picked two of the grooviest tracks from the original recording session, never before released in this format. The psychedelic funk number “Mad Town”, on Side A, drags you in with its infectious drum breaks and the rapid yet hypnotic flute of Nino Rapicavoli. “Ultima Caccia”, on Side B, is sheer afro-tribal bliss, with drums by Sorgini himself and massive funky percussion by legendary session player Enzo Restuccia. If you want an ace up your DJing sleeve, look no further

Go to Item

Jazz In South Africa - Township Jazz From The Golden Age

LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Honeypie)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

South Africa is in fact the only country in the whole African continent that has developed a strong Jazz tradition. Initially influenced by the great American stylists, (Ellington, Gillespie...) South Africa gradually developed its own soulful style based on a distinctive taste for melody and a deep sense of groove. Masterfully selected from the so-called Golden Age of the genre, (late Fifties / early Sixties), this compilation represents the best introduction to the work of a large and varied body of musicians and composers who inevitably developed their music as part of the historical Anti-Apartheid struggle, and as means of self expression in the dark times of exile. Kippie Moeketsi, Hugh Masekela, Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongesi Feza, Barney Rabachan, Nick Moyake and of course the queen Miriam Makeba are just some of the main voices represented here. A bunch of true warriors. in one word: A must!

Go to Item

Africa Funk Roots Chapter 2

2LP | 2022 | EU | Original (Cosmic Disco Machine)

32,99 €*

LP | 2019 | EU | Reissue (Sonorama)

Release: 2022 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Second volume of this collection of pure Funk, Afro Beat and African Funk music is out! This chapter, as previous one, includes highly respected artists such as Mandrill, The Wild Magnolias, Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Buddy Miles and many others, but also includes the very rare and exclusive long version of “Sangadongo” from Niagara. All these artists guarantee the high quality of this collection, a record that any funk lover can’t miss: the real funk from the origins and the groove in its free form.

Go to Item

Kapingbdi

Born In The Night

Release: 2019 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

The Best Of Vis-A-Vis In Congo Style

Vis-A-Vis

LP | 2021 | US | Original (We Are Busy Bodies)

33,99 €*

Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

We Are Busy Bodies returns with a remastered reissue of The Best of Vis-A-Vis in Congo Style. The album finds the the young band in great form, with six new songs. The album was one of three released by the band in 1976. The band continued to be the backing band of choice of some of Ghana's biggest and most famous musicians all while recording their own albums.

Go to Item

Doose Mam / Gure Yose Me

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Philophon)

12,99 €*

LP | 2020 | UK | Original (R2)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy are back with a new single release after their album debut "Mam Yinne Wa", which can be seen as a harbinger of the second album. You can hear another Frafra Gospel masterpiece by the king of this genre.

"Doose Mam" is a soulful piece that goes straight to the limbs with its repetitive rhythm. The jubilant middle section, in which the wind instruments and the choir pass the balls to each other, is to be emphasized. "Gure Yose Me" ties in with the Frafra Gospel tradition of making use of reggae rhythms. Here we hear a stepper played by Josie Coppola, Europe's No.1 reaggae drummer. Both pieces were produced both in Berlin and in Kumasi by Max Weissenfeldt in Philophon's in-house Joy Sound Studios.

Go to Item

Don Pascal

The Dakar Experiment

Release: 2020 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

LP | 2021 | US | Original (We Are Busy Bodies)

Vis-A-Vis

Di Wo Ho Ni

33,99 €*

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

We Are Busy Bodies exploration of Vis-A-Vis catalogue continues with a remastered reissue of their album Di Wo Ho Ni. The band continued to be the backing band of choice of some of Ghana's biggest and most famous musicians all while recording their own albums. The album has been remastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel, with art restoration completed by Steve Lewin.

Go to Item

Essiebons Special 1973-1984

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

31,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Dick Essilfie-Bondzie was all ready for his 90th birthday party when the Covid pandemic hit. The legendary producer, businessman and founder of Ghana’s mighty Essiebons label had invited all his family and friends to the event and it was the disappointment at having to postpone that prompted Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb to propose a new compilation celebrating his contributions to the world of West African music.

For most of the 1970s Essilfie-Bondzie’s Dix and Essiebons labels were synonymous with the best in modern highlife, and his roster was a who’s-who of highlife legends. C.K. Mann, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Kofi Papa Yankson, Ernest Honny, Rob ‘Roy’ Raindorf and Ebo Taylor all released some of their greatest music under the Essiebons banner.

Yet Essilfie-Bondzie had been destined for a very different career. Born in Apam and raised in Accra, he was sent to business school in London at the age of 20, and returned to the security of a government job in Ghana. But his passion for music, inspired by the sounds of Accra’s highlife scene, had never left him, and in 1967 he figured out a way of combining music and business by opening West Africa’s first record pressing plant.

The venture, a partnership with the Philips label, was a huge success, attracting business from all over the continent. By the early 1970s Essilfie-Bondzie had left his government job to concentrate on his labels, and by the mid-seventies he was on a hot streak injecting album after album of restless highlife into the bloodstream of the Ghanaian music scene.

Essiebons Special features a selection of obscure workouts from some of the label’s heaviest hitters. But in the course of digitising his vast archive of master tapes, Essilfie-Bondzie found a number of Afrobeat and Instrumental maszterpieces tracks from the label’s mid-70s golden age that, for one reason or another, had never been released. Those songs are included here for the first time.

Sadly Essilfie-Bondzie passed away before the compilation was finished. But his legacy lives on in the extraordinary music that he gave to the world in his lifetime.

Go to Item

Buganda Royal Music Revival

LP | 2021 | UG | Original (Nyege Nyege Tapes)

Afro-Jazz-Folk Collection Volume 1

Release: 2021 / UG – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

From Its Founding In The Late 14th Century, The Kingdom Of Buganda Has Been Celebrated Through Sound And Nurtured A Rich Musical Tradition In Its Royal Court. Coming From Across The Kingdom, Musicians Would Take Turns In The Palace To Sound Drums, Xylophones, Flutes, Lyres, And More To Praise And Honour The Existence Of The Kingship. In Recent Years However, The Tradition Has Been More Difficult To Maintain, Especially Since 1966 Where There Was A Violent Attack On The Palace That Abruptly Abolished The Kingdom And During Which Royal Musicians Fled Or Were Killed. And While The Kingdom Was Re-Established In 1993 As A Cultural Institution, Many Of The Remaining Musicians Had Since Chosen To Sideline Their Skills To Deal With The Issues Of Their Day To Day Lives, The Practice Of The Royal Tradition Waning In Popularity, Especially With Younger Listeners And Players.But All Is Not Lost. Scattered Across The Kingdom, A Motivated Team Of Older Veterans And Attentive Young Players Are Still Keeping The Tradition Alive. Offering A Transversal Glimpse Into The Past And The Present, "Buganda Royal Music Revival" Collects Recordings Made In Between The Late 1940s And 1966 Illustrating The Older Generation's Skills, And Presents Them Alongside Recent Recordings Featuring Old And Young Musicians Who Still Carry On This Musical Tradition, Some Even Performing For The Current King, Muwenda Mutebi Ii. The Later Were Made During The Shooting Of The 2019 Documentary "Buganda Royal Music Revival" That Presents Through A Film What This Album Conveys Through Sounds: A Packed Dive Into A Century-Old Tradition.The Music Displayed Here Is Diverse And Vibrant, Presenting A Variety Of Styles And Highlighting Instruments That Illustrate The Depth And Sophistication That Stemmed From The Royal Court Experience Of Buganda. As A Starter, The Album Opens With 'Mujaguzo'. Often Translated As 'The Drums Of The Kingship', The Mujaguzo Is A Crucial Ensemble For The Cultural Tradition, Made From Drums Collected By The Kingdom Throughout...

Go to Item

Super Biton De Segou

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Deviation & Mieruba)

22,49 €* 24,99 € -10%

LP | 2021 | UK | Original (Hive Mind)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Deviation Records is pleased to present you their latest and exiting collaboration with the Mieruba Label Team. The Super Biton has existed since the 60s, like Ségou, its orchestra, the Super Biton has always remained behind what was done in Bamako and in the big cities of Africa. The Ségou orchestra developed and incorporated amplified instruments that mingle with brass, in particular electric guitars, symbols of modernity at the time. It opens up to Cuban music, and congas and bongos complement the sound of the orchestra. The group drew a unique sound from it, a perfect balance between tradition and the modern. There are about fifteen artits on stage, singers, guitarists, drummer and percussionists. The Super Biton has for years been the best known and most sought-after orchestra of Mali outside the country's borders, the Super Biton transcends the only Bambara heritage with its repertoire. Ségou is a crossroads between Bambara, Fulani, Mandingo and Somono cultures and Biton has drawn on all these traditions to create a repertoire extremely rich in rhythms and words. Some musicians completed their training in Cuba. They play "bambara jazz", incorporating a lot of brass instruments such as saxophone, trumpet, clarinet. The compositions are modern and sophisticated. Mieruba Art Center is a place dedicated to the transmission and safeguarding of Malian musical heritage through musical exchange between the older and newer generation - Artist residences, music lessons, rehearsals, Workshops, Masterclasses - and so on. Just as happy former musicians of Mali, the members of Super Biton give lessons on site. It is also the office of the Mieruba-ML label in the same place where Deviation Records is collaborating for the second time on the album - After the « Lost Maestros Collection » - with the support of La Manufacture de Vinyles. Phil of Deviation Records tells: "I am very enthusiastic at the idea of offering you these two volumes of the History of the Super Biton of Ségou, Clique of Super Heroes of sound, a source of inspiration for generations of musicians, DJs and also griots and storytellers of great renown! This double LP compiles the first Chapter of the rich Afro-Jazz-Folk Collection whose tapes have been remastered by Monsieur Jonin and cut at the MB Mastering Studio in Aubervilliers .The gatefold artwork is conceived by Ewwanuelle Collage and formatted by Bertrand Tondeur, Graphic designer of Les Mouches. All that’sleft to say is that i hope that you enjoy listening to the final result !"

Go to Item

Hassan Wargui

Tiddukla

Karl Hector Presents: Johnny!

Release: 2021 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Hassan Wargui is a self taught musician, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and an expert in the songcraft and poetry of the Tachelhit speaking Amazigh tribes of the Anti-Atlas mountains in the south of Morocco.

He was born in 1985 in the rural community of Issafen, which lies between Taroudant and Tafraoute in the Anti-Atlas mountains of Southern Morocco. His music draws from the deep well of Amazigh, or Berber, cultures that have long been suppressed across North Africa after the region underwent a process of Arabization following the Arab invasions of the 7th Century.

Hassan grew up in an isolated mountain community in which art and music is embedded into daily life. This allowed him to develop an excellent musical sense, a deep understanding of the complex poly-rhythms that underpin Amazigh music, and time to become proficient on the banjo which, since the ascendency of the popular modern folk movement involving groups such as Nass El Ghiwane and Jil Jilala in the late '60s and early '70s, has been the preferred instrument of the region. Like many musicians from the region, Hassan built his first instruments himself, and it wasn't until he moved to Casablanca in his teens to find work which was scarce in his local community, that he was able to save for his first real banjo.

Since then Hassan has been active in the Amazigh musical community and has worked with a number of groups, notably Groupe Lbouchart, Imanaren and Etran Tiznit, as well as recording prolifically as a solo artist using Fruity Loops as a home studio. In 2009, Jace Clayton (DJ/Rupture) stumbled across a CD by Imanaren on a stall in Casablanca medina and this led to a fruitful series of collaborations in 2009 and 2011 (you can learn more about their work together here.)

Tiddukla (which translates to Friendship) is one of Hassan's numerous group projects and he recorded the album with friends in 2015 and self released it through YouTube due to the lack of music infrastructure in Morocco. The Tiddukla album is raw and hypnotic and sees Hassan and his group channeling the deep and contemplative sounds of classic Amazigh groups such as Izenzaren, Archach, Izmaz, all of whom risked their freedom by daring to sing in Tachelhit at a time when the language was still forbidden, and when Amazigh people were fighting for their rights to be recognised.

Hive Mind are thrilled to be able to release Hassan's beautiful music, and to introduce the fascinating rhythms of the Anti-Atlas Mountains into the wider world. We're incredibly proud to be able to support this fiercely independent and hugely resourceful and tenacious artist who has been able to continue creating music for over a decade without any real support from Morocco's music industry and while holding down a variety of day jobs. We really hope you enjoy his music as much as we do.

Go to Item

Johnny!

LP | 2021 | Original (Now-Again)

Release: 2021 / Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Ghanaian Afro-Rock From Producer/Composer JJ Whitefield, Inspired By His Karl Hector & The Malcouns And Whitefield Brothers Projects JJ Whitefield, who in the early ‘90s revived the gritty, analogue Funk sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s with his Poets Of Rhythm, has been working with Now-Again Records for over decade, releasing a flock of acclaimed projects with Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Whitefield Brothers, Rodinia and the Original Raw Soul anthology. He first started exploring African rhythms with the Whitefield Brothers in the late ‘90s, continuing in the ‘00s with Karl Hector & The Malcouns. He’s been instrumental in launching Ghanaian Afro Beat/Funk legend Ebo Taylor´s international career, decades after the maestro recorded the landmark albums that have inspired thousands. Whitefield recorded two new studio albums with Taylor and toured in his band between 2009 and 2013, where he met Taylor’s son Henry and percussionist/Singer Eric Owusu. The trio now front the Johnny! band and find inspiration not only in Ghana’s hypnotic grooves, but also the full frontal fuzz guitar assault heard on the legion of 70s Zambian Zamrock albums reissued by Now-Again. Indeed, Whitefield credits his tours with Zamrock godfathers Rikki Ililonga and WITCH’s Jagari Chanda as instrumental in creating the Johnny’s sonic backdrop. The band is rounded out by Turkish drummer Bernd Oezsevim (Woima Collective, Rodinia) and Indonesian bassist/multi instrumentalist Tomi Simatupang (Whitefield Brothers). This is what was oft-called “Afro Rock” at the core, with the possibilities to stretch out into swinging highlife, sweet soul or psychedelia . The results, point at a new direction for the music inspired by the Great Continent. One that takes a direction once mocked as derivative and asserts its importance on the globe’s current musical stage.

Go to Item

Africa Funk Roots Chapter One

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Cosmic Disco Machine)

29,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Dahomey

Kpede Do Gbe Houenou / Ma Wa Mon Nou Mi O

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Acid Jazz)

11,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Acid Jazz Records continue their exclusive licensing agreement with Albarika Store, the legendary record label that defined the sound of Benin and influenced the entire region of West Africa and beyond.

Go to Item

Republicafrobeat Volume 5 - Mujeres Ii

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Kasba)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Strut)

Kondi Band

We Famous

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Agogo)

Two Tribes Volume 2

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Vampisoul)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Not long after the release of Two Tribes Vol. 1, we realized that our journey had only just begun and lots of stories still had to be told. Motivated by lots of positive responses, we soon put to work researching and compiling music for what would become "Two Tribes Volume Two". We put our emphasis on expanding to other European regions as well as including different countries than on Vol. 1 and we also wanted to give it a bit of a different musical twist. The result are 14 tracks covering what we consider a broad and diverse spectrum but still clinging to our initial idea of building a musical bridge between the continents of Africa and Europe. The immense cultural diversity of both is represented by newcomers alongside more well known names, both of which have a strong connection to the rich musical traditions of Africa. On board are African artists living in diaspora on equal footing with Europeans that incorporate their high affinity to the African continent into their music. Exciting outernational collaborations round off the selection for Vol. 2! Includes tracks by Onipa (Strut Records), Guts, Wanubalé, David Nesselhauf (Kryptox Records) and many more

Go to Item

Nil's Jazz Ensemble

17,99 €*

It Wasn't Hard To Love You

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Highlights:The Only Album Ever Recorded By Peruvian Sax Player Nilo Espinosa And His Group, Also Known As The Nil's Jazz Ensemble, Remains Not Only As One Of The Truly Grails For Collectors Of Latin-American Jazz But Also As An Outstanding Piece Of Music On Its Own.After Years Unavailable, Our Reissue Presents This 1976 Album In Its Full Glory, With Remastered Sound And Original Artwork, Including The Rare Promo Poster.Pressed On 180g Vinyl.Description:Once Resettled In Lima, Peru, In 1974 After Spending Some Time Playing In A Jazz Quintet In Berlin, Sax Player Nilo Espinosa Would Put Together The Nil's Jazz Ensemble, A Top-Notch Array Of Local Talent Consisting Of Pancho Sáenz (Trumpet), Miguel 'Chino' Figueroa (Keyboards), Oscar Stagnaro (Bass), Andrés Silva (Drums And Percussion), Jorge Montero, Richie Zellon And Ramón Stagnaro (Guitars).They Recorded One Single Album That Remains Not Only As One Of The Truly Grails For Collectors Of Latin-American Jazz But Also As An Outstanding Piece Of Music On Its Own. The Opening Song "Reflexiones" Is A Mind-Blowing Jazz-Funk Number Right Up There With The Very Best Of The Genre, Written By Black Sugar's Former Member Miguel 'Chino' Figueroa, Featuring A Fantastic Work On Trumpet And Rhodes.The Album Also Includes A Cover Of The Rare Groove Classic "Hard Work" That Could Have Easily Sneaked Into The Funkiest Side Of The Prestige Catalogue.Following The Success Of This Album, Espinosa Would Expand His Band To A Big Band Format And Tour Local Theatres And Clubs In Lima, Where Jazz Music Was A Popular Genre At The Time.Our Reissue Presents This 1976 Album In Its Full Glory, Pressed On 180g Vinyl With Remastered Sound And Original Artwork, Including The Rare Promo Poster.

Go to Item

Fanfare Ciocarlia

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Asphalt Tango)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Dagar Gyil Ensemble Of Lawra

Dagara- Gyil Music Of Ghana's Upper West Region

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Sublime Frequencies)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

2LP+Book | 2021 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

Cameroon Garage Funk

34,99 €*

Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Yaoundé, in the 1970´s, was a buzzing place. Every neighbourhood of Cameroon´s capital, no matter how dodgy, was flled with music spots but surprisingly there were no infrastructure to immortalise those musical riches. The country suffered from a serious lack of proper recording facilities, and the process of committing your song to tape could become a whole adventure unto itself. Of course, you could always book the national broadcasting company together with a sound engineer, but this was hardly an option for underground artists with no cash. But luckily an alternative option emerged in form of an adventist church with some good recording equipment and many of the artists on this compilation recorded their frst few songs, secretly, in these premises thanks to Monsieur Awono, the church engineer. He knew the schedule of the priests and, in exchange for some cash, he would arrange recording sessions. The artists still had to bring their own equipment, and since there was only one microphone, the amps and instruments had to be positioned perfectly. It was a risky business for everyone involved but since they knew they were making history, it was all worth it. At the end of the recording, the master reel would be handed to whoever had paid for the session, usually the artist himself..and what happened next? With no distribution nor recording companies around this was a legitimate question. More often then not it was the french label Sonafric that would offer their manufacturing and distribution structure and many Cameroonian artist used that platform to kickstart their career. What is particularly surprising in the case of Sonafric was their willingness to take chances and judge music solely on their merit rather than their commercial viability. The sheer amount of seriously crazy music released also spoke volumes about the openness of the people behind the label.But who exactly are these artists that recorded one or two songs before disappearing, never to be heard from again? Some of the names were so obscure that even the most seasoned veterans of the Cameroonian music scene had never heard of them. A few trips to the land of Makossa and many more hours of interviews were necessary to get enough insight to assemble the puzzle-pieces of Yaoundé’s buzzing 1970s music scene. We learned that despite the myriad diffculties involved in the simple process of making and releasing a record, the musicians of Yaoundé’s underground music scene left behind an extraordinary legacy of raw grooves and magnifcent tunes. The songs may have been recorded in a church, with a single microphone in the span of only an hour or two, but the fact that we still pay attention to these great creations some 50 years later, only illustrates the timelessness of their music.

Go to Item

Muddy Waters

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (BMG)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Ephat Mujuru & The Spirtit Of The People

Mbavaira

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Sahel Sounds)

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Ephat Mujuru Exemplifies A Unique Generation Of Traditional Musicians In Zimbabwe. Born Under An Oppressive Colonial Regime In Southern Rhodesia, His Generation Witnessed The Brutality Of The 1970s Liberation Struggle, And Then The Dawn Of Independent Zimbabwe, A Time In Which African Music Culture_long Stigmatized By Rhodesian Educators And Religious Authorities_experienced A Thrilling Renaissance. Under The Tutelage Of His Grandfather, Who Was A Respected Spirit Medium And Mbira Master, Ephat Showed An Early Talent For The Rigors Of Mbiratraining, Playing His First Possession Ceremony When He Was Just Ten Years Old. By Then, Guerilla War Was Engulfing The Country And His Grandfather Muchatera Tragically Became A Victim Of The Violence, A Devastating Blow To The Young Musician. In The Midst Of The Liberation Struggle, Mbira Musicbecame Political. Eventually, The Rhodesians Were Defeated, But Rather Than Return To The Past, The Nation Of Zimbabwe Was Born And A New Future Unfolded. Ephat Threw Himself Into The Spirit Of Independence, Singing Of Brotherhood, Healing, And Unity: Crucial Themes During A Time When The Nation's Two Dominant Ethnic Groups, The Shona And The Ndebele, Were Struggling To Reconcile Differences. Ephat's Band Would Eventually Follow The Popular Trend And Add Electric Instruments. But Before That, He And Spirit Of The People Released Two Allacoustic Albums, And They May Well Be The Most Exciting And Beautiful Recordings He Made In His Career. Mbavaira, The Second Of These Albums, Was Released In 1983. As The Independence Years Moved On, There Would Be Fewer And Fewer Commercial Mbira Releases. But For The Moment, Ephat Had The Required Stature And Reputation. Also, With The Energy And Drive We Hear In These Recordings, And The Unmistakable Lead Vocals By His Uncle Mude_truly One Of The Greatest Mbira Singers Of The 20th Century_the Album Could Easily Rivalthe Pop Music Of Its Day. Within A Few Years After The Release Of Mbavaira, It And Albums Like It Became Harder To Find In Zimba...

Go to Item

Mamaki Boys

Patriote

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Sounds Of Subterrania)

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Traditional village music transformed into fiery and frenetic underground Hip Hop. Emerging from the digital cultural renaissance of the early 2000s, where DIY studios sprung up throughout West Africa, "Patriote" is a shining example of localized global music. Hypnotic and driving rhythms built from sampled percussion and chopped-up instruments combine with syncopated staccato "ragga" inspired flow into infectious hammering tracks that sound like nothing before. Mamaki Boys was formed in 2002 by Aziz Tony, Bachou Issouf, and Salif André, when a local Hip Hop movement was exploding in the capital of Niger. "Patriote" was recorded to address a trend in the scene they perceived as too derivative. Produced at Studio BAT, one of the first studios in Niamey, Mamaki Boys sought to merge modern Hip Hop with traditional music. They invited elder musicians into the studio to play Nigerien instruments like duma and kalango, which were sampled and looped over their compositions. "We wanted to put tradition in the rap, ancestral dances, the things that our grandparents did in the village," Aziz explains. "Our mission was to re-value the culture, put it into Hip Hop, and to show all the colors of our country." Self-describing their music as "tradi-moderne", a Nigerien movement of folk revitalization, their cultural manifesto presents through every aspect of their work. Each track relies heavily on traditional instruments, and each rhythm is based on a dance from Niger. Their mission extends to the urgency of their lyrics: Takai challenges the population to preserve their culture, Kagani Kagani is a demand to take back mineral, oil, and uranium rights from their colonizers, while Komando uses war cries to inspire artists to keep speaking out. A strong entry in 21st-century global music, Mamaki Boys "Patriote" takes back the tools of globalization, repurposing them in the fight for cultural identity. Originally self-released in 2009 on limited edition CDR in Niger.

Go to Item

Ipek Yolu

Tropical Anatolia

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Wah Wah)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Ipek Yolu is the Turkish name for the Silk Road which connected the East and the West. This band does not deal in silk but they connect flavors, smells and sounds from different corners of the globe, connecting the world.
The band merges bass-heavy electro-tinged cumbia grooves, saz riffs and surf guitar into a multicultural melting pot of South American rhythms, Anatolian folk music and 60s psychedelic rock. A unique universe of sound that bridges the tropical jungles and the dusty deserts in a kaleidoscopic blend of music. Ipek Yolu has used 2020 to write their debut album Tropical Anatolia and are ready to hit the venues and festivals.
The members of Ipek Yolu first got together for an improvised jam session during the Aarhus Roots & Hybrid Festival in 2018. The show was set up as a special one-time-only show merging members from the bands Hudna & Junglelyd. The show ended up lasting for almost three hours. It didn’t take them long to discover they were onto something special. If you know any of these bands mentioned you know you’re in for a body-shaking party, characterised by musical curiosity and improvisation.
The three members of Ipek Yolu have all been part of the Danish music scene for several years. The band leader, Orhan Özgür Turan, is a well-known and respected saz player all over Denmark, and has made a name for himself through his efforts in the Anatolian Folk band Hudna. In 2018 he won an award as Global Roots Artist of the year at The Danish World Music Awards. Olaf Brinch and Lasse Aagaard have worked together for many years making high energy cumbia with their band Junglelyd and Afrobeat with their band African Connection. Olaf is also an integral part of the Danish band AddisAbabaBand. In addition, Olaf and Lasse have toured and recorded with great musicians such as CC Yoyo, former drummer of Fela Kuti, in both Ghana and Denmark. All of the past experiences collided to create Ipek Yolu.

Go to Item

Bazali Bam

Action

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Philophon)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Extremely rare, under the radar afro-psychedelic LP from South Africa. This mysterious band was produced by African funk master, composer, guitarist and producer Almon Sandisa Memela, who was active since the mid 1950s, first as a musician and guitar teacher and then also as a producer. He is famous for his 1970s Afro funk works Funky Africa and the very sought after Broken Shoes.

Action features a cool mixture of incipient afro-funk and garage pop/psych, with one of its songs having been compiled on the famous Next Stop... Soweto compilation series that helped ignite the current fever for African music.

Riyl: Ofege, Blo, Aktion, The Apostles, Sjob Movement, Soweto and the likes.

First ever vinyl reissue, reproducing the original sleeve artwork and with remastered sound. 500 copies only.

Go to Item

Guy One

So La Ma La

12,99 €*

7" | 2021 | UK | Original (Mr Bongo)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

After his international debut #1 in 2018, the north Ghanaian Kologo (a two stringed proto-banjo) master Guy One is back with his brand new band, consisting of Kumasi's finest young talents, plus Florence Adooni and Tenni Akagam as his choir voices.
So La Ma La has a straight forward Highlife rhythm which melts together with some funky articulated afrobeat-a-like bass line. To Kale Na'nabala is instead in the traditional Kete rhythm, a bouncy poly-rhythm in 12/8. But both songs are mostly defined through Guy One's Kologo lines and his soulful interpretation of the typical north-ghanaian vocal style.

Go to Item

The Toreadors

Thembi / Gwinyitshe

15,99 €*

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Dahomey

Release: 2021 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

This deep soul-jazz double-sider, recorded on October 3rd 1972, was released as a seven-inch single on Motella, one of the many labels of the Mavuthela Music division of Gallo Africa (now Gallo Record Company). Mavuthela was founded by the talent scout and producer Rupert Bopape in 1964. This recording of 'The Toreadors', a one-off session group, was produced by Ray Nkwe who worked as an independent producer for several different companies and was responsible for organising many African jazz-oriented sessions in the 1970s and early 80s.

Go to Item

Gbeti Ma DJro / Angelina II

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Acid Jazz / Albarika Store)

14,99 €*

Manu Dibango & El Cuarteto Patria

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

More dancefloor dynamite from Benin's almighty Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey, this time in the form of 'Gbeti Ma Djro'. Confusingly described on the centre label of the 1971 original issue as ’Soul’, this is in fact a prime slice of Afro-psych-funk complete with wails and grunts over fierce drums and picked guitar. 'Angelina II’ is a much warmer affair that rides a shuffling mid-tempo pachanga groove. Both tracks were transferred, restored and mastered from the original 1/4 inch tape.

Go to Item

Cubafrica Record Store Day 2021 Edition

2LP | 2021 (Music Box)

34,99 €*

Release: 2021

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Drag City)

Mind Maintenance

37,99 €*

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

The Lost Maestros Collection

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Deviation)

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Space Echo)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

To reveal to the world all the musical riches of Mali, and more particularly the music of the Mandé region, cradle of the great griot families, is the highly laudable purpose of this LP The Lost Maestros Collection. To perpetuate and transmit this ancestral musical history, The Lost Maestros Collection brings together 8 wonders of Mali who have each in their own way managed to develop this tradition towards more modern and electrified countries and associates pioneers of Mandingo music and actors of the young post generation. The Lost Maestros Collection is the result of the collaboration between Deviation Records, newly created by Phil Margueron and the independent Malian label Mieruba, which has been working since 2010 to ensure that this golden age of Mande music does not fall into oblivion. Aware that these nuggets are not eternal, Mieruba, based in Ségou on the banks of the Niger river and capital of the former Bambara kingdom, undertook for eight years the preservation of this musical heritage by putting these 16 pieces on tapes at the Kôré studio de Ségou as well as at the famous Bogolan studio in Bamako.

Go to Item

Galathea

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Galathea is the new project by DJ Massimo Napoli, and the title of his first solo album. Borrowing the name from the homonymous Nereid from the Greek mythology, the album is a deep dive into dub, spiritual jazz and African surroundings. Over 12 tracks, the LP conceals a strong personality. Departing from club culture with particular emphasis on electronic dub, Galathea unfolds into many influences and styles, making it a unique listening experience. Mediterranean culture, afro and cinematic melodies, jazz, spiritual echoes, and soothing beats lead the listener into a subliminal escape, where the fluidity and the convergence of genres freely progress into a dream-like journey. In "Spiritual Wind," the essence of spiritual jazz can be perceived on the central 5/4 rhythm, the deep double baseline, and the vocals. In "Afrique," the melody and the rhythmic Nigerian Afro-funk blend with dub tonalities into a subtle listening experience, enriched by Kadi Koulibaly's vocal performance. In "Dune," the album moves from Africa to the Caribbean; it is a tribute to the Cuban and Puerto Rican culture, sonically achieved with the interplay of Latin rhythms and dub sounds. “Black Sand" is an Afro dub jazz composition; John Lui's poignant vocal performance accompanies the dub sounds and African instruments. In "Scirocco," the warm and hypnotic atmosphere merges with Asian hues; it is reminiscent of the Shurhùq (or "midday wind") - a warm wind that blows from the Southeast over the Mediterranean Sea. The result is an explosive combination of music traditions with the addition of dub timbres. In "Simeto," Asian influences merge with jazz. The delicate sitar blends with dub atmospherics like river ripples gently flowing towards the sea. Simeto (in ancient Greek "Symaithos") is the river flowing into the Ionian Sea from the slopes of Etna. "Sunset Dub" was written in collaboration with musician and producer Salvo Dub; the song starts with a dynamic, percussive session and progresses into minimal dub tonalities and electronica. "Sirens" is an ethereal song composition enhanced by the sounds of the sea and the sea birds, as well as the haunting sirens' voices. "Karma Blues" is an Afro-blues track with impact. The kora and the reggae singing perfectly paint the recording and its gentle and atmospheric progression. "This is African Jazz" is inspired by the Savannah sounds; it carries the listener on a refined journey accompanied by an African dub and percussions. "Amanecer" was conceived as a soundtrack to welcome the sun, with the strings accompanying the sea sounds and the chanting of the sea birds.

Go to Item

Vaudou Game

Bella

11,99 €*

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (We Are Busy Bodies)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

African, funky, sarcastic, bewitching, green, ecstatic: these words collide to describe Vaudou Game and all of them are true. Bella is the first vinyl single derived from the upcoming album called Noussin, due to be relased June 11th 2021. "Bella" is a smashing summer hit, sang in Mina and french. It's an ode to the nature and love in this hard times. "Be My Wife" on the B side, is a trip into a rock /funk universe with an uptempo twist rythm, sang into the voodoo harmonies. Composed in Lyon on 100% analog equipment during the lockdown, those two songs might be the funky nuggets of all DJ's and radio playlists .

Go to Item

Eboni Band

36,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Fela Soul Purple Vinyl Edition

Fela Kuti Vs. De La Soul

LP | 2015 | US (Fela Soul)

31,99 €*

7" | 2021 | UK | Original (Philophon)

Release: 2015 / US

Genre: Hip Hop, Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

The classic is back! Limited edition for Record Store Day 2015! Gummy Soul's Amerigo Gazaway mashes up Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti with acapellas from De La Soul to killer effect! A fantasic journey into the "world of afrobeat rhythms, funky horn riffs & classic hip-hop gems". Bonus track added, now on colored vinyl in a full color picture sleeve!

Go to Item

Ahemaa Nwomkro

Nsem Nyinaa Nyame

12,99 €*

Release: 2021 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Ahemaa Nwomkro, which means queens of Nwomkro, are Victoria Osei and Theresa Owusuaa. Nwomkro is an old Ashanti musical style, which played an influential role in the origin of the typical more roots-like Highlife style of Kumasi, the cultural capital of Ghana in the middle of the jungle.
On this release the two singers have teamed up with the young generation of Highlife muicians of Kumasi. On guitar is Akule Pepe, who served for years in the group of Highlife legend Alex Konadu, the most on demand band in its time. The two songs are a rare example of how good pure Nwomkro gets together with typical Highlife.

Go to Item

3LP | 2021 | EU | Original (SVBKVLT)

Cache 02

36,99 €*

LP | 2021 | UK | Original (Social Joy)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Shanghai’s Svbkvlt throw down a killer 2nd ‘cache’ compilation bristling with exclusive new zingers from the extended label firm, including Slikback, Hyp11E, Tzusing, Hodge, Gabber Modus Operandi, 33emybw, Gooooose, Nahash and more. Chasing up one of the definitive club comps of recent years, ‘Cache02’ finds Shanghai’s best label is in rude health with a full spectrum coverage of styles from hyperpop to clobbering hardcore rave, mutant drill and back-alley EBM techno by some of the most crucial artists in operation right now. Gooooose does wicked slow/fast footwork with Memphis rap cowbells and jibber-jawed edits in ‘Cows,’ and the Sbvkvlt/Hakuna Kulala axis twysts out a properly fwd kongo-tekno thriller in ‘Mushen’ by Slikback & Hyph11E. Indonesian mentalists Gabber Modus Operandi go ham with the possessed vox and thunderous kicks of ‘Pedas,’ and 33emybw nails Photek-levels of martial dance moves on ‘Coupling.’ Tzusing & Hodge supply the set’s big-room peak with a steaming EBM hammer tune ‘LCD,’ and Shanghai-based UK producer Swimful makes his mark with the glyding drill synths and knifepoint grime drums of ‘Muckle.’ Impressive introductions are also made to Seoul’s NET Gala with the vivid trance futurism of ‘Alternet,’ and the weird, scorched drill soul of Nahash on ‘The Way That I.’

Go to Item

Burkina Azza

Wari Bo

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Hyperjazz)

Release: 2021 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Social Joy records is very pleased to present Burkina Azza's debut Album Wari bo - a musical tale that covers every aspect of Burkina Azza's values and world view. The album takes us to the very soul of Burkina Faso, giving us a taste of the deep connection of the artists to the beauty and culture of this country. The Burkinabe collective, from Nayerina in the Djibasso region, was born from a lineage of Balafonist and Percussionist musicians called "The Griots", often referred to as a "living archive of the people's traditions". Wari bo was Produced in January 2020 on the brink of the coronavirus pandemic in Ouagadougou, after Label owner Guilhem Monin discovered an outstanding street performance via the African Drumming Facebook group. Two years later, this release is the result of a friendship and love of music that connects two continents and travels across borders, space and time.

Go to Item

Ps5 (Pietro Santangelo)

Unconscious Collective

Mpharanyana & The Peddlers

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

‘Unconscious Collective’ is the first album by PS5, the new ensemble led by Pietro Santangelo (Nu Guinea, Slivovitz, Fitness Forever) - and it will be out for Hyperjazz Records on 21st May 2021. It’s a further step in the label’s path in trying to connect the musical tradition of South Italy, the love for African-American music, and new ways of expression. ‘Unconscious Collective’ is a musical experiment where layered memories and hidden feelings resonate as if they arise directly from the most recondite part of the unconscious, suspending the stream of consciousness. With the aim to create a state of trance and override the human reason, this is an imaginary round trip across the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, ideally connecting Naples with Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The arrangements wrote by Santangelo are based on great freedom of improvisation: while the melodic textures of the two saxophones didn’t give any clear references, the other musicians followed the rhythmic pulse and its unpredictable ways. The music moves naturally along an imaginary line highlighting the ancestral connection between Jamaica and Ethiopia or between Nigeria and Cuba. In the background, Naples is a synthesis of all the sonic ingredients, mixed and cooked in its own mystical and spicy belly. Besides Santangelo himself on the tenor and soprano saxophones, the collective is made up of: Paolo Bianconcini, a brilliant Neapolitan percussionist with a very deep Afro-Cuban background; Giuseppe Giroffi, young and talented alto, and baritone saxophonist; the bassist Vincenzo Lamagna and the drummer Salvatore Rainone, both loyal members of the former Santangelo’s trio. Recorded live at the Auditorium Novecento in Naples, the legendary studio of Phonotype Records, ‘Unconscious Collective’ is mixed in analog format by Fabrizio Piccolo and mastered by Davide Barbarulo at his 20Hz20KHz Studio.

Go to Item

Disco

12" | 2021 | EU | Original (Kalita)

17,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

12" | 2021 | EU | Original (La Casa Tropical)

Morgan

Vakonwana

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Glitterbeat)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

"A Bangin South African bubblegum tune, with house club mix on the flip!"

The start of the 90's brought the final wave of House music that would cement it as the future of South Africa’s music scene. In the years leading up to the new decade, Disco had already naturally evolved into the very early stages of what would become South Africa’s signature House sound, with Instrumentals and Dub Mixes earning themselves spots on the Pantsula records leading the charts of the late 80s, it would be an influx of remixes appearing on import singles that would make the “House mix” the premier b side sound for those bubblegum artists trying to stay relevant in the 90’s. The House remixes coming from Chicago and New York dominated the airwaves at first, eventually gaining genre status by the later part of the decade as International House or just International for short. At the time this would have been synonymous with House music everywhere else in the world. After a years of these tracks getting remixed by the touch of the local talent, International no longer fit the description of what the music was and Kwaito became the sound of the streets. In the studio, Kwaito was the sound of the next generation of producers that was coming up under the Disco legends of 80s. In total it took less than 5 years total for the sound to evolve. It would be in this transition period between International and Kwaito, with the help of the new wave of studio talent, that we find the ingredients that gave birth to a short lived yet unique African House sound. After a long career with the soul group The Savers, Morgan Kwele cut two solo records under his own name in the late 80’s. Without much success and after being dropped by EMI, Morgan was picked up by Peter Snyman and independent Sounds of Soweto. At the time it was becoming a premier label for the emerging house sounds. M’du and Joe Nina would both end up working at Snyman’s studio, and it would be their collaborating project LA Beat that would launch their respective careers further. For his new album Morgan would team up with legendary producer and long time friend from the 70s Koloi Lebona. They would work together once more and record what most likely became Morgan’s final Album. The title track Vakonwana became the lead single, with the original bubblegum version on the A side for the old timers and the Club Version on the flip for the late nite parties.

Go to Item

BLK JKS

Abantu / Before Humans

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

The Tony Allen Experiments - Afrobeat Makers Volume 3

Nu Guinea

LP | 2016 | EU | Reissue (Comet)

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (No Format)

Release: 2016 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Comet is pleased to announce the third volume of the Afrobeat Makers Series: Nu Guinea - The Tony Allen Experiments.
By re-working the original magic drum patterns from the Afrobeat master Tony Allen, Nu Guinea created a compilation of tracks which is charged by a voluminous electronic jazz-Psyche funk imprint.
For this release, Comet Records teamed up with Early Sounds Recordings, the berlin label, also home to duo Berliners Nu Guinea.
The Naples formed, Berlin-based duo, is a project that arose out of jam sessions, melting synthesizers with instruments, containing a handmade sound that is not aiming for perfection but genuineness. It can be understood as a steadily shaping form, always open for collaborations with other musicians.
They've previously collaborated with singer Wayne Snow (fellow berliner artist on Comet) for the vocal edit of Nu-World, also delivered a remix for Wayne Snow’ ʻRosie Epʼ both recently released on Tartelet Records.

Go to Item

Ballake Sissoko

DJourou

26,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

7" | 2021 | EU | Original (Philophon)

Florence Adooni

Mam Pe'ela Su'ure

13,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Florence Adooni shares a long history with Philophon. Being part of Guy One's group she is the voice on his radio hit "Estre". Furthermore, she is a member of Alogte Oho's Sounds of Joy and can be heard on his smasher "Mam Yinne Wa". Last but not least, Jimi Tenor chose her to sing on his instant club classic "Vocalize My Luv". In addition to all these cooperations, Florence has locally released a series of albums under her own name and with no doubt she can called the queen of Frafra-Gospel.

"Mam Pe'ela Su'ure" is a typical Frafra-Gospel Hymn, sung during Sunday services accompanied only with shakers and hand clapping. Our version here is backed up by Kumasi's finest High Life players, who transform the song into a massive wave of groove. "Naba Aferda" is a homage to the Chief of Zuarungu, Florence's home village, which was also the home village of the legendary Christy Azuma, who became the first international Frafra-Star in the 70s. Christy was always a big inspiration for Florence and makes her proud to be from a small village called Zuarungu.

Go to Item

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Wagram)

Salsa

15,99 €*

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Edo Funk Explosion Volume 1

2LP+Book | 2021 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

31,99 €*

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

It was in Benin City, in the heart of Nigeria, that a new hybrid of
intoxicating highlife music known as Edo Funk was born.
It first emerged in the late 1970s when a group of musicians began
to experiment with different ways of integrating elements from their
native Edo culture and fusing them with new sound effects coming
from West Africa ́s night-clubs. Unlike the rather polished 1980 ́s
Nigerian disco productions coming out of the international
metropolis of Lagos Edo Funk was raw and reduced to its bare
minimum.

Someone was needed to channel this energy into a distinctive sound
and Sir Victor Uwaifo appeared like a mad professor with his Joromi
studio. Uwaifo took the skeletal structure of Edo music and
relentless began fusing them with synthesizers, electric guitars and
80 ́s effect racks which resulted in some of the most outstanding Edo
recordings ever made. An explosive spiced up brew with an odd
psychedelic note dubbed "Edo Funk".

That's the sound you'll be discovering in the first volume of the
Edo Funk Explosion series which focusses on the genre’s greatest
originators; Osayomore Joseph, Akaba Man, and Sir Victor Uwaifo:

Osayomore Joseph was one of the first musicians to bring the sound
of the flute into the horn-dominated world of highlife, and his
skills as a performer made him a fixture on the Lagos scene. When he
returned to settle in Benin City in the mid 1970s – at the
invitation of the royal family – he devoted himself to the
modernisation and electrification of Edo music, using funk and Afro-
beat as the building blocks for songs that weren’t afraid to call
out government corruption or confront the dark legacy of Nigeria’s
colonial past.

Akaba Man was the philosopher king of Edo funk. Less overtly
political than Osayomore Joseph and less psychedelic than Victor
Uwaifo, he found the perfect medium for his message in the trance-
like grooves of Edo funk. With pulsating rhythms awash in cosmic
synth-fields and lyrics that express a deep personal vision, he
found great success at the dawn of the 1980s as one of Benin City’s
most persuasive ambassadors of funky highlife.

Victor Uwaifo was already a star in Nigeria when he built the
legendary Joromi studios in his hometown of Benin City in 1978.
Using his unique guitar style as the mediating force between West-
African highlife and the traditional rhythms and melodies of Edo
music, he had scored several hits in the early seventies, but once
he had his own sixteen-track facility he was able to pursue his
obsession with the synesthetic possibilities of pure sound, adding
squelchy synths, swirling organs and studio effects to hypnotic
basslines and raw grooves. Between his own records and his
production for other musicians, he quickly established himself as
the godfather of Edo funk.

What unites these diverse musicians is their ability to strip funk
down to its primal essence and use it as the foundation for their
own excursions inward to the heart of Edo culture and outward to the
furthest limits of sonic alchemy. The twelve tracks on Edo Funk
Explosion Volume 1 pulse with raw inspiration, mixing highlife
horns, driving rhythms, day-glo keyboards and tripped-out guitars
into a funk experience unlike any other.
Double LP pressed on 140g virgin vinyl comes with a full color 20-pages booklet

Go to Item

Teno Afrika

Amapiano Selections

12" | 2021 | EU | Original (Studio Barnhus)

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa's electronic music movement born in the townships of the country's Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple. Even with its commercial success though, amapiano's DIY ethos has continued to disrupt music creation and distribution in the country. Most amapiano commercial successes today began their careers on cracked versions of production software like FL Studio, distributed their work through file sharing platforms like datafilehost and marketed it using social media pages they controlled and influenced. Amapiano Selections, the debut album by DJ and producer Teno Afrika, gives listeners outside the movement's online release economy an insight into the high-burn nature of amapiano that has spawned a distinct typology under its larger umbrella. Twenty-one-year-old Lutendo Raduvha has spent the bulk of his life moving between different townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The palette of amapiano styles on the album reflect these influences. But at first, South Africa's youngest electronic music movement lived underground with a small, loyal following. "Amapiano is a genre that I chose because I have a passion for it," says Teno "I started following amapiano in 2016 because I wanted to explore how it's produced. It was not taken seriously in our country." Interestingly, Teno Africa only gives vocals prominence on the closing track "Chants of Africa." As a way of making their music recognizable and relatable for broadcast, amapiano producers have sometimes overly relied on vocals in the form of singing, catch-phrases and party refrains for the purpose. "It was my decision not to use vocals on this project," says Teno "The reason is I wanted people to feel my instrumentals and style because this is my first album." On his closing track the young producer gives a glimpse of the considered approach to music which buoys anticipation for greater things from his future releases.

Go to Item

Off The Meds

Off The Meds (Acapellas)

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Capitol)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Acapella versions of every! single! track! from Off The Meds’ self-titled debut album released in late 2020. The Swedish-South African super group’s front man and vocalist Kamohelo Khoaripe standing alone in the spotlight this time, his unique Zulu-Tsotsitaal-English flow lovingly recorded and processed by the Off The Meds production team. Each track comes with a short/sweet musical introduction, fully optimised for the modern professional discjockey. Out now as a super limited hand-stamped 12′’ vinyl .

Go to Item

Devon Gilfillian

What's Going On

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Yebolala Black Vinyl Edition

Nebeyu Hamdi

12" | 2020 | EU | Original (Sheba Sound)

19,99 €*

Release: 2020 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

This is a recent recording straight out of Ethiopia, courtesy of the Sheba Sound crew.

Sheba Sound tour the Ethiopian hinterlands, capturing the mesmerising sounds of local talented musicians, using state of the art pop-up recording studios.

The process was captured in the highly acclaimed, award-winning documentary: Roaring Abyss, by Joaquin PiÃ±ero:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roaring-Abyss-Quino-PiÃ±ero/dp/B08329VLRL

The hugely anticipated next release from the Sheba Sound archives, under license to NuAfrique (My45) features crazy, untapped talent of Nebeyu Hamdi, with the Sabat Bet Gurage Band, based in Welkite, western Ethiopia.

The original recordings from 2013 receive ethio-funk bassline overdubbing treatment from Addis Abeba's inspired masenko-bass man of the moment, 'Bubu' Teklemariam.

The full package receives ultimate mixing treatment at The Yard Studio by master dub producer Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden).

The B-side of this EP release features 3 exclusive ethio-dub cuts. Manasseh's inspiration of deep masenko bass and tribal drum rhythms is evident through his dub treatment of the originals. Playing the tracks back through his mixing desk like it was an instrument, the results are completely unique pulsating, punctuated Ethio-dub rhythm tracks.

Watch out Shaka â€“ the Ethiopians are bringing their own dub cuts to town!
Interactive acoustic map of Ethiopia: http://shebasound.com/
Info & DJ bookings, contact: jonbanes@gmail.com

Go to Item

Mali: The Art Of Griots Of Kela, 1978-2019

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Musee D'Ethnographie De Geneve)

LP+CD | 2019 | Original (No Wahala Sounds)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

About a hundred kilometers south-west of Bamako, on the left bank of the Niger River, the Malian village of Kela is known to be home to a large community of griot musicians (jeliw) mostly belonging to the Diabaté family. Their art is recognised throughout West Africa and many griots come from all over the world to stay there, sometimes for several years, in the hope of becoming immersed in it. The six pieces for voice accompanied by guitar or traditional koni lutes were recorded in 1978 (tracks 3 to 6) and in 2019 (tracks 1 to 3), in the same traditional dwelling, which still serves as a “studio". The accompanying booklet contains the testimonies of several important musicians who took part in the recording, and evoke key elements of their universe Points of interests - For the fans of the traditional repertoires of Mali’s famous griot musicians. - For music lovers who love the voices accompanied by the guitar and the traditional lutes of the griots.

Go to Item

Orchestre Shika Shika

Hit After Hit

19,99 €*

Waka Juju Clear Vinyl Edition

Release: 2019 / Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

A selection of uptempo guitar-driven singles recorded by Congolese supergroup Shika Shika who formed in Kenya in 1981. While Shika Shika were only around for three years, during that short time they recorded four albums and over 80 singles on at least 16 labels. Members of the band had followed the trail of many Congolese musicians who headed to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi which was the man East African hub for recording and also offered plenty of opportunities for playing live. Bandmembers include main songwriter and singer Jimmy Monimambo, singers Lovy Longomba and Moreno Batamba and guitarist Siama Matuzungidi. As was typical in Kenya at the time, all songs were recorded with 45rpm singles in mind, and so the tracks were originally split into Parts 1 & 2 on either side of the disc.

Released in October 2018 and received airplay from Gideon Coe on BBC 6music, BBC Radio 3 Late Junction, DJ Ritu on SOAS Radio, Roger Hill on PMS BBC Radio Merseyside, Steve Barker On The Wire on BBC Radio Lancashire, and DJs Zoe Baxter and Debbie Golt on Resonance FM. Tracks were played by London-based DJ collective Village Cuts at their African music nights. A track featured on Rhythm Passport's monthly downloadable compilation in November 2018. Positively reviewed by David Hutcheon in Mojo magazine in March 2019.

Go to Item

Manu Dibango

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Diggers Factory/Soul Makossa)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

LP | 2021 | US | Original (Now-Again)

Ngozi Family

45,000 Volts

2LP | 2021 | EU | Original (La Casa Tropical)

Release: 2021 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Hold on! Ngozi Family! We are a Zambian band, with a heavy sound! Archival reissue of Paul Ngozi’s hard-edged, proto-punk, mid-1970s Zamrock masterwork. Featuring Chrissy Zebby Tembo. First official reissue.

Go to Item

PVP

Malende

LP | 2021 | EU | Original (Black Sweat)

Release: 2021 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

After two tracks were successfully taken for a limited Maxi single, the whole album is now available on Double LP - Nicely remastered. Patience, Violet ,and Pinky recorded their first Album in 1992. Knowing each other from the music scene, the back up singers turned friends teamed up with Emmanuel Diale and signed with Mob Music to embark on their music career as their own act. The first two albums were straight African Disco, A leftover sound of the 80's that some had still hoped to capitalize on. By the time they released their third album Why O Nketsa so Baby, loosely translated to "Why are you doing this to me Baby", Kwaito was still called either Disco or International House, and it was new sound that was taking over. The third album was influenced by the Shangaan sound made largely popular by artists like Penny Penny and Peta Teanet. Looking back now, at the time Mob Music was really leading the pack with this new sound. Being one of the last labels to have official releases with artwork and a group of young talented producers given full creative freedom they pushed the sound in a way only few other labels of that time can be given the same credit. For their fourth and final album on Mob Music they worked with legendary producer/songwriter Malcom "X" Makume. With three years of songwriting experience and stellar talent behind the desk the result was the LP Malende. Eight tracks that would combine the early kwaito sound with the more uptempo International House topped off with productions heavily inspired by what had been slowly making its way from Chicago over the last 10 years. At the time they had some success and to this day are well known amongst the real heads. The girls would go on to record one final album once their contract with Mob was up and then after a 5 album catalog would hang up their matching outfits for work a in a newly free South Africa. They remain friends to this day.

Go to Item

Maistah Aphrica

Meow

19,99 €*