Afrobeat Vinyl 897 Items

New Wave Dance Music From South Africa

Release: 2010 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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4 heavy remixes by General Elektriks, Chinese Man, Boom Bass and Bost & Bim!

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Shangaan Electro

2LP | 2010 | UK | Original (Honest Jon's)

27,99 €*

Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate

Release: 2010 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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An astounding compilation of the breakneck Shangaan dance output of the Nozinja studio in Soweto, recorded between 2006 and 2009.

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Ali And Toumani

2LP | 2010 | EU | Original (World Circuit)

Release: 2010 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Songs From East Africa 1952-7

Something Is Wrong

2LP | 2010 | UK | Original (Honest Jon's)

27,99 €*

Mochilla Presents Timeless: Mulatu Astatke

Release: 2010 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

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Precious, stinging selections from an HMV run of more than four hundred 78s, recordings made in Uganda and Kenya from the mid-1930s till the mid-1950s.

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Mulatu Astatke

2LP | 2010 | US | Reissue (Mochilla)

33,99 €*

Release: 2010 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2010 | US | Reissue (VP)

Culture

Two Sevens Clash

36,99 €*

Release: 2010 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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2LP | 2010 | EU | Reissue (Music On Vinyl)

Lee Perry

Revelation

33,99 €*

Release: 2010 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Preorder shipping from 2024-08-09

LP | 2011 | EU | Original (Pure Pleasure)

Duster Bennett

Smiling Like I'm Happy

35,99 €*

Release: 2011 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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From Africa With Fury: Rise 2016 Edition

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

2LP+CD | 2011 | EU | Reissue (Because)

Volume 3: Sweet Times - Afro, Funk, Highlife & Juju From 1970s Lagos

Release: 2011 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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With the mighty new From Africa With Fury: Rise, Seun Anikulapo Kuti picks up the mantle as undisputed champion and true prince of the Afrobeat movement.

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Nigeria 70

2LP+CD | 2011 | EU | Reissue (Strut)

Release: 2011 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The third instalment in Strut’s essential trip through the rich archives of Nigerian music brings together ‘70s Afrobeat and highlife from Victor Olaiya, Rex Williams, Zeal Onyia and more.

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Sainkho Namtchylak

Cyberia

2LP | 2011 | Original

25,99 €*

Release: 2011 / Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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7" | 2012 | US | Original (Third Man)

Tom Jones

Evil

Make It Fast, Make It Slow

Release: 2012 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Third Man Records is proud to announce the most virile entry in the history of its Blue Series singles: The man, the legend himself Mr. Tom Jones laying his unmistakable voice over Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" and the Frankie Lane classic "Jezebel" (as covered over the years by the likes of Edith Piaf and Anna Calvi). Both tracks were produced by Jack White at Third Man studios.

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Rob

LP | 2012 | UK | Original (Soundway)

19,99 €*

Dancing Time: The Best Of East Nigeria's Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77

Release: 2012 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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ROB was an enigmatic recording artist from Ghana who cut two albums for the legendary Essiebons label in 1977. Neither of these were big domestic hits at the time and have since become prized amongst collectors in recent years. The title track from this LP was always one of the most popular on the first Soundway release Ghana Soundz and over the years we have been asked many times to re-issue the LP in it’s entirety. A stranger, slower offering than his more dancefloor funk-laden and Spartan first LP, this record sees ROB in similar territory but with the tempo switched down and the introspection turned up.

ROB’s trademark horns dominate and are supplied by the Mag-2, an army band founded by leader Amponsah Rockson, who named it after the army unit the band played for – the “magnificent” second battalion. In 1977, Rob traveled to the coastal town of Takoradi in search of Mag-2, which had an entire section of its line-up dedicated to horns, with the intension of laying out his proposal to them. Luckily for Rob, the band took him up on it.

With religious overtones and a broody, slightly off-key atmosphere at points it’s certainly one of the stranger afro-funk records to come out of West Africa but with tracks like Loose up Yourself and Make it Fast, Make it Slow he nails it for sure.

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The Funkees

2LP | 2012 | UK | Original (Soundway)

Ndia Egbuo Ndia (Afro-Jigida)

Release: 2012 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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‘Dancing Time: The Best of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents 1973 – 77’ by The Funkees is the latest title on Soundway to mine the rich musical output of 60s and 70s Nigeria. For the 5 year period this compilation spans The Funkees output crackled with dance floor fire.

Having featured on three of Soundway’s most popular titles, across the definitive Nigeria Special compilation series, we felt The Funkees output deserved closer inspection. Presented here (on CD, download & double gatefold LP) are 18 slices of funky Afro-rock grooves hand picked by Soundway’s Miles Cleret from a selection of the bands 45s and 2 long players.

In the early 1970s The Funkees were the number-one east Nigerian band and the only outfit to seriously challenge the popular Lagos based rock combos MonoMono and BLO.

It wasn't long before promoters in the UK came calling and The Funkees packed up their instruments and moved to London where they quickly established a fierce reputation on the live circuit.

Here they recorded two seminal albums before finally breaking up in 1977 amidst some controversy. This collection features for the first time all of their Nigerian 45s alongside the best of their UK album material and is accompanied by a full interview with original member Sonny Akpan, who still lives in the capital.

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The Semi Colon

LP | 2012 | US | Reissue (Comb & Razor Sound)

12" | 2012 | UK | Original (Soundway)

Release: 2012 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Ndia Egbuo Ndia (Afro-Jigida), an LP recorded by the Nigerian rock group Semi-Colon in 1976, was an experimental response to Fela Kuti’s then-dominant afrobeat sound, substituting Fela’s sophisticated horn charts and jazz leanings with wiry electric guitar work and a passion for vintage rock ‘n’ roll. Long fabled and coveted amongst collectors and DJs alike, the album has remained one of the rarest of the Nigerian 1970s “afro” cycle. Comb & Razor Sound is proud to be reissuing this lost gem of Afro-rock for
a new audience.

This reissue marks the second release from Comb & Razor Sound, following up the success of its inaugural offering, 2011’s Nigerian disco and boogie compilation Brand New Wayo, which was spotlighted on NPR’s All Things Considered and received favorable mention on its “Song of the Day.” The new edition of Afro-Jigida continues Comb & Razor’s exploration of rare, cutting-edge popular music produced in Nigeria in the 1970s and 80s.

Afro-Jigida will be initially released in its original six-track vinyl format, with a deluxe CD release to follow at a later date. As a bonus, the first 1000 copies pressed of the album will include a 7” single featuring the never-before-released demo recording "Our Fada".

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DrumTalk

Airbourne EP

Release: 2012 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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24 Hours In A Disco 1978-82

Kiki Gyan

2LP | 2012 | UK | Original (Soundway)

Antibalas Black Vinyl Edition

Release: 2012 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Soundway Records present ’24 Hours in A Disco 1978 - 82’, 7 cuts of relentless disco grooves from the sublimely gifted Kiki Gyan. Hailed as Africa’s answer to Stevie Wonder, Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Kiki Gyan was a musical wunderkind who by 1975 had risen from the lowly status of high school dropout to being ranked eighth in a poll of the greatest keyboardists in the world (occupying the rarefied air of the top ten with heavyweights like Steve Winwood, Billy Preston, and Stevie Wonder) as well as becoming an in-demand session player in the top recording studios of London - all before his twenty-first birthday.

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Antibalas

LP | 2012 | US | Reissue (Daptone)

Antibalas Colored Vinyl Edition

Release: 2012 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The unstoppable, irresistible rhythms and melodies of Antibalas have influenced scores of artists across rock, hip hop, afrobeat and beyond. Born in a Brooklyn warehouse in 1997, 12 piece ensemble Antibalas is credited with introducing Afrobeat to a wider global audience, influencing countless musicians and developing a live show that is the stuff of legend. Members of Antibalas served as musical directors and the house band in the Broadway hit Fela! and penned original music for the show. Members have also recently collaborated/performed with Iron and Wine, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Mark Ronson, TV on the Radio and The Roots. On the heels of the hit musical Fela!, Antibalas ended up reuniting with former member and producer Gabriel Roth, who was at the helm for their first three albums. This self-titled album was their first on Daptone Records.

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Antibalas

LP | 2012 | US | Reissue (Daptone)

Ayalew Mesfin / Mulatu Astatke

Release: 2012 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Ghedawou / Asmarina

2LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Cramned)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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A. Ayaléw Mèsfin ft. Black Lion Band - Ghedawou
Ethiopian dance floor Funk rarity originally released on Kaifa 7” (KF 31) in
1976. Hand claps, guitar lines and call and response lead vocals punctuate the
driving bass line and understated drum groove.
Mesfin played primarily at the Lumumba Club in Addis Ababa’s red light district
and released many 45’s and cassettes during the mid seventies.
He worked very closely with the Black Lion Band (or Tequr Ambessa Orchestra)
AA. Mulatu Astatke ft. Feqadu Amdé-Mesqel - Asmarina
Laid back, drum-heavy, Ethipian jazz taken from the legendary Ethio Jazz’ LP on
Amha (AELP 90). Typifies the sound of the country and the period, truly classic
stuff.
Mulatu will be touring heavily in 2016, which we are very much looking forward
to.

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Konono No 1

Meets Batida

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Mulatu Atsatke / Teshome Meteku

Assiyo Bellema / Hasabe

Seyoum Gebreyes & Wallias Band / Wallias Band

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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‘Assiyo Bellema’ – Mulatu goes afro-latin, plus steel drums
courtesy of Frank Holder. Assiyo Bellema was recorded during
Mulatu’s time in London, during which he met Frank, along with
many others including Tubby Hayes and Joe Harriott.
‘Hasabe’ was originally released on Amha in 1969. Soaring
Ethiopian vocals and horns create a classic Ethiopian sound.
Teshome Meteku was leader of Soul Ekos Band - they lived
together! - and were very active in Addis in the 1960’s.

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Muziqa Muziqa / Muziqa Slit

LP | 2016 | UK | Original (World Circuit)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Wallias Band were an Ethiopian jazz/funk outfit active from the
70’s until the 90’s. They recorded and worked with Mulatu
Astatke. They were amongst the first Ethipian bands to tour the
USA.
On ‘Muziqa Muziqa’ saxophonist Seyoum Gebreyes collaborates with
the Wallias Band. Very little is known about Seyoum… ‘Muziqa
Muziqa’ is an uptempo Ethio-funk jam, with a soaring vocal,
driving organ, drums and brass.
‘Muziqawi Slit’ is a chugging, hypnotic Ethiopian jazz funk
groover featuring organ player by Hailu Mergia. Taken from his
‘Tche Belew’ LP originally released on Kaifa in 1977, featuring
Mulatu Astatke, arranged by Girme Beyene.

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Oumou Sangare

Moussolou

LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Paris DJs)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Limited edition for Record Store Day 2016! Now for the very first time World Circuit are releasing this iconic album on deluxe single vinyl. Mastered at Abbey Road the vinyl is pressed on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl and presented alongside a beautiful 10 page booklet and download card.

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Etienne De La Sayette

Maputo Queens

27,99 €*

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Composer/arranger/producer Etienne de la Sayette is a frenetic globe-trotter and a relentless collector of musical instruments. Founder and headhunter of, among others, the Frix and Baeshi Bang groups, co-founder/saxophonist for Parisian Ethio-Jazz band Akalé Wubé, Etienne might mostly be a live musician, he manages nonetheless to find the time for audio production, remixes and synch music. 'Maputo Queens' is his first solo album, a deep afrojazz masterpiece for thoughful moods and after-hours atmospheres, with some masterful blends of spices from all over the globe.

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2LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

Space Echo

34,99 €*

Bahta Gebre-Heywet / Alemayetu Eshete

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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In the spring of 1968 a cargo ship was preparing to leave the port of Baltimore with an important shipment of musical instruments. Its final destination was Rio De Janeiro, where the EMSE Exhibition (Exposição Mundial Do Son Eletrônico) was going to be held. It was the first expo of its kind to take place in the Southern Hemisphere and many of the leading companies in the field of electronic music were involved. Rhodes, Moog, Farfisa, Hammond and Korg, just to name a few, were all eager to present their newest synthesisers and other gadgets to a growing and promising South American market, spearheaded by Brazil and Colombia.

The ship with the goods set sail on the 20th of March on a calm morning and mysteriously disappeared from the radar on the very same day. One can only imagine the surprise of the villagers of Cachaço, on the Sao Nicolau island of Cabo Verde, when a few months later they woke up and found a ship stranded in their fields, in the middle of nowhere, 8 km from any coastline.

After consulting with the village elders, the locals had decided to open the containers to see what was inside – however gossip as scintillating as this travels fast and colonial police had already arrived and secured the area. Portuguese scientists and physicians were ordered to the scene and after weeks of thorough studies and research, it was concluded that the ship had fallen from the sky. One of the less plausible theories was that it might have fallen from a Russian military air carrier. The locals joked that again the government had wasted their tax money on a useless exercise, as a simple look at the crater generated by the impact could explain the phenomena. “No need for Portuguese rocket scientists to explain this!” they laughed.

What the villagers didn’t know, was that traces of cosmic particles were discovered on the boat. The bow of the ship showed traces of extreme heat, very similar to traces found on meteors, suggesting that the ship had penetrated the hemisphere at high speed. That theory also didn't make sense as such an impact would have reduced the ship to dust. Mystery permeated the event.

Finally, a team of welders arrived to open the containers and the whole village waited impatiently. The atmosphere, which had been filled with joy and excitement, quickly gave way to astonishment. Hundreds of boxes conjured, all containing keyboards and other instruments which they had never seen before: and all useless in an area devoid of electricity. Disappointment was palpable. The goods were temporarily stored in the local church and the women of the village had insisted a solution be found before Sunday mass.

It is said that charismatic anti-colonial leader Amílcar Cabral had ordered for the instruments to be distributed equally in places that had access to electricity, which placed them mainly in schools. This distribution was best thing that could have happened - keyboards found fertile grounds in the hands of curious children, born with an innate sense of rhythm who picked up the ready-to-use instruments. This in turn facilitated the modernisation of local rhythms such as Mornas, Coladeras and the highly danceable music style called Funaná, which had been banned by the Portuguese colonial rulers until 1975 due to its sensuality!

The observation was made that the children who came into contact with the instruments found on the ship inherited prodigious capabilities to understand music and learn instruments. One of them was the musical genius Paulino Vieira, who by the end of the 70s would become the country´s most important music arranger. 8 out of the 15 songs presented in this compilation had been recorded with the backing of the band Voz de Cabo Verde, lead by Paulino Vieira, the mastermind behind the creation and promulgation of what is known today as “The Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde”.

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Tessassategn Eko / Ayalqem Tedenqo

7" | 2016 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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‘Tèssassatègn Eko’ is a catchy, soulful Ethiopian jam. Originally released on
Amha AE 690 A in 1973. Arranged by the prolific Girma Beyene.

‘Ayalqem Tèdènqo’ see’s Eshèté’s third appearance in the Africa 45’s series. Released originally on Amha AE 290 A in 1971. A shuffling drum/percussion groove with soulful piano and bass, catchy vocal hook and guitar solo.

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Vaudou Game

La Vie C'Est Bon

12" | 2016 | UK | Original (Sol Power)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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From the forthcoming album Kidayu, out September 8th 2016 on Hot Casa Records.

When faced with the decision to take a different direction at the risk of getting lost in a synthetic sound or to further explore the same musical path, Vaudou Game did not need to consult the oracle for very long when putting together their new album.

Since their first acclaimed album, Apiafo and its irresistible single "Pas Contente", these Lyon natives never turned down the heat on over 130 stages across Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Peter Solo has displayed his amulets, charisma and yellow pants around the globe.

When time came for them to harness their Afro-Funk sound for the second time, they turned their attention once again to their analog strengths. Vintage material, instruments produced in the 70's and cassette tapes were the "grigris" (or lucky charms) which proved most effective to ward off digital corruption of their music and return them to a tight-knit group with a solid groove.

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Sol Power All-Stars

Djidjo Vide

13,29 €* 13,99 € -5%

LP | 2016 | UK | Original (Soundway)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Just in time for summer, Sol Power Sound is proud to present its 4th release, the Djidjo Vide EP, a 1-2 punch of Afro house by label heads, the Sol Power All-Stars.

Djidjo Vide, the title track on the A-side, features DC (via Togo) Afrobeat band, Elikeh. It's a vibey slice of propulsive Afro house about finding joy in the face of hardship. Massama Dogo's commanding vocals (sung in Mina) combined with the driving bassline, and aggressive horns (performed by DC's Sticky Bear) make Djidjo Vide a summer sure shot for a roof-top jam, beachside dance floor, or nightclub near you.

The B-side, Tell Me Why is darker and deeper, chock full of percussion, a chopped vocal sample, and in-your-face afrobeat horns (performed by Matt Rippetoe and Joe Herrera of DC's the Harry Bells). It's a late-night beatdown that will set things off proper in a dark room!

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Susso

Keira

Wejene Aola Feat. Kamasi Washington

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Susso, aka bassist / producer Huw Bennett, creates music inspired by, and directly sampling, the magnificent sounds of the Mandinka people, recorded during a recent trip to Gambia. Initially travelling with the aim of gaining perspective as a musician and to discover a new world of music first hand, Huw found himself humbled by such a welcoming community of artists, mostly belonging to the celebrated Suso and Kuyateh griot families. The tracks are composed entirely from original source material, field recordings and Huw’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist; performing tuned percussion from the region including the Mandinka Balafon, Kutiringding drum, aswell drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist. The music produced has a contemporary electronic sound, whilst still paying homage to a traditional Gambian aesthetic. Keira (meaning peace) guides the listener through Huw’s journey up the River Gambia, being welcomed into remote dusty villages, where your people are the most important thing in life.

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Dexter Story

7" | 2016 | UK | Original (Soundway)

Township Jive & Kwela Jazz Volume 4

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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For his next release on Soundway Records, Los Angeles-based Dexter Story hooks up with long time friend and compatriot of music, the saxophonist, jazz composer, producer and band-leader Kamasi Washington. A fierce, rumbling electro Ethio-Funk groove provides the platform for an intense and powerful interplay between Washington on tenor sax and Todd Simon on trumpet. An instrumental cover version of Tilahun Gessesse's 1970s cut of the same name, it's Story's homage to the oppressed Oromo people of Southern Ethiopia. Backed on the flip by the one cut from Story's 'Wondem' long-player that did not make it to vinyl when the LP version was cut, Nia Andrew's sublime and atmospheric collaboration on Eastern Prayer will keep all those happy who grumbled at it's exclusion from wax first time around. This is a record that no lover of Ethio-Jazz, Afro-Beat or Funk should be excused for not owning.

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Various

LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Ubuntu Publishing)

19,99 €*

LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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On this great compilation you’ll find 16 early vocal & jazzy tunes from the Golden Age of Jive & Kwela in South Africa. All released originally on fragile shellac discs only, which is a very delicate material but the music survived thanks to the archives of ILAM. A truly great source of South African music is being preserved here for new generations, to inspire young and hopeful musicians and singers from all over the world. These treasures of musical genius were recorded in the glory years of Jive and Kwela, the years 1940-1965.
On side A it is not very difficult to recognize the similarities to American popular music like R&B and small combo close harmony singing. But most of all notice that typical South African swing, that Jive, that incredible smooth form of African Jazz on side B; Kwela!

The rarest and most treasured finds are collected here, some with the original spoken intros, ‘sketches’ as these were called. Characteristic conversations between the musicians, often in a humoristic slang, always extremely funny. The record is pressed to 180gram vinyl.

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Joni Haastrup

Wake Up Your Mind

25,99 €*

LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Soundway)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Growing up in a royal household in Nigeria, Joni Haastrup began his musical journey performing for his brothers band Sneakers and was quickly snapped up as a vocalist for Orlando Julius Ekemode and his Modern Aces' Super Afro Soul LP, one of Afro-beat's formative LPs. Soon after, Ginger Baker of Cream fame replaced Steve Winwood with Joni on keys for Airforce's UK concerts in '71 and the success of the collaboration led to further shows with Baker as part of the SALT project before he returned to Nigeria to set up MonoMono. Back in London in 1978, Joni recorded his solo gem Wake Up Your Mind for the Afrodesia imprint. Coming in a Deluxe gatefold Replika LP with printed sleeves

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iZem

Hafa

17,99 €*

7" | 2016 | US | Original (Now-Again)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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Journeyman, DJ, radio presenter, beat raconteur – it’s been hard to keep up with all of iZem‘s movements lately. The innovative Lisbon-based French producer has been hard at work on his debut LP Hafa, exploring the sounds of Latin America and North Africa in a vivid analogue-digital, genre-defying soundscape that is sure to leave your head spinning. Inspired by cultural greats like Jack Kerouac, Paul Bowles, Tahar Ben Jelloun and Matisse, iZem spent time soaking up the atmosphere at the inspiring Café Hafa, an idyllic cliff-pop joint overlooking the strait of Gibraltar, in Tangier, Morocco, which has formed a golden backdrop to his debut LP. Brimming with soulful exoticism, personal narratives and adventurous collaborators, Hafa has been an experiment in taking on the afro-centric sounds of his journey to-date by incorporating modern, introspective songwriting and hybrid beats.
Often writing music whilst crossing continents, the only place iZem allows dust to settle is in the heart, heat and rhythms of his local-global future sounds. A decade of nomadism between Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Ireland and Portugal made way for a series of critically acclaimed EP’s and remixes for Soundway, GAMM, Far Out, Agogo, ZZK records, Wah Wah 45s, and Mais Um Discos. Arrival on the global, forward-thinking, artistically leftfield scene was predicted by Gilles Peterson, XLR8R, Okay Player and fellow tropical hed Quantic. iZem is an acronym for “In Ze Early Morning” and his debut album “Hafa” evokes new days dawning in far-off lands and stirring horizons of the present. So if you aren’t hearing iZem’s pastiche of future tropical rhythms and organic grooves on stations such as BBC, KCRW or Funkhaus Europa, then make sure you you catch him raising the dance floor temperature on one continent or another.

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Johnny!

Only Love

7" | 2016 | US | Original (Now-Again)

Release: 2016 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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We’re introducing: Johnny! Ghanaian Afro-Rock from German producer/composer J.J. Whitefield and an international cast of top shelf musicians. 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 almost a 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 recently 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 Dance Rock at the core with the possibilities to stretch out and go into psychedelic realms. The results, spread out over three 7”singles and pressed in a run of 1000 units each, speak for themselves. Every record comes with a download card for WAV files of all six tracks (vocals and instrumentals from each release) and point at a new direction for the music inspired by the Great Continent.

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Johnny!

Ago

Release: 2016 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Togo Soul 70: Selected Rare Togolese Recordings From 1971 To 1981

2LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

29,99 €*

7" | 2016 | US | Original (Now-Again)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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TOGO SOUL 70 project, is the collaboration between Julien Lebrun, label Manager and Liz Gomis, journalist and director. Two friends that are combining their skills to relate the process of pressing a compilation of rare grooves in Africa

From the original quest, searching for vinyls and right holders in adventurous conditions (sometimes) to the contract final signature, we'll travel throughout Togo to witness the post-colonial story of the country by the prism of its soundtrack

More than a digging session, we'll highlight togolese culture through music. Music that you'll be able to listen in May 2016 on the double vinyl compilation TOGO SOUL 70 (Hot Casa Records gatefold)

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Johnny!

I'm Gone

Stutter & Twitch 7" Series

Release: 2016 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Matuki

7" | 2016 (Stutter And Twitch)

12" | 2016 | UK | Original (Real World)

Release: 2016

Genre: Organic Grooves

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12-piece Afro-beat bandMatukiare releasing their debut 7" single onDecember 2ndviaStutter & Twitch; which paints a juxtaposed image of the band's versatile style. Side A 'Sanimenteren' showcases fiery horn melodies and liquid guitar riffs, whereas Side B 'INJO' changes direction completely as Manchester producerShunyatakes the reins. By morphing Matuki's steadfast rhythm into a lucid downtempo glitch, Shunya creates a unique and mesmerizing new perspective towards the urban band's signature style.

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Toto La Momposina

The Garabato Sessions

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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2LP | 2016 | UK | Original (Mr Bongo)

Original Sound Of Mali

7" | 2016 | EU | Original (Cree)

Release: 2016 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The Original Sound of Mali’ compiled by David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, Vik Sohonie (Ostinato Records) and  Florent Mazzoleni.

Malian music is a deep, lyrical form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

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Doran Versatile Hector

Let It Out / Destruction

Sven Kacirek & Thomas Klein

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Born in Matura Village, Trinidad in 1949, Doran Dorril Hector aka ''Versatile'' began his career as a guitarist in a quartet singing group called the ''Orchids'' in 1965. He first began writing and performing Calypso in 1967 for the North East Competition in Sangre Grande where he emerged 1st runner up to the Mighty Poser.

He further went on to be judged the best singing teen at the Teen Talent Competition held at Scarlet Ibis Hotel in 1968 performing Otis Redding’s ''Dreams To Remember''. The prize was a recording session at Telco Records and it was at this company that Dorril released his first record ''Dance With Me''.

In the late sixties he also began travelling as a lead singer with Ed Watson and the Brass Circle, visiting the entire English-speaking Caribbean. He also went to New York, Miami, The U.S. Virgin Islands and Guadeloupe.

In 1970 he decided to get into the Calypso genre and changed his artist name to ''Versatile''. Before getting on the front stage he began doing background vocals for several calypsonians in the Calypso tents during Carnival season. He also began to work as a background vocalist at Max Serrao’s Caribbean Sound Studios, K.H. studios and Semp studios.

After saving some money from working in the entertainment business, Dorril decided to do a self-financed recording in 1974 and recorded ''Country Boy Come To Town'' at K.H. studios in Sea Lots, Port of Spain, a calypso-pop crossover song. The song was a minor success in Trinidad.

In 1975 he went into a partnership with K.H. studios to record his next single ''Let It Out''. The song was a mixture of Calypso, Funk and African influences and served as a good example for the newly evolving musical artform called ''Soca''. However, Dorril was still unable to write down his music and arrangements for the studio musicians. Ellis Chow Lin On (then manager at K.H. studios) introduced Dorril to Pelham Goddard who had just formed his band ''Roots''. Pellham Goddard wrote down the arrangements and Roots recorded the backing track. Among the musicians were names like Clive Bradley and Michael ''Toby'' Tobas. Dorril released the record on his own ''Hector'' label.

Back in the studio in August 1977 he recorded the socio-critical song ''Destruction'', a soulful reggae tune. The backing track was recorded by Colin Lucas and his newly-formed band ''Sound Revolution''. After Carnival the following year the song became a big hit in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean and finally Dorril’s signature song.

Dorril kept recording his own material and is performing live to this day. He is also an active member of T.U.C.O. (the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation).
7'' Single (45 RPM) in picture sleeve. 2 tracks. Total playing time 7 mns.

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Rhythmus 1-4

12" | 2016 | EU | Original (Bureau B)

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Electronic & Dance

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The Tony Allen Experiments - Afrobeat Makers Volume 3

Nu Guinea

LP | 2016 | EU | Reissue (Comet)

LP | 2016 | EU | Original (Repertoire)

Release: 2016 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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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.

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Renaissance

Illusion

Release: 2016 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2016 | EU | Reissue (Yep Roc)

Watchhouse

Blindfaller

28,99 €*

Release: 2016 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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2LP | 2016 | UK | Reissue (Mr Bongo)

Original Sound Of Mali

Estricnina/El Canijo De Jerez Y Juanito Makande

Release: 2016 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The Original Sound of Mali’ compiled by David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, Vik Sohonie (Ostinato Records) and Florent Mazzoleni.

Malian music is a deep, lyrical form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

No booklet in this Version.

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Hemos Visto Cosas Que Harian Vomitar A Un Murciela

LP | 2016 | Original (K Industria)

20,99 €*

Release: 2016 / Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2016 | EU | Reissue (Analog Africa)

Bitori

Legend Of Funaná /

32,99 €*

Jorge Ben / Miriam Makeba

Release: 2016 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Analog Africa No. 21 „bitori“ - Legend Of Funaná (The Forbidden Music of The Cape Verde Islands) - In 1997, a quiet, unassuming man of 59 years old named Victor Tavares - better know as Bitori - walks into a studio for the very first time to record a masterpiece which many Cabo Verdean consider to be the best Funaná album ever made.

Bitoris musical adventure had begun long before this point. It was 1954 when he embarked on a journey across the seas to the island of Sao Tomé & Principe. The young man´s hope was to return to Cabo Verde with an accordion.

Following two years of hard labour Bitori had succeeded in saving enough money to acquire what was to become his most valued possession, his cherished instrument. The two month journey back to Santiago, his island of birth, proved time enough to master it. Self taught, Bitori developed his own style, an infectious blaze, that quickly caught the attention of the older generation. Before long Bitori was being asked to share his musical talents, igniting the local festivities around Praia with his music.

But not everybody welcomed the rural accordion-based sound. Perceived as a symbol of the struggle for Cape Verdean independence and frowned upon as music of uneducated peasants, Funaná was prohibited by the Portuguese colonial rulers. Performing it in public or in urban centres had serious consequences - often jail time and torture awaited musicians that were “caught in the act”. In light of such persecution the genre of Funaná began to slowly disappear.

In 1975 Cabo Verde achieved independence from Portuguese colonial rule. Along with Cabo Verde’s independence came a lifting of the ban placed on Funaná. The musical repercussions in Cabo Verde were plenty - many upcoming artists embraced Funaná, translating and adapting its musical form in new ways. It was not to be until the mid-1990’s, however, that Funaná in its traditional form was actually recorded.

It was a young singer from Tarafal, Chando Graciosa, who was to play a key role in this event. Upon hearing Bitori, Graciosa immediately felt drawn to Bitori's unique playing style - a raw and passionate sound accompanied by honest lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the Cabo Verdean working class. He eagerly approached Bitori suggesting they join forces and travel overseas with the objective of taking Funaná beyond its rural roots. The two of them, with others in tow, achieved their goal and travelled to Europe, introducing a receptive European audience to the vibrant energy of Funaná. Eventually Bitori returned to his beloved Cabo Verde. Graciosa opted to settle in Rotterdam in order to pursue his career - he vowed, however, to bring Bitori across to Holland at a later date to record an album.

In 1997 the time was ripe to immortalise the sound Bitori had shaped over a time span of four decades. Built around a formidable rhythm section, formed of drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo Tavares, "Bitori Nha Bibinha" was recorded. The recording catapulted Chando Graciosa to stardom, making him Cabo Verde´s No.1 interpreter of Funaná.

The success in Cabo Verde was phenomenal and Funaná rapidly gained the recognition it deserved, especially in urban dance clubs. Bitori´s songs quickly became standards - classics known and loved throughout the country. The musical success, however, was solely limited to the Cabo Verdean islands - until now!

Analog Africa is proud to contribute to the worldwide promotion of Funaná - the once forbidden sound of the Cabo Verde archipelago - by releasing a worldwide re-issue of Bitori and Chando Graciosa´s legendary recording. The release will herald Bitori´s first European tour taking place during the summer of 2016. Watch this space! And listen!

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Xica Da Silva

7" | 2016 | UK | Reissue (Mr Bongo)

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (No Format)

Release: 2016 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Preorder shipping from 2024-08-30

Two classic cuts from Jorge Ben and Miriam Makeba take either side of this Mr Bongo Brazil 45 reissue.

’Xica Da Silva’ is one of Jorge Ben’s most well-known and well-loved cuts, housed on the legendary Africa Brazil LP that deserves a place in every collection. A magical MPB cut, it instantly transports you to the shores of Rio de Janeiro. With a low-slung funky samba flavour, Ben’s absorbing vocal recounts the legend of one of Brazil's oldest black icons.

On the flip side, Miriam Makeba serves up an entrancing, slowed-down, grooved-out version of ‘Xica da Silva’. A highly influential singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist from South Africa, this low and slow interpretation is doused in strutting guitar, off-beat piano stabs and hypnotic drums providing the perfect platform to let Miriam’s vocal shine through.

Remastered with refreshed artwork.

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Toto Bona Lokua

Bondeko

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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War Room / Into The Thick

Black Market Brass

7" | 2018 | US | Original (Colemine)

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Heavenly Sweetness)

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Black Market Brass is a 10-piece group performing their own brand of originally composed Afrobeat/Afrofunk music, as well as completing authentic renditions of the classic 1970's West African sound. Taking their cues from the godfathers, the band draws on complex polyrhythmic percussion, driving bass lines, dizzying guitar interplay, rolling keyboards, and room-commanding brass. The result? An eclectic blend of cool deep funk and driving Afrobeat grooves that will lure you to the dance floor and never let you leave.

"War Room" and "The Thick" represent the group's continuing evolving sound. Tracked with Leroi Conroy at Colemine Records HQ in Loveland, OH, these tunes simply burn!

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Edmony Krater

An Ka Sonjé

16,99 €*

LP | 2018 | US | Original (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Following the reissue of his cult album “Ti jan pou vélo”, Heavenly Sweetness decided to continue the collaboration with Edmony Krater and record a new album! The first one in 30 years! As an avant-gardist percussionist, singer and trumpet player, Edmony Krater has always worked to develop and promote the Gwoka music of Guadeloupe and to feed it with different influences, from Jazz to Reggae.

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Hailu Mergia

Lala Belu

19,99 €*

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie In 1980s South Africa

3LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Soundway)

Moton Records Inc Presents

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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In 1980s black South Africa a local form of pop music evolved as the disco boom died down and slowly mutated. It was often ubiquitously described as Bubblegum - usually stripped-down and lo-fi with a predominance of synths, keyboards and drum-machines and overlaid with the kind of deeply soulful trademark vocals and harmonies that South African music is famous for.
Compilers Miles Cleret (Soundway) and DJ Okapi (Afrosynth Records) present a selection of 18 rare, handpicked 1980s cuts that highlight the period that nestles in between the ‘70s (where American-influenced jazz, funk and soul bumped shoulders with local Mbaqanga) and the ‘90s when Kwaito and eventually house-music ruled the dancefloors of urban South Africa.
Alongside French-Caribbean Zouk this kind of music has slowly been making its way into the DJ sets of many of the most open minded selectors around the world. This compilation is in many ways a sister release to the hugely popular compilation of Nigerian boogie and disco that Soundway released in late 2016 : “Doing it In Lagos: Boogie, Pop & Disco in 1980s Nigeria”.
The album takes its name from the band Ashiko’s track of the same name Gumba Fire that features on the compilation. The term is derived from gumba gumba, the term given to the booming speakers of the old spacegram radios that
broadcast music into South Africa’s townships and villages. The phrase later evolved into Gumba Fire to refer to a hot party. Put this record on and feel the heat!

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Morning Shunt

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Moton)

13,99 €*

2LP | 2018 | US | Reissue (Thrill Jockey)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The next MOTON release comprises of three tracks carefully selected by Love Vinyl's Jake Holloway.
Jake co-owns the second hand department in the store with The Mighty Zaf. He also is a graphic designer working for one of the world's most prestigious labels Barely Breaking Even/BBE Jake DJs in around London with regular sets at Brilliant Corners, Spiritland, Servant Jazz Quarters and will be playing at The Southern Soul Festival this summer in Montenegro.
When label bosses Dave Jarvis and Diesel asked Jake to choose the tracks for the release he soon got to work and come up with these three under the radar gems...
"Morning Shunt" is a ferocious Afro/Disco/Reggae uptempo dancefloor bomb, hailing from London this fantastic genre crossing tune was ripe for an edit.
"Jaques Theme" is another off-radar Carib-Disco banger which will appeal to both the Disco and Balearic heads.
"The Bandit" with it's tuff breaks and Spanish guitar will also appeal to the Balearic fraternity as well as the B-Boys.
So three tracks, all of which fall into differing genres making this a very different and varied sounding release!

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Sidi Toure

Toubalbero

33,99 €*

Release: 2018 / US – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2018 | EU | Original (World Circuit)

Orchestra Baobab

Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng

30,99 €*

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Lee Dodou & The Polyversal Souls

Basa Basa

7" | 2018 | EU | Original (Philophon)

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Soundway)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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As the lead singer of George Darko's legendary Burger-Highlife hit-band, Lee Dodou became the number one voice of 80's Highlife. Born in Kumasi, the epicenter of Ghanaian Highlife, he came to Berlin in the late 70's - by then the uprising epicenter of Burger-Highlife - to work as a back-up-singer for Pat Thomas. After joining and leaving Georg Darko and running his own band "Kantata", he stopped releasing music in the early 90's. Now, Philophon is proud to present new recordings of his soulful genius to the world of 2018.
Basa Basa is a song in the classic "concert party" style, as it was played in the glorious 60's. After a firey horn introduction Lee takes over in that funny and entertaining manner typical for "concert party" music. Buzz Duncker joins Lee's phrases with some gentle clarinet. Highlife at its best!
Sahara Akwantuo is anything but a classic: it's the start of a kind of philophonic Highlife, labeled as Kraut-Life. Ghanaian love of life meets German romantic melancholy. Happy rhythms meet mysterious synth landscapes. Eternal summertime and mangos are meeting a wet winter world and roast apples. Kraut-Life at its best!

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The Mauskovic Dance Band

Down In The Basement

16,99 €*

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (World Circuit)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Soundway Records presents the debut EP from The Mauskovic Dance Band – a heady, tropical blend of cumbia, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and space disco, resulting in a vibrant hypnotic groove destined for bustling dancefloors.
The Mauskovic Dance Band is the brainchild of the Amsterdam-based producer and musician, Nicola Mauskovic. A seasoned drummer, he finds himself constantly in demand – as part of Turkish psychedelic outfit Altin Gün, a recent tour with the revival of Zambian legends W.I.T.C.H., and a worldwide tour with psych-pop artist Jacco Gardner, with whom he then went on to form the dance-oriented duo Bruxas (released on Dekmantel). Throughout this hectic schedule Nic still found time to begin studio experiments that would eventually lead to several 7” singles, released on Swiss label Bongo Joe Records in 2017 under the name “The Mauskovic Dance Band”.
Following this, he tapped long-time collaborators Donnie Mauskovic (vocals, keys, effects), Em Nix Mauskovic (guitar, synth, percussion), and Mano Mauskovic (bass) to make the jump from record to stage. Soon they caught the ear of fabled underground Cumbia producer Juan Hundred, who left his home on a Caribbean island to join the band on drums.
With each band member of varying heritage, the group draws inspiration from diverse genres: primarily Afro-Colombian styles such as champeta, palenque, cumbia and the picó soundsystem culture, as well as the Afro-Disco and No-Wave scenes in their current base of Amsterdam. The city’s hotbed of underground producers has also brought an electronic edge to the band, with vintage drum machines and synthesisers effortlessly melding with Afro-Latin rhythms and slick guitar riffs to create a contemporary sound rich with cultural influence.
Having toured extensively through Europe in 2017 as a staple of festival stages and clubs, The Mauskovic Dance Band continues to build exciting momentum – with appearances at Eurosonic Noorderslag 2018 and an extensive tour of the Netherlands coinciding with the launch of the EP.

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Cheikh Lo

Ne La Thiass

7" | 2018 | EU | Original (Philophon)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Limited edition for Record Store Day 2018!

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Jimi Tenor

Quantum Connection

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Named after the tenor saxophone, actually, Jimi Tenor is not just Jimi Tenor - he's as well Jimi Keys, Jimi Flute, Jimi Vox and Jimi Composer. Yeah, he is, as a multi-instrumentalist and music master in general, all of this! But wait: Active since the mid-80's he's also Jimi Legend. And if you overlook his whole oeuvre then finally you will find out that on top of all of this he's Jimi Genius.
Quantum Connection is Jimi's contribution to the recent Kraut-Life craze of the Berlin underground. Kraut-Life is the brand-new hybrid of Ghanaian Highlife and German - here extended to Northern Europe, as Finnish kitchen is also kraut-based - romantic melancholy. A heavy and driving Highlife beat (yeah, it's not Afro-Beat), screaming psychedelic sound-fragments and a sung desire for a subatomic love affair makes the song another undoubted original by Jimi.
My Mind Will Travel (Teen Party Edit) is a heavily danceable edit of the epic eight minutes version of that piece, which you can hear on Jimi's upcoming full-length album Order Of Nothingness, released on Philophon this May. For Jimi, the physical world seems to be limited: but he is confident that his mind can dive deeply and boarder less in the mystery of our micro- and macro-cosmo.

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Yoruba! Songs & Rhythms For The Yoruba Gods In Nigeria

2LP | 2018 | UK | Original (Soul Jazz)

28,99 €*

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Atangana)

Release: 2018 / UK – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves, Rock & Indie

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Soul Jazz Records’ latest album ‘Yoruba! Songs and Rhythms for the Yoruba Gods in Nigeria’ is newly recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. The album is co-produced by Soul Jazz Records label head Stuart Baker and Laolu Akins (founding member of the legendary 1970s Nigerian Afro-Funk/Rock group Blo). Yoruba! features an array of local master drummers led by Olatunji Samson Sotimirin and singers (featuring the lead vocals of Janet Olufanmilayo Abe) performing heavyweight Afro-rhythms, with talking drums, Bata and Dundun drums and a mass of percussion in these deep spiritual and sacred songs used to honour and worship the traditional and ancient Yoruba gods in Nigeria, West Africa.
The enormous impact of Yoruba and West African music and culture is worldwide – from the first Afro-centric explorations of African-American jazz musicians in the 1950s such as Art Blakey, Randy Weston and Dizzy Gillespie, the explosion of Nu Yorican Latin music in New York City starting in the 1960s – Mambo, Boogaloo, Latin funk and soul - through to the sacred and powerful Afro-derived music of the religions of Santería in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil and Voodoo in Haiti, which all came into existence on account of the Atlantic slave trade which began over 400 years ago. On a wider scale West African music remains the primary root of all African-American musical forms – from New Orleans jazz to Bronx rap, gospel, soul and more.
This album features songs honouring the Nigerian gods of the Yoruba traditional religion – Yemoja, Obatala, Ogun, Sango and others – as well as a selection of instrumental cuts focussing on the Bata and Dundun drums. The album comes complete with extensive text and photography included in the 40-page outsize booklet/gatefold double vinyl + inners showing the influence of Yoruba culture throughout the world and the social and historical context for the music contained here.

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Fedia Laguerre

Divizion

20,99 €*

Psycheground / Polymeri (Afro-Utopia Version)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Founded in 2018 by DJ and producer Deni-Shain – the man behind acclaimed compilations Space Echo and Pop Makossa -, Atangana Records is the logical follow-up to more than 20 years of travels, constantly on the lookout for new artists and music around the world. As a “tropicalist globetrotter”, in this new project Deni-Shain, in partnership with Thomas Vicente, co-owner of the French restaurant “Le Verre Volé”, aims to dig, reproduce & transmit cross-cultural music, usually unreachable and/or less known by the public.
The goal is simple: share the love of music and to rediscover the pleasure of voicings, percussions and sadly forgotten harmonies, whether you find yourself in a jam packed club or the intimacy of your home.
Atangana’s first releases will be looking at the Caribbean’s Islands, especially into Haiti with the reissue – highly expected by various diggers – of the acclaimed single « Divizion » by singer Fedia Laguerre. Originally released in 1981, this first 12" comes with a remix by Voilaaa and an instrumental cut exclusively based on the additional work by the French afro-collective.

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Calibro 35

7" | 2018 | EU | Original (Records Kicks)

Fathili & The Yahoos / The Wings

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Limited edition 45 vinyl black (500 copies worldwide)!
Only one copy per customer!
Calibro 35's new single "Psycheground" flipped by the unreleased “Polymeri (Afro-Utopia Version”) on limited edition 45 vinyl.
“Psycheground” is the new single from the Italian cinematic funk cult combo Calibro 35 available on a super limited 45 vinyl and digital download on May 04. Taken from their heavily acclaimed new album “Decade”, “Psycheground” is an afro-funk stormer that sounds like Tony Allen involved in writing a score for a vintage Hollywood production. The new single is flipped by an alternative and hypnotic afro/tropical version of “Polymeri”. Don't sleep on it, all Calibro 35's previous 45s went sold out in a few days.
Calibro 35 enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent band around. They have been sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album, Jay-Z Love Child & Damon Albarn, they shared stages with the likes of Roy Ayers, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat, Headhunters and as unique musicians they've collaborated with, amongst others PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine's as the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing, that happened to Italy in the last years, Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide which includes VIP's fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals) among others.

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Mabala Part 1 / Gone With The Sun

7" | 2018 | EU | Original (Mr Bongo)

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Afrosynth)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Fathili & The Yahoos came from Kenya. Soulful but raw, mid-tempo afro-funk. Licensed from Melodica music stores courtesy of our great friend Abdul Karim. The Wings were a Nigerian band. 'Gone With the Sun' featured on their 1974 album 'Kissing You So Hard' and fuses bluesy disco, funk and soul moods with quirky synths and effects!

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Ntombi Ndaba & Survival

Tomorrow

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Alma Negra)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Incl. her in demand tune "Tomorrow" . Six-track anthology of South African singer Ntombi Ndaba, featuring 2 songs from 3 of her solo albums, Mina Ngiljaji (1988), Mama Nature (1989) and Why Me (1991).
Ntombi Ndaba first rose to fame in 1985 with Ntombi & Survival, becoming one of the most popular singers of the bubblegum era. After setting up the independent label Anneko with her producer A.T. ‘Rubber’ Khoza in 1988, she went solo. Following Khoza’s death in the early 1990s, Ndaba never recorded again.

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James Stewart

Cotounou EP

Grant Phabao Afrofunk Arkestra

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Alma Negra Records are proud to present James Stewart, resident DJ and co-promoter of monthly night “Black Atlantic Club” at Le Sucre in Lyon, with his Cotonou EP

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LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Paris DJs)

28,99 €*

LP | 2018 | US | Original (Now-Again)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Limited edition of 250 copies only!
Only one copy per customer!
Access to groovy, funkin', rockin', psychedelic, revolutionary (etc.) African music as we've grown to like it at Paris DJs was not for everyone before the internet age. For Paris DJs co-founder Loik, it began in the early 80s when he met with a former Fela Kuti horn player, who introduced him to Afrobeat. When Loik arrived at Radio Nova in 1986 (he was radio programmer there between 1987 and 1997), he then discovered marvels of African Music (other than Fela), through the radio's vast record collection, which soon led to the word-famous "La Sono Mondiale" concept.
At the same time, Grant Phabao, in his late teens, discovered Congolese music through friends from Zaire. He gets access to Afrobeat in the mid-90s with a Fela Kuti CD gathering the "Zombie" and "He Miss Road" albums, which long-time friend Djouls brought back from his diggin' sessions in Paris. Many friends ripped and burned that CD, for sure. Then the legendary Daktaris album happened on Desco Records in 1998, followed by the beginning of the Antibalas, the Comet Records & Strut Records compilations in 2000, and soon after Soundway Records… the rest is history but that's roughly how African Music started for us at Paris DJs.
At this point we met online with Calumbinho on the Soulseek P2P network. Such a mind-bending experience… The man was sharing hundreds of full albums, all sorted by country, and had music from every corner of 1960s/70s/80s Africa! We asked for advice, he listed 50 records to begin with! All those records, digital files, influences & experience gathered together gave birth in 2006 to a series of mixes on the Paris DJs podcast, "African Mashed Potato Popcorn", blending old and new African music from all over the world. It was an instant smash, DJs from all over the world reaching out asking us to keep on focusing on this amazing music coming from Africa (or inspired by music from Africa).
Around that time, the Paris DJs crew met with musicians from Antibalas (Martín Perna, Duke Amayo / USA), and from the Poets Of Rhythm/Karl Hector bands (Ben Abarbanel-Wolff, Jan Whitefield / Germany). They had all played with Fela Kuti's guitar player Oghene Kologbo by then. The German guys had even started a band with him, the Afrobeat Academy, releasing an album together in 2007. Little did we know that from this point on, Kologbo and African music would grow to become a very important part of our lives.
We started collaborating with Samy Ben Redjeb from Analog Africa, Miles Cleret from Soundway or Quantic from Tru Thoughts, among many others very influential record collectors, for some exclusive mixes of rare afro/latin music on the Paris DJs podcast. In 2009 we co-organized the first Ebo Taylor show in Europe, with German musicians from the Afrobeat Academy/Whitefield Brothers/Jimi Tenor crew backing him along with Kologbo. Soon we helped open the Superfly Record Store and got our hands (and ears) on many rare, original African Records. Loik started recording Kologbo's second solo album "Africa Is The Future" (featuring Tony Allen and Pat Thomas!), Grant Phabao was producing his first afrofunk tunes, and all this new music was damn funky…
Phabao went on a trip to Benin and Ghana, where he ended up hooking up with Ben Abarbanel-Wolff, who was recording with Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas there. After a two-year period during which Grant Phabao and Djouls partnered with famous Irish-born, Paris-based producer Doctor L, and released with Cameroonian artist Franck Biyong no less than 16 digital albums and conceptual compilations, the Paris DJs label was born in 2012, with the addition of poster artist Ben Hito to the gang.
Five compilations in the "Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International" series were released, with artists from all over the world, featuring the first tracks from the Grant Phabao Afrofunk Arkestra project, with Grant Phabao at the controls and many guests from the now global African music scene adding their own, original touch. Most of those were compiled in the "Massive Hits From the Grant Phabao Factory" LP in 2015.
It was a long read, many years of learning and sharing back, but we wanted to tell how African music slowly but surely infiltrated its way into Paris DJs' daily life, which led to the Kologbo LP being released at the end of 2017, and to this Grant Phabao Afrofunk LP to be released june 2018, featuring 20 guests among which Tony Allen, Oghene Kologbo, Sandra Nkaké, RacecaR, members of Antibalas, The Breakestra, Brownout, Fela Kuti's Egypt 80, Jungle Fire, Les Frères Smith, Ebo Taylor's Afrobeat Academy, Osemako… coming from Paris, Berlin, Lagos, Washington, Austin or Los Angeles!

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Mike Nyoni & Born Free

My Own Thing

57,99 €*

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Mr Bongo)

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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The latest release in Now-Again’s deluxe Reserve Edition series: the first ever anthology of Zamrock musician Mike Nyoni’s funky, psych-rock and folkloric 1970s recordings, plus bonus tracks on DL card for WAV files.
Zambian guitarist and singer/songwriter Mike Nyoni’s music is Zamrock only because he came of age during the country’s rock revolution. His preferred wah-wah to fuzz guitar, James Brown to Jimi Hendrix. His 70s recordings – often politically charged, and ranging from despondent to exuberant – are amongst the funkiest on the African continent. He was also one of the only Zamrock musicians to see his music contemporaneously issued in Europe. This anthology collates works from his three 70s LPs – his first, with the Born Free band, and his two solo albums Kawalala and I Can’t Understand You – and presents a singular Zambian musician on par with celebrated artists Rikki Ililonga, Keith Mlevhu and Paul Ngozi. The package also features an extensive, photo-filled booklet contains an overview of the Zamrock scene and Nyoni’s story. Includes a download card to WAV files, including bonus tracks.

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Tunde Mabadu

Viva Disco

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (!K7)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Official Mr Bongo reissue of the ultra-rare Nigerian disco-boogie, ‘Viva Disco’, album from 1980. Originally released on the Afrodisia label, this one is unknown to even the most knowledgable collectors out there.
Tunde Mabadu recorded two albums in the 70’s – ‘Viva Disco’ and ‘Bisu’ as Tunde Mabadu & His Sunrise. Perfect examples of golden-era Nigerian disco & boogie, that still hold their own today.
Licensed from Tunde Mabadu and PMG.

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Red Axes

Trips #1: In Africa

3LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Red Axes are very excited to present the first part of their new project called: “Trips", a multi media venture combining music, film and travelling across the globe in pursuit of extra ordinary collaborations. Niv Arzi and Dori Sadovnik are seeking to discover new grounds and sounds, and to record local musicians, indigenous instruments and present workshops for youth music schools. In March of 2017, the Israeli duo touched down in Africa for the first time, and set up camp in both Ethiopia and Ivory Coast, yielding In Africa, a triple header EP which features three slices of contemporary body music, with both East and West African musical motifs. The project will always present a musical release, on vinyl and digital, that was created on the trip, accompanied with a documentary, showing the whole journey.

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Dur-Dur Band

Dur Dur of Somalia

36,99 €*

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Glitterbeat)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Analog Africa are proud to present the 27th release of their Analog Africa Series. A fantastic, hypnotic and funky compilation from the Dur-Dur Band of Somalia that comes out on a Triple LP.

When Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb arrived in Mogadishu in November of 2016, he was informed by his host that he would have to be accompanied at all times by an armed escort while in the country. The next morning, a neighbour and former security guard put on a military uniform, borrowed an AK-47 from somewhere and escorted him to Via Roma, an historical street in the heart of Hamar-Weyne, the city’s oldest district. Although previous Analog Africa releases have demonstrated a willingness to go more than the extra air-mile to track down the stories behind the music, the trip to Mogadishu was a musical journey of a different kind. It was the culmination of an odyssey that had started many years earlier.

In 2007 John Beadle, a Milwaukee-based musicologist and owner of the much loved Likembe blog, uploaded a cassette he had been handed twenty years earlier by a Somalian student. The post was titled ‘Mystery Somali Funk’ and it was, in Samy’s own words, “some of the deepest funk ever recorded.” The cassette seemed to credit these dense, sonorous tunes to the legendary Iftin Band. But initial contact with Iftin’s lead singer suggested that the ‘mystery funk’ may have actually been the work of their chief rival, Dur-Dur, a young band from the 80s.

Back then, Mogadishu had been a very different place. On the bustling Via Roma, people from all corners of society would gather at the Bar Novecento and Cafe Cappucino, watch movies at the famous Supercinema, and eat at the numerous pasta hang-outs or the traditional restaurants that served Bariis Maraq, a somali Beef Stew mixed with delicious spiced rice. The same street was also home to Iftinphone and Shankarphone, two of the city’s best known music shop. Located opposite each other, they were the centre of Somalia’s burgeoning cassette distribution network. Both shops, run by members of the legendary Iftin Band, would become first-hand witnesses to the meteoric rise of Dur- Dur, a rise that climaxed in April of 1987 with the release of Volume 2, their second album.

The first single ‘Diinleya’ had taken Somalian airwaves by storm in a way rarely seen before or since. The next single, ‘Dab,’ had an even greater impact, and the two hits had turned them into the hottest band in town. In addition to their main gig as house band at the legendary Jubba Hotel, Dur-Dur had also been asked to perform the music for the play “Jascyl Laba Ruux Mid Ha Too Rido” (May one of us fall in love) at Mogadishu’s national theatre. The play was so successful that the management had been forced to extend the run by a month, throwing the theatre’s already packed schedule into complete disarray, and each night, as soon as the play had finished, Dur-Dur had to pack their instruments into a Volkswagen T1 tour bus that would shuttle them across town in time for their hotel performance.

The secrets to Dur-Dur’s rapid success is inextricably linked to the vision of Isse Dahir, founder and keyboard player of the band. Isse´s plan was to locate some of the most forward-thinking musicians of Mogadishu´s buzzing scene and lure them into Dur-Dur. Ujeeri, the band’s mercurial bass player was recruited from Somali Jazz and drummer extraordinaire Handal previously played in Bakaka Band. These two formed the backbone of Dur-Dur and would become one of Somalia’s most extraordinary rhythm sections.

Isse also added his two younger brothers to the line-up: Abukar Dahir Qassin was brought in to play lead guitar, and Ahmed Dahir Qassin was hired as a permanent sound engineer, a first in Somalia and one of the reasons that Dur-Dur became known as the best-sounding band in the country.

On their first two albums, Volume 1 and Volume 2, three different singers traded lead-vocal duties back and forth. Shimaali, formerly of Bakaka Band, handled the Daantho songs, a Somalian rhythm from the northern part of the country that bears a striking resemblance to reggae, Sahra Dawo, a young female singer, had been recruited from Somalia’s national orchestra, the Waaberi Band. Their third singer, the legendary Baastow, whose nickname came from the italian word ‘pasta’ due to the spaghetti-like shape of his body, had also been a vocalist with the Waaberi Band, and had been brought into Dur-Dur due to his deep knowledge of traditional Somali music, particularly Saar, a type of music intended to summon the spirits during religious rituals. These traditional elements of Dur-Dur’s repertoire sometimes put them at odds with the manager of the Jubba Hotel who once told Baastow “I am not going to risk having Italian tourists possessed by Somali spirits. Stick to disco and reggae.”

Yet from the very beginning, Dur-Dur’s doctrine was the fusion of traditional Somali music with whatever rhythms would make people dance: Funk, Reggae, Soul, Disco and New Wave were mixed effortlessly with Banaadiri beats, Daantho and spiritual Saar music. The concoction was explosive and when they stormed the Mogadishu music scene in 1986 with their very first hit single, ‘Yabaal,’ featuring vocals from Sahra Dawo, it was clear that a new meteorite had crash-landed in Somalia. As Abdulahi Ahmed, author of Somali Folk Dances explains: “Yabaal is a traditional song, but the way it was played and recorded was like nothing else we had heard before, it was new to us.” ‘Yabaal’ was one of the songs that resurfaced on the Likembe blog, and it became the symbolic starting point of this project.

It initially seemed that Dur-Dur’s music had only been preserved as a series of murky tape dubs and YouTube videos, but after Samy arrived in Mogadishu he eventually got to the heart of Mogadishu’s tape-copying network – an analogue forerunner of the internet file-sharing that helped to keep the flame of this music alive through the darkest days of Somalia’s civil strife – and ended up finding some of the band’s fabled master tapes, long thought to have disappeared.

This triple LP / double CD reissue of the band’s first two albums – the first installment in a three-part series dedicated to Dur-Dur Band – represents the first fruit of Analog Africa’s long labours to bring this extraordinary music to the wider world. Remastered from the best available audio sources, these songs have never sounded better. Some thirty years after they first made such a splash in the Mogadishu scene, they have been freed from the wobble and tape-hiss of second and third generation cassette dubs, to reveal a glorious mix of polychromatic organs, nightclub-ready rhythms and hauntingly soulful vocals.

In addition to two previously unreleased tracks, the music is accompanied by extensive liner notes, featuring interviews with original band members, documenting a forgotten chapter of Somalia’s cultural history. Before the upheaval in the 1990s that turned Somalia into a war-zone, Mogadishu, the white pearl of the Indian Ocean, had been one of the jewels of eastern Africa, a modern paradise of culture and commerce. In the music of the Dur-Dur band – now widely available outside of Somalia – we can still catch a fleeting glimpse of that golden age.
Listen & Enjoy!

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Stella Chiweshe

Kasahwa: Early Singles

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Tout L'Afrique Danse Volume 10

Soul Kids,The

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2018 | UK | Reissue (Mr Bongo)

Gyedu Blay Ambolley

Simigwa

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (AM)

Release: 2018 / UK – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Legendary Ghanain album – with one of the music iconic covers ever! – that fuses Highlife, afrobeat, folk and funk. Ambolleys debut solo album originally released in 1975, written and produced with Ebo Taylor. Ambolley grew up during the peak of Highlife in Ghana and was a key figure in its fusion with soul and funk influences from the USA. He played in many bands including Houghas Extraordinaires, Meridians Of Tema, Ghana Broadcasting Band and the Uhuru Dance Band, for which he was recruited by his friend, Ebo Taylor. The group went to Nigeria in 1973 to play with Fela at his legendary Shrine spot. ‘Simigwa’ was a chance for Ambolley to release his own productions and to experiment to a certain extent. A main inspiration for this album was the work of the mighty Mr. James Brown, something that is evident from the rhythm section, horns, vocal stabs and percussion breaks throughout the record. Official Mr Bongo reissue, replica original artwork. Licensed from Essiebons.

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Dion & Nonku

All I Need

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Born Bad)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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All I Need is a 15-minute electronic jam produced by Dion Monti and is accompanied by the vocals (lead and loops) of South African Artist Nonku Phiri. Created in 2015 in their Johannesburg studio, this recording depicts the beginning of their sonic journey and a development of their joint sound. The track evolves from a very subtle beginning towards an emotional climax whilst referring to lyrics of Radiohead’s ‘All I need’ and ‘Ideotheque’. For this release, they are joined by South African Producer Jakinda & Cologne’s Christian S (Cómeme). Jakinda forms half of the duo Stiff Pap and describes his sound as Afro-future electronica, a sound containing elements of Gqom, Tribal-House, Ethiopian Electronica and Kasi-Tech. Christian S makes use of his distinguishable style and creates the most abstracted version of this track, not scared to heavily cut up the vocals and apply his pitched drums. In addition, the release is hand-stamped with a drawing by Nonku.

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Cannibale

Not Easy To Cook

18,99 €*

2LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Hot Casa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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If Cannibale's members brought their breakfast back up when talking about 'Not Easy To Cook', their listeners would be surprised. There's a world of difference between the beginning of Cannibale's success story and this second album. The most surprising thing about 'Not Easy To Cook' is the sultriness that emerges. It's hard to sum it up other than by comparing these 10 songs with some pressure cooker in which bits of dancehall, London ska and Hawaiian dub would have cooked together. Here's the small miracle achieved by this LP recorded by the band in its remote French village: sounding French, but Polynesian French. A very psychedelic mixture of cumbia, African rhythms and garage music. Or, if you will, a kind of missing link between Fela Kuti, The Doors and The Seeds!

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Vaudou Game

Otodi

29,99 €*

LP | 2018 | US | Original (Sahel Sounds)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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No one had been through those doors in years. Unchanged, seemingly untouched, just a Guard watching over it, one wondered whether the place would ever see the light of day again. Built in the 70s by Scotch, there were only twenty such places in the entire world. Twenty studios, all identical. Most had undergone a digital makeover in the 80s, but not this one; situated in Lomé, this studio had stayed true to its original form. Silent and uninhabited but waiting for one thing, and one thing only: for the sacred fire to be lit once again. That of the Togolese Recording Office, is studio OTODI for those in the know. Through thick layers of dust, the console was vibrating still, impatient to be turned on and spurt out the sound so unique to analog. That sound is what Peter Solo and his band Vaudou Game came to seek out.
The original vibrations of Lomé’s sound, resonating within the studio space, an undercurrent pulsing within the walls, the floor, and the entire atmosphere. A presence at once electrical and mystical sourced through the amps that had never really gone cold, despite the deep sleep that they had been forced into. In taking over the studio’s 3000 square feet, enough to house a full orchestra, Vaudou Game had the space necessary to conjure the spirits of voodoo, those very spirits who watch over men and nature, and with whom Peter converses every day.
For the most authentic of frequencies to fully imbibe this third album, Peter Solo entrusted the rhythmic section to a Togolese bass and drum duo, putting the groove in the expert hands of those versed in feeling and a type of musicianship that you can’t learn in any school. This was also a way to put OTODI on the path of a more heavily hued funk sound, the backbone of which maintains flexibility and agility when moving over to highlife, straightens out when enhanced with frequent guest Roger Damawuzan’s James Brown type screams, and softens when making the way for strings. Snaking and undulating when a chorus of Togolese women takes over, guiding it towards a slow, hypnotic trance. Up until now, Vaudou Game had maintained their connection to Togo from their base in France. This time, recording the entire album in Lomé at OTODI with local musicians, Peter Solo drew the voodoo fluid directly from the source, once again using only Togolese scales to make his guitar sing, his strings acting as channels between listeners and deities…

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Tallawit Timbouctou

Hali Diallo

2LP+CD | 2018 | EU | Original (Because)

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Tallawit Timbouctou are champions of takamba, a hypnotic traditional music from
Northern Mali. Built around the tehardent, the four stringed lute and pre-cursor to
the American banjo, takamba's droning distortion comes from signature handmade
mics and blown out amplifiers. Accompanied by percussion pounded out onto an
overturned calabash with mind boggling time signatures, the combined effect is
trance inducing. This is the music that long ruled the North of Mali, performed at
festivities, blasting out of dusty boomboxes, and beaming out from village radio
stations. Its origin is shrouded in mystery, and though purportedly dating back to the
Songhai Empire of the 15th century, takamba's heyday was in the 1980s, with the
introduction of amplification. Musicians found a lucrative circuit, performing in
elegant weddings, creating cassettes on demand, and writing songs for their wealthy
patrons. Today takamba has fallen out of popular fashion with the youth, but
continues to thrive in a small network of die-hard traditionalists. Band leader Aghaly
Ag Amoumine is one of the remaining renowned takamba musicians. Descended
from a long line of praise singers, he spent decades traveling across the Sahel,
performing in remote nomad camps and crowded West African capitals. His
compositions continue to circulate today and have become part of the folk
repertoire. His group Tallawit Timbouctou, based in the city of the same name,
continues in the family tradition, and has featured both his brother and nephew as
accompanying members. Recorded at home in Timbouctou, "Hali Diallo" is a
relentless and nonstop recording, true to the form of takamba. Tracks blend
seamlessly into one another, instruments are tuned mid-song, and Aghaly only
pauses singing long enough for the occasional shout-out or dedication. Unfiltered
and direct as it's meant to be heard, Tallawit Timbouctou is a shining example of one
of the last great takamba bands.

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Les Negresses Vertes

10 remixes

LP | 2018 | US | Original (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Following the reissues of their 4 albums on vinyl earlier this year, French band and pioneers of the fusion of World and Alternative music Les Négresses Vertes continues to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first album “Mlah” with a new re-issue of their album “10 Remixes”. Repressed by Because Music, “10 Remixes” features remixes of their classics (‘Sous Le Soleil De Bodega’, ‘Voilà L’Eté’, ‘Zobi La Mouche’, etc.) by Massive Attack, Gangstarr, Clive Martin, Kwanzaa Posse, etc.

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Asnakech Worku

Asnakech

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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- Backed by Hailu Mergia - Legendary singer/instrumentalist at her mid-1970s prime -
Double LP carefully extracted from cassette and remastered by ATFA family engineer
Jessica Thompson There is perhaps no woman more cherished in modern Ethiopian
history than Asnakech Worku. As a musician, actress, dancer and cultural icon, Asnakech
inspired and challenged society for decades, until her death in 2011. From her beginnings
as Ethiopia's first theater actress in 1952 to her climb to become one of the most famous
actresses at the National Theater to her days as a club owner-turned-master musician,
Asnakech's inimitable confidence and charm made her a household name. She earned
endless accolades across the artistic spectrum. She made seminal recordings of
unforgettable original compositions, as well as legendary renditions of traditional songs,
that became national staples. With a singular sense of style, glamour and sex appeal that
sometimes stunned mainstream society, Asnakech wore clothes no one else wore and
said things no one else said. Staid notions of how women should dress and behave didn't
apply to her. Battling a mentality that until the early 1950s had men wearing dresses to
play female roles in the theater, Asnakech became a national treasure on her own terms.
Her family wasn't pleased with Asnakech becoming an azmari_an itinerant praise
musician who sings, often in bars, for tips_and didn't bother her, especially after Emperor
Haile Selassie I began to emphasize theater and music in society, officially legitimizing her
career. Asnakech became an internationally-celebrated performer of Ethiopia's ancient
harp, the krar, making her one of the most visible female musicians of the 20th century.
All this while leaving controversy, broken hearts and a changed cultural landscape in her
wake. In 1975, keyboardist and bandleader Hailu Mergia got a call from the owner of
Misratch Music Shop to do a recording with Asnakech and he went for it. This recording
is a nearly-forgotten artifact of the remarkable icon's singular legacy, remastered and
available outside Ethiopia for the first time. It also provides a rare glimpse into Mergia's
work as a arranger-sideman in the Addis Ababa music scene. This trio recording
featuring Mergia on organ and Temare Harege on drums using only brushes is starkly
minimal but deeply evocative. The minimalist arrangements ensure the focus is on
Asnakech's incisive_and occasionally romantic_lyrics and her virtuosic krar performance.

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12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Cree)

Tropical Tricks

15,99 €*

From Nubia To Cairo(Remastered) / The Soul Of Black Egypt

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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We thought turning five this year would be a good reason to ask some friendly DJs and producers to go through our catalogue and select their favorite track to do an edit or remix on.
The first selection by DJ Nomad from Berlin is Barbara Hernandez' 'All Nite Tonight', written and produced by Leston Paul from Trinidad. Nomad's edit drives the song's dance floor ambition even further beyond the top. As a DJ Nomad does not necessarily put a label on his style, but always expresses love for Polyrythms, Soulful harmonies and the African drums and Percussion. He's notorious for finding fresh world music dance tracks all around the globe, before they become hits, and a massive collector of Tropical Soul, Funk and Disco.
His energetic and surprising , always fresh DJ set's earned him a residency in Paris's infamous ‚Tropical Discoteq’ Parties among the best Dj's of the genre. He is the founder of ‚Vulkandance’ Parties, Blog and Label in Berlin .. He's together with Edna Martinez cofounder of ’El Volcan’ - The first continental European Colombian Pico Soundsystem. As a Producer he's breaking ground and travelling the world together with Dirk Leyers and the transcultural Project Africaine 808, besides working as a master Editor for other artists around the globe. Keshav Singh who is part of Trinidadian/British production duo Jus Now put his hands on Trinidad's Mansa Musa's ’Beat The Drum’.
Being a percussionist in his own right he transformed the song into a housy Soca track and pure dance floor fiah! With his partner Sam Interface, he has produced soca music with EDM influence for Bunji Garlin, Machel Montano and 3Canal. Keshav commutes between Trinidad and the U.K.
The next two tracks are taken from our upcoming compilation ’Gotta Nice Buzz - The Funky Sound of Semp Studios Trinidad, W.I.’. French DJ & record collector Waxist gives Zodiac's ’I Believe’ a proper treatment. ’I Believe’, written by Francis Escayg, is an uptempo Caribbean Disco tune with a strong Giorgio Moroder influence with Denise Plummer on vocals.
Waxist, based in Lyon, France, started his love story with records as a teenager when he bought his first reggae 7 inches. If his love for Jamaican music has survived through the years, the DJ has progressively extended his interests to different, more dancefloororiented music genres like Disco, Modern Soul, Boogie or even a touch of House when needed... Being careful with the technique, as well as with the coherency of his selection, his sets are an invite to a dancing musical journey taking the audience from Disco to Modern Soul, through more Caribbean or Brazilian sounds.

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Ali Hassan Kuban

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Piranha)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2018 | CH | Original (Les Disques Bongo Joe)

Damily

Valimbilo

20,99 €*

The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra

Release: 2018 / CH – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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“June 2017, France. It’s 40° both inside and outside. At Studio Black Box, in the Haut Anjou, it is as if you were there, in Madagascar. And when the tape recorders start rotating, the musicians’ imagination feeds off the guts of their music : Malagasy bush, tropical heat, red dirt, sand, drought, corn, cassava, cockcrow, mooing zebus, lambahoany (fabric), leaf hut, fotaky house (mud), dust, portable generator, music, rhum, bodies frantically dancing wether in the dark or under the blazing sun…Tsapiky.

The album shall be named Valimbilo.
Bilo is a disease which strikes one’s mental health, depression is what western societies call it. When one is diagnosed with « voany bilo », a precise medical treatment is engaged and performed without doctors, nor medicine. To vanquish bilo, one has to use music.
The sorcerer solely decides upon the “good” day (the day which gathers the most positive aspects of the astrological conjuncture) to operate: the extended family hosts a ceremony ruled by many taboos, which can last up to a few days, and in which only one remedy is applied in high dosage : some Tsapiky.
They are “doctor” musicians whom talent is source of the cure.
They play for the patient, who has to be facing the orchestra : all of their attention is focused on the bilo, dancing in the sick person’s body : It has to be awaken, seduced, surprised and attacked from every angle before it is pressured, pressured until KO, until it can’t take the it anymore, stuffed with music. Then the patient is relieved, discharged, and the ceremony is over.

During the entirety of the ceremony, the patient picks a person who helps him/her get the bilo out of his/her system, this is what we call “valimbilo”, literally “husband/wife of the bilo.” "

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Naming & Blaming

LP | 2018 | US | Original (Hope Street)

Movements-Boogie Down In Africa

Release: 2018 / US – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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After a long wait, Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (The POAO) is set to release their second album, Naming & Blaming, a pulsing, percussive journey into classic afrobeat. Recorded by a 17 piece
ensemble, led by fierce vocals and a howling horn section, it’s a fitting 21st-century response to the world-shaking music of 1970s Nigeria. The result is true to the afrobeat blueprint of hypnotic, extended songs,
improvisation and political comment but adds to the formula a host of pan-African influences and hip-hop elements that reflect the deep ranging roots of the band. As the title suggests, and in true afrobeat tradition, Naming & Blaming pulls no punches. It is an outspokenly political record, a cauldron of strong
opinions where indignation and optimism coexist. Led by the vocals of MC One Sixth and singer Lamine Sonko, the critique of colonialism is applied to both the African and Australian experience, the battles of many cultures informing the group’s ethos as does the importance of community and staying true to one’s convictions. Uplifting visions of a brighter possible
future as laid out in “No Passport,” the album’s rambunctious opening song, are balanced with honest reflections on injustice like guest Robbie Thorpe’s take on Australia’s chequered history in the title track.
For the Naming & Blaming cover, the band was honoured to have the opportunity to work with one of the originators of the Afrobeat movement
Lemi Ghariokwu, the legendary collage artist and illustrator responsible for all of Fela’s most famous album covers of the 1970s. This relationship is what the POAO is all about, paying respects to the culture and keeping it alive and relevant in the 21st century. Over the last decade, The POAO have established themselves as a firm festival favourites with their
contemporary approach to Afrobeat.

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Willy Nfor

2LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Odion Livingstone)

17,99 €*

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Soundway)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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For the 7th release on his label,Temi Kogbe compiles Willy Nfor's greatest songs from his solo works. The session player (bass) was involved heavily in the African boogie / funk scene with a impressive credits list.
Willy is little-known master bass player who left his country for Nigeria at 20, formed the Mighty Flames with made a name for himself as a session player played with Bongos' The Groovies, William Onyeabor (Crashes in Love), Odion Iruoje at Phonodisk where he played on several releases, left for Paris, became a sought-after session player, formed Ghetto formed Ghetto Blaster
(with Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 alumni), joined Mory Kante band toured the world on the back of the Global Hit record, unfortunately, he died before the world could really know him.
This compilation (from three rare Nigeria-produced LPs; Mighty Flames' Willie Nfor, Feel So Fine, My Turn) capture Willy's vision of a free world where love, music and breaks migrate freely. His afro-boogie nods to Bootsy Collins and Louis Johnson (The Brothers Johnson) but it invariably afro and inalienably Willy's music, a space funk with deeply rooted rhythmic grooves that has made these LPs highly sought-after by music aficionados and selectors worldwide.

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Jon K / Pat Thomas

Asafo / Enye Woa

12,34 €* 12,99 € -5%

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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After much online hype shrouded in mystery, Soundway presents the first in a new series of 12” releases which will make available many hard-to-find and in-demand dancefloor tracks on loud, DJ-friendly pressings.
On this first 12” are two late 1980s Ghanaian highlife cuts taken from the catalogue of Nakasi Records. Nakasi was run by the late producer Nana Asiedu (Big Joe) - a well-known figure in the Ghanaian and African music community of 1980s London.
The A-side showcases a track from Jon K’s second solo album, which was a re-working of a traditional Fanti language Asafo company song Asafo Beesuon. Made famous by C.K.Mann on his seminal album ‘Funky Highlife’, this version very much reflects the more westernised late 1980s sound of highlife music recorded in the UK, Holland, Canada and Germany for both ex-pat Ghanaian audiences and those back home in West Africa.
The album features the stalwart session musician Alfred Bannerman, the go-to Ghanaian guitarist known for the classic cut of ‘Let Me Love You’ by Bunny Mack, among many other tracks over the last 40 years, including his work on contemporary releases for Soundway such as Konkoma and Ibibio Sound Machine.
On the B-side, Pat Thomas (the brother in-law of Big Joe) needs little introduction having been touring the world extensively in recent years with the Kwashibu Area Band. Somehow this dancefloor-heavy cut has eluded recent compilations and reissues. With horns arranged by long time friend and collaborator Ebo Taylor, it’s an instantly recognisable sound that also features Rex Gyamfi - himself a well-known purveyor of 1980s ‘burger-highlife’.

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LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Philophon)

Bitteschön, Philophon!

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Analog Africa)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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"Bitteschön, Philophon!" presents a "best of" selection taken from the so far fifteen 7" releases by the Berlin-based label Philophon. Greats as Jimi Tenor, Alemayehu Eshete and Hailu Mergia as well as new discoveries such as Guy One, Alogte Oho and Y-Bayani echo on "Bitteschön" the wide spectrum of the Philophon catalogue.
Philophon puts its emphasis on authentic local styles - from heavy grooving Ethio-Jazz coming out of Addis Abeba to cheerful Frafra-Gospel, as it is celebrated in Bolgatanga/Northern Ghana. Most recordings took place where the music is located - and that's the recipe for Philophon's productions: go to the source and dive into the real.

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Orchestre Abass

29,99 €*

12" | 2018 | EU | Original (Jamwax)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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In 1972, Orchestre Abass released two incredible singles on Polydor. These records - featuring Samarin Banza, Haka Dunia and other afrofunk masterpieces - were powerful enough to knock any music head out, but it wasn’t until the discovery of some unreleased material by the band that the seeds for this project were planted.

All the music was licensed directly from the various composers of these songs. The vinyl is pressed on 180 High Quality Virgin Vinyl and the gatefold contains previously unseen pictures and a detailed biography of the might band.

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T.Z. Junior

Sugar My Love

15,99 €*

LP | 2018 | EU | Original (Blind Faith)

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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Thandi Zulu known as T.Z. Junior was a young girl from Soweto. She started her musical career with Peter Moticoe who produced "Love Games" with The Young Five on Heads label in 1984. Then, Peter Moticoe brought her to Phil Hollis at Dephon Entertainment who then teamed them up with Attie Van Wyk who was the producer for Yvonne Chaka Chaka at that time.
Phil Hollis started Dephon Promotion (Dephon Entertainment) in the late 70's and developed into the largest independent record company in South Africa. He describes himself as the only person who has been involved in recording of major hit songs in nearly all genres of music in all the languages in South Africa. Phil Hollis was involved in all aspects of the Entertainment industry from production of recordings, recording company, distribution, marketing and promotion, events management, staging major events and filming.
"Sugar My Love" and "Are You Ready for Love" were produced and arranged by Attie Van Wyk. “Back in the 80's I was a songwriter for a band called Ballyhoo when I got an offer from the Dephon Record Company to join them as a music producer. So I quit the band and joined them, producing records mainly for music targeted at the black market in those days,” he says. Between 1982 and 1992, Attie Van Wyk produced over 120 albums, including many for Yvonne Chaka Chaka.

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Baba And Djana Sissoko

Fasiya

Release: 2018 / EU – Original

Genre: Organic Grooves

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LP | 2018 | EU | Reissue (20th Century Masterworks)

Bob Dylan

Debut Album

18,99 €*

Release: 2018 / EU – Reissue

Genre: Organic Grooves

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2LP | 2018 | UK | Reissue (Hive Mind)

Maalem Mahmoud Gania

Colours Of The Night

31,99 €*