Jun 25/07
The intro
I’m a total sucker for West African music that starts with a heavily accented, spoken introduction. Maitre Gazonga’s classic of classics, Les Jaloux Saboteurs, springs immediately to mind. (As does dancing our faces off to that track in Brittany last weekend, rocking sunglasses, punch, flip-flops and a whole lotta mustache.) Franco and Sam Mangwana’s Cooperation is another example of a classic spoken intro.
With this in mind we continue with our Original Music series with a little Godwin Opara and his Oriental Brothers from the Do It If You Can/Onye Ikekwere Mekeya compilation.
“Oriental Brothers” actually refers to quite a few related bands. Frontmen came and went over the years and the band took many forms. Opara’s Oriental Brothers were the true originals, followed by Dr. Sir Warrior’s and several others. We’ll hear from the latter later.
The opening line sounds a bit like he’s yelling, “Hello, France!” I can just picture him waving out to the crowd at Place Ste. Marthe during Fête de la musique..
Listening to the Oriental Brothers always reminds me of Dulue, who introduced them to me many years ago in Lagos. Tip of the hat your way, Mr. Mbachu.
Do any of you have copies of the original Afrodisia Oriental Brothers releases?
See you in a couple weeks. Hopefully I’ll have much Bolivian folkloric funk to share.
Oriental Brothers – Oh Dear Jesus
Tags: nigiera, original music
Great song! Thanks Matt.
Aduna
Excellent mate! I´ve been obsessed with West African music since january 2006. First day I visit this site, seems its going to be a rich source of quality sounds.
Very excited with that Bolivian funk you are talking about… (i am horny to Brazilian, Panamanian, Cuban, Perouvian, Mexican or Colombian funk… But Bolivian… never thought it existed).
Greetings from Madrid.
Very nice stuff. Thanks a million.
For some perverse reason known only to himself, John Storm Roberts credited this tune & CD to “Godwin Opara’s Oriental Brothers International.” They are actually by the Kabaka International Guitar Band. This is the group Godwin Kabaka Opara formed after he got sick of Dan Satch’s dictatorial ways and left the Oriental Brothers.
love this blog. may be you have info about a b crentsil song? about? when? album?
The title of the Opara CD is actually “Do Better If You Can.”
no info about a b crentsil song? right now filexoom (i use for mp3 and foto) is down. please look again if link broken.
THANKS, CAN YOU POST A NEW LINK FOR OH DEAR JESUS