Thanks to lots of great Mauritian music submitted by Benn loxo listeners I’ll be back with a second Mauritius week tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, let’s take a quick breather.. friend and Benn loxo listener Alex has a Monday treat for you:

“Tonight I’ve found a rare track that deserves to spread among the world of African music fans. It’s a rare B-side of Fela Kuti’s from 1970, just as he invented the style of Afrobeat music.

Beautiful Dancer has a hard groove like the other song on this record, the well-known Black Man’s Cry. While Black Man’s Cry became famous after it was featured as the opening track on Fela’s 1971 live album with Ginger Baker, Beautiful Dancer has been lost and never featured on any re-release since the original 45rpm record (which was only released in Nigeria and France). It features Fela’s Africa 70 with Tony Allen on drums. There are a few more of these rare singles from Fela’s early career that have never been re-released, such as Keep Nigeria One, Beggar’s Song (Orin Alagbe), and Going In and Coming Out. If anyone has copies, please e-mail Matt.”

Thanks, Alex. As he said, if you have any of these un-released Fela tracks please let us know in the comments or by e-mail.

Fela Ransome-Kuti and his Africa ‘70 - Beautiful Dancer

One of my favourite Benn loxo readers, one who is responsible for introducing me to a lot of the music on this site, recently turned me on to Ignace De Souza.

Ignace De Souza is one of the those forgotten greats of West African music who was very influencial in his day. To give you an idea, in the liner notes of an Original Music compilation of his music, John Storm Robers credits De Souza’s track, Ole, as being the first afrobeat recording.

Originally from Benin, De Souza got his first big start when he got a gig playing sax with Alfa Jazz, who John Collins credits as being the first professional dance band in Benin. In later years De Souza moved to Ghana and played with several groups before forming his own. By the mid-60s, De Souza and Black Santiagos had become quite popular and began introducing Congo music to Ghana.

While a lot of the music on this Original Music comp sound pretty much like what you’d expect from the time and place they were recorded, there are several stand-out tracks. Two come to mind: Asaw Fofor for a 1960s chase scene and Anyenko for laid-back, “protofunk” summer music.

Unfortunately, great things never last. Does anyone know why the Black Santiagos split? Either way, in 1970 De Souza left Ghana before eventually settling in Lagos where he played with the house band at the Ritz Hotel. (I can’t help but associated this last bit with an image of Murph and the Murphtones at a Holiday Inn in the film The Blues Brothers.)

ps- you can still buy this album at Stern’s.

Ignace De Souza - Asaw Fofor
Ignace De Souza - Anyenko
Ignace De Souza - Ole

So what do you guys think of the latest Antibalas album?

I’ve always thought they were great live but that their studio recordings lacked something.. maybe it was just the imitation Fela that got to me, but in principle I have nothing against modern afrobeat. It’s like their tracks lacked that extra “oh, yeah, ahuh, what” that you get live and other musicians can pull-off on their albums.

All that said, I’m happy that Antibalas‘ latest release is a departure from their previous work. The track I’ll feature today is a clear example of where they’re moving. Produced by the same guy who worked with Stereolab and Tortoise, their sound has certainly changed.

Does that make it good? I haven’t decided yet. It still doesn’t sound as fresh as, say, Nomo, or as cool as the Allenko Brotherhood. But it’s a step in the right direction. Antibalas may yet be capable of becoming a truly rock-out, original afrobeat group in their own right.

Decide for yourself and let me know what you think.

Antibalas - Beaten Metal

Lately I’ve really been into the Bokoor Beats compilation by Professor John Collins.

Professor Collins has been active in the Ghanaian music scene since the late 60s. He’s not a Ghana native but has lived there for over 30 years and continues to be an important member of the musical community.

Over the years his Bokoor Studios in Accra has recorded hundreds of afrobeat, electric highlife and palmwine musicians. He’s worked with people you’ve heard here before, like TO Jazz. His own Bokoor Band also had some great releases in the 1970s, including one of the tracks I’ll post today.

Bokoor Beats is a collection of some of these remastered releases. You can grab it on Calabash - a definite must have for afrobeat, highlife and palmwine fans.

Bokoor Band - Onukpa Scwarpo
TO Jazz - Onam Bebe Basa

Happy new year.

I’m back from Canada, in a new apartment just down the street from the Paris SDFs, ready for another good 12 months as I hope you all are. Big love for sticking with Benn loxo for yet another year.

A few weeks ago a Benn loxo reader tipped me off about a good remix of The Uhuru Dance Band’s song, Olufeme, by Natural Self. I particularly like this mix because he keeps it simple. The original was already ready for the dancefloor, but boost the bass and add some loops and suddenly the hiphop kids forget they’re dancing to 70s Ghana groove.

In his own words, “Natural Self is an on going project by producer Keno-1 that involves various collaborators along the way.” More info on the MySpace page or here.

You might have already heard the original on that great compilation, Ghana Soundz 2.

Natural Self - Olufeme
Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band - Olufeme

Just enough time for a quick post today from a 1999 African funk music compilation that I re-found recently.

Today’s tracks are a funky reminder that afrobeat and its derivatives weren’t just an anglo-West African phenomenon. Great bands like Mombasa, Matata and others rocked the Kenyan soul and funk scene during the 1960s and 1970s.

I also thought of today’s songs because a friend was asking for tips for a song that “you’d listen to while walking down the street.” Both of these tracks are good mood, long walk classics. If you see a guy on his bike on rue Saint Honoré tonight, bobbing his head to an inaudible beat, it’s probably me singing these tunes to myself.

Matata were BBC’s Best Band in Africa in 1971 but unfortunately they faded away by the mid-70s. Mombasa I know much less about. Can someone fill us in?

You can find both of these tracks on the quality compilation Africafunk from the guys at Harmless Records.

Mombasa - African Hustle
Matata - Talkin’ Talkin’

I’m in London today. No time at all for a long post, but I’ll put up a good track from everyone’s favourite ex-British colony, Nigeria.

Here’s a little afrobeat from the popular 2004 Soundway compilation, Afro Baby: The Evolution Of The Afro-Sound in Nigeria 1970-79. Soundway are the UK label also responsible for the great Ghana Soundz compilations that I wrote about here and here.

Tunji Oyelana & The Benders - Ipasan

I mentioned The Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble in my post yesterday. Since I’m in the mood for some afrobeat I thought I’d post a track off that album to kick-off the weekend.

The Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble isn’t a group but rather an effort by Comet records in 2001 to unite some contemporary musicians and DJs with Tony Allen’s drum beats. Instead of same-old same-old remixes the album incorporates Allen’s classic beats with new styles… with great results.

My favourite track off the album is by Tweak from Straight Ahead Recordings. It’s also one of the closest in style to Tony Allen, particularly his recent solo works. I’ll illustrate this by posting a track off Allen’s 1999 album, Black Voices.

Tony Allen - The Same Blood
Tweak - Leroy

I’ve posted quite a few West African hip-hop tracks but I don’t think I’ve posted any Afro-French or Afro-American hip-hop collaborations. There are loads but two that stick out in my mind are 113’s “Voix du Mali” with Oumou Sangaré off their 2003 album Dans l’urgence (thanks, sufi, for reminding me about this track) and Tony Allen’s Jekalewa off the Nu Afrobeat Experience compilation.

OK, you probably know all about Tony Allen. Pioneer of afro-beat along with Fela Kuti, drummer and one of the main forces behind the Africa 70 band, &c &c &c. His trademark rhythm is timeless and instantly recognizable. You still hear it on great albums such as the Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble compilation and those by Antibalas. Allen is especially cool since he hasn’t stopped trying new things- he continues to release a wide variety of tunes with rnb, soul, hip-hop, jazz and even house musicians and DJs. He may be a little age-ed but the guy manages to stay cutting edge.

113, named after the Parisian banlieue 113 (think lower-class French suburb), are most famous outside of France for that unfortunate but oh-so-catchy tune “Tonton du bled” that came out when I was living in Paris a few years back. I promise they’re more than that, though, and even though I’m not a super-fan they have some solid tracks. Today’s pick is, in my opinion, one of them. Sangaré’s singing is beautiful and the rapping/rhythm works well. Listen especially to the last minute and a half or so.

Tony Allen - Jekalewa
113 - Voix du Mali feat. Oumou Sangaré

It’s the last day of Nigeria 60-80 week. Hope you had fun. Next week is Mali, alright?

Fela Kuti doesn’t need an introduction. If you don’t know who he is get your ass over here and find out.

Here’s part two of my favourite Fela track that he recorded after his 82-year-old mother died from being thrown out the window of his Kalakuta compound by police. Apparently that’s what you get for fucking with Nigerian president Obasanjo.

And since this is the end of Nigeria 60-80 week I’m upping the ante. I can’t resist putting up some more solid tracks by a bunch of Igbo boys on that Flashback 70-80 disc I featured in my first posting. There are just too many good songs that many of you might not otherwise hear.

Fela Kuti - Coffin For A Head Of State Pt. 2
The Funkees - Dancing Time (also available on Nigeria 70)
Founders 15 - Be My Own