We moved a little up-tempo yesterday.. let’s keep it that way.

Today we’ll hear some music by a class afro-funk group, Ice. They’re featured on several compilations, including Harmless’ Africafunk Volumes 1 and 2 and Comet Record’s aptly-titled, Racubah… but never played here on Benn loxo.

I don’t care if you’ve heard it already. It’s the end of the week, we’re all tired, and I need some bright brass and driving drums to get me moving.

Time Will Tell was original released by Epic in 1976.. the jacket, as you see to the left, is supah. Is that Geddy Lee in the middle or am I seeing things?

And does anyone have Ice’s 1970 release, Afro-Instrumental?

Ice – Time Will Tell

The beaches of the French Atlantic coast left me tanned and wanting more. I was definitely not ready for a multiple crisis-filled workday. Only one thing can get me out of this funk and through this mound of paperwork: West African psychedelia.

It occurred to me this morning that I’ve never posted any Manu Dibango. While today’s selection may not be the conventional pick, it comes by way of yet another gift from a Benn loxo listener.

Cameroonian by origin, mainly French at this point, Manu Dibango is one of Africa’s most well-known musicians. He’s still playing big gigs and releasing albums fairly regularly – you can catch him almost monthly in Paris and he plays in a few of the European festival circuits. He’s most famous for his saxophone-based jams that helped popularize the African soul-funk sound on a global level.

Today’s track is from the 3rd and latest release from the World Psychedelic Classics series: Love’s a Real Thing, The Funky Fuzzy Sounds of West Africa. And no, it’s not Soul Makossa.

Manu Dibango – Ceddo End Title

As promised, I’ll post a track today from the Club Africa 2 compilation. Quickly, because it’s Friday and beautiful outside – I want to get the hell out of the office.

Today we’ll hear some music by Afro-funk pioneer, Senegal’s Wasis Diop. In the early 70s Diop moved to France where he formed the group West African Cosmos with Guinea-Bissau musician/producer Umban Ukset. They released their one and only album in 1976 on CBS. The recording brought them instant fame.

West African Cosmos – Wuyé Wuyé

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 like Ghana Soundz Vol. 2 even better than the first. It bursts with funk.

Today’s selection off this compilation is by Ebo Taylor Jr. & Wuta Wazuri. Ebo Taylor Jr., son of the relatively well-known Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor, was a pretty solid musician in his own right. The keyboards on this track are pretty funky, even though at moments they sound a touch like some tripped-out segment from an ELP track. Wuta Wazuri back Ebo’s keys up with some of their 70s Ghana pop-funk.

The liner notes to Ghana Soundz 2 say that this track is “an end-of-the-night wobbler for sure.” Exactly.

Ebo Taylor Jr & Wuta Wazuri – Mondo Soul Funky

Several readers have suggested that I post some tracks off Miles Cleret’s Ghana Soundz compilations. I waited this long because I couldn’t find a copy of the recently-released second volume in Dakar. When I was in Canada/US/France these last few weeks I bought about 25 new albums, one of which is Ghana Soundz 2. So here we are, two days of “Afro-beat, funk and fusion in 70’s Ghana” on Benn loxo.

In 2000 Miles Cleret of Brighton, England, decided to head to Ghana to do some crate-digging for 70s soul, funk and afro-beat. Unlike Nigeria where the music was picked-up by big labels and well-distributed, Ghana’s soul/funk scene was pretty small and is for the most part unknown these days outside of West Africa. Two years and four trips later he had a pretty serious collection of vinyl as well as some good friends among the past players in the scene.

There are loads of tracks off these albums that I could post, however my favourite of the first volume is by a guy we’ve already heard on this site, Gyedu Blay Ambolley. Alas, we’ve already heard him so you’ll have to buy the album to hear Simigwado, a track that he recorded with the Steneboofs. Today we’ll go with some serious Afro-funk from ROB, a now-gospel musician who could sing’n'dance a funk storm back in the 70s.

ROB – Make It Fast Make It Slow

With an egg nog aftertaste and wrapping paper all over the floor, Benn Loxo is back…

In 1973 highlife music was in trouble. The old-school were being pushed out the door by cheap disco and funk music from Nigeria and the States. Lucky for us a group of young highlife believers refused to let it die. Some started trying new forms of guitar-heavy highlife, dropping the horns and slow-dance rhythms of old in favour of a faster, harder music. Others created new forms of highlife-funk fusion. It was almost afrobeat, but still highlife. A new funky twist on a great sound.

One of these funk stars is Charles Kofi Amankwaa Mann (C. K. Mann) from Ghana. He took the traditional Ghanaian osode highlife beat and remixed it for the new generation. Add some whriling organ, fat bass lines and highlife harmonies and you get some seriously cool new music.

C. K., as he’s known in Ghana, is a self-taught guitarist and ex-sailor. He got his break playing for Kakaiku’s Guitar Band in the 60s. Once he established himself he started his own band, The Carousel 7. They had a mega-hit in ‘69, Edina Brenya, which propelled C. K. into stardom. It’s around this time that C. K. began to develop his new osode sound and incorporate disco and funk into highlife.

Today’s track was released in 1975 as part of a long-playing party LP. It was a big it, and directly responsible for reigniting the public’s waning interest in highlife music. Personally I listen to it while washing the dishes (combined with dancing) after a few glasses of wine and a good party.

ps- During the 80s C. K. Mann saved highlife again, but this time by mixing its traditions with gospel music. In present-day Ghana highlife is alive and well, though gospel-highlife is the sound of the moment thanks in part to people like Mann.

C. K. Mann – Funky Hi-Life

A couple of days ago I posted some West African funk by Ambolley off Afrodisiac’s collection, Booniay!!. It was the site’s busiest day ever, with more hits and unique users than ever before. I figure that makes it worth spinning up some more.

In 2003 Afrodisiac released another funk compilation titled The Danque!!. It’s the result of one man’s crate digging quest over a 10-month period all over West Africa. Check-out their site for more info. While it is not quite as good a collection as Booniay!!, there are still some jems. I’ll post a couple here today.

I bought this album online and therefore don’t have the liner notes. I scraped the Internet clean trying to find information about the groups I’m posting today but came up empty. I guess they’re just 45rpm singles from Ghana, Nigeria or another English West Africa country, but I don’t know much more than that. To be honest I’m a little confused because I actually thought that Guerilla was from the Carribbean, not West Africa. Could someone clear this up?

Either way, here’s some off-beat 70s West African funk to fire-up your Thursday workday.

Guerilla – La Popo
Mustapha – I’m Coming