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

Farid from Colombia just sent me an amazing album: African System Orchestra’s 1981 RAS release, Canon Kpa Kum.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I can tell African System Orchestra is an Igbo Nigerian group who were playing at around the same time as groups like the Imo Brothers International and the Peacocks.

Editor’s note: turns out I was wrong: Ndongo Pecos and presumably the rest of African System Orchestra are apparently Cameroonian, living in Nigeria when this album was recorded.

But these tracks certainly don’t sound like your average 70s Nigerian highlife. I guess by 1981 much of Nigeria was in the throws of Afrobeat and disco, which must have rubbed-off on the Igbo highlife bands too.

Does anyone have any more music like this? I’m refering specifically to late 70s, early 80s Igbo music with a bit of an afrofunk-disco drive to it?

Great party music. Thanks, Farid.

African System Orchestra - Canon Kpa Kum
African System Orchestra - African System No. 1

A few days ago we heard some 1960s highlife from Lagos.

Following the Nigerian civil war, or Biafran war for independence, depending on your history book, juju replaced highlife as the dominant musical force in Western Nigeria. While there were still a few Yoruba highlife musicians left in Lagos the dominant Igbo highlife stars had left town and juju musicians like Ebeneezer Obey were taking over.

Original Music’s 37th release, Lucky Stars Rosy Mornings, explores the exploding juju scene in Nigeria’s second city, Ibadan, located in western Nigeria, during the 1960s.

The compilation is filled with scratchy, lovely tunes that remind us how juju sounded before it sped up and got whacked over the head with a synth during the 1980s.

Professor Sunny Agaga & his Lucky Stars Band - Olorun Lomo Ola
F.A. Jimmy West & his Rosy Morning Band - Ijesha Ile

I’m determined to eventually get a post in for every single Original Music release. I know that many of you, or at least those who read often, may already have these albums, but bear with me. It’s a personal goal to collect and post a sample from every album in the OM catalog.

Today’s picks come from Original Music’s 17th release, Mbuki Mvuki. It’s a compilation of, in their words, “terrestrial hits from the catalog”. So if you’re not into running around, collecting every release, this album is a good sampler of much of what the label offered.

According to the liner notes, Mbuki Mvuki is Bantu for “to shuck off one’s clothes in order to dance.” I don’t know about you, but that’s what we’re doing here in our Paris apartment this sunny Saturday morning.. dancing, possibly with some by-request Diana Ross thrown into the mix, coffee in hand.

Three of my favourite tracks off the compilation from Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria. Enjoy your Sunday.

Professional Uhuru - Madzi Me Sigya
Salim Abdullah - Wanawake Wa Tanzania
New Star Orchestra - Olefaya Loko

I revived Benn loxo with some Nigerian 70s rock courtesy of Soundway yesterday, so we’ll continue along a similar path with another in my long series of Original Music posts.

Today’s tracks come off one of my favourite Original Music releases that I’ve heard to date, Azagas & Archibogs - The Sixties Sound Of Lagos. The compilation features a collection of Nigerian Igbo, Yoruba and other highlife groups from Lagos. The songs have been (slightly) remastered from 45rpm records released during the early to mid-1960s.

It’s interesting to hear some good Yoruba highlife from this period, before Juju and Afrobeat took over. Most of the Nigerian highlife I know is from the Igbo east of the country, a region that for me, maybe aside from Ghana, produced Africa’s best music during the 1960s. However, it’s clear after listening to this compilation that Lagos’ Yoruban groups definitely had a good thing going as well.

Charles Iwegbue & His Archibogs - Okibo
Eric Akaeze & His Azagas - Adunni

I’m back, again. This time from a couple weeks in Canada for my brother’s wedding. Congrats, Ben.

And what better way to return than with some Nigerian 70s rock. That’s what this web site is all about, after all. Remember the beginning?

Today’s tracks come courtesy of the good people at Soundway Records. You should all know and love their Ghana Soundz releases, plus Afro-baby and that great TP Orchestre Poly-Rythmo release put together by Miles Cleret.

Soundway have a new double-disc compilation coming out in a few days called Nigeria Special: Modern highlife, afro-sounds and Nigerian blues, 1970-6. Pre-order now - fantastic hard-to-find classics, nicely cleaned-up.

This quote from the liner notes sums up the sound: “The early to mid-70s was the last time you could step out in Lagos, Onitsha, Enugu, Kaduna, Jos or Port Harcourt and see both old-style highlife bands dessed in crisp, matching suits; and then leave and visit a club up the road with young bands in their early twenties, dressed in Cuban heels, T-shirts and flares, and playing psychedelic rock and pop songs.”

ps - check-out the fansite at http://nigeriaspecial.info.

The Hykkers - I Want A Break Thru
The Funkees - Akula Owu Onyeara
Semi Colon - Nekwaha Semi Colon

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

Did you see this article on the BBC the other day? Am I the only one who thinks that the abundance of titles adds to the amazing flavour of contemporary Nigerian life? Seriously, earned or bought, Nigerian title-giving is just another example of the colour we often lack out West. Plus, I would love if my colleagues started calling me Dr. Chief Engineer Matt, Esquire.

Anyway, I’ve never posted any King (Chief) (Dr.) Oliver de Coque on Benn loxo before, so today we’ll hear one of his tracks grabbed off a good compilation, Lagos Chop Up.

I didn’t make up the Chief, King or Doctor part. de Coque earned his Doctor title when the University of New Orleans awarded him an honorary doctorate in music in 1994. The King title came when he was crowned the King of Highlife music by the Alaafin of Oyo. Not sure where the Chief came in, but he refers to himself using this title too.

Oliver de Coque, born plain-old Oliver Sunday Akanite, is a Nigerian musician famous for his Ogene highlife music and untiring promotion of his native Igbo culture. His break came in 1979 when his single, People’s Club Ka anyi bili be ndu, sold two million copies. He kept at it and has released a stream of successful recordings over several decades.

I picked the second track because my favourite Wolof proverb, aside from benn loxo du taccu, is danka ndanka mooy jaapa golo si nahi. It translates into “slowly, slowly, you catch a monkey in the bush.” In other words, chill-out, guy. Take it easy. It’s August. This is the Ikenga Super Stars of Africa’s advice to you in their own pidgin way.

ps- That’s the Emir of Katsina in Nigeria top-left. More pictures of African royalty here.

pps- Benn loxo reader, Kevin, is heading to Ghana. Any tips for live music venues, record shops, festivals or good things to check-out music-wise?

Oliver de Coque & his Expo ‘76 - The Tragedy Story of Two Friends
Ikenga Super Stars of Africa - Soffry Soffry Catch Monkey

When I was in university there were weekly screenings of old-school NFB movies at a local ice cream parlour. (The same place where now-famous Buck 65 used to occasionally rap for small crowds.)

There were the predictable screenings of that classic of classics, The Log Driver’s Waltz, the edge of your seat thriller, Octopus Hunt (check-out the awesome musical sequence at around 6′), and the perennial favourite, Cosmic Zoom.

My favourite short film by far is one I can’t seem to find in the NFB archives. It starts with a guy with an afro running up the stairs to the beat of some whack funk music. He climbs several flights, easing the audience into the rhythm of the music, before bursting into daylight on the roof. He then climbs into one of those 1970s-esque bubble helicopters, puts on his 1970s-esque earphones, and takes-off.

When he’s in the air the film’s title scrolls across the screen in exciting 3D lettering: “Traffic Copter”. The pace of the film then slows dramatically. The funk music dies, and you spend the rest of the 15 minutes listening to some guy explain the inner-workings of a traffic helicopter as he flies over bland 1970s Toronto landscapes.

The first time I saw this film I nearly fell-off my seat laughing.. and undoubtedly got some ice cream on my shirt.

One thing is for sure: if Traffic Copter had been produced in Nigeria they would have used the Ebenezer Obey song I’m going to post today as the soundtrack. Amazing stuff. You can grab it and more on the compilation Lagos All Routes, available at Dusty Groove.

ps- Thanks, Alex.

Ebenezer Obey & His Inter-Reformers Band - Eyi Yato / Elere Ni Wa

Today we have a fourth guest post by dedicated Benn loxo listener and contributor, ubulujaja:

A lot has been made about the fact Chief Stephen Osadebe was mentored by Zeal Onyia, so I thought I would contribute two tracks from his Philips LP titled Zeals Message to give you an idea of where Osadebe learned his craft and what a first class highlife trumpeter sounded like.

Zeal Onyia was a Nigerian trumpeter with impeccable credentials. In 1953 he went to Ghana and played with ET Mensah in the Tempos Band before moving on to the Spike Anyankor’s Rhythm Band. He came back to Nigeria and along with Bobby Benson, Eddie Okonta and Victor Olaiya became one of the great trumpeters of the golden era of highlife in the 60’s and early 70’s.

While he was probably widely recorded or a sideman in other bands, I have only seen a few of his solo recordings including a track on the Night and Day compilation HighLife HighUp’s, a Tabanasi release titled Zeal Rides Again, a few 45’s and 2 78 recordings on a web site dedicated to Zeal Onyia.

The first song is titled Egbe Ne Lueli and is a good example of the raw energy in a classic highlife song, with vocals followed by alternating horns and percussion solos. The drumming on this tracks is particularly tight and there is a great horn blast by Zeal Onyia midway through the song. The rhythmic chorus makes the 2nd track more afro-beat in nature, but the thready horn solo at the beginning became an signature introduction for highlife musicians and was used to great effect by Charles Iwegbue in his classic song, Ejelunor.

Zeal Onyia - Egbe Ne Lueli
Zeal Onyia - Idegbani

Benn loxo listener, curm, asked in the comments of the last post whether young people were still producing guitar highlife in Ghana. The general consensus seems to be: not much.

That said, highlife influence still pops up in contemporary releases every now and again. For example, CC Smith recently hooked me up with a copy of the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International’s latest release. This Chicago-based band led by guitarist Nathaniel Braddock has an old-school African sound that incorporates elements of highlife, soukous and rumba, plus some contemporary twists.

There have been a lot of bad highlife, rumba and African salsa revival bands, particularly synth-based ones in the mid-80s, but the Occidental Brothers pull it off. The guitar work is spot on and they lay on some subtle effects to get that 1960s recording feel to the music as well.

This kind of contemporary throwback to classic West African music also serves as a nice tribute to one of its pioneers, Nigerian highlife legend Chief Steven Osita Osadebe. He passed away last week at the age of 71. The influence of his music obviously lives on.

Occidential Brothers Dance Band International - Komokosaka
Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe - Onu Kwulunjo

Last night I went to a great Cowboys Fringants show at the Elysée Montmartre. A little blast from home.. though there weren’t exactly many Canadian flags in sight.

Most of you are probably familiar with many Québecois’ ill-fated struggle for independence from Canada. As a friend put it last night, “I totally understand why they want to leave, but at the same time I really hope they stay.” That pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter, especially as (one of the few) English Canadians who can speak French well. Either way, after two referendum losses it doesn’t look like Canada is going to lose Québec any time soon. Tant mieux…

The Igbo people of the Biafran region in south-eastern Nigeria also had a hard go at separation, but they didn’t exactly get the benefit of referendums and peaceful dialog. Instead, the Biafran war for independence was one of the more gruesome conflicts in recent African history.

Biafra actually existed as a self-proclaimed independent republic for about three years, from 1967 until 1970. It never got officially recognized by enough countries, however, and Nigeria had the big-guy backing of the UK and the Soviet Union.

Nigeria eventually reclaimed the territory by blocking all access to supplies, notably food. Thousands (maybe millions - no one really knows) died as a result of the blockade and the Biafrans were forced into surrender.

It may seem a bit extreme to do a musical pairing of Igbo and Quebecois music, but the two cultures share a lot in common: a history of feeling repressed by a very culturally different majority and an ongoing, low-level fight for independence.

I don’t know the name of the Oriental Brothers track. Can anyone identify it?

Oriental Brothers - Unknown
Les Cowboys Fringants - Les Etoiles Filantes

Original Music certainly make the shortlist for best album name for their 1995 Orlando Owoh release, Dr. Ganja’s Polytonality Blues.

I’s a classic four track mix of mid-70s Nigerian juju-highlife stuffed with psychedelic riffs and slow burning melodies. The track I picked for today makes a sweet switch at about the five minute mark, catching your ears off guard as you two-toke it around.

Orlando Owoh has been playing music in Nigeria since the mid-1950s. In his heyday he was one of Decca’s best-selling artists, and is known for being one of the key pioneers of the juju-highlife movement during the 1970s. He suffered a stroke in 2005 but, as far as I know, is doing alright now.

Thanks to Benn loxo listener, Flecton, for sending this my way.

Orlando Owoh - Emi Wa Wa Lowo Re, Alun Gbere Wa De

Today’s guest post will hopefully be the first in a series called In my ears: The highlife listening booth by Benn loxo listener, Ubulujaja.

“This month these two highlife tracks recently caught my ear:

Bob Fred: Okolobie Special

An important Ukwani highlife guitarist, Bob Fred appears to have been at the center of the Ukwani highlife music scene of the late 70s and early 80s. He played lead guitar on Rogana Ottah classic 1st LP Ukwani Special in 1976, fronted for well known Ukwani highlife bands like the International Brothers and the Ndokwa Super International Band, and released several LPs under his own name.

I found the song Okolobie Special to be a good example of Bob Fred’s music. The opening features an up-tempo guitar and horn segment that sets the stage for the vocalists to launch into an eight minute cavalcade of call and response vocals. While the guitar playing clearly echoes Rogana Ottah style, the vocals have a rawer, earthier feel. The lead vocalist is listed as Paddy and the chorus is led by Show Scatter (who also appeared on the Ukwani Special LP) and someone named as George. Okolobie appears to be a town in the River State. A solid Uwkani highlife number.

Prince A.E. Amgabaduba: Tamarau Au Na

Tamarau Au Na is a song by Prince A.E. Amgabaduba. I don’t know much about the performer or how to classify his music style, except to say I always liked Prince A.E. Amgabaduba’s style of vocalization and have only been able to find a few tracks where all the depth and beauty of his singing really comes out. The 18 minute song Seikiriemelemor on the Highlife Specialist LP is his masterpiece, but this shorter song gives you a good idea of what his vocals are all about.

Hope you enjoy the music…

Ubulujaja”

Thanks for the music and info. I’m looking forward to future editions.

Bob Fred & Ukwuani Brothers - Okolobie Special
Prince A. E. Amgabaduba & his Amazuo’s Band of Nigeria - Tamarau Na

I finally checked-out The Constant Gardener and really enjoyed it. In my opinion both this and Lord of War do a good job of portraying some of the darker sides of sub-Saharan African life.

A few people I spoke with thought that the movies were too negative and further reinforced negative stereotypes of life in Africa. I can see how you can argue that, but I think it’s fair of me to say that I’ve seen corruption and extreme poverty first-hand in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and a host of other African countries, and that it’s not pretty. So maybe it’s a good idea to educate your average Western movie-going joe public about the true realities of every day life for millions of Africans. In my opinion these movies paint a much more accurate picture of sub-Saharan African life than a weepy Worldvision commercial or whatever other exposure most people get.

This reminds me: if you want to read a first-hand account from the perspective of a child growing up in Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War, you should check-out my friend Dulue Mbachu’s recently released book, War Games. You can buy it on Amazon. More information about Dulue and the book are available at the publisher’s web site.

So I guess it’s now time to turn our attention to some positive sides of life from the continent. Happy-sounding Nigerian highlife springs to mind. Re-released by (the now defunct?) AfroStrut records in the UK in 2000, Orlando Julius and His Modern Aces’ 1966 album, Super Afro Soul, is a classic.

Julius’ style mixes his mid-60s Nigerian highlife with American rnb. This is best represented in their funny, if not so musically amazing, rendition of The Temptations’ My Girl.

If you’re into this album also check-out the 2004 Ekosound release, Orlando Julius & his Afro Sounders - Orlando’s Afro Ideas.

Orlando Julius & His Modern Aces - Olulofe
Orlando Julius & His Modern Aces - My Girl

I got an e-mail from Benn loxo listener Robert the other day about a post I did way back in April. Thanks to this I’m once again awash in memories of Lagos and it’s diesel-fumed, Yoruba-infused energy. Thanks, Rob. Here’s what he said:

“Back in April you posted the opening track from Adewale Ayuba’s Formula and asked if anyone knew the title. Well, having now acquired the cassette version, I can pass on the complete track listing:

Side One: Good Time (the track you posted)/Papapa/Everybody Come And Dance/London Experience; Amuludun Of Remoland/Arole of Sayindo (sagamu)
Side Two: Who Got The Rhythm?/Keep On Dancing/European Tour 2002/O Seun Olorun/Chief Oyekanmi Adisa Olowabi/Femi Sotire; Mastay Dollar/Jay Jay

While tracking this one down in the Nigerian supermarkets of Deptford High Street in south London, I was alerted to the latest big fuji release — a triple cassette album, no less, from the man who now calls himself King Wasiu Ayinde K-1 The Ultimate, but whom everyone seems to refer to just as “Wasiu”. The album is called Flavours, with the three cassettes labelled Flavour 1, Flavour 2 and Flavour 3. The sleeve note on the back of the cardboard outer pack is dated July 2005, so it can’t have been out long. I enclose two tracks so you can have a listen. Enjoy!”

I’ve re-posted the Were transformed track from April, and also included the two tracks that Robert so graciously sent my way. Great stuff, particularly Ayinde’s Awa De Oo. I actually have some more K-1 stuff tucked away somewhere, so if I can track it down I’ll post it later this week.

Wasiu Ayinde - Awa De Oo
Wasiu Ayinde - Ori

When I was in Boston a few weeks ago K surprised me with a great gift: Celestine Ukwu. Now, if you’re a big music guy like myself I don’t think there’s anything sexier than a cute girl with good taste in West African highlife. Thanks, Kate.

During the 1960s Rex Lawson and a host of other Igbos popularized highlife music before it fell out of favour during the civil war of 1967-70. By the mid-1970s, however, the Nigerian highlife scene had started up again with bands like the Oriental Brothers, Prince Nico and perhaps most importantly, Celestine Ukwu.

Ukwu’s style is slightly different from that of his contemporaries; he was apparently a soft-spoken, relaxed kind of guy and this is reflected in the music he plays. You’ll hear slower rhythms and even things like steel slide guitar poking up from beneath the palmwine acoustic. Even the name of his band is pretty chilled-out: Professor Celestine Ukwu and the Philosophers National. Why don’t bands give themselves names like that anymore?

You can pick-up today’s track at Stern’s on Celestine Ukwu Best Collection Volume 1.

Celestine Ukwu - Ife Sina Chi

Fatai Rolling Dollar, the ex-highlife music legend from Lagos, Nigeria, is staging a comeback at the tender age of 78. His recently released album, Won Kere Si Number, is enjoying great success in Nigeria. Dollar, whose real last name is Olagunjo, suddenly finds himself playing loads of gigs and getting some media attention from major Nigerian publications.

Fatai Rolling Dollar, like so many other highlife musicians of the 60s and 70s, was largely forgotten during the 1970s when Nigeria entered its sketchy phase of multiple military dictatorships, corruption and violence. For years he worked as a security guard and did some gigs as a church guitarist. It wasn’t until 2003-2004 that anyone remembered his music or he recorded anything new. Jazzhole put out three new albums in two years and suddenly he was a household name again.

Unfortunately his albums’ success didn’t make him any money. He still lives in a dusty one-bedroom in Mushin, Lagos. To quote Lagos’ Sun News, he “doesn’t even have a car” and until recently had to play his guitar on the street for smokes. Not surprisingly, Fatai feels that Jazzhole, the label/store that released his album, is ripping him off. If you’ve ever been to Lagos you’d understand that this is entirely possible, even though Jazzhole has a great reputation and is one of the better West African music stores.

Following the success of his latest release he’s now split from Jazzhole and is putting together an album for wider global release with a guy named Barry White (no, not the dead, smooth talking master.) Look for it soon and in the meantime here’s some music from Won Kere Si Number. Sorry for no purchase links but I think you can only buy this in Nigeria.

ps- thanks again to Didier for this CD. I’m very jealous that he got to see all this great music in Lagos last week.

Fatai Rolling Dollar - To Ba Fe Mo Dollar (acoustic version)

First of all, big shout-out to my friend from Dakar, Didier, his sons, Max and Tito, and the lovely Caro. Didier just got back from a business trip to Lagos and was nice enough to bring me a signed copy of Lágbájá’s latest album, Africano. (Didier caught Lágbájá live on the Lagos mainland last week.) Fantastic. The CD reads, “MATT! LAGBAJA!”, which is appropriate given how I feel about his music.

Anyway, the gift sprung me back in Benn loxo action. I’m really sorry there hasn’t been much music here lately - things have been wildly busy and I need to find new ways to build a daily post into my schedule. I’ll try my best.

Lágbájá is one of the quintessential Nigerian musicians still living and playing music in Lagos. He’s probably most famous not for his music but rather for the mask he always wears. Lagos urban legend tells that nobody except his mom knows what he looks like.

The word Lágbájá is Yoruba for nobody or everybody at once. Lagbaja wears his mask so that he can remain faceless, most likely due to his frequent sharp criticism of Nigeria’s corrupt Big Men. You have to respect a guy who shies from public recognition and fame, especially in an often bling society such as the one you often find in Lagos. He has a great web site if you want more info - check it out here.

His music is fun, too. Loads of Yoruba percussion, positive lyrics and a some of the Nigerian afrofunk that continues to touch so much of the music coming out of Lagos.

Lágbájá - Skentele Skontolo

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