Few recordings came out this formation from Guadeloupe including great names such as Georges Desplan or Edouard Benoit and directed by Freddy Mars. I would have post it just for the great cover art, but it also turns out to be a heavy tropical track...
Here's a unique musical project auto produced by Dane Belany and release in New York by Sahara label. Influences are clear: dedicated to Frantz Fanon, and lyrics from several songs inspired by Aimée Cesaire or David Diop (senegalese pan-africanist poet from the 50s).
At 72 years old, Roy Ayers is still playing his vibraphon live. Listening to the disco oriented track "Evolution" he played last weekend, reminded me of this 7", from the album "Mystic Voyage".
Here's a promo copy of a Frank Valmont track "Malére", perfectly balanced between west indies unique rhythms and 70s modern jazz. He's mainly known as a composer in Guadeloupe and Martinique form the 60s, but also released few records including a LP at Moshe Naim label (MN10023) backed with Synchro Rhythmic Ecclectic Language (a west indies jazz band already introduced in Muzzicaltrips through a great and pretty rare afrojazz 7 inch here).
Some of his compositions also were used as soundtrack for cinema in the 70s, and his cultural activism was multi-approach, including writing and painting (and gastronomy!).
Vaya records is a NY based label created in 1971 as sub-label from Fania records, with a focus on latin artists and productions with soul funk and jazz orientations. Here's a good illustration with an Azuquita track full of various influences: superfunky guitar, roots afrocuban voices and drums, and guaguanco rhythm (original song was composed by Saoco).
All is resumed in the singer's introduction: "This is the story of a guajiro, who went out the jungle searching out new horizons"
This is a very special post as something big is happening in Dakar right now... The mythic band Le Sahel will play live again next this week.
Le Sahel, named from the club they were playing during the mid 70s, was composed by master musicians and mixed latin rhythms and sabar, giving birth to a unique senegalese style.
After more than 30 years, Dakar based label Teranga Beat, released some of 70s recordings from Idrissa Diop and Cheikh Tidiane Tall (including some never edited tracks!), and is now bringing this band back to life.
Balla Onivogui (trumpet player and director) was one of the great figures of Guinea "Authenticité" era, recording first with Orchestre du Jardin de Guinée and then with his group Les Balladins for governement's label Syliphone.
Wilikabo is a funk influenced (but deep and heavy guinean) song, with great drums and guitar solos.
Balla et ses Balladins - Wilikabo:
Sekou "le docteur" Diabate: lead guitar Pivi Moriba: alt sax Manfila "Soba" Kante: vocals Abdou Camara: drums Souleimane Sylla: sax Amadou Thiam: perc Bamba Kourouma: bass Kemo Kouyate: rythm guitar
Gnonnas Pedro deliverers a unique latin sound from Benin. Famous african salsero, he changed his french name "Pierre" for "Pedro", and played all along the 70s initially with his band called Los Panchos de Cotonou, and then the Dadje Band.
He finished his carreer integrating Africando in 1995 and died in 2004.
Gnonnas Pedro and his Dadjes Band - Ati Mawuin Dagamasi:
Following LP is a 79 "disguised" reissue: tracks are not in the same order and spelling is different. Encoded mp3 are from this copy as have it in better shape than the original.
Disco Stock, Abidjan - LPDS 7902 [1979]
It is said in the liner notes that when Orquesta Aragon came touring in Benin in 1977, musicians were singing in the bus to Lokossa: "Assiko, Assiko, Assiko... Feso Jaye..." And the following day, Richard Egues and Gnonnas Pedro worked together on some Gnonnas songs...
I was wondering how come japanese people are so good at dancing salsa... I got the answer finding this sheet within a Fania japanese reissue from the 1975 Hector Lavoe - La Voz (well, this travelling LP is salsa from Puerto Rico, produced in New York, reissued in Japan, found in Senegal, now spinning in France...)
Here is a ufo from congo, amazing keyboard, incredible lyrics dealing with the impact of feminist ideas on evolution of man/woman daily relation. In a humoristic way (sure it's humoristic?!! seems to be so natural!), congolese pluri-artist Francis Bebey here talks about his "oppressed male condition".
Francis Bebey - La Condition Masculine:
Lyrics:
Tu ne connais pas Sizana, Sizana, c'est ma femme C'est ma femme puisque nous sommes mariés depuis plus de 17 ans maintenant. Sizana était une très bonne épouse auparavant Je lui disais : "Sizana, donne-moi de l'eau" Et elle m'apportait de l'eau à boire De l'eau claire, hein ! Très bonne ! Seulement, depuis quelque temps, les gens-là Ils ont apporté ici la condition féminine. Ils paraît que là-bas chez eux, Ils ont installé une femme dans un bureau Pour qu'elle donne des ordres aux hommes. Aïe ! Tu m'entends des choses pareilles? Et depuis, toutes les femmes de notre village Parlent seulement de la condition féminine Maintenant je dis à Sizana : "Donne-moi à manger, j'ai faim" Elle ne m'écoute même pas hein, Elle me parle seulement de la condition féminine. Si je dis : "Sizana, donne-moi de l'eau". Elle me répond seulement que... heu... La condition féminine... heu... Il faut que j'aille chercher l'eau moi-même ! Bref ! Il faut te dire que ma condition masculine est devenue très malheureuse ici. Alors moi j'ai dit à Sizana : "écoute, moi je ne connais qu'une seule condition féminine: La femme obéit à son mari, elle lui fait à manger, elle lui fait des enfants. Voilà tout". Tu sais que Sizana s'est fâchée? Elle est venue me parler à haute voix ! Comme si elle était un homme ! Moi je l'ai battue hein ! Elle a crié pour appeler tout le village Moi je lui dis seulement : "Ne crie pas, ne crie pas hein la condition féminine, la condition féminine, Tous les jours tu me parles de la condition féminine, Moi je te donne maintenant la condition masculine. La condition féminine... la condition féminine... Hé ! Dis donc ! La condition féminine, est-ce que c'est même plus grand que la condition masculine !?" http://www.bebey.com/index.htm
