Mori River Jazz Band - Harison Oyier (Kenyan benga, 1973)

(RCA Africana FWBO 9305).

Just a fresh and enjoyable benga track (check part2 when the bells enter!)

If you like that kind of tunes, stay around ...

Mori River Jazz Band - Harison Oyier:


Discover some (pretty rare) kenyan sound on LP HERE

Pico Culture #02 - MIX /// Terapia Africana Mix (a selection of pico african hits)

From the 70s, while the soundsystem culture was developing, more and more african records arrived on the colombian coast due to increasing commercial exchanges between international harbors.

Some african songs became hits, african styles being surnamed: nova for highlife tracks, rastrillo for kenyan tracks... It was such a big success for the youth of Cartagena and Baranquilla that even each popular song received his own surname. Also several tracks have been bootlegged in terapia/champeta  compilations (which leads to find improbable records including a pure benga followed by an awful 80s techno), and not always credited the original artist/title, but just the local surname known by everybody.

That's the reason of this special selection, composed only of african tracks (Liberia, Angola, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zaire). These tunes are popular in Baranquilla's southern barrios, as long as you speak about: la botellita, el serrucho, la guitarrita, la mecedora, la munequita, el rastrillo, el beto, los palitos, la pipona,  el ejen, el akien, la llorona...

Okok Rachar Band (Benga music, 1977)

(JICCO JCLP 017).

I have few information about this band and record, but it's just great music from Kenya (benga music) released on the nigerian label Jicco.

Okok Rachar Band - Philip Odingo:

Benga music / Daniel Owino and th DO-7 Shirati Jazz Band - Sheroline(1976)

DO7 LP3100

Nyatiti is the name of the eight-string lyre used in Luo region of Kenya (Lake Victoria area). The syncopated play of this traditional instrument inspired guitar players exploring electric instruments possibilities in the 60s, leading to a new major style in Kenya and Tanzania: Benga music.

Daniel Owino Misiani (1940-2006) was born in the Shirati region, on the Victoria Lake shore on the tanzanian side. Based in Nairobi from 1964, he was one of the principal musicians developing Benga, recording hits with Shirati Jazz Band during the 70s and 80s.

DO7 Shirati Jazz Band - Jaa (Part 1 and 2):

Orch. DO7 Shirati Jazz discography on kentanza.com

Daniel Owino Misiani interview about future of Benga music: