(Lassissi LS26).
Ghanaian guitarist Osenkafo I.K. Anin (Annin) played within Police Dance Band in Kumasi, or Parrots Band, before creating the Cutlass Dance Band.
Showing posts with label highlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label highlife. Show all posts
Uhuru Dance Band - Betu Me O Awow (1970)
(Decca 258.112).
Highlife knew his golden era during the 50s and 60s in Ghana, but this late 1970 "special hi-life numbers" just sounds like in the old good time, when president Kwame Nkrumah used to promote it as a symbol of modern (pan)african expression.
Saka Acquaye and his African Ensemble from Ghana
(Explorer Series H-72026).
Saka Acquaye (+2007) was an artist from Ghana who had opportunity to travel to the U.S. during the 40s and 50s, and thus contributed to the modernization process of west african music during the 60s.
The liner notes insist on how modern was this music at the time:
"(...) The new african nations have taken their place among self-governing peoples; that great cultural changes are occurring in these new nations is not surprising. In the "new" music coming out of Africa, the rich spontaneity and color of african life are magnified a hundred times. American have a vested interest in this movement, for their own music - jazz, popular, dance and religious - have drawn heavily upon african sources. Actually the new african music is based solidly on traditional african musical expression, adapting elements from the music of the colonial powers which have governed these people. (...) Saka Acquaye and his African Ensemble furnish a striking example of present-day interaction between cultures. American jazz and popular music have now returned to Africa and are influencing the music that gave birth to them."
The great cover art from Elaine Gongora illustrates this message of modernity co-existing with secular traditions.
Concerning the following track, it has been composed to contrast the music from the Pygmies and from the Watusi (derived from Tutsi, supposed to be the tallest people in Africa).
Saka Acquaye and his african ensemble from Ghana - Congo beat:
Saka Acquai: drums, flute and tenor sax
Garvine Masseaux: vibes and drums
George Brooks: double bass
Edward Cooper: trumpet and mellophone
Wilfred Letman: trumpet
Charles Earland: tenor sax
Walter Miller: guitar
Robert Crowder, Joseph Acquai, Benny Parkes, Sunny Morgan: drums
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...
Oriental Brothers International Band (1977)
(Decca DWAPS 2034).
Three brothers from south-east of Nigeria founded the Oriental Brothers band: Godwin Kabaka Opara (who left in 1977 before this LP), C. Ezebuiro Obinna (surnamed "Warrior") and F. Dansatch Opara. At this time Nigeria was more with Juju and Fuji, but as a major highlife band in the country, Oriental Brothers band remained recording great albums with hypnotic and evolving guitars and percussions.
Oriental Brothers International Band A Origbu Onye Ozo :
Roy Chicago and his "Abalabi Rhythm" Dandies (1961)
PHILIPS 420 011
Roy Chicago (John Akintola Ademuwagun, x - 1989) plays highlife in a nigerian style, based of various nigerian floklores elements. What is particularly interesting is the introduction of talking drum, like in "Sere Fun Mi Baby", track from early sixties.
Roy Chicago and his Abalabi Rhythm dandies - Sere Fun Mi Baby:
(is the solo sax player Peter King? who was supposed to have played with Roy Chicago's band in early 60s before leaving to London...)
Orchestre Black Santiago - Wo n'titi (highlife from Benin)
Disques BSA 01
Ignace da Souza and his group Black Santiago play here a beninese style highlife. Pressed around 1974 at Satel, Benin.
Orchestre Black Santiago - Wo n'titi:
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