Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister - Barry Wonder (1987)

Chief Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and his African International Music Ambassadors were one of the leading Fuji groups in Nigeria. They played a style that came to rival Juju in popularity amongst the country's Yoruban speakers, although fuji is a much tougher sound that is more connected with the music and arts of pre-Christian and pre-Islamic Africa. Barry Wonder is a frantic listen...frenetic percussion, wonky brass, some amazing one finger casio playing and the Doctor's urgent calls make for a great time.

Tracklist:

Side 1 Subu-Ana-Lahi / Barry Wonder / Ruru Fun Mi Gangan / Alhaja Mulika Da Silva / Alhaji Mufutau-Olanihun / Bobaje-Tolorin

Side 2 Bafefe Nfe / Akola Orin / Opon Tanke / Alhaji Shittu Sanni / Lefe Lawa / Mesonu

Get the zip HERE.

Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey & His Inter-Reformers Band - Womanhood (1991)

I picked up a handful of African records at a flea market yesterday, so here's the first of them, it's some gloriously cosmic juju from Chief Commader Ebenezer Obey. Along with King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey was Nigeria's most famous and successful juju musician and this album from the early '90s is just beautiful...exquisite vocal harmonies, intricate layers of mesmerising guitars, a chorus of talking drums, all these things work together in the construction of some really wonderful melodies. The whole thing sends me into raptures! Each side of the album is dedicated to a famous or powerful public figure, so side 1 goes to Mrs Maryam Babangida who was Nigeria's first lady at the time of the record's release. Here, Mrs Babangida is praised by Obey for her involvement in efforts to alleviate poverty through the introduction of the Better-Life Programme (I don't know much about this, presumably it involved the redistribution of some of Nigeria's oil money...get in touch if you know more).

Tracklist:

Side 1 Iba Lo Ye Ka Se / Woman Deserve Better Treatment / Better Life For Women / Happiness Of Mothers / I Love You For Ever

Side 2 Ori Lafi'N Meran Lawo / Bashorun M. K. Abiola (14th Aare Onakakanfo) / Orun I'Osupa Ti Muyi Wa / Ologbo To Fe Peja Ninu Omi / In The Continent of Africa

Get it HERE.

Ali Chouhad & Archach - Tamgra Wochn

This is another of the cds we brought back from the Anti-Atlas mountains. It is Amazigh music from the Souss Valley in the south of the Morocco and it's very beautiful...great drumming and fantastic banjo. It's also a bit more mellow than the Fatima Tabaamrante album that was posted in January. As you might guess from the photo on the cover of the cd, Ali's music is a bit more reflective and maybe philosophical than Fatima's righteously angry songs of injustice and indignation. Anyway, check it out if you're interested. Here's a little taster:



Tracklist:

01 Igudad Nwihrane
02 Tamgra Wochn
03 Todr Toudrt
04 Akal N'Touzont
05 Agadir Ninflass
06 Bab N'Tarwa

Get it HERE!

A Cheeky Little Disco Mix

Tracklist:

01 Goody Goody - It looks Like Love
02 Salsoul Orchestra - Love Break
03 Montana Sextet - Heavy Vibes
04 First Choice - Love Thang
05 Salsoul Orchestra - Nice 'n' Nasty
06 The Winners - Get Ready (for the future)

If you like it, you can download it HERE.

The Best of Pebbles Vol. 1 (1986)

Here's a fantastic compilation of '60s garage punk classics, lots of these tunes will be familiar to many, including the original version of Roky Erikson's 'You're Gonna Miss Me'. Here are the Thirteenth Floor Elevators looking a bit out of place on some teen pop music show...



Other great expressions of teenage disaffection and outsider cool include Green Fuzz, Born Loser and I'm a Living Sickness. This Pebbles album was my introduction to the fuzzed out garage sound and listening to these songs now is a strangely nostalgic affair, remniniscent of my years of teenage lightning, unbridled hedonism and nihilistic abandon (but that was just the good bits).

Tracklist:

intro
01 The Third Bardo - Five Years Ahead of my Time
02 Jimmy & the Offbeats - I Ain't No Miracle Worker
03 Nobodys Children - Good Times
04 The Sparkles - No Friend of Mine
05 The Avengers - Be a Caveman
06 The Barbarians - Hey Little Bird
07 The Squires - Going All the Way
08 The Spades - You're Gonna Miss Me
09 The Electras - Action Woman
10 The Calico Wall - I'm A Living Sickness
11 Randy Alvey & the Green Fuz - Green Fuzz
12 The Bees - Voices Green and Purple
13 The Haunted - 1-2-5
14 Gonn - Blackout at Gretely
15 Murphy & The Mob - Born Loser
16 The Groupies - Primitive

Join the fuzz army HERE. If you want to hear more of this stuff then get a look at Chocoreve...more '60s punk, psychedelia and freakbeat than I would know what to do with.

Guadeloupe: General Strike, Riots and Civil Unrest

Well, I was up late last night posting the Ti Zozios album. When I checked my dashboard today, I was surprised to find this post about Guadeloupe on Ian Bone's blog. These riots aren't really getting any coverage in the British media, but are being well reported in France where there are serious concerns that trouble will flare up in Paris (again). The mass resistance to low pay and high inflation that began in Guadeloupe a month ago is spreading across the region and to French Guyana and the Reunion Islands in the Indian Ocean. Here is a French news report:

Ti Zozios - Moin Ce On Malhere (1979) French Antilles

I think I've said it before but, one of the things I love about car boots/charity shops/jumble sales is that you never know what treasures you might find. Today I found this...zouk music from Guadeloupe. This album kind of drifts along in a very relaxed fashion, and provides a nice dose of sunshine on these winter days. It sounds like Ti Zozios have soaked up a whole load of influences from around the world...congolese rumba rhythms, funky rhodes piano, a bit of calypso all mixed up together and given a good shake with a measure of rum. Delicious!

Tracklist:

01 Moin Ca On Malhere
02 Un Tour en Bateau
03 Vive Madras en Nous
04 C'et Nathalie Je Dis
05 Je Cherche
06 Depi L'Esprit Aou Piti
07 Elle Est Passee

Get it HERE.