Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Ambolley

Year : 2019/1982
Label : Mr Bongo/Wea International
Genre : Soul,
Style : Funk/Soul, Afro Funk, Highlife

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley is a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Ghana, contributor of the fusion between Funk, Jazz and High-Life music. Influenced by his countryfellow and master Ebo Taylor, he released his debut solo album "Simigwa" in 1975, a afro-funk album to the tropical flavour that will give him the nickname of the "James Brown" of Ghana. "Ambolley" adds a boogie-disco touch including Caribbean and Soul music elements, performed with the backing band "Obsidia", an Afro-Caribbean collective based in London since 1969. It features Daku Potato (ds, congas), Emmanuel Rentzos (ep), Teddy Osei (fl), Kari Bannerman (eg), plus additional musicians whose indian musician Pandit Dinesh on tabla and George 'Lee' Larnyoh, saxophonist for "Toots & The Maytals". Titles include dancefloor bomb "It's Highlife", calypso funk "Cut Your Coat" & "Frafranta", reggae rocker variation of his song "Adwoa" from his first album, a catchy instrumental of percussion "Simigwa", the soulful songs "Walking Down The Street" and "Cause I Love You".

African Music Machine ~ DiSCO Hi-LiFE

Get into the west african Funk scene of late seventies from the cameroonian and nigerian highlife's post era. This "new wave" of Funk adds an african touch to the US Disco, Boogie & Jazz-Funk styles, featuring multi-instrumentalists, arrangers and influential producers such as Pasteur Lappé, Emma Baloka, J.M. Tim & Foty, Orlando Julius, Jo Bisso, Eko Roosevelt, Livy Ekemezie, Odion Iruoje and many others. All tracks recorded between 1977-1983. Compiled & Mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Emma Baloka - Freedom

Year : 2019/1982
Label : Kétu Records/Odec
Genre : Disco, Funk/Soul
Style : Afro Disco, Afro Funk, Boogie

Born in Cameroon, Emma Baloka is a guitarist/singer who started at 21 in the famous nigerian funk band "The Mighty Flames". Subsequently, he was enrolled as studio musician in various groups from Nigeria and Cameroon, in particular during the nigerian highlife era between late seventies and early eighties. Influenced by US music and Makossa from West Africa, Emma Baloka recorded this unique record, finally reissued by french label Kétu Records, an album imbued by Funk, Boogie & Disco accents to the african rhtyhms. Titles include deep grooves supported by powerful slapping bass lines, wah wah effects on guitar and keyboard, serving a music ideally cut for clubs as evidenced the songs "Come To My Sweetie", "Funky Down" & the eponymous track "Freedom". "Let's Love Each Other" was included in compilation "Brand New Wayo" released in 2011 by Comb & Razor Sound label. All tracks arranged and composed by Emma Baloka.

Jo Bisso - Dance To It

Year : 2015/1976

Label : Africa Seven/Disques Espérance

Genre : Soul, Afrobeat

Style : Funk/Soul, Disco

Debut album of Jo Bisso, a cameroonian singer, producer & arranger influenced by US Soul & Funk music from Otis Reading to James Brown, singing as well his native tongue as french and english. From 1976 to 1979, Jo Bisso released four records to the disco accents and produced albums of his fellow countrymen Sookie and the disco duo, "Venise", led by Linda Henderson & Sharon Criswell. Settled in Paris from 1971, he signed on Decca France his first single "Flying To The Land Of Soul" (1974) as J.B. Afro Soul, produced by Pierre Jaubert, the man behind "The Lafayette Afro Rock Band" name (ex-Ice), before to sign on Disques Espérance, a world & african music label based in Paris. The album opens up with the title track "Dance To It", a catchy disco funk in two parts, the rest of the album is a blend of Jazz (Don't Fight The Feeling), Soul music (Let's Keep It Together), Funk (Give It Up) with afro/disco beats, and concludes with the beautiful ballad "Odwa". All songs composed and arranged by Jo Bisso except "Ramaya" written by A. Simone/St. Regal and "Odwa" by Ossibissa.

Pasteur Lappé & The Sekele Movement - We, The People

Year : 2018/1979
Label : Africa Seven/Disques Espérance
Genre : Funk/Soul
Style : Disco, Afro Disco, Afro Funk

Debut album of Pasteur Lappé, a Cameroonian singer from Douala who recorded from 1979 to 1981, some amazing funky nuggets such as "Na Real Sekele Fo' Ya" or "Sekelimania (Nku Bilam)". Pasteur Lappé is best-known to have popularized the "Sekele", a typical afro-groove embracing furious dances and the disco style, whole played in the cameroonian way. Settled in Paris from the seventies, he recruited guitarist Jacob Desvarieux, future founder member of Zouk band, Kassav, as arranger, and the collective "The Zulu Gang" formed by bassist Christophe Zadire, as backing band to produce his albums. The album opens with "More Sekele Movement" including deep bass groove & syncopated beat, followed by the catchy afro-folk-pop song "Dora". Titles include also two ballads  ("Watcha Get Ma Day Dreams", "As Far I Can Remember") and the single "The Sekele Movement" which was selected by Analog Africa label for the "Pop Makossa" compilation released in 2017. 

M'Bamina - Expérimental

Year : 2016/1978
Label : Africa Seven/Fiesta Records
Genre : Soul
Style : Afro Funk, Disco

M'Bamina was formed in 1972 by eight african musicians of Bantu ethnic group, coming from Congo, Benin & Cameroon, and settled in Pavia, Italty. Discovered in an italian night club by Ivo Lunardi, they toured on the italian riviera before to spot by french impresario Christian Carbaza. After they moved to France, where they became friends of cameroonian legend Manu Dibango, they recorded in 1975 their first album "African Roll". On their success way, they performed across Europe in 1976, then in Cameroon at Stade Yaounde alongside French Pop star, Claude François, Manu Dibango, and finally played the first part of  the James Brown's concert at Pavillon de Paris in 1977. In the early eighties, they signed on the short-lived Paco Rabanne's label recording two albums before they disbanded. The group is a killer funk machine distilling pure dancing groove, connected to their African Roots with traditional Bantu lyrics, including Boogie Funk with a strong disco baseline (Atide O Sika, Tchiayala), Afro-Cuban rhythms & Folk Soul (Mambu, Zizi Ku Mbele). Produced by Philippe Brejean & arranged by Samba N'Gó.

Various - Doing It In Lagos

Year : 2016
Label : Soundway Records
Genre : Funk/Soul, Pop
Style : Disco, Boogie, Afro Funk

Twenty amazing funky songs from the Nigerian pop & club music recorded between late 1970s and early 1980s, compiled by british label Soundway Records. The songs are the reflect of a joyful period, all were recorded during the short democratic interlude in Nigeria from 1979 to 1983, before the military dictatorship back. A new generation of artists featuring Steve Monite, Livy Ekemezie or Willy Roy have been emerge on the Lagos musical scene. Moving away the Afrobeat and nigerian highlife era, they were supported by influential producers like Odion Iruoje, and perfectly suited for dancefloor with the casualness brings by the disco style (Donna Summer or Michael Jackson), but adding their Afro touch. "Doing It In Lagos" has been concieved as the ultimate dance compilation including various styles as Funk (Willy Roy - Don't Give Up), Pop (Burnis Moleme - Where Is The Answer), Boogie (Mike Umoh - Shake Your Body / Godfrey Odili - Let's Do More Music), Jazz Funk (Gboyega Adelaja - Colourful Environment) and Disco (Ofege - Burning Jungle) closed to House music (Steve Monite - Only You).

  

DISC 1 : Hotline - Fellas Doing It In Lagos / Peter Addul - Don't You Know / Steve Monite - Only You / Oby Onyioha - Enjoy Your Life / Kio Amachree - Ivory / Livy Ekemezie - Holiday Action  

DISC 2 : Willy Roy - Don't Give Up / Danny Offia - Funk With Me / Rick Asikpo - Too Hot Toby Foyeh - Ore Mi / Gboyega Adelaja - Colourful Environment / Mike Umoh - Shake Your Body

DISC 3 : Burnis Moleme - Where Is The Answer / Sony Enang - Don't Stop That Music / Nkono Teles - Be My Lady / Veno - Groove I Like / Godfrey Odili - Let's Do More Music / Terry Mackson - Distant Lover / Ofege - Burning Jungle / Lexy Mella - On The Air

J.M. Tim & Foty - African Funk Experimentals 1977 - 1979

Year : 2018
Label : Africa Seven
Genre : Jazz, Soul
Style : Jazz Funk, Afro Funk, Disco, Boogie

Between 1976 to 1982, the J.M. Tim & Foty duo (Jean Marie Tiam and Maurice Foty) left their mark on the west african pop music, surrounded by brilliant musicians such as Jean-Yves Messan, Daniel Haustant & François Corea Amadou from Malinga Five, JC Naimaro from french west indies zoukband Kassav' or arranger Alan Shelly. Seen as the precussors of the cameroonian disco, with their big hit "Douala By Night", they gained an international recognition in the 80's, from "Help" album and became thereafter one of the biggest african selling music artists. This compilation include various songs extracted from their three first albums, featuring the catchy killer funk song "Douala By Night", sampled by Missy Elliot for "Dog In Heat" (2001), the reminiscence of Herbie Hancock to the african style "Funky Bafoussam", the Soul ballad "Love Is Light", the boogie disco tunes "Not So Bad" and "Funky Boogie Love", and the punchy Afro Funk "Aie" & "Eda".

Mary Afi Usuah - African Woman

Year : 1978
Label : Clover Sound
Genre : Soul, Rock
Style : African Funk, Afrobeat, Disco

Mary Afi Usuah was an a opera former singer to the raw power, reminding Betty Davis or Tina Turner's voices and Sly & The Family Stone for the music, one of the greatest songstress than the African continent has produced. From 1969 to 1978, she only released three albums (the first was reissued by the Frank Gossner's label, Voodoo Funk), and toured in Europe as chorister for Duke Ellington, Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin, before returning to Lagos to take a position at the Ministry of Culture. "African Woman" is the meeting between soul music, afrobeat and nigerian highlife including pure funk (What’s A Woman To Do), reggae (Our Generation) and disco sounds (Tell Me Now). For "African Woman", She composed all lyrics, in english and african languages, supported by the Heads Funk Band, aka Akwassa, featuring bassist Joe "Castro" Matthews and guitarist Felix Odey, also in charge of the songs arrangements.  All lyrics by Mary Afi Usuah, arranged by Sylvester Akaiso, Joe Matthews and Felix Odey.

Eko - Funky Disco Music

Year : 2018/1979
Label : Africa Seven/Dragon Phénix
Genre : Jazz, World
Style : Disco, Afrobeat, Afro Funk

Eko Roosevelt, nicknamed as the camroonian Quincy Jones, is an arranger, producer & keyboardist, member of the Dikalo group founded in 1976.  The sound of Eko, as the one of his fellow countryman Manu Dibango, is a blend of Makossa music tainted with funk, disco, soul & Jazz. During several years, he was an pianist accompagnist for various french variété singers as Johnny Hallyday or Claude François, and was conductor of the Cameroon's national orchestra. "Funky Disco Music" is Eko's third album including punchy horns, afro-rhythms and groovy bass lines featuring Vicky Edimo from Dikalo. The album was recorded in France at the famous studio Barclay, it opens on the afro-caribbean funky swing song "Funky Disco Music" and closes on the smooth jazz ballad "Emen' Ango", passing by the african folk pop song "Me To A De Try My Own" and the two afro-disco-club gems, the favorites of DJs : "Ndolo Embe Mulema" & "Bowa'a Mba Ngebe".

Sound President Odion Iruoje - Down To Earth

Year : 1983
Label : Odion Limited
Genre : Funk, Electronic
Style : Afrobeat, Boogie Funk, Afro Funk, Rap

An insane self-produced album by a renowned nigerian producer, Odion Iruoje, originally released on his own label Odion Ltd and featuring, among other, Akin Yuba (music direction) and Tunde Williams (horns) from the Africa '70. The man behinds some sound materials of Fela Kuti albums, recorded during the 1970-1973 period, produced a musical U.F.O., mixing Boogie (Love Care), Zulu rap (Identify With Your Root), Afro-funk (Ikebe) & Juju music, adding digital sound effects and drum machines, all creating an hypnotic music which drives us, not so far of a transe state.  Odion was an influential actor of the Nigerian Afro Funk scene active during the seventies and the eighties, working for EMI, he signed Fela and brings back into his fold, many nigerian funk band including Ofege. Titles includes also the catchy song "Anogo / Giri" & the electronic disco tune "Aro Affair (Crazy Scene)". All songs arranged, composed and produced by Odion Iruoje

Dieuf-Dieul De Thiès - Aw Sa Yone Vol. 2

Year : 2015

Label : Teranga Beat
Genre : Jazz, World, Folk
Style : Afro Jazz, Afro Cuban Jazz, Psychedelic Rock

Dieuf-Dieul De Thiès is a senegalese band of 13 members formed in 1979 featuring the three singers Assane Camara, Gora Mbaye, Bassirou Sarr and the guitarist/leader Pape Seck. From 1979 to 1983, the group known a great success in Senegal and Gambia before to separate. Recently rediscovered by Greek Dj Adamantios Kafetzis, the group started to tour in Europe after the two reissues Aw Sa Yone Vol. 1 & 2, recorded in 1982 and released on the Teranga Beat label.  The Music of Dieuf-Dieul is a kind of Afro-Jazz crossover producing an hypnotic groove, the result of a clever blend between musical traditions (including Mandigo's sound) and modern music (psychedelic afro-rock with "Nianky" and "Raki"), Afro Jazz & Cuban Music (Rumba Para Parejas).

Various - Brand New Wayo : Funk, Fast Times And Nigerian Boogie Badness

Year : 2011
Label : Comb & Razor Sound
Genre : Soul, Disco
Style : Funk/Soul, Boogie

"A Brand New Wayo" brings togheter fifteen songs recorded during the post-afrobeat era, when the nigerian disco explosion occured from the late seventies to the early eighties. The evolution of nigerian society, the end of dictatorship and the short democratic period that followed, gave birth to a freedom artistic which contributed to the developpement of some creative emulation from nigerian producers & musicians. Selected by Uchenna Ikonne for his label "Comb & Razor Sound", all the songs fit into a own musical genre, called the ''Nigerian Boogie'', based on modern dance groove, served by the bass beat of disco funk and connected to the afro spirit (check below "Boys And Girls" ). Titles include songs from Mixed Grill, Murphy Williams, Joe Moks, Bayo Damazio, Martha Ulaeto...

DISC 1 : Mixed Grill - A Brand New Wayo / Kris Okotie - Show Me Your Backside / Murphy Williams - Get On Up / Joe Moks - Boys And Girls / Amas - Slow Down / Oby Onyioha - I Want To Feel Your Love / Dizzy K. Falola - Excuse Me Baby / Chris Mba - Funky Situation 

DISC 2 : Bayo Damazio - Listen To The Music / Martha Ulaeto - Music Alone / Segun Robert - Big Race / Amel Addmore - Jane / Honey Machine - Pleasure / The Stormmers - Love Or Money Emma Baloka - Let's Love Each Other 

Livy Ekemezie - Friday Night

Year : 2017/1983
Label : Odion Livingstone/Linic Major Production Records
Genre : Disco
Style : Funk/Soul, Boogie

The reissue of nigerian Holy Grail record "Friday Night", entirely arranged, composed and produced by multi-instrumentalist Livy Ekemezie. This "impossible to find" was originally released in 1983 and was never reissued, until the british label "Soundway" decided to bring it up to date, with the song "Holiday Action" (included in the Boogie Disco compilation "Doin' It In Lagos" in 2016). "Friday Night" is the epitome of the original Nigerian disco-funk sound that could be produced in the early '80s, focusing compositions based on powerful bass grooves and heavy keyboards sounds. Titles include the funky insane song "Get It Down", the boogie-woogie anthem "Friday Night" and the brilliant "Delectation" problably inspired from "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.

Mulatu Astatke Featuring Fekade Amde Maskal ‎- Yekatit Ethio-Jazz

Year : 2013/1974
Label : Heavenly Sweetness/Amha Records
Genre : Jazz, World
Style : Soul Jazz, Ethio-Jazz, Afro-Jazz

"Yekatit Ethio-Jazz" was originally released in 1974 on Ethiopian label, Amha Records, bringing together various tracks recorded by Mulatu Astatke from 1969 to 1974 featuring his fellow countryman, the saxophonist Fekade Amde Maskal. Formed at Boston's Berklee College of Music during the sixties, Mulatu Astatke is a multi-instrumentalist, founder of the Ethio-Jazz typical genre, the first to combine traditional ethiopian sound with Jazz & Latin music. Indeed, in 1966, Mulatu & His Quintet have recorded in New York City, two Afro-Cuban Jazz albums (Afro-Latin Soul, Volumes 1 & 2), which lead him to introduce latin & western instruments in the popular Ethiopian music. Mulatu has gained an international recognition many years later, first  thanks to the Parisian label Buda Musique, which selected some of his best songs included in the volume 4 from the Éthiopiques compilation series, a volume entirely devoted to him ("Éthiopiques Vol. 4 : Ethio Jazz" & "Musique Instrumentale 1969-1974"). In U.S., three of his compositions including "Yèkèrmo Sèw" and "Gubèlyé" were selected for the "Broken Flowers" original soundtrack in 2005, directed by Jim Jarmusch. At last, various great names of Hip-Hop sampled his songs such as Nas, Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5, Quantic or Madlib. All tracks composed by Mulatu Astatke except "Asmarina" by Fekade Amde Maskal, "Ené Alantchi Alnorem" by Girma Hadgu, the traditionals  "Sabyé" & "Gubèlyé".

Voices Of Darkness - Voices Of Darkness

Year : 2014/1974
Label : Superfly Records/Afrodisia
Genre : Soul
Style : Afrobeat, Funk/Soul

Some voices of Afro-Soul with a lot of James Brown's Funk expressions, by a cameroonian afrobeat combo based in Lagos, Nigeria, returned to the light thanks to the DJ Voodoo Funk. Spotted thanks to their live performance in nightclubs, "Voices Of Darkness" was born in 1972 at Douala, in the middle of Nigerian highlife era, formed around frontman Joe Brown (organ, guitar, lead vocal), Cel Anderson (bass, vocals), Emmanuel Ebot (congas, timbales, vocals), Paul Mony (drums) and later will be joined by nigerians Denise Kenneth (saxophone, percussions) & Emmanuel Ovo (trumpet, congas). Titles include only original songs composed by the group, all tracks written in english except "Bonjour Cherie" recorded in the french tongue.  

Various - Oneness Of Juju. African Rhythms. 1970-1982

Year : 2001
Label : Strut
Genre : Jazz, Soul
Style : Jazz Funk, Spiritual, Afrobeat, Disco

This compilation brings together on 3xLP, various recordings of the legendary american Afro-Jazz collective formed by multi-instrumentalist James 'Plunky' Branch. Their most active and prolific years were spent on the New York scene in the seventies, including productions released on Strata East & Black Fire labels, under various names, the best-known designation being "Oneness Of Juju". The collective explores as well as Spiritual Jazz (No Name # III / Love Is... / My Nigger & Me), Afro-Jazz (Nairobi/Chants), Afrobeat (Follow Me), Funk/Soul (Be About The Future, Got To Be Right On It) and Disco ("Plastic", "Every Way But Loose"). Titles include selected tracks in collaboration with James Branch, some best recordings released as "Juju", "Oneness Of Juju" (whose famous "African Rhythms"), "Plunky & Oneness Of Juju", various solo projects featuring Juju's leader and others from vibraphonist Lon Moshe or the ghanaian drummer & percussionist, Okyerema Asante.

DISC 1 : Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms / Oneness Of Juju - Follow Me / Oneness Of Juju - River Luv Rite / Roach Om - No Name # III ~ Love Is... ~ My Nigger & Me

DISC 2 : Oneness Of Juju - Chants ~ Don't Give Up / Oneness Of Juju - Be About The Future / Juju & The Space Rangers - Got To Be Right On It (Original 45 Version)

DISC 3 : Oneness Of Juju - Space Jungle Funk / Oneness Of Juju - West Wind / Plunky & Oneness Of Juju - Every Way But Loose / Okyerema Asante & Plunky - Sabi / Okyerema Asante & Plunky - Asante Sana / Juju - Nairobi ~ Chants

Peter King - Shango

 

Year : 2013  

Label : Mr Bongo   

Serie : Classic African Recordings   

Genre : Soul, Afrobeat   

Style : Funk/Soul

Originally recorded in 1974 at Camden Town Studio, London, "Shango" was never released, despite the success of his following albums, before british label STRUT does it in 2002. The album showcases the bop expressions of Nigerian saxophonist/flutist Peter King influenced by Sonny Rollins, Gene Ammons and the John Coltrane's play. "Shango" combines highlife music, afrobeat, soul jazz and the typical James Brown's Funk including the heavy grooves "Shango", "Watusi", "Freedom Dance" and the soulful song "Prisonnier Of Law". Peter King recorded the "Shango" sessions featuring his afro-ska band "The African Messengers" formed in the sixties in London including Humphrey Okoh-Turner (as), David Williams (eb), Paul Edoh (cg), Arthur Simon (eg), Mike Falana (tp), James Menin (ds).

Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Soul Makossa

Year : 1974
Label : Makossa
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Afro-Funk

Lafayette Afro-Rock Band is an american jazz funk group including african influences formed on the Bobby Boyd Congress ashes, featuring Lafayette Hudson (eb), Larry Jones (eg), Frank Abel (keys), Arthur Young & Ronnie Buttacavoli (tp), with Ernest Donnable (ds), Keno Speller (perc) in addition. Based in Paris from 1971 to 1978, the band also known as "Ice", released six albums and several singles under others names. They started on stage in Parisian district "Barbès", the french core of african cultures in the seventies, where they were spotted by cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango and jazz producer Pierre Jaubert. Titles include the afro-funk classic by Manu Dibango "Soul Makossa", afro-cuban flavor "Azeta", the jazz rock tune "Oglenon" and  the heavy funks "Voodounon", "Hihache" & "Nicky".

Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms

Year : 1975
Label : Black Fire
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk, Spiritual Jazz, Afrobeat

Essential debut album of american Afro-Jazz-Funk collective formed around brothers saxophonist James and bassist Philip Branch, known as Plunky & Muzi Nkabinde. "African Rhythms" fits into the panafricanism way, incarnation of the fusion between African roots and Afro-American culture, including traditional African percussions (balophone, marimbas), Spiritual Jazz and Rhthyms&Blues elements. During the seventies, the collective released two others recordings "Space Jungle Luv" in 1976 and "Make A Change" under the Plunky And Oneness Of Juju's name on the former jazz DJ and producer, Jimmy Gray's label "Black Fire". Titles include their best known single and anthem "African Rhythms" in extented version, the heavy funks "Kazi", "Poo Too", "Liberation Dues",  "Don't Give Up" & "Mashariki" featuring the thrilling voice of Eka-Ete Jackie Lewis and the spirtual "Inconito". Composed & arranged by Oneness Of Juju.