African Disco booklet - WRUV

MIXED GRILL – Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli isNigeria’s premier flautist, who is adept atclassical performance, but has had a variedcareer touring in various funk outfits and asone-time arranger and conductor for ShirleyBassey. Mixed Grill (aka Tee Mac Collection)were a sophisticated jazz-funk line-upheaded up by Steeve Black. ‘A Brand NewWayo’ was written by Black and highlightshis striking vocal, accompanied by rootsybass, pixellated guitar, brass and percussion.PAT THOMAS – ‘Yesu San Bra’ is a raredisco-highlife groove from Pat Thomas, aGhanaian highlife musician who began hiscareer in the Blue Monks under tutelagefrom the great Ebo Taylor. Later Pat’s talentearned him the ‘Mr Golden Voice of Africa’award in 1978 and took him touring all overthe world. After hearing this great track onYouTube, we sourced the original recordingand unearthed a classic from the vaults.THE LIJADU SISTERS – Taiwo and Kehindeare identical twins from Nigeria who werechart-toppers in the 1970s and 1980s. Theirsuccess culminated with a tour with KingSunny Ade in the 1980s, after which theysettled in New York and effectively retiredfrom the music industry. Recently, KnittingFactory Records have begun reissuing theirclassic tracks to new appreciative audiences.MAHLATHINI & THE MAHOTELLA QUEENS– Simon ‘Mahlathini’ Nkabinde was knownas the ‘Lion of Soweto’ due to his powerful,growling bass voice. His low vibrations arebalanced by the Mahotella Queens’ sweetsoprano singing and one of the catchiestguitar riffs ever heard. The Queens were alsofamously inventive with their dance moves,making them a hit with audiences in liveperformance.YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA – Today Yvonne isknown as the ‘Princess of Africa’ and is aprolific performing artist, an entrepreneur(she owns her own limousine company) andconducts humanitarian work. Her upbeatpop has always been a hit with fans in herhome country, and as a youngster she madehistory as the first black child to appear onSouth African television in 1981 on the talentshow Sugar Shack.SIR VICTOR UWAIFO/FRANKIE FRANCIS &SIMBAD EDIT – The eccentric ‘Guitar Boy’,Sir Victor Uwaifo’s music has held appealfor decades. His sound is rock and roll/funk infused with a highlife edge. Two DJswho couldn’t resist remixing and recyclingUwaifo’s ‘Ohue’ are Frankie Francis andDJ Simbad – and good thing they did, too,interpolating samples and electronic effectsacross the vintage vibes with expert skill.BIBI TANGA & THE SELENITES – Bibi Tangais the son of a diplomat, so has had a trulyinternational childhood: born in Africa, andraised in Moscow, Paris, Washington, DC andNew York. His music melts African grooveswith hip-hop, breakbeat, funk and soul. Hisband, The Selenites, are named after thelunar inhabitants of H.G. Wells’ The FirstMen In The Moon.MANU DIBANGO – Emmanuel ‘Manu’ N’DjokéDibango is a Cameroonian saxophonist andvibraphone player best known for his mega1972 hit ‘Soul Makossa’, a disco hit sampledby none other than Michael Jackson.‘Yekey Tenge’ is taken from his 1992 albumPolysonik and is a low-down disco numberwith call-and-response vocals.OSIBISA – This legendary band madeover twenty studio albums, and are widelyrecognized as creating world music beforethe marketing term ‘world music’ was evencreated. Their funky fusion linked Ghanaian,Nigerian, Caribbean and Western rockthreads with a swinging 1970s attitude. Theall-star band have performed with popularmusicians including Thin Lizzy and StevieWonder.MANGO GROOVE – Mango Groove blendSouth African marabi, kwela and popinfluences together with the lead vocals ofClaire Johnston and the bouncing pennywhistlemelodies of Mduduzi Magwaza.A sell-out band wherever they play, theensemble has played in front of 200,000people in Paris and were headliners at theinauguration of Nelson Mandela.TEASPOON & THE WAVES – In the sleevenotes to one of his solo releases, saxophonistTeaspoon Ndelu is described as deliveringmusic that ‘provides the ear with bouquetswhile driving you into tunnels of harmonyand mountains of rhythm in a red-hot moltentempo’. ‘Oh Yeh Soweto’ is a tight number,featuring a bustling horn section, trippingtrumpet solo and riffing keys.TONY ALLEN & THE AFRO MESSENGERS –Tony Allen is one of Africa’s best drummers,respected for helping to fuse jazz and funkwith African rhythms. He began beating thesticks at the age of 18 and met Fela Kuti in1964. Kuti famously said that Tony’s drivingdrum style made him feel like he had fourdrummers in the band. ‘Love Is A NaturalThing’ illuminates the best of Tony’s solowork, and was originally released in 1979.MARUMO – ‘Toitoi’ opens with a blisteringkeyboard solo, soon joined by chorus vocalsand a fast-paced recitative lead vocal. Thefeel is classic disco and ripples smoothlywith a light touch on the drums and alooping, steady bass part.