Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues
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Category: Music CD
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 2008-02-05
Music Label: Soundway
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Ayamma - The Anambra Beats
- Okwukwe Na Nchekwube - Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National
- Amalinja - The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination
- Akula Owu Onyeara - The Funkees
- Oja Omoba - Dele Ojo & His Star Brothers Band
- Koma Mosi - The Harbours Band
- Nekwaha Semi Colon - The Semi Colon
- Osalobua Rekpama - Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros
- Onwu Ama Dike - St. Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band
- Feso Jaiye - The Sahara All Stars Of Jos
- Eme Kowa Iasa Ile Wa - Mono Mono
- To Whom It May Concern - Tunji Oyelana & The Benders
- Ugali - The Tony Benson Sextet
- Asiko Mi Ni - The Nigerian Police Force Band 'The Force 7'
- Torri Wow - Godwin Ezike & the Ambassadors
- Belema - Opotopo (Easy Kabaka Brown)
- Alabeke - Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band Of Aba
- Arraino - Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band
- Simini-Yaya - Collins Oke Elaiho & His Odoligie Nobles Dance Band
- Buroda Mase - Bola Johnson & His Easy Life To pBeats
- I Want a Break Thru - The Hykkers
- Business Before Pleasure - George Akaeze & His Augmented Hits
- Omo Yen Wu Mi - Shadow Abraham With Mono Mono Friends
- Blak Sound - Leo Fadaka & the Heroes
- Eguae Oba - Osayomore Joseph & the Creative 7
- Akpaisong - Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Artistes
Free Music Notes for Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues
Free Music Review: Free Nigeria and the Funk Will Follow
Hit: 5 Stars
Nigerian music had a brief renaissance in the first half of the 70s, when the country was temporarily between wars and dictatorships. The scene seems to have exploded with experimentation inspired by sounds from the West, mixed with new interpretations of the perennially popular Highlife. I have no idea if this anthology is a representative sample of the scene, or if the best or most important songs and artists have been collected. But I do know that the anthology is uniformly fascinating and will be a real treat for anyone interested in a deeper exploration of modern West African music. While the collection's subtitle indicates "Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues," that will hardly prepare the listener for the musical variety herein.
Collectors and experts might be able to fit most of the tracks here into the long-term development of Highlife, but adventurous listeners will be astounded by the experimentation found in the anthology's most offbeat tracks. For example, Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination, and Mono Mono deliver what could be considered dark underground alternatives to Highlife. Tracks by Collins Oke Elaiho & His Odoligie Nobles Dance Band and Leo Fadaka & The Heroes sound like late-period Bob Marley half a decade before schedule. The selection from The Semi Colon illustrates the distant connections between Afro-Cuban and West African sounds, with some rock mixed in. Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats deliver a strange acid jazz take on authentic regional sounds, and the selection from George Akaeze & His Augmented Hits is heavily inspired by Bo Diddley.
In addition to those enthralling tracks, I for one am also hearing funk all over this anthology. The musicians of the early 70s Nigerian renaissance were clearly hip to James Brown and Sly Stone, and maybe even Funkadelic (who at the time were still fairly obscure even in America). Lowdown maggot-brained funk can be heard here in tracks by The Funkees (who looked like Funkadelic too), The Tony Benson Sextet, The Nigerian Police Force Band (apparently the world's funkiest actual cops), Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band of Aba, and The Hykkers (whose lead guitarist was really breaking in one of Africa's newest wah-wah pedals).
For fans of West African music, especially those with a historian/collector mindset or who are simply hungry for new sounds, this is a consistently fascinating collection. Kudos to anthologist Miles Cleret for bringing these crucial sounds to the modern market. [~doomsdayer520~]
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