BUMPIN' IN BENIN + BURKINA FASO (EL REGO X BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL)

Monumental Afro Soul from El Rego Et Ses Commandos – El Rego's best recordings from the late 60s to early 70s – a beautifully done compilation put together by Daptone and Frank Gossner, the deep digging West African music expert behind Voodoo Funk! Theophile Do-Rego is a legend in his native Benin, essentially credited as the godfather of Benin funk – but to date, he hasn't been celebrated around the world nearly as famously as the superstars of African music hailing from Nigeria and Ghana. That's something that can change really quickly if enough people pick up this truly great compilation of pioneering recordings. Singer El Rego and his excellent, diversely capable band – sax and flute by Baboni Oudou, sax by Michel Diogo, guitar by Oscar De Souza, trumpet by Emmanuel Ganssounou, guitar by Roger Coffi, tumba by Marcelin Kpohonon, additional vocals by Christian Agueh, and bass by band leader Paul Hounnou – take a tighter approach to funky soul. Just a couple tracks on this set roll past the 4 minute mark – which gives it a tighter soul sound, along with some Benin blues and some riveting JB-indebted vocal affections.

Had this glued to the turntable last night! BUY IT. simply amazing. Hats off (again) to Voodoo Frank and Daptone. Buy it on wax!!!


Raw sound, indeed – and possibly one of the most hard-hitting compilations so far from the Analog Africa label! There's a quality here that's mighty fresh, and which shows us that there's still plenty of African nuggets to find, if you know where to dig! Much of the music has a dark, moody quality that's really striking – still the grooves you'd expect, but an exotic undercurrent that's almost like Ethiopian music – although very much it's own vibe too! The mix is really wonderful, and makes these tracks from Burkina Faso a rich musical discovery – one that's very thoughtfully put together by the Analog Africa label, with their usual strong attention to sound and detailed notes – not to mention a very handsome package.

Viva Samy + Analog Africa! Another DOPE comp. Buy it on wax!!!!

Lifted from Dusty Groove.
DAPTONE
VOODOO FUNK
ANALOG AFRICA

Angola Soundtrack – The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1965 to 1976

Analog Africa comes through with another batch of rare tunes. This time the focus is on Angola in the 60s and 70s! As with all their comps, the liner notes are as deep and stellar as the music. "Distorted Semba" and Psychedelic Merengue?! Hell yes!!!!!

ANALOG AFRICA STRIKES AGAIN!

Afro-Beat Airways (West African Shock Waves Ghana & Togo 1972 -79) is the latest compilation from Analog Africa. Another massive set of tunes, ranging from Afro Funk, Psychedelia, Jazzy organ grooves and more. Nice diverse set with the exhaustive liner notes too.
Available for download, on CD and double LP. Fly the funky skies!

AFRO BEAT AIRWAYS (GHANA & TOGO 1972-1979)

Another great release from our friend Samy Ben Redjeb, founder and musical guru of Analog Africa from Frankfurt, Germany. Samy DJ'ed here in Chicago in 2008 with the crew from Afrodesia at Sonotheque for the World Music Festival. Samy had just released the 'Africa Scream' compilation and he brought with him a crate of rare 45s from Africa and South America that I've never had seen before and proceeded to pack the dance floor.

This time he's releasing a group of ultra-rare tracks of raw West African funk from the legendary label, Essiebons Records of Accra. Being the ultimate musicologist, Samy documented this hidden aspect of African music through numerous interviews with the surviving artists still around like Ebo Taylor, Nana Ampedu (founder of the mighty African Brothers Band), Issac Yeboah (lead singer of Vis-a-Vis, one of Ghana´s most impressive bands), Gyedu-Blay Ambolley (the personification of Ghanaian Afro-funk), saxophonist Ray Allen and Chester Adams (lead singer of the Uppers International).

So strap on your seatbelt for takeoff on a musical voyage on Afro-Beat Airways toward destinations previously unknown.

ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU LIVE 07/15/10

Benin-based Orchestra Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou played their Chicago debut at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion for the Music Without Borders series on Thursday, July 15. They headlined the show with Columbia's salsa-charged La 33. Their current two releases on Analog Africa (originally on Benin's No.1 label - Albarika Store) trace the development of the band and its seamless incorporation of Vodoun Rhythms to Funk, Salsa and Afro-beat.

VINTAGE FOOTAGE OF THE BAND PERFORMING IN THE 1970s - via
ANALOG AFRICA