Global Grooves — All Formats  

Incredible work from the obscure African Music Machine – a southern funk combo led by bassist Louis Villery – a legendary batch of funky singles, finally brought together as a full album! The band has a very unique sound that involves a lot of rolling bubbling basslines, spacey organ grooves, tight choppy guitar riffs, and punchy horn blasts – almost with the African elements promised in the title, but served up with a deeper funk sound all the way through! In a way, the group's a bit like Cymande or some of the other 70s hybrid ensembles – yet they've got a lot less dub, a much more direct funky groove, and plety of raw southern elements in the mix as well! This is the funky 45 material we first cut our teeth on back in the day – and the original singles are legendary! Includes massive cuts like "Black Water Gold (Pearl)", "A Girl In France", "Never Name A Baby (Before It's Born), "Making Nassau Fruit Drink", "Camel Time", "The Dapp", "Tropical", and "Mr. Brown".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala" – plus a bonus 7" single with the track "Imo".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", "Umbala" and the bonus track "Imo".

Collected work by Blo – a hip Nigerian funk ensemble from the mid 70s! The group have a more complicated sound than some of their contemporaries – adding in dubbier stylings and bits of psychedelic guitar to the more common Afro-Funk percussion – in a mode that almost sounds like it's got traces of Can or other proggish groups, as you might hear on some of Tony Allen's more recent work, or on some of the early 70s Brit post-colonial crossover bands, like Assagai or Cymande. It all makes for a very interesting sound – marking the group as one of the most unique of their generation! Titles include "Blo", "It's Gonna Be A Good Day", "Number One", "Trace of Suicide", "Atide", "Don't Take Her Away From Me", and "Miss Sagit".

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic groove might be termed calypso, he also brought in plenty of Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican rhythms to his music too – as well as an occasional does of American soul! Like some of the best early sounds from Kingston, the grooves here often echo a deeper R&B sensibility, turned towards island rhythms – and really hit home strongly by Sparrow's wonderful vocals – as catchy, compelling, and charming as some of the best US singers of the time – with touches of the wit of Oscar Brown Jr, the warmth of Lou Rawls, the swing of a young Marvin Gaye, and the spookiness of Screamin Jay Hawkins! This massive collection is the first to really dig through his older records to pull out the best tunes – just the kind of special focus we'd expect from the Strut label, with a wicked track selection and great notes too! Titles include "Bongo", "Calypso Boogaloo", "Zinah", "Fool Fool Fool", "Ah Diggin Horrors", "Jook For Jook", "Sparrow Come Back Home", "Slave", "She's Been Gone Too Long", "Congo Man", "Ten To One Is Murder", and "Kennedy & Kruschev".

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic groove might be termed calypso, he also brought in plenty of Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican rhythms to his music too – as well as an occasional does of American soul! Like some of the best early sounds from Kingston, the grooves here often echo a deeper R&B sensibility, turned towards island rhythms – and really hit home strongly by Sparrow's wonderful vocals – as catchy, compelling, and charming as some of the best US singers of the time – with touches of the wit of Oscar Brown Jr, the warmth of Lou Rawls, the swing of a young Marvin Gaye, and the spookiness of Screamin Jay Hawkins! This massive collection is the first to really dig through his older records to pull out the best tunes – just the kind of special focus we'd expect from the Strut label, with a wicked track selection and great notes too! Titles include "Bongo", "Calypso Boogaloo", "Zinah", "Fool Fool Fool", "Ah Diggin Horrors", "Jook For Jook", "Sparrow Come Back Home", "Slave", "She's Been Gone Too Long", "Congo Man", "Ten To One Is Murder", and "Kennedy & Kruschev".

Early work from a group who later grew into the famous Ikenga Super Stars Of Africa – recording here in London with a great raw sound – and an unusual mix of modes that's part Afro Funk, part something else entirely! The set's got that unique post-colonial vibe of some of the other great London recordings of the early 70s – such as work by Cymande or Demon Fuzz, both of whom have some dubby similarities to the Nkengas work on this set – possibly because the whole thing was served up for the Orbitone Records label – usually a home to sounds from Jamaica! There's a nice use of echo that really abstracts the basslines and percussion – although the grooves themselves are still more straightforward than any from Kingston at the time – and definitely echo the Nigerian roots of the group. Tracks have a lot of cool little funky corners and sharp edges that really set them apart – and titles include "London Special", "Ndu Bu Isi", "Anyi Bundi Igbo", "Jungle Beat", "Anyi Buofu", and "Ube Frank Special".

This UK Afro Funk group is slicking things up a bit for this 1973 album – but not in a bad way, because it actually kicks up the groove considerably. In fact, it almost sounds like they've been listening to a bit of War – because the the best tracks on the album have lots of that funky clavinet and stepping bass that you get in War's best moments, filtered through the group's own dubby brand of African rhythms, vaguely like the work of Cymande, but a bit more straight ahead. Titles include "Somaja", "Fire", "Kotoku", "We Want To Know", "Take Your Trouble Go", "Bassa Bassa", and "Adwoa".

A weird little record from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – much more laidback than you might expect, and a set with a definite Jamaican influence too! At times, some of these tracks are almost more reggae than Afro Funk – although at other points, there's definitely the fierce energy of some more familiar Nigerian music of the period – making for a really cool blend that sets this album strongly apart from most of its contemporaries! Production is great – not really dubby, but kind of spread-out – in ways that make the Afro-styled numbers really sparkle strongly – and which trips out some of the more Jamaican sounding grooves. Titles include "Papa's Black Dog", "Lahila", "Elizabeth", "Come Back Again", "My Home", and "Jahojah Comfort Me".

Amazing sounds from Rocket Juice & The Moon – a cut that features the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble working some incredible horn magic over the tune's dubby groove! The approach is almost like Kingston meets Lagos – with an instrumental vibe that's really wonderful! The flipside features "123456", which sports heavy drum work from Tony Allen – and "Forward Sweep", which blends more great drums with fuzzy electronics!

Great sounds from Sidi Toure – a record that's deep in Malian roots, but which has a slightly different feel than some of the more mainstream artists you might know from the scene! Toure's definitely got an ear for the bluesy elements you'd find in Mali, but he also plays with this lightly lyrical mode too – working his acoustic guitar through these great rhythmic progressions that dance along with small group backing on calabash, soukou, and bass. Sidi's lead vocals are wonderful – often inflected in these down-turning lines that are really great, and supported by additional singing from Leila Ahimidi Gobbi, whose sweeter tones provide a nice contrast. Titles include "Maimouna", "Ishi Tanmaha", "Euzo", "Tondi Karaa", "Kalaa Ay Makoiy", "Koima", and "Woy Tiladio".

Incredible work from the obscure African Music Machine – a southern funk combo led by bassist Louis Villery – a legendary batch of funky singles, finally brought together as a full album! The band has a very unique sound that involves a lot of rolling bubbling basslines, spacey organ grooves, tight choppy guitar riffs, and punchy horn blasts – almost with the African elements promised in the title, but served up with a deeper funk sound all the way through! In a way, the group's a bit like Cymande or some of the other 70s hybrid ensembles – yet they've got a lot less dub, a much more direct funky groove, and plety of raw southern elements in the mix as well! This is the funky 45 material we first cut our teeth on back in the day – and the original singles are legendary! Includes massive cuts like "Black Water Gold (Pearl)", "A Girl In France", "Never Name A Baby (Before It's Born), "Making Nassau Fruit Drink", "Camel Time", "The Dapp", "Tropical", and "Mr. Brown".

London's always been one of the hippest cities in the world – but back during the postwar years, there was an especially wonderful outpouring of music on the scene – a rich array of new sounds and styles pulled from around the globe – as so many residents from crumbling British empire came to live in the UK! Musicians and listeners arrived in London with plenty of cultural baggage on hand – influences from the Caribbean, West Africa, and India too – plus other smaller scenes that once fell under the British banner, all now the fuel for the cultural fire that was happening in England! The title here tells plenty about the music being made in this newly-formed scene – bits of African highlife, Jamaican calypso, American jazz, Cuban Latin, and more – all filtered into the modernism of the 50s, and given a new twist that was decidedly urban as well. The package may well be the most impressive so far in this legendary series – and is certainly the one that moves the farthest past any sort of easy expectations or cultural conventions. Titles include "Women Police In England" by Mighty Terror, "My Sorrow" by West African Swing Stars, "Cricket Umpires" by Lord Kitchener, "Jordhu" by Caribbean Swing Band, "Trumpet Highlife" by Shake Keane, "Calypso Mambo" by George Browne, "Cuban Nightingale" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Kitch" by The Quavers, "Tabu" by Mona Baptiste, "King Jimmy Foo Foo" by Tejan Sie with The West African Rhythm Brothers, "The Escape" by Dizzy Reece, "Mambo Contempo" by Ginger Johnson, "Life In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Sway" by Buddy Pipp's Highlifers, "Song Of Joy" by Rupert Nurse's Calypso Band, "Joe Louis Calypso" by Lord Beginner, "Uncle Joe" by Fitzroy Coleman Quintet, "Me Donkey Want Water" by Tony Johnson, "Belly Lick" by Eric Hayden, "Nigeria Odowoyin" by West African Rhythm Brothers, and "Football Calypso" by King Timothy.

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Charming early recordings from Alick Nkhata, one of Zambia's most influential and popular musicians! His fascinating career included stints making field recordings with the legendary Hugh Tracey throughout the continent, as well as serving as a long-time director of the Zambia Broadcast Service –where he was key force in recording and disseminating traditional African music. Considering those credentials it's interesting that his own music was so heavily influenced by American jazz and hep harmony – at times, this stuff sounds like Africa's answer to the Mills Brothers or Three Cats and a Fiddle. Some of the songs are delightfully spare, his piquant acoustic guitar lines accompanied only by elaborate vocal harmonies, while the full band tracks reveal a strong swing feel. There's also a discernable influence of calypso and other Caribbean styles here. Tracks include his biggest hit "Shalapo", "Maliya", "Chisoni", "Ifilamba", and "Abalumendo Bamo"