Global Grooves — CDs  

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man".

Not Afrobeat, but Astrobeat – a unique hybrid of older funk modes and contemporary cosmic touches – all served up beautifully by Ariya! The album definitely echoes older modes from the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – particularly the chugging rhythms and tightly vamping instrumentation that you might know from the work of Fela or Tony Allen – but there's also some more 21st Century elements on the keyboards, which have a crackling bit of electricity that goes beyond the usual electric piano used back in the day – and which really helps give the record a different feel. Don't get us wrong – because nothing here is too slick, overproduced, or remix-heavy – the music is definitely Afro Funk at the core, just inflected in some really sweet ways – and served up mostly instrumental, on cuts that include "Blood In The Water", "Turncoat", "Future Ancestors", "New Frontiers", "Towards Other Worlds", and "Old Ground".

A massive set from Nigeria's CS Crew – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The bass is super-heavy on these grooves – way more so than on other Afro Funk records of the time, and in ways that easily match, if not beat, the early best by Fatback Band and Kool & The Gang – grooves that have amazing dexterity that few others could match, yet which always come through right on the money every time! The bass dips, turns, soars, and drops magically on each number – setting things up strongly for the group's riffing guitar, sweet keyboard lines (including a big of moog!), and few horn moments – which themselves often come across more like an American group than a Nigerian one. Vocals have this rough approach – often part of the rhythm more than anything else – and titles include "Love Is Peace", "Freaky Funkyfied Fix", "Bread Power", "Doin The Good Thing", "I've Found Love", "Last Day", and "Dig In With Time".

A brilliant new album from legendary Ghanaian performer Ebo Taylor – recorded in Berlin and backed by members of Poets Of Rhythm and others from that city's loose collective of international players dubbed the Afrobeat Academy – and the set itself is a great mix of classic Ghana grooves and timeless Afro Funk! Guitarist and vocalist Taylor has roots in the highlife style from the late 50s through the 60s, but from the 70s onward he's been deftly blending styles – from traditional Ghanaian sounds, to Afro funk, jazz and soul. This excellent album for Strut Records carries on that adventurous spirit wonderfully. It's also the first ever Ebo Taylor album to receive an international release, reason enough to celebrate, all the more so given the creative high point the album is! Titles include "Nga Nga", "African Woman", "Love And Death", "Mizin", "Aborekyair Aba", "Obra" and the instrumentals "Victory" and "Kwame".

Indian music with a Nigerian twist – heard here in a set of recordings from the Hausa cinematic scene! At first listen, you can hear the Bollywood influence right away – both in the rhythms of the tunes, which have that festive, bouncing quality of an Indian film music number – and in the vocals, which often feature upbeat female choruses, or male/female trading lyrics back and forth! The instrumentation is sometimes a bit more contemporary, but in a cool way – as vocal processing and keyboards bring a fresh take on the approach, as do some more locally-specific rhythmic touches at times. The package comes with some helpful notes on the music – and titles include "Fashion" by Karamin Lilisco, "Kauna" by Mudassir Kassim, "Aure" by Maryam Olomi, "Tofi" by Abubacar Sani & Fati Niger, and "Oloufemi" by Mai Dawayya.

The first two volumes in this legendary series – back to back in one set! Volume 1 is an amazing collection – and one that really helped completely revise our understanding of Caribbean music! The collection features a fair bit of artists with roots in the West Indies, but who made a huge impact on London's postwar immigrant population – the new rise of non-native residents who were swelling the ranks of the city in the years after the way – bringing with them new cultures, new sounds, and new traditions – with all the requisite ideas and politics that might imply! The work here often has a subtle social agenda – working through themes important to these new Londoners, yet still echoing modes of the homeland as well – often with great musical backings that's heavy on percussion, jazzy instrumentation, and very upbeat rhythms. Titles include "London Is The Place For Me" by Lord Kitchener, "I Was There" by Young Tiger, "Some Girl Something" by The Lion, "No Carnival In Britain" by Mighty Terror, "Jamaica Hurricane" by Lord Beginner, "Birth Of Ghana" by Lord Kitchener, "Victory Test Match" by Lord Beginner, "Spanish Calypso" by The Lion, "Bulldog Don't Bite Me" by Timothy, "My Landlady" by Lord Kitchener, "If You're Not White You're Black" by Lord Kitchener, and "Aguiti" by Lord Invader. Volume 2 compiles the stylistically varied music coming from the emergent West Indian and African communities of 50s and 60s London – far more than just the topical, and often quite whimsical calypso tunes of the era! Calypso is well represented, but the set includes strains of jazz, percussive instrumentals that veer towards native Trinidad and Nigeria, and loads of Caribbean grooves! It's all exceptionally bright – with some lovingly, and knowingly, naive vocals that are as sweet as they are wise. A truly wonderful compilation. Essential! 20 tracks in all: "Calypso Be" by Young Tiger, "Yolanda" by Ambrose Campbell, "Calypso Blues" by Mona Baptiste, "My Wife's Nightie" by Lord Kitchener, "Ominara" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Gerrard Street" by King Timothy, "ET Mensah's Rolling Ball" by West African Swing Stars, "West Indian Drums" by Russ Henderson, "Gbonimawo" by Rans Boi's Ghana Highlife Band and more!

A definite flute adventure from Japanese reedman Toshiaki Yokota – one that's got some wonderfully trippy elements, in the best spirit of some of the most groundbreaking MPS sessions at the end of the 60s! Yokota plays a variety of flutes, and he's backed by electric guitar, bass, and plenty of percussion – often used in rootsy and rhythmic ways that make for plenty of great groovers on the set. There's a bit of a Latin influence at the bottom, but not in Toshiaki's playing – because that's often light and airy, floating over the top of the heavier rhythms with a great sense of counterpoint – making for a really great contrast of modes! Music on a few tracks is by The Beat Generation combo, and the album also features some great bossa covers too – versions of "Reza", "Orfeu Negro", and "Samba De Orfeu" – alongside original tunes "Ending Samba", "Cimmerie", and "Nuit De L'Enfer".