Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards Jamaica – bringing in basslines that give some tracks a great dubby energy, and which almost puts the record in the same territory as the best by Cymande! There's a blend of darkness and light on many tracks – some moody undercurrents that really draw us in, then redemptive vocal passages, often in English, which really tie the whole thing together beautifully. Monomono could have been huge at the time – and they did reach out pretty far with their few recordings – but it almost feels like their music has been waiting for the 21st Century to finally get the appreciation its due! Titles include "Find Out", "Lida Lou", "Kenimania", "Give The Beggar A Chance", "Ema Kowa Lasa Ile Wa", and "The World Might Fall Over". CD

The People Rock Outfit really knock it out of the park with this dark-edged classic from the 70s – one of the heaviest albums we've heard from the Nigerian scene at the time, and a record that's almost got more of a South African spirit overall! These guys effortlessly mix together funk and psych – the former in these stark, forward-moving rhythnm that are mighty nice – the latter in these long-spun guitar lines that have a nice fuzzy vibe, as the solos cascade effortlessly from the hands of the guitarist! Vocals are all in English – sometimes with a slow-stepping approach that's very moody, more often in a lively spirit to match the rhythms – and the record also features a bit of guest work on moog and Hammond, which really adds a lot to the sound. Titles include "Blacky Joe", "Mary Jane", "Faded Jeans", "Freedom", "Movement", "Tell Me", "Midnight Woman", and "Looking Round". LP, Vinyl record album

A second volume from one of our favorite compilation series of 70s African music ever – Nigeria Special Volume 2 from the rare Afrobeat treasure diggers at Soundway Records! This deeper delve into the well of hard-to-find early to mid 70s material sticks is just as wonderful – chronicling rare singles, A-sides and B-sides, as well as lesser known album tracks that wonderful fuse styles of African funk, soul & jazz, highlife and more. Heavy rhythms and passionate sounds galore, from the first half dozen years of the decade in this second, and purportedly final installment of the flagship Nigerian Special series! It's very exciting that researcher and compiler Miles Cleret puts together compilations of such top caliber material, on a level that it's mindboggling that so much has languished largely unheard for so many years! 19 tracks : "Psychedelic Baby" by Fubura Sekibo, "Shango Oba Onina" by Black's Zenith, "Omohupa" by The Otarus, "The Lord's Prayer"m by The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination, "Jeka Subu" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats", "Motako" by Fidel Sax Bateke & The Voices Of Darkness and more. CD

An incredible musical discovery – and some really mindblowing grooves from a previously untapped source! As the title implies, Panama's a real crossroads of musical styles – bits of Latin, funk, and other Caribbean influences – all simmering together in the hot sun of the Isthmus, cooking up in grooves that are totally unique! The style here is still funk-based enough to appeal to fans of African or Brazilian grooves from the same period – but there's lots of unusual instrumental touches, twists, and turns that really make these tracks sparkle – a bit like some of the work from Belize on Numero's groundbreaking collection! As always with Soundway, the collection of tracks is no mistake – and each tune is presented with notes on the material and other helpful details – all to enforce the groove-conscious collection of music! Plenty funky throughout, and with a total of 15 tracks that includes "New Bag" by The Exciters, "Panama Esta Bueno Y Ma" by Los Exagerados, "Viva Panama" by Papi Brandao & Sus Ejecutivos, "Con Los Caballeros" by Los Caballeros De Colon, "Old Buzzard" by Los Silvertones, "Viva Tirado" by Los Mozambiques, "Let Me Do My Thing" by Los Dinamicos Exiters, "Soy Solo Para Ti" by Victor Boa Y Su Musica, "Nana Nina" by Busy Y Sus Magnificos, "Exciters Theme" by The Exciters, and "Descarga Tentacion" by Bolita Y Su Tentacion Latina. CD

A much-needed look at the massive amount of music recorded in Kenya during the 70s and 80s – an incredibly fertile time for local culture in the nation – and a time when it seemed like there was a great new groove coming out nearly every day! The work here really rivals the best of the classic Soundway compilations – especially their strong surveys of Ghana and Nigeria, with an ear for grooves that go way beyond the usual mainstream sounds of world music! There's more than enough grit and funk here to please any fan of American funk and soul – but the sounds also go way way deeper, too – and echo not only a long Kenyan cultural heritage, but also reflect the unique place the nation had at the crossroads of East Africa – a site that often made the scene especially vibrant in these years. The presentation is superb – with detailed notes and wonderful imagery that includes vintage label scans – and titles include "Mu Africa" by The Rift Valley Brothers, "Wendo Ti Mbia" by Gatanga Boys Band, "Ware Wa" by The Loi Toki Tok, "Sweet Sweet Mbombo" by Orchestre Baba National, "Cha Umheja" by Afro 70, "See Serere" by Sophia Ben & The Eagles Lupopo, "Mutumia Muriu" by The Lulus Band, "Nzaumi" by Ndalani 77 Brothers, "Teresia" by Huruma Boys Band, and "Week End" by Afro 70. LP, Vinyl record album

A record that seems to show a whole new side of the Heliocentrics – music that's every bit as trippy and funky as before, but which also seems open to a lot more musical currents as well – possibly because the record marks the group's debut on the Soundway label! This time around, they've got a moody female singer in the lead – Barbora Patkova, whose voice has a way of tripping out in the same was as the drums of Malcolm Catto, vibes and bass of Jake Verguson, and organ and flutes of Jack Yglesias! We've loved Catto's work for years, and the sound of the group is very much in his best legacy – even stretching back to his early Mo Wax material – but also augmented strongly by the more far-out and creative exotic elements that come to play here. Titles include "Human Zoo", "A World Of Masks", "Capital Of Alone", "Dawn Chorus", "The Silverback", "Oh Brother", and "Made Of The Sun". CD

A motherlode of music from the legendary Tunji Oyelana – a key figure in Nigerian music from the late 60s onward – with an influence that's almost as important as Fela's! Tunji's style is pretty darn funky, but different too – almost a pan-African sort of range that encompasses older styles from folklore, grooves from highlife, and the growing turn towards soul, funk, and rock that really sparked on the Nigerian scene once the 70s came around. This double-length package is a great illustration of this range – a wealth of wonderful songs, all graced by the rich vocals of Oyelana, and backed with hip grooves from The Benders – a very cool combo who really know how to change things up! Titles include "Ojo", "Which Way Africa", "To Whom It May Concern", "Jewele Jewele", "Ifa", "Fiya Jemi", "Osekere", "Aiye Nla", "Omonike", "Agba Lode (45 version)", "Aduke", and "Lenle". LP, Vinyl record album

The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in any sort of inorganic way! Instead, Dexter draws evenly from spiritual jazz, Ethiopian rhythms, underground soul, and some of the best strands of 21st Century grooves – opening up the door for his own wonderful lead lyrics, while creating and exploring a planet of his own. Guests on the record include Carlos Nino on percussion, Te'Amir Sweeney on drums, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, and Randal Fischer on tenor – and the set features guest vocals from Haile Supreme, Marie Daulne, Endeguena Mulu, Sudan Archives, Jimetta Rose, and Kibrom Birhane – although Dexter gets plenty of time in the lead too. Titles include "Mamdooh", "Buna Be Chow", "Gold", "Techawit", "Shuruba Song", "Bahir", "Abebaye", and "Jijiga Jijiya". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set that moves towards the farther reaches of the Caribbean scene in the 80s – music that's much more underground than some of the bigger soca and tropical hits of the time! As you might expect from the Soundway label, the work here is a very unusual, very well-done presentation of a fresh slice of global music – Caribbean cuts that borrow bits from electro soul, house music, and other styles of the time – and weave the newer elements into island rhythms with a very forward-thinking feel! The tunes are heavy on keyboards and beats, yet still have a indie soul sort of charm – and as usual with Soundway, the whole thing comes with very detailed notes on the music. Most tunes are b-sides, dubs, or edits – and titles include "Last Days" by The Millers, "Wild Indian Band" by Andre Tanker, "Zion Gates (dub)" by Mohjah, "I Want Your Love" by Peter Britto, "Hotter & Hotter (dub edit)" by Juno D, "D'Jab Jab Dance (bad lad mix)" by Colin Jackman, "Fighting Soldier" by Cito Jarvis, "Stand Up & Rock Your Body (inst)" by Roger Bain, "Fire (ext dub edit)" by D Ivan, "Body Beat" by Bill Campbell, and "It's Alright" by Adonijah. LP, Vinyl record album

Damn great work from the early 80s Nigerian scene – music that's evolved strongly past the Afro Funk of the 70s, and often has the same electro soul sound as work from the US at the time! These cuts are unabashedly upbeat, and aimed at the dancefloor – full of the kind of basslines and keyboard lines that folks treasure in rare American boogie singles – and topped with English language lyrics that give these tunes a really universal appeal! There's a nicely offbeat vibe to the cuts at times – almost a P&P club sort of style – which makes the whole thing a real treasure for any fan of funky club music, not just Nigerian sounds. Titles include "Only You" by Steve Monite, "Don't You Know" by Peter Abdul, "Fellas Doing It In Lagos" by Hotline, "Too Hot" by Rick Asikpo & Afro Fusion, "Funk With Me" by Danny Offia & The Friks, "Don't Give Up" by Willy Roy, "On The Air (rap mix)" by Lexy Mella, "Groove I Like" by Veno, "Don't Stop That Music" by Sony Enang, "Where Is The Answer" by Burnis Moleme, and "Identify With Your Root" by Odion Iruoje. CD