Scorching, fresh nueva Cumbia business from Bogota, complete with jazzy synths and rattling percussion.

Anibal Velasquez

Wicked album by Anibal Velasquez, accordionist from Barranquilla, Colombia, featuring a blend of Guaracha, Pompo, Guarija, Cumbia and fast african beats. Out on Analog Africa..... look out for the tuff track, 'Vestido Nuevo'.

Owiny Sigoma Band

Bad ass tropical music via Kenya via London town - out now on Giles Petersen's Brownswood Recordings.

LABA SOSSEH – ‘Que Se Funan’

Boomp3.com
Artist: Laba Sosseh Y Su Conjunto
Track: Que Se Funan
Label: N’Dardisc
Catalog#: 45-15
Format: Vinyl, 7”
Country: Senegal
Released: 1960’s (not 100% on the year)
Credits: Written by Laba Sosseh, Produced by L. Fourment

Having only recently discovered the wonders of Laba Sosseh’s work – particularly his collaborations with Dexter Johnson (and Super Star De Dakar) – I wanted to feature some of his music here as Laba Sosseh was an absolute landmark figure in the development of African-Latin music.

John Child (@ Descarga.com) compiled a detailed obituary about Laba Sosseh, some of which I have included here in slightly edited form. Trying to get a good, reliable write up on him is not easy.

Born: Laba Badara Sosseh, 12 March 1943, Bathurst, Gambia, Died: 21 September 2007, Dakar, Senegal.

Laba Sosseh was a Gambian-born singer and composer who was an early pioneer of the tradition of Africans journeying to New York to record with Latin musicians.

The son of a Senegalese father and Gambian mother, Laba was born and raised in Bathurst (renamed Banjul in 1973), the capital of The Gambia, a British colony at the time. Regarded as one of the greatest musical innovators in the Sene–gambia sub-region, he grew up listening to Cuban dance music of the '40s and '50s. Johnny Pacheco was one of his favourites and he became known for his perfect imitation of the Dominican bandleader's style.

From a family of griots (praise singers), he played the sabarr drum at traditional ceremonies and later joined the Foyer Jazz Band, with whom he began singing popular Latin numbers, and African Jazz dance band. In the early '60s Laba accompanied his father, a civil aviation worker, when he was redeployed to Dakar airport in Senegal. There he joined the Star Band de Dakar, founded in 1960 by Ibra Kassé as the house band for his prestigious Miami nightclub to celebrate Senegal's independence. Sidemen included the Nigerian sax player Dexter Johnson, singer Amara Toure and conga drummer Lynx Tall. Besides the Miami nightclub, Laba performed with the band in many clubs in Dakar, Bathurst and throughout the sub-region. In 1964 the Star Band fell out with Kassé and, renaming themselves Super Star de Dakar, relocated to the Etolie nightclub.

He accompanied Super Star to Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast, where he took up residence and organised the Super International Band de Dakar, comprising Senegalese and local musicians, at the beginning of the '70s.

Circa. 1977 Sosseh recorded with the Special Liwanza Band, making his debut on Aboudou Lassissi's Ivory Coast-based Sacodis label. Lassissi took Laba to the U.S. where he recorded with some of New York’s finest Latin musicians.

In the early 80’s, Laba made a number of albums in Paris and performed with the Cosmos Band in Benin. In 1998 he sang ‘Afromanicero’ on Cheikh Ibra Fall by El Hadji Faye and Etoile 2000 de Dakar and later joined the ranks of Africando for their fourth album Baloba! In 2001 Laba Sosseh celebrated his 40th anniversary in the salsa africana field.

After a long illness, Laba Sosseh passed away in a private clinic in Dakar on Thursday September 20, 2007 at around 3:00 am local time. Pape Fall and guitarist Cheikh Tidiane Tall announced his death on RTS, Senegal's state-owned media corporation. He was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Yoff, Dakar, and is reportedly survived by 27 children.

PETER KING - 'Ajo'

Boomp3.com
Artist: Peter King
Track: Ajo (from the LP, Omo Lewa)
Label: Spindle Records
Catalog#: SP-LP-08
Format: Vinyl, LP
Released: 1993
Country: UK
Credits: Arranged by Peter King, Produced by Sonny Roberts.

Originally released in 1976 on the Orbitone label, Omo Lewa exemplifies Peter King’s experimental approach to Highlife (his musical roots). Here he incorporated elements from Afro-Beat, Afro-Jazz, Afro-Funk, Funky-Highlife and Afro-Reggae, as exemplified by 'Ajo', the heaviest track on the album.

DR. NICO & L’ORCHESTRE AFRICAN FIESTA SUKISA - 'Afrique De L’Ouest'

Boomp3.com
Artist: Dr. Nico & L’Orchestre African Fiesta Sukisa
Track: Afrique De L’Ouest
Label: African
Catalog#: African 90.449
Format: Vinyl, 7”
Released: 1970
Country: France
Credits:

It wasn't easy to find a reliable on-line biography for Dr. Nico, so I decided to post some solid facts courtesy of The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music.

“Dr. Nico (born Nicolas, Kasanda Wa Mikalay, July 7th, 1939, Luluaborg, Zaire), graduated in 1957 as a technical teacher, but inspired by his musical family (his father was an amateur accordionist, his brother, Mwamba Dechaud, an excellent rhythm guitarist), he took up the guitar and in time became a virtuoso soloist.

"A founder member of the seminal group, African Jazz, led by Joseph Kabaselle, Nicolas became the influential guitarist in the modern Congo sound, acquiring the name ‘Dr. Nico’ following his performances with the band during the 1960 independence celebrations. According to influential soukous guitarist, Diblo Dibala, Dr. Nico was "the school of Zairean guitar".

"African Jazz split when Dr. Nico and singer Rochereau left to form the L’Orchestra African Fiesta, which became one of the most popular in Africa, spawning many imitators and making dozens of singles".

"He withdrew from the music scene in the mid-70’s following the collapse of his Belgian record label. Feeling that he’d been cheated, Dr. Nico played the odd show and made a few singles but waited for a better deal, which came in 1983 with Africa New Sound, based in Lome, Togo. He made a couple of LPs in Paris in 1984-85 and arranged for his first release on the African Music Gallery label, when his death robbed Africa of one of its best musicians. Dr. Nico died in Brussels on September 22nd, 1985".

Weird, as I researched this, it happened by chance to be September 22nd, so I played many a tribute record to the great man.

MERCHANT - 'Rock It'

Boomp3.com
Artist: Merchant
Track: Rock It
Label: Hot Vinyl
Catalog#: POSP 764
Format: Vinyl, 7”
Released: 1985
Country: UK
Credits:

Classic Soca! Heard it twice at Notting Hill Carnival this year. Guaranteed to make dem girls whine dem baddy up! Ohhh lawwd!

CONJUNTOS OS ANJOS - 'Avante Juventude '

Boomp3.com
Artist: Conjuntos Os Anjos
Track: Avante Juventude
Label: Merengue
Catalog#: MPA-4034
Format: Vinyl, 7”
Released: 1948?
Country: Angola
Credits:

Absolutely killer Angolan folk record, beautiful guitar layered over a vibrant rhythm section. This is the first and only Angolan folk record I have ever heard or seen. Slightly rough press, but who cares!

VICTOR OLAIYA & HIS ALLSTARS - 'Kiriji'

Boomp3.com
Artist: Victor Olaiya and his All-Stars
Track: Kiriji (taken form the Olaiya’s Victories EP)
Label: Phillips
Catalog#: P 13403 R
Format: Vinyl, 10”
Released: 1961
Country: Holland
Credits:

Top 10” featuring some of Victor Olaiya’s best recordings.

A brief synopsis of Victor’s career up until the forming this group: Victor Oliaya’s journey into music started in East Nigeria where he was admitted to The African School in Onitsha. He enrolled in the school brass band and started learning the B flat Bombadine and the French horn.

Victor Olaiya moved to Lagos in 1947 and formed the Epkos Band. This was a typical street brass band with a composition of three brass instrumentalists, one side-drummer, one drummer, and six stick players.

In 1948, Victor broke into Sammy Akpabot’s Sextet as Assistant Bandleader and first trumpeter. Between 1950 – 1952 Victor founded and led the old Lagos City Orchestra and The City Tempo Orchestra and in mid-May 1952, wangled his way into Bobby Benson’s Orchestra. Here he became bandleader of Benson’s second band, often referred to as the Alfa’s Carnival Group.

Then in 1954, at the West End café, with Tax Oluwa on bass and Karl “Dizzy” Woody on trumpet, Victor made his first appearance as Victor Olaiya and His Cool Cats (which eventually became Victor Oliaya and his All-Stars in 1957). Enjoy….