Episode 32
Episode 32 was originally posted on January 14, 2019.
Tracklisting:
01) “Psychedelic Afro-Shop” by Orlando Julius & His Afro Sounders.
From the 2005 compilation Orlando's Afro Ideas 1969-72.
Ilesa, Nigeria.
Last.fm says: “1966, four years before Fela Kuti would unleash his formidable 'afrobeat' sound on the world, Orlando Julius had revolutionised the sound of Lagos with his fusion of highlife and American soul.” Allmusic says: “Few artists have been more crucial to the invention, development, and popularization of Afro-pop,” and Modern Ghana says he’s “the last of Nigeria's titans in the highlife music genre ... which he has modernised to Afro-soul.” Seriously, you should know Julius.
02) “Kukuchi” by Letta Mbulu.
From the 2005 double album Letta Mbulu Sings / Free Soul.
Soweto, South Africa.
Letta Mbulu is a jazz, pop, soul and funk vocalist from South Africa who has been turning out soulful jams since the 1960’s. In his online biography of Mbulu, Doug Payne says:
“South African singer Letta Mbulu possesses one of the finest voices the world of song has ever known. Like all great singers, her voice emanates a beautiful sound that radiates and resonates from deep within, brimming with a joy of life and more often than not inspiring the spirit of hope and happiness. It’s musical like too few voices ever are. It attains grace through pure passion. And it’s one of the most pleasurable sounds ever heard.”
This 2005 double album reissue project combines the 1967 album Letta Mbulu Sings with 1968’s Free Soul and is a great place to start if you’re just digging in to Mbulu’s rich catalog.
03) “Oremi” by King Sunny Adé & His African Beats.
From the 1983 album Aura.
Ondo City, Nigeria.
Wikipedia tells us: “King Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye MFR, known professionally as King Sunny Adé, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the West African musical style jùjú.”
Purchase King Sunny Adé’s music from Amazon.
04) “Moal Boal” by Tribali.
From the 2018 album Raba.
Malta.
The band describes themselves on their Facebook page this way:
Fiesta. Celebration. Revelry even. Add an eclectic mix of percussion, native and traditional wind and string instruments and a kick ass drum beat. Throw in a collective of talented multi genre musicians and ardent travelers in a constant search to entertain and connect with audiences. Get transposed to the mesmerizing landscapes that are Goa, Koh Phangan, Kingston, Rio or Kashmir; just take your pick and go with the flow. Welcome to the enthralling and kaleidoscopic world of Tribali.
05) “Thiely” by Star Band de Dakar.
From the 1977 album Star Band de Dakar vol. 1.
Senegal.
Often known simply as “Star Band,” Wikipedia tells us: “Star Band is a music group from Senegal that was the resident band of Dakar's Miami Club. Formed to celebrate Senegal's independence in 1960, the band has been host to some influential musicians, Youssou N'Dour being the most notable, and gave birth to Etoile de Dakar.”
Purchase the album at Amazon.
Browse the interactive map to see where each artist is from. Use the little window/toggle thingy in the upper-left corner to highlight specific episodes. Google Maps only lets us do 10 episodes per map so to see all the maps from episodes 1-29, visit here. This week’s artists are represented by red map points.