From Benin & Togo 70s
14 tracks compilation available on CD and double vinyl (Release Date March, 2008)
This project initially took off in August, 2005 when I arrived in Cotonou without any special expectations, just hoping to lay my hands on few good records.
What I found in the process cannot really be described in words. This first trip was followed by eight more to the region. Thirty Months and a few thousand Records later Analog Africa is proud to present this compilation which comes with a 44 pages full liners notes and features many rare photographs handed to me directly by the artists.
16 interviews were made and recorded in various cities in Benin & Togo with musicians, producers & sound engineers who kindly offered their support to reconstruct the history of the 70s music scene. Composers gave me a detailed biography, hilarious anecdotes and sometimes the story behind their song. (S)
More infos soon...........to contact me directly: analogafrica@yahoo.com
ALL TRACKS OFFICIALLY LICENSED
1.Lokonon André & Les Volcans - Mi kple Dogbekpo
2.Picoby Band D´Abomey - Mi Ma Kpe Dji
3.Gabo Brown & Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - It´s a Vanity
SAMPLE1 - LISTEN HERE
4.El Rego et ses commandos - Se Na Min
SAMPLE1 - LISTEN HERE
5.Napo de Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devil´s - Leki Santchi
SAMPLE1 - LISTEN HERE
6.Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - Gbeti Madjro
7.Roger Damawuzan - Wait For Me
8.Ouinsou Corneille & Black Santiagos - Vinon so Minsou
9.Orchestre Super Jheevs des Paillotes - Ye Nan Lon An
SAMPLE1 - LISTEN HERE
10.Tidiani Kone - Djanfi Magni
11.Discafric Band - Houiou Djin Nan Zon Aklumon
12.Le Super Borgou de Parakou - Congolaise Benin Ye
13.Vincent Ahehehinnou - Ou c´est Lui Ou C´est Moi
14.Les Volcans de la Capital - Oya Ka Jojo
"One of the most satisfying and exciting records of
the year so far."
Music Week
"A thrilling discovery."
The Observer
"An explosive afro-funk collection dripping in the
feel of hot nights in crumbling mud-brick nightclubs."
The Daily Telegraph
"Raucous funk gems from the 1970s."
The Word
"Samy Ben Redjeb has struck black gold here."
Time Out*****
"One of the party albums of the year ... extraordinary
music that mostly never heard in the west."
The Guardian ****
"I can't think of a more invigorating way to start the
day than with this wriggling bag of jagged, ragged 70s
funk."
Songlines ****
"The rawest funk, roughest guitars and squawkingest
saxes."
Mojo ****
"The music lives up to the title: funky electric
guitars, honking saxophones and voodoo rhythms, with
strong influences from soul, highlife and Latin
music."
Evening Standard ****
"Astounding."
Kruger magazine
"Wonderfully eccentric arrangement and tuning ...
Browntastic."
The Wire
"Sterling work."
Observer Music Monthly
"Benin and Togo mixed highlife and nascent Afrobeat
into a psychedelic echo chamber."
Financial Times ****
"An exuberant blend of Cuban, Congolese and high-life
strains, streaked with slithery psychedelic guitar
fills."
The Independent (Independent Music supplement)
"When New York slicksters thought they were at the
centre of the universe - Studio 54, say – these bands
were taking the coolest parts of funk, soul and disco,
reinventing it and, at the same time, transforming
their own music and culture... A lot of the reaction
to West African blues has focused on origins and a
going-back-to-roots, but the groove in Benin and Togo
was far deeper and far more inventive than that."
BBC Music Online
"One funky freak-out of a history lesson."
Straight No Chaser
61 comments:
Congrats on getting this pressed!! Sure looks like this will be another great addition to 1970s (and no longer lost) West African music!
Happy 2008 indeed!
Pieter
Hi Pieter, Do you have an address in Europe where I can send you a promotional copy? Do you like the sound of "your" Damawuzan tune? Funny enough he called this morning to wish a good year
Oh my goodness am I drooling. This looks AMAZING! Will there be a US distributor I hope?
Samy,
This looks amazing. You got the heat lined up mate!
Please get in touch asap.
Your email is not responding.
Dress, Denmark
Samy- Well done. After so much inaction on your site I was hoping this one didn't fall through the cracks. All the best and if I can help promote let me know.
Matt
Looks and sounds superb! Really nice work. Can't wait to read the liner notes and hear some of the first hand anecdotes. I would love a copy- will definitely get a review on my site and play on my radio show. HOLLER!
captainplanet@bywayof.net
Peace
Hi Samy,
Send me an email at premes@gmail.com and I'll give an address in Belgium.
Thanks!
Pieter
Hello,
Samples sound so good. February seems so far.
Bravo.
Aduna
Looks awesome. Which retailers will be stocking it in the UK?
Proper will be distributing this in the UK..if all goes according to Plan. (S)
Captain´s crate my email address is analogafrica@yahoo.com, I wrote to you few days ago but it looks like it did not reach you.
Looking and sounding very cool. Worth the effort! I'll be getting a copy for sure.
Jon
Hey Samy, thank you for your kind comment and linking my blog to yours (though I update mine so infrequently—my graduate school studies keep me SUPER busy—I hope I can post enough to warrant you doing so). As far as sending me a promo, keep in mind that my blog gets next to zero traffic so don't feel that you need to send me a promo out of kindness or anything, but I'd be happy to review it. I'll be buying the CD when it drops and promoting it on my blog and by word of mouth regardless. I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR IT!
All my best,
Evan
Sammy,
I really can't wait. Seems like a fantactic record.
Please, send me an email when the record is available (pauamigo@yahoo.es). In which website is it to be found?
Mit Besten Grüssen,
Pau
WHOA! this looks so amazing...I work for a record label in Olympia, Washington called K...and these are still my favorite jams! how can I get a copy of this comp?
wow... between this and Soundway's Nigeria Special, it looks like February is gonna be HOT!
Please let us know if/when/who your US distro is? Very very nice work thank you Sami!- Daniel from TX
“There are persons that make art for artistic reasons, however art do not exist if you are not shared with the others ”. And this is art and we thank you that share it to us. Wants a copy shortest differently I will need a lot of pills.
I simply cannot wait to spin this disc on radio here in USA. Response to your other releases has been quite good. Keep it up!
Please, let us know where we can buy such jewel! Thanks
pauamigo@yahoo.es
salut, mon ami!
can't wait to give it a listen. looks fantastic!
Hey Looks really cool. I would ove to play this on my show and do a write-up. Please contact me at
bcalabrese@aspenms.com
Peace thanks
Hi,
Loving the samples...I do reviews for this site:
www.mediaparlour.com
Any chance of a sample copy to review?
Cheers!
You are soo generous with your African Gold, such beautiful music from such badass people, thanks soo much for doing all your hard work!!
LENGUA
Hi, for two websites (www.afrikanieuws.nl and www.tontonjovo.nl/mixite) I write about African music and recently released cd's. Can you please send me a promotional copy of this new release...? Contact me for address-details. Thanks! - Michel Vink
I agree with everyone else: it looks as if it's going to be great. I've been looking out for more Orchestre Poly-Rythmo ever since hearing that Soundways compilation that came out in ... was it 2005?
Samy, this is Deanne from PopMatters. You sent me an email through the site a few weeks ago and I sent you one back with my address. Did it get through? I thought I'd double-check.
Good on you for properly licensing each track and making sure compensation goes where it should. This looks like an outstanding compilation very much worth buying.
I'll add to the chorus wondering where the best outlet to buy it from in the US is. Also, what other releases have you been responsible for, Samy?
Hi Joe
The compilation will be released in the UK on march 17th, in the US late May (via Stones throw/Now Again) but dusty grooves will have them till official release date. Except for this one I have release some excellent stuff from Zimbabwe 70s, the Green Arrows and Hallelujah Chicken run Band. Contact me via email for more details vai myspace (analogafrica)
Thanks for the kind message.
Samy
Oh! I know those Green Arrows and Hallelujah Chicken Run band compilations--those are phenomenal. thanks for the info, Samy.
I heard that the release is only going to be on CD. Is this true?
Hello my friend,
many greetings from Greece.
Which way I can buy your three releases?
I cann't find them here in Greece or in Dustygroove....
Thank you very much....All the best!!!
Vinyl will follow in few weeks. Samy
Any date on the vinyl? I pre-ordered mine from SOTU - can't wait to get it!
can't wait for the vinyls
massive respect for what you've done here Samy. along with the awesome Soundway releases this is a good time for classic afro music. and it's great that the artists are finally getting some worldwide respect and of course some money too.
Hi there,
this is the greatest compilation of African music I bought in years. Just got it last saturday and listened to it the whole weekend.
The sound is great and even though I only knew two artists/groups every track is great and some are gorgeous. And I hope there will come at least another compilation from the thousands of records you found on your trips.
Thanks a lot for your work!
This is a fantastic record!
Hi,
Thank you for this. really wonderful stuff that transports me to a different time and place. Much respect for keeping the music alive. I'd love to review it on my site. thanks again. one
drew
Samy, please tell me - what is the unlisted track after the end of Oya ka jojo?
The whole album is beautifully put together - many thanks
So... is there a vinyl version coming out? Or should i buy the CD before it sells out everywhere?! I need to know.
This album is amazing.
Many many thanks for digging this up for all of us!
Brilliant! Finally got the vinyl :)
Fantastic work on this Samy, awesome music, beautiful package, informative and interesting liner notes, and good to know that it's all fully licensed.
Also picked up the Green Arrows record recently, fantastic too, can't wait for your next release.
I laid my hands on the vinyl! OEWEEEJ
I had to knock down my recorddealer to get this one!!!!
Man, this is the best compilation of African insane music in some time!
It's a vanity!
FIESTA
Thanks!
Hello!
My name is Kyle Press and I am the Jazz Director for Drexel University's free format radio station in Philadelphia . I am a huge funk fan, so the other day when I walked into a local movie rental store and heard this amazing afro-funk I had to know what was going on. I asked the clerk and he told me about this release. I was hoping that you would send me a copy for the station so that a) I can listen to it! and b) to get some more promotion and airtime for this awesome music! The station's address is
WKDU- Jazz Director
3210 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
You can reach me at kwp27@one.drexel.edu.
THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS OUT THERE
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
FUNK ON!
Kyle Press
found this great recording in a small store in the south of germany. it is so amazing. well done and i hope there will be soon one more. cant wait for the next compilation. one of the best cd's i bought this year.
It's so nice blog with informative world development. I like to read
more, keep on updating.
nice post
My friend just bought "African Scream" and I'm amazed at the amount of work and persistence and love that's gone into these re-issues. You're a hero!
Can't wait to hear this.
I just bought this record last week. I cant stop playing it. Its off the HOOOK!!!!.
What else do you recommend for someone who can get over the first song
1.Lokonon André & Les Volcans - Mi kple Dogbekpo
Fantastic. Thanks.
I would also very much like to know what the secret track is - it's one of my favourites. Please help!
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
When I first heard about this a month ago (via BoingBoing) and watched the videos on YouTube, I downloaded an illicit copy of the album because I couldn't find it available for legit download anywhere and had to hear the rest *right away*.
I've now ordered and received two copies of the CD, one for me and one for my sister's birthday. This is awesome music, and thanks to you for going beyond the call of duty in digging this stuff up and giving back to the musicians who created it.
Wow. Just Wow. I'm two years late but what's two years when this album is decades in the making. To all the compilers at Analog Africa - you are truly gifted. This album is absolutely fantastic. The way this music infects you and transports you to Lome or Cotonou is just exceptional. The psychadelic guitar on all tracks hits the same spot in the mind a powerful drug would. Beautiful in every way. Se Na Min is my personal stand out track with a big shout out to Wait for Me and It's a Vanity.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAITTTTTTT!
Cheers.
What Mc Donald says: "I'm lovin it"
So, I'm really loving it, its sooo good. Will there be a US distributor any soon?
Magento Themes
One of our favourite records to spin. Must grip! Everything Analog Africa is putting out has blown me away! Keep it up.
really nice voice!
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