The unique sounds of Ray Phiri's Stimela are showcased on this gem of a 12” EP from 1986. It was originally released only in South Africa on Gallo / CBS Records, although a 12" featuring the track 'I Hate Telling A Lie' was previously released on Plum Records in 1983. It has now become a sought-after item due to its addictive and original-sounding Balearic disco / cosmic boogie-esque nature.

Stimela were a popular and successful Mbaquanga / fusion outfit led by the guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger Ray Phiri; who was previously a member of the legendary band The Cannibals. The musicians would go on to gain global fame after featuring on Paul Simon's iconic 'Graceland' album and the mega tour that followed. 

Kicking off the EP is a magical track that floored us from the first moment we heard it and one that has since become a Mr Bongo firm favourite. ‘I Hate Telling A Lie’ is a slow, infectious building groove that sits somewhere between lowdown jazz-funk, soul, reggae and gospel with shades of new wave pop and Balearic. It’s a truly stunning track that is hard to pigeonhole and all the better for it. 

Another highlight from the EP is the monster instrumental, synth-boogie sound of 'I Love You'; championed by DJs such as Jeremy Spellacey (Crown Ruler). This hypnotic groove bubbles to perfection and is a slo-mo chugger extraordinaire.

Stimela - I Love You

Boxset 3 Compiled By Brian Eno out Sept 29/30

Shakara - 02 Shakara

Release Date:  8th Jan 2016

Tala AM (or Tala Andre Marie to give him his full and proper name) was born in Bandjoun in Cameroun in 1950.  Tala's life initially wasn't easy, he becomes blind at an early age and has lost both his mother and father by the age of 12.  He then went on to make his first guitar by hand and form his first band "The Rock Boys" by the age of 17. Shortly after he meets the powerhouse of Camerounian music at the time Manu Dibango, a pivotal moment.   With help, he re-locates to Paris and signs a contract with Fiesta Records.  The first fruit of those labours is his debut album "Hot Koki".

Fast forward to 1974 and the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.  The story goes a little something like this... At an accompanying musical event we find James Brown and Tala AM.  JB Hears Hot Koki and creates a remarkably similar sounding track "The Hustle" (check it out side by side if you have the time). Tala sued... and won.

And so to the remixes... The package is spearheaded by the title track  is "Hot Koki" ;  a powerhouse of funk guitar, soul and infectious afro rhythms. 

First up on the remix treatment we take a sly trip to the NYC where white-hot talent J Kriv is on the edit tip.  J Kriv recently was voted number 7  Nu Disco talent by Resident Advisor.  JKriv (aka Jason Kriveloff) strips back thing back to the groove for destination dancefloor, a real treat.    Next up we set sail to London for hot new electronic and broken beat talent EVM128 and his quirky alternate version.  Luke EVM adds left field stabs, jazzy percussion and his custom sound to the bombastic brass, swinging basslines and all out groove of Hot Koki of the original .

We stay in London for Ben Hauke who takes things on a house groove tip before heading to Leeds (UK) for Peza who beefs up the bass and groove to "Black Gold".  Layers of picked and choppy guitar and bags of big swinging bass. 

To round off the package we also (and quite rightly so) add the all important original from 1974. 

Interested in finding some more about Tala AM... then check out the LP "African Funk Experimentals 1975 to 1978" out on Africa Seven.

Tala AM - Hot Koki (JKriv Edit) (CLIP)

Nahawa Doumbia "N'Teri"

Support Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang and purchase their debut album 'En Yay Sah' on iTunes: http://www.smarturl.it/EnYaySah

Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang "Feba" (Luaka Bop, 2012)

New song from the forthcoming album by Nahawa Doumbia, out 29 January on Awesome Tapes From Africa.
Pre-order/stream http://smarturl.it/kanawa

Nahawa Doumbia’s new album Kanawa concisely captures this current moment in Malian history. The singer, whose storied career spans more than four decades, reflects on the immigration crisis from the Malian perspective in the title of her new album Kanawa. Across eight songs recorded in Bamako with a band including traditional and modern instruments, Doumbia merges her early work that relied on a spare expression of her trademark didadi rhythm with the bombastic range of contemporary Malian pop. The beautifully complex musical accompaniment that results is courtesy of the large ensemble she pulled together with producer and arranger (and day one collaborator) N’gou Bagayoko. 

The band features two highly expressive Malian string instruments, the ngoni and the slightly smaller kamalé ngoni, as well as a variety of percussion, drum programming, karignan (a metal scraper) and acoustic and electric guitars. Doumbia’s daughter, a celebrated singer with her own group and busy concert schedule, Doussou Bagayoko sings on “Adjorobena,” a song about patience, tolerance and living in peace. Doumbia weaves together a roadmap of her psyche when it comes to the good and bad life has to offer. She talks about marriage and women leaving home to join another through the metaphor of a tree in the garden; she includes gunshot samples in the song “Foliwilen” to honor the bravery of hunters, soldiers and other courageous people; she uses a bird in “Djougoh” to talk about lazy people; and, in “Ndiagneko” she advises people to ignore critics, just do you.  

Mali has gone through an intense period of regional strife and terrorist incidents over the last ten years and Doumbia roots the album in tragic local concerns with deep global implications. “The meaning of Kanawa is so simple. We see our children trying to cross the ocean all the time. I said that many of our children die in the ocean and some of them die while crossing the Sahara. But I ask them why do they leave their country? They said that they leave because of the family situation or problems like poverty and unemployment. I ask them to stay and work in their country. I call on the UN and African leaders so that we can coordinate our efforts to find a solution, to create jobs for them so that young people stop leaving. That’s why I chose it as the title of my album so that everybody can learn from it and also so that there is a reduction in the number of people emigrating. So that some will hear the message and stay home and grow the land. Leaving is not the only solution. My message is to help the youth find jobs.”

Nahawa Doumbia - Foliwilen

First single from new Onipa remix EP 'We No Be Machine: Re-Wired', out 6th November 2020

Onipa - Sohaa Gb3k3 (XOA remix)

Afrobeat Revolution

Meus Filhos (Afrobeat Rework) [feat. BNegao]

Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Take am so edit

Africa Seven is a record label based in Paris and London.  Our mission is to re-release hard-to-find records with strong connections to the African Continent.  Full album re-issues and themed compilations are on the menu.

Tala AM - Hot Koki (JKriv Edit) (CLIP)

Africa Seven

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