afro  jazz funk groove

Available on vinyl / CD or digital: https://orcd.co/kabasa
Originally released in 1982 on the short-lived Lyncell Records imprint, BBE Music is excited to present the brilliant and ultra-rare album ‘African Sunset’ by South African band Kabasa.
Formed in Soweto by vocalist and bassist Tata “TNT” Sibeko, guitarist Robert “Doc” Mthalane (described as the Jimi Hendrix of South Africa) and percussionist Oupa Segwai, Kabasa recorded a trio of powerful albums in early-80s Johannesburg. Having been part of the iconic Afro-rock band Harari, the first ever local black pop band to appear on South African TV, Mthalane and Segwai decamped to team up with Sibeko for Kabasa’s eponymous debut in 1980.
‘African Sunset’ is their third and final album and is produced by the band with songwriting duties shared between founding members Sibeko and Mthalane as well as newly-joined percussionist and flautist Mabote “Kelly” Petlane. Taking in psychedelic rock influences alongside shades of jazz, funk and more traditional sounds, ‘African Sunset’ is a timeless album, standing out to this day thanks to its heavy grooves, great songwriting and superior musicianship.
With original pressings of ‘African Sunset’ now virtually impossible to find, BBE Music is delighted to present this carefully remastered version that includes original artwork. Available on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

Kabasa - African Sunset (Album Sampler)

Buy vinyl / digital / CD: https://orcd.co/afrotunes
On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we have the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master.

Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences.

Although the original sleeve artwork implies that this is a ‘various artists’ album, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same unnamed juju band throughout, performing two long tracks, one on each side. Side 1 calls forth more traditional juju sounds, whilst the darker Side 2 adds funk breaks galore. Psych-rock Hawaiian guitars, talking drums and political lyrics rub shoulders in this almost-unknown 70s juju rarity.

Ojo Balingo, in Yoruba, means ‘rain comes’, or ‘a breeze comes’. And so it does, with this never-before reissued obscure collectors’ vinyl from the vaults of Tabansi Records.

Ojo Balingo - Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol. II – Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo (Album Sampler)

180g vinyl, CD and digital formats available: https://orcd.co/ewondorythm
Since the 60s, Congolese guitar combos and orchestras have always been popular across West and Central Africa. But the ‘natural fit’ element between East Nigerian Igbo highlife and Congolese rumba and soukous made for a unique beat: highlife-soukous.
Although eclipsed internationally by Lagos, Yoruba, Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, it was highlife- soukous that you’d hear at parties all over southern Nigeria in the late 70s and early 80s.
Outside Africa, the sound proved a special favourite with Colombia’s Carnival Champeta and Pico Sound system DJs – where, even today, you can hear super-rare Bota International original vinyls booming out over 20-foot-high speaker stacks along Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the records being ‘covered up’ in the style of British Northern Soul 45s, or reggae sound system dubplates, so that competitors can’t discover the name of the tune or band.
Welcome to the mysterious world of highlife-soukous – and Bota Tabansi International.

Ondigui And Bota Tabansi International - Ewondo Rythm (Album Sampler)

Kabasa - Walking In The Jungle

Available on vinyl, CD and digital: https://orcd.co/dytomite

The Dytomite Starlite Band of Ghana is an extremely rare, never-before-reissued, in-demand LP by an unknown, single-album band from the early 80s, recorded in Nigeria’s Tabansi studios by an augmented highlife band.

So, who plays and sings on this beautiful collection? Unfortunately little can be gleaned from the original sleeve, which features a picture of only two band members on the cover and no credits or notes whatsoever.

The vocals are ‘pure Ghana’, but our guess is that some of the keyboard parts are taken by Tabansi’s peripatetic production genius Jake Sollo- who may have had a part in the characteristically clean production and engineering, too. And it wouldn’t be surprising if a handful of the Tabansi Studio Band- the incredibly versatile Martins Brothers and cohorts thereof – found their way into the mix somewhere along the line.

The music? Varied cuts of classic late 70s/early 80s Accra highlife, as well as South African township jive-flavoured horn sections and Afro-Cuban clave –patterns.

Dytomite Starlite Band (Album Sampler)

Album Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol. II is available here: https://orcd.co/afrotunes

On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we have the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master.

Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences.

Although the original sleeve artwork implies that this is a ‘various artists’ album, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same unnamed juju band throughout, performing two long tracks, one on each side. Side 1 calls forth more traditional juju sounds, whilst the darker Side 2 adds funk breaks galore. Psych-rock Hawaiian guitars, talking drums and political lyrics rub shoulders in this almost-unknown 70s juju rarity.

Ojo Balingo, in Yoruba, means ‘rain comes’, or ‘a breeze comes’. And so it does, with this never-before reissued obscure collectors’ vinyl from the vaults of Tabansi Records.

Afrotunes – Best of Juju Vol. II – Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo

Ojo Balingo - Oba Mimo Olorun Ayo

Vinyl / CD / Digital available here: https://orcd.co/ewondorythm
Since the 60s, Congolese guitar combos and orchestras have always been popular across West and Central Africa. But the ‘natural fit’ element between East Nigerian Igbo highlife and Congolese rumba and soukous made for a unique beat: highlife-soukous.

Although eclipsed internationally by Lagos, Yoruba, Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, it was highlife- soukous that you’d hear at parties all over southern Nigeria in the late 70s and early 80s.

Outside Africa, the sound proved a special favourite with Colombia’s Carnival Champeta and Pico Sound system DJs – where, even today, you can hear super-rare Bota International original vinyls booming out over 20-foot-high speaker stacks along Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the records being ‘covered up’ in the style of British Northern Soul 45s, or reggae sound system dubplates, so that competitors can’t discover the name of the tune or band.

Welcome to the mysterious world of highlife-soukous – and Bota Tabansi International.

Ondigui And Bota Tabansi International - Beza Bakili Ma Nyon

Vinyl / CD / Digital: https://orcd.co/afrotunes
On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we have the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master.

Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences.

Although the original sleeve artwork implies that this is a ‘various artists’ album, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same unnamed juju band throughout, performing two long tracks, one on each side. Side 1 calls forth more traditional juju sounds, whilst the darker Side 2 adds funk breaks galore. Psych-rock Hawaiian guitars, talking drums and political lyrics rub shoulders in this almost-unknown 70s juju rarity.

Ojo Balingo, in Yoruba, means ‘rain comes’, or ‘a breeze comes’. And so it does, with this never-before reissued obscure collectors’ vinyl from the vaults of Tabansi Records.

Ojo Balingo - Ayo Igbala Ni Mofe

Vinyl / CD / Digital: https://orcd.co/afrotunes

On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we have the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master.

Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences.

Although the original sleeve artwork implies that this is a ‘various artists’ album, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same unnamed juju band throughout, performing two long tracks, one on each side. Side 1 calls forth more traditional juju sounds, whilst the darker Side 2 adds funk breaks galore. Psych-rock Hawaiian guitars, talking drums and political lyrics rub shoulders in this almost-unknown 70s juju rarity.

Ojo Balingo, in Yoruba, means ‘rain comes’, or ‘a breeze comes’. And so it does, with this never-before reissued obscure collectors’ vinyl from the vaults of Tabansi Records.

Ojo Balingo - Igbe Eiye Oloburo

From Ebo Taylor's long lost album "Palaver" 
To be released 13th Sep 2019.
Pre-order / stream: https://orcd.co/palaver

BBE Music unearths ‘Palaver’, a long-lost, previously unreleased 1980 album from Ghanaian guitarist and songwriter Ebo Taylor.

If Fela Kuti was the king of Nigerian Afrobeat, then Ebo Taylor, 83 and still playing hard, is the king of Ghana Funky-Highlife. No doubt whatsoever. Much of Ebo’s beautiful 70s and 80s output has been reissued, as more and more Afro music lovers are being converted to his unique pan-West African sound.

In 1980 while on a club tour of Nigeria with his regular touring band, Ebo bumped into Chief Tabansi of Tabansi Records. They agreed that Taylor would record a one-album session to be released exclusively on Tabansi. Within a few days the deal was signed, the session completed, the tapes signed off, and Ebo and his band went on their way to complete their Nigerian tour.

But for reasons that no-one (including Ebo) can now fully recall, the master tapes got shelved in a dusty backroom in Tabansi’s Onitsha HQ. Where they remained, undisturbed, unreleased, unplayed, for almost forty years.

Last year, Peter Adarkwah of BBE Music signed off on a major multi-album reissue deal with Tabansi and its affiliated labels. ‘What about unissued material, if we find any?’ Joe Tabansi, Chief’s son and current administrator of the label, casually asked.

Yes, replied Peter- but WHAT unissued material?

Upon which, Joe produces these masters. The tapes are rushed to the redoubtable Carvery vinyl remastering and pressing plant in East London, and all at BBE soon realised that they had a masterpiece on their hands. All-new material, all Ebo’s own compositions, all recorded with Ebo’s crème-de-la-crème touring and recording players, including George Amissah. Mat Hammond, George Kennedy and George Abunuah among others.

Here it is, for the first time, anywhere. Ebo Taylor’s Lost Nigeria Sessions.

Ebo Taylor - Make You No Mind

Available on vinyl / CD or digital: https://orcd.co/fortheloveofmoney
‘For The Love Of Money’ is a long-lost Afro-disco-boogie-reggae masterpiece from Liberian duo Zack & Geebah, vinyl copies of which change hands for eye-watering sums on eBay. As part of its Tabansi Gold reissue project, BBE Music gives the album a top-quality, heavy-vinyl reissue, with original artwork, for the first time anywhere in the world outside 1980s Nigeria. Boogie classics like ‘For The Love Of Money’ and ‘No Peace No Love’ rub shoulders with the island-funk sound of ‘Take It Easy’ and the Toots-tinged funk-reggae ‘Home Is Home’, on to the soulful mid-tempo magic of ‘My Luck Will Shine’ and ‘Rock To The Music’. That old cliché ‘every one’s a winner’ is -for once- a truism!

Zack & Geebah - My Luck Will Shine

Vinyl / CD / Digital available: https://orcd.co/ewondorythm

Since the 60s, Congolese guitar combos and orchestras have always been popular across West and Central Africa. But the ‘natural fit’ element between East Nigerian Igbo highlife and Congolese rumba and soukous made for a unique beat: highlife-soukous.

Although eclipsed internationally by Lagos, Yoruba, Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, it was highlife- soukous that you’d hear at parties all over southern Nigeria in the late 70s and early 80s.

Outside Africa, the sound proved a special favourite with Colombia’s Carnival Champeta and Pico Sound system DJs – where, even today, you can hear super-rare Bota International original vinyls booming out over 20-foot-high speaker stacks along Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the records being ‘covered up’ in the style of British Northern Soul 45s, or reggae sound system dubplates, so that competitors can’t discover the name of the tune or band.

Welcome to the mysterious world of highlife-soukous – and Bota Tabansi International.

Ondigui And Bota Tabansi International - Meveg

Vinyl / CD / Available: https://orcd.co/ewondorythm

Since the 60s, Congolese guitar combos and orchestras have always been popular across West and Central Africa. But the ‘natural fit’ element between East Nigerian Igbo highlife and Congolese rumba and soukous made for a unique beat: highlife-soukous.

Although eclipsed internationally by Lagos, Yoruba, Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, it was highlife- soukous that you’d hear at parties all over southern Nigeria in the late 70s and early 80s.

Outside Africa, the sound proved a special favourite with Colombia’s Carnival Champeta and Pico Sound system DJs – where, even today, you can hear super-rare Bota International original vinyls booming out over 20-foot-high speaker stacks along Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the records being ‘covered up’ in the style of British Northern Soul 45s, or reggae sound system dubplates, so that competitors can’t discover the name of the tune or band.

Welcome to the mysterious world of highlife-soukous – and Bota Tabansi International.

Ondigui And Bota Tabansi International - Wonderful For Ashawo

Buy / Stream the album: https://orcd.co/dytomite

The Dytomite Starlite Band of Ghana is an extremely rare, never-before-reissued, in-demand LP by an unknown, single-album band from the early 80s, recorded in Nigeria’s Tabansi studios by an augmented highlife band.

So, who plays and sings on this beautiful collection? Unfortunately little can be gleaned from the original sleeve, which features a picture of only two band members on the cover and no credits or notes whatsoever.

The vocals are ‘pure Ghana’, but our guess is that some of the keyboard parts are taken by Tabansi’s peripatetic production genius Jake Sollo- who may have had a part in the characteristically clean production and engineering, too. And it wouldn’t be surprising if a handful of the Tabansi Studio Band- the incredibly versatile Martins Brothers and cohorts thereof – found their way into the mix somewhere along the line.

The music? Varied cuts of classic late 70s/early 80s Accra highlife, as well as South African township jive-flavoured horn sections and Afro-Cuban clave –patterns.

Dytomite Starlite Band Of Ghana - I No Go Marry

Buy the album here on Vinyl/CD/Digital: orcd.co/palaver

BBE Music unearths ‘Palaver’, a long-lost, previously unreleased 1980 album from Ghanaian guitarist and songwriter Ebo Taylor.

If Fela Kuti was the king of Nigerian Afrobeat, then Ebo Taylor, 83 and still playing hard, is the king of Ghana Funky-Highlife. No doubt whatsoever. Much of Ebo’s beautiful 70s and 80s output has been reissued, as more and more Afro music lovers are being converted to his unique pan-West African sound.

In 1980 while on a club tour of Nigeria with his regular touring band, Ebo bumped into Chief Tabansi of Tabansi Records. They agreed that Taylor would record a one-album session to be released exclusively on Tabansi. Within a few days the deal was signed, the session completed, the tapes signed off, and Ebo and his band went on their way to complete their Nigerian tour.

But for reasons that no-one (including Ebo) can now fully recall, the master tapes got shelved in a dusty backroom in Tabansi’s Onitsha HQ. Where they remained, undisturbed, unreleased, unplayed, for almost forty years.

Last year, Peter Adarkwah of BBE Music signed off on a major multi-album reissue deal with Tabansi and its affiliated labels. ‘What about unissued material, if we find any?’ Joe Tabansi, Chief’s son and current administrator of the label, casually asked.

Yes, replied Peter- but WHAT unissued material?

Upon which, Joe produces these masters. The tapes are rushed to the redoubtable Carvery vinyl remastering and pressing plant in East London, and all at BBE soon realised that they had a masterpiece on their hands. All-new material, all Ebo’s own compositions, all recorded with Ebo’s crème-de-la-crème touring and recording players, including George Amissah. Mat Hammond, George Kennedy and George Abunuah among others.

Here it is, for the first time, anywhere. Ebo Taylor’s Lost Nigeria Sessions.

Ebo Taylor - Abebrese

Buy / Stream the album 'Mosese': orcd.co/zorro

In 1979 the late Congolese musician Lumingu Zorro, protégé of Kinshasa’s legendary 60s band leader Dr Nico, recorded Mosese, his only pre-2000 solo album, for the Tabansi label- and this is it.

CHAMPETA STORM WARNING! The first-ever reissue of one of West Africa’s best-kept rumba-soukous secrets- as well as being one of the most in-demand titles on Colombia’s booming Champeta sound system scene, where a rare record is protected as fiercely as on the Northern Soul or Jamaican sound system scenes, the label scratched off, the record hidden from view when not on the turntable.

Possibly one of the strongest and most consistent Congo dancefloor albums ever recorded perfectly balanced between voices, horns, guitars and percussion.

Which is why original copies of this all-time rumba rarity almost never reach the open market, being traded between Colombia’s champeta picoteros (sound system selectors) instead.

In Kinshasa they say ‘Miziki ezelaki eleng ndeko’- ‘Sweet music, brother!’. Roger that.

Lumingu Puati (Zorro) - Mosese

Buy / Stream the album: https://orcd.co/ozobiaspecial

Nkem Njoku & Ozzobia Sound’s one and only album, Ozobia Special, is an early 80s Igbo Highlife masterpiece, drawing on Ghana Highlife as well as traditional Ogene 6/8 bell tempos.

Nkem Njoku’s only album as leader, this LP epitomizes the feel-good, gospel-tinged party atmosphere of Igbo Highlife, with John Kante’s soukous guitar scales interweaving the sharp sax/ trumpet line-up, which includes the legendary Ray Stephen Oche, whose two scarce albums with his band Matumbo are big afro-jazz collectors’ items, reissued several times over the years.

Percussion section includes the prolific Smart ‘Friday Pozo’ Thompson, whose session credits read like a ‘who’s who’ of contemporary West African music and include many gigs on Tabansi artists’ albums.
The razor-sharp production sound, as so often on the best Tabansi Highlife and boogie sessions, is down to multi-keyboardist Jake Sollo.

Ozobia Special (Album Sampler)

Single track available: April 10th 2020
Album (vinyl, CD and digital) available: May 1st 2020

Nkem Njoku & Ozzobia Sound’s one and only album, Ozobia Special, is an early 80s Igbo Highlife masterpiece, drawing on Ghana Highlife as well as traditional Ogene 6/8 bell tempos.

Nkem Njoku’s only album as leader, this LP epitomizes the feel-good, gospel-tinged party atmosphere of Igbo Highlife, with John Kante’s soukous guitar scales interweaving the sharp sax/ trumpet line-up, which includes the legendary Ray Stephen Oche, whose two scarce albums with his band Matumbo are big afro-jazz collectors’ items, reissued several times over the years.

Percussion section includes the prolific Smart ‘Friday Pozo’ Thompson, whose session credits read like a ‘who’s who’ of contemporary West African music and include many gigs on Tabansi artists’ albums.
The razor-sharp production sound, as so often on the best Tabansi Highlife and boogie sessions, is down to multi-keyboardist Jake Sollo.

Nkem Njoku & Ozzobia Brothers - Ozobia Special

Buy / Stream the album: orcd.co/ozobiaspecial

Nkem Njoku & Ozzobia Sound’s one and only album, Ozobia Special, is an early 80s Igbo Highlife masterpiece, drawing on Ghana Highlife as well as traditional Ogene 6/8 bell tempos.

Nkem Njoku’s only album as leader, this LP epitomizes the feel-good, gospel-tinged party atmosphere of Igbo Highlife, with John Kante’s soukous guitar scales interweaving the sharp sax/ trumpet line-up, which includes the legendary Ray Stephen Oche, whose two scarce albums with his band Matumbo are big afro-jazz collectors’ items, reissued several times over the years.

Percussion section includes the prolific Smart ‘Friday Pozo’ Thompson, whose session credits read like a ‘who’s who’ of contemporary West African music and include many gigs on Tabansi artists’ albums.
The razor-sharp production sound, as so often on the best Tabansi Highlife and boogie sessions, is down to multi-keyboardist Jake Sollo.

afro jazz funk groove

Amine Laidia