In conjunction with compiler and highlife researcher Dr. Markus Coester, Soundway Records present a very special release. Double CD & triple 180g gatefold vinyl (with a bonus 7 inch).

This 45 includes the two first ever recordings by a certain Fela Ransome Kuti with his band The Highlife Rakers. Recorded by Melodisc in London in 1960 both tracks have been unearthed after more than fifty years in hiding.

In many ways this compilation is a prequel of sorts to Soundway's groundbreaking Nigeria & Ghana Special compilations, telling the early story of modern highlife's foundation & formulation. It traces the music from West Africa to London, adding elements of jazz, mambo and calypso along the way and paving the way for the afro sounds of the 1970s.

Accompanied by a 44 page CD booklet and 12 page vinyl booklet, the notes by Dr. Coester include rare photographs, labels and advert reproductions alongside some stunning and very rare recordings. 

Pre-order: 

Pre-order

Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Highlife Rakers - Fela’s Special

From the self-titled album 'Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band,' out June 15th on Strut. 

iTunes: http://geni.us/PatThomasKwashibu
Strut Store: http://bit.ly/PatThomasStrut

From the album liner notes:
‘Gyae Su’ is a rearrangement of an older song, with a guitar concept typical of the classic Kwa or Kumasi bands and an overall tropical style. Ebo Taylor’s horn arrangements evoke the classic Afro-funk vibe that he originally made famous. The lyrics are as catchy as they are plaintive, with Thomas comforting the listener, “Don’t cry! Life has its ups and downs. Just take it easy and don’t shed any tears.”

More from Strut:
https://www.facebook.com/StrutRecords
http://www.strut-records.com

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band

Gyae Su

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band - Gyae Su

Africa 45, number 5: http://www.mrbongo.com/products/k-frimpong-his-cubano-fiestas-kyenkyen-bi-adi-mawu-ebo-taylor-heaven-7

K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas - Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'awu

Ghanian musician K. Frimpong. In the 1970s, he recorded with two different bands; ‘Vis-A-Vis’ and ‘Cubano Fiestas’.

Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'awu fuses heavy afrobeat drums and horns with a highlife guitar line and is his most well known track. Taken from the legendary ‘K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas’ LP released in 1977 on Continental Records out of Ghana. 

Licensed from Ofo brothers, a Ghanian independent. As sampled by Gnarls Barkley on his ‘Storm Coming’ track.

Ebo Taylor - Heaven

We have released two Ebo Taylor albums on Mr Bongo and thought it was time to get the almighty classic ‘Heaven’ out on a 7”.

Taken from Ebo’s self titled LP released on Esibons in 1977, original copies of which regularly fetches upwards of $500.

Ebo still tours extensively with his incredible band; their performances come very highly recommended.

Buy Vinyl

K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas - Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'awu

Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - "Everything Scatter" 
LP to be reissued by Knitting Factory Records on 16 October 2015 (KFR2013-1)
Original year of release: 1975
More info: http://fela.net/

Fela Kuti - Everything Scatter

Africa 45, number 8 www.mrbongo.com/products/honny-th…boofs-simigwado-7

Ghanaian group Honny & The Bee’s Band recorded ‘Psychedelic Woman’ for a release on Essiebons in 1973. Little is known about the group.

‘Psychedelic Woman’ is, as you would expect from the name, a psychedelic mid tempo groover. Punctuated with a hypnotic guitar line, percussion and a catchy sung chorus.

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley & The Steneboofs - Simigwado

Breaks and grooves, underpin this upbeat call-and-response JB-esque afro-funk gem, from Ghanaian legend Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and his group The Steneboofs.

Originally released on a Capeside 45 in 1973. Ambolley released the highly sought afer ‘Simigwa’ LP on Essiebons in the same year.

Buy vinyl

Gyedu-Blay Ambolley & The Steneboofs - Simigwado

For Record Store Day 2016, Knitting Factory Records will release a limited edition 10” vinyl single of “I Go Shout Plenty”, backed with “Frustration”. Make sure you get one of just 1,000 copies from a participating record shop on 16 April 2016.

Fela Kuti
Website: http://fela.net/
Twitter: @felakuti
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felakuti
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/Fela

Fela Kuti and Afrika '70 - I Go Shout Plenty

Fela Kuti Black Man s Cry

A musician since the age of six, Ebo Taylor is one of the most achingly honest voices in African music.  His songs have a timeless quality to them, and continue to reach new audiences worldwide.  His album Love And Death on Strut will be his first internationally distributed solo album.  Backed by Berlin's Afrobeat Academy, the album is packed with pure fire from a true original.  Enjoy the title track.  More info at http://www.ebotaylor-loveanddeath.com

Love & Death

Love and Death

Ebo Taylor- Love And Death

Santrofi - Alewa (black and white)

From the Essiebons CD The Best of Ebo Taylor. 

In Ghana, buy Essiebons music from The Essiebons Music Store. General Post Office Square, Accra, near the John Holt Building and across the complex intersection from Wato,  The Republic Bar and Grill, Third Lane, Osu, Accra and othe regular outlets, including Despite Music Shop, Kantanmanto, Accra; Abiola CD Shop, Kaneshie Market, "First Bridge; and KG Music Shop, on the east side of Kwame Nkrumah Circle, near Mr. Biggs.

  Feel Alright-  with George Amissah  on sax and Adlib Anim on trombone (previously unreleased). From the new Essiebons album "The Best of Ebo Taylor". This CD can be bought in Ghana - The Republic Bar, Osu:  Kaakyire Music, Kumasi Cultural Centre. In Ghana, buy Essiebons music from The Republic Bar and Grill, Third Lane, Osu, Accra and othe regular outlets, including Despite Music Shop, Kantanmanto, Accra; Abiola CD Shop, Kaneshie Market, "First Bridge; and KG Music Shop, Circle. For global digital sale go to www.essiebons.com

Essiebons Music Outlet at The Republic Bar and Grill, Osu. I am happy to announce that The Republic Bar has very kindly put up two nice teak displays of Essiebons music at the Bar for the exclusive sale of Essiebons Music. Look out for the cases at the Cocktail bar and in the next chamber, right above the funky Black and White pictures from the National Archives. You can get the must have four CD retrospective CD set of C. K. Mann as well as Ebo Taylor's Best of Ebo Taylor and Abenkwan Puchaa. Ambolley's thirty year old "Live of Asamansudu, which would be released for the first time in the next few weeks would first be available from this outlet. Mr. Bondzie is reopening his famous General Post Office store as a world-class retail and wholesale joint. Mr Bondzie, over eighty years, two hundred albums and eight hundred singles is still Ghana's hitmaker.

Information from Gilbert Amartey Amar ( Chi-kin-chee) on the making of these hitherto unrealeased Ebo Taylor recordings - .all Ebo Taylor`s recordings with Pat thomas on vocals and most of which he did the singing himself were done with a loose group of care fully selected Musicians....we were a recording session group...myself on Bass, Uncle ebo on guitar, Abee Mensah on keyboard , Asee on Drums, Father Ways on Congas and the Uhuru three ( arthur Kennedy Trumpet, Abonyewa tenor Sax, and George Ammisah Alto Sax with Pat Thomas on vocals.

Ebo Taylor - Feel Alright - From  the Essiebons album  "Best of Ebo Taylor"

From his 2013 album <i>No Place for My Dream</i>.

© Knitting Factory Records

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Place-For-My-Dream/dp/B00CLFNGDA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1372370229&sr=8-3&keywords=femi+kuti">Purchase the album.</a>

Femi Kuti "Nothing to Show for It"

Initially founded in 2002 as an offshoot of the celebrated Knitting Factory club in lower Manhattan, Knitting Factory Records, along with the new Knitting Factory club in Brooklyn, was reborn in 2009 with the acquisition and re-release of the Fela Kuti catalog. KFR also encompasses the catalogs of Instinct Records, Shadow Records, Shimmy Disc, and Evolver Records.

In partnership with Partisan Records, a Brooklyn-based artist-run label, Knitting Factory Records strives to honor the music of an eclectic array of relevant artists drawn from both the past and the present.

“Music is the weapon. Music is the thing of the future. Music is the weapon of the future.” - Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti and Afrika '70 - I Go Shout Plenty

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