Swit Salone, powerful song, it will stay in my playlist for life

soundway, thank you for what you are doing--digging up all of this fantastic music

Victor Uwaifo is a Nigerian musician, writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor, born in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria in 1941. He is famous for his joromi music.

Osalobua Rekpama — Sir Victor Uwaifo

Fela Kuti - "Johnny Just Drop (J.J.D.)"

Muyei Power or Orchestre Muyei (muyei means ‘our country’) was one of the top dance bands of the1970s in Sierra Leone. Soundway Records' first collection of music from this West African country (‘Muyei Power: Sierra Leone in 1970s USA’) is an album of rock-infused, 'afro' music from a group that traveled the world throughout the mid 1970s. Fusing elements of electric Congolese and Nigerian music with fast, syncopated, uptempo modernised arrangements of traditional songs, Muyei Power produced a series of unique single-only releases that have been unavailable for 35 years. The rare recordings featured here are a glimpse of a dynamic and powerful band at the very height of its powers.

Even though lyrically Orchestre Muyei focused on traditional themes and songs, the arrangements and formulation of the instrumental side of things still very much reflected the mixed nature of urban Sierra Leone music, exemplified by a small collection of bands that also included Afro National, Sabanoh 75 and Super Combo.

For the early part of 1970s the band toured extensively throughout Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire before making a handful of 45s in local TV and radio studios.

The recordings featured here however come from a period of touring the college circuit in California during late 1975 and early 1976. Later that year, as they played the colleges of the east coast, they gave the tracks to the owner of the African Record Centre in Brooklyn, New York. He initially released two of them on his in-house Makossa Records label as 7-inch 45rpm singles in 1976. The tracks from 1975/6 were then not heard of again until 1979/80 when the African Record Centre released many of them on a series of Makossa Records 12”s that sounded far superior than the 45s that had been released a few years earlier. 

Orchestre Muyei Power finally split up in 1979 leaving no proper album releases and only a handful of recordings for us to enjoy all these years later.  The tracks have been licensed courtesy of ex lead-singer and bandleader Abou Whyte who now lives in New Jersey and performs as a solo artist.

The CD & LP both come with detailed liner notes, with the vinyl being pressed on 180g vinyl with a free digital download insert code.

Pre-order

Muyei Power - Wali Bena

Spirit's Caustic Rhythm

Spirit's Caustic Rhythm - (A.Yela)

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

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

From the album liner notes:
An “Africo” crossover style typical of early 1970s Accra in the style of Osibisa and Alhaji K Frimpong. It's one of the most funky tracks on the album and features some superb harmonic and melodic touches. Thomas's lyrics are defiant: “This is my life, my turn. You can talk about all my problems and dance in my misery. But it's not going to be like that forever. You can talk all you want but things will always get better for me.”

The track features a yearning trumpet solo from another Ghanaian legend, Osei Tutu. Osei was a member of Hedzolleh Sounds and also played alongside Ebo and Pat in the Sweet Beans. 

Keep Up With The Band:
https://www.facebook.com/PatThomasKwashibu

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

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band

Me Ho Asem

FREE DOWNLOAD

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band - Me Ho Asem

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

01 MASANGANGO

iTunes

The Lijadu Sisters - "Reincarnation"

A tune by one of the many Nigerian Police bands who recorded Highlife tunes in their spare time. Many learned to play under Benedict Odiase, the composer of Nigeria's national anthem.
This track's from 1973 and taken from Soundway's brilliant Nigeria Special album:

http://www.soundwayrecords.com/catalogue/nigeria-special.html

Asiko Mi Ni, The Nigerian Police Force Band

Ebo Taylor - Victory

MUSIC FROM PLANET EARTH: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Muyei Power - Wali Bena

Soundway Records

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