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Africa Airways Two (Funk Departures 1973​-​1982)

by Various Artists

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about

We are more than ten releases in here at Africa Seven. It has been a wild ride... It was eight months ago that we launched our label and released our debut release the Compilation "Africa Airways 01: Funk Connection". It did better than we ever imagined and we had to repress the darned thing twice... So predictably for a follow up we humbly present you with "Africa Airways 02: Funk Departures 1973-1982". We have unashamedly stuck to the formula of our debut; keeping the funk deep and the groove pan-African. Heading straight for the afrobeat, dance-funk jugular.

We open up Volume Two with an absolute corker... "Na Real Sekele Fo Ya" from Cameroonian-in-Paris Pasteur Lappe. Produced by Jacob Desvarieux of Kassav fame, this track is an instant grabber; Think of the Blockheads "Rhythm Stick" goes Afro chant with deep, soulful moog grooves and on-point brass stabs. Next up is M'Bamina an Italian / Ivory Coast band who swing things heavy with "Kilowi Kilowi". Sweeting strings, funky bass lines wrapped around a late 70s style disco groove.

Ekambi Briallant is next up with his floor tappingly catchy afro soul "Aboki (Mon Copain)", produced by one of our favorite producers Slim Pezin. To round off the A-side of the vinyl we present the first outing from the Makeba family. Here the (sadly prematurely departed) Bongi Makeba, daughter of "Mama Africa" Myriam Makeba, shows the world just what an amazing artist she would have developed into. Bongi wrote a fair number of her mother's tracks in her later years and "Don't Do It" shows us what true talent for the song she was blessed with. The track her powers along with wah-wah guitar and masterful alto sax. A real treat.

Friend of Africa Seven and Cameroonian native Jo Tongo opens thing up on Side B. Jo now lives in New York but back in the 70s he was part of the Fiesta label collective who were cranking out great records in Paris. "Piani" is his purest dancefloor moment, here again in full glory. Next up we bend our African remit ever-so slightly and head off to Holland for a James Brown style fuelled funk stomper "Relax.. Before Doing Sex" from Oscar Harris and his crew. Its big, its bold, its brassy... It's fun.

The power trio of Bozambo are next up. Between them they have released over 12 solo LPs and here together with "Get it On The Music" they power through with a keyboard/synyh driven afro-funk groove years ahead of its time... made in 1978 but sounding like 1984. Misse Ngoh is one great guitarist and a masterful adaptor of the Makossa rhythms of his native Cameroun. The title track from his Esperance 1979 LP "Tata Ngoh" mixes in his trademark rhythms and grooves with slap bass and striking brass lines. One heck of a catchy song too.

We round off the compilation with the Queen of Queens, Myriam Makeba. Possibly / probably the most influential female musician to come out of Africa... ever. "Mama Africa's" biography is awe-inspiring and vast, but very hard to summarize in a few sentences... so please check it out for yourself. From breaking the African sound in the West, to the obsessively catchy "Pata Pata" to the influential, focal role she played in helping bring an end to apartheid in her native South Africa. There are many tracks to feature from Myriam but we aren't about hits here at Africa Seven. Being the crate diggers we are, we thought the best way we could honour the lady was to dig the crate even deeper and go with the most obscure Myriam track we could find. "Toyota Fantasy" was recorded during her exile years spent in Guinea with the Esperance team as a one off promotional 7" single giveaway release. Be aspirational, as the lady says.

We hope you enjoy your flight with African Airways 02. We hope to be fueling up an aircraft with some psychedelic propellant for volume 3 sometime in 2016... at a vinyl store near you.

credits

released November 6, 2015

1) Pasteur Lappe - Na Real Sekele Fo Ya
Written & Produced by Pasteur Lappe. Published by Copyright Control. P Disques Esperance

Guitar arranged by Jacob Desvarieux. Bass by Christophe Zadire. Drums / Percussion by Philippe Draï. Guitar & Piano by Douglas Mbida. Saxophone by Alain Hatot & Jimmy "Sax" Mvondo. Synthesizer by Robert Jambamains. Trombone by Alex Perdigon. Trumpet by Cako. Chorus : Carol Rowley, Chantal Curtis, Maryse Cremieux & The Zulu Gang.


2) M'Bamina - Kilowi-Kilowi
Written & Produced by Samba N'Go. Arranged by Jacky Arconte. Published by Copyright Control. P Paco Rabanne Design

Instruments : "Luther King" Perreau, Anselme Tambakassa, Boffi, Jean-Marie Bolangassa, Ligali Ali Amidou, N'Kouka Batenda & Sika Toroma.


3) Ekambi Brillant - Aboki (Mon Copain)
Written & Produced by Slim Pezin. Published by Copyright Control. P Fiesta Records.

Bass by Pierre Honore. Drums by Lucien Dobat. Percussion by Emile "Bonbon" Boza. Saxophone by Ali Arif, Mam Houari & Patrick Bourgoing. Violin by Michel Devert. Chorus : Anne-Marie Constant, Carmen Ezuma & Sylvie Leonardi.

4) Bongi Makeba - Don't Do It
Written by Bongi Makeba. Published by Copyright Control. P Disques Espérance.

Percussion by Ansumana Bangura.

5) Jo Tongo - Piani

Written & Produced by Jo Tongo. Published by Copyright Control. P Fiesta Records.


6) Oscar Harris And The Twinkle Stars - Relax (Before Doin' Sex)

Written by Frank Smith & Oscar Harris. Produced by Frank "Gimmick" Smith. Published by Copyright Control. P Blue Elephant.


Baritone Saxophone & Rhythm Guitar by Kenneth Rier. Bass by Imro Wielkens. Drums by Ricardo Wouden. Lead Guitar by Humprey Lieuw On. Piano, Organ, Trumpet by Frank "Gimmick" Smith. Saxophone by Alfred Ommen. Trumpet by Herman Ristie. Vocals by Oscar Harris.

7) Bozambo - Get It On The Music
Written & Produced by Bozambo. Published by Copyright Control. P Disques Esperance.

8) Misse Ngoh - Tata Ngoh
Written & Produced by François Misse Ngoh. Published by Copyright Control. P Disques Esperance.


Bass by Toure Alahdji. Drums by Ebeny Donald. Guitar by Hammadou Corea. Keyboards by Serge Missy. Saxophone by Bens Andre.

9) Myriam Makeba - Toyota Fantasy (John Bryan Edit)

Written by Myriam Makeba. Published by Copyright Control. P Toyota.


MASTERED BY SEAN P AND EUGENE RASINI @ CROMON TOR. ARTWORK BY RICH ELSON.
Audio Restoration and Additional Mastering by Tiger Bright Studios (www.tigerbright.net).
THANKS TO JEAN KARAKOS, NIK WESTON, SEAN P, STEVIE KOTEY, Weil David and Ken Yatta.

COMPILED BY JOHN BRYAN.

(C) 2015 AFRICA SEVEN RECORDS
WWW.AFRICASEVEN.COM

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