So Nice Play It Twice

My favourite video of 2011 after Spoek Mathambo's Contol. "Just a Band" first tipped by Whats Up Africa and interviewed by Ikenna on his latest episode. And for more from Just a Band check out their Youtube mix

2011 Rewound

Now there's a problem right there - too much music! And so the inevitable marking of a year past with lists everywhere. Cultural criticism in the twitterage. I do enjoy reading them to find stuff I haven't yet discovered. I've been buying The Wire every December since 1987 for exactly the same reason but now its been pushed even further off-grid so a popular slant on things is always welcome. Having a teenager around also makes a big difference to what gets played in a small apartment!


In the maelstrom of media and information overload the following albums were played more than any of the others:
- Back to Black Amy Winehouse
- 21 Adele
- Anika
- Anna Calvi
- African Skies Kelan Phil Cohran and Legacy
- Let England Shake PJ Harvey
- Life Stories Ebo Taylor
- The Phantom Duke Pearson
- Tomboy Panda Bear
- Bon Iver
- Zomby Dedication
- Brighter Days Stanton Davis' Ghetto-Mysticism
- Stone Coal White
- The Boddie Recording Company
- Bambara Mystic Soul
- Bad as Me Tom Waits


But the digital library is not as reliable as it should be since since I lost my mobile listening devices to multiple failures in the summer. In the vinyl stakes I was pulling a lot from the Jazz, Jamaican and African archives: Duke Pearson, Herbie Hancock, Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Lee Perry, Yabby You, Michael Prophet, Franco et le TPOK Jazz, Dr Nico, The Drive, Roots, Guelewar and Orchestra Baobab. And a lot of time was set aside sorting out the Batsumi reissue.

To bring in the new year I've made a rough random mix of 45s I've picked up during 2011 by chance, choice and trade. Lets see what 2012 brings. I hope to keep the spear burning with releasing more South African afro-jazz classics.

Peace
45s REWIND - SOME JIVE TALKING

Download

BATSUMI VINYL SOLD OUT

Copies may still available from stores like Dusty Groove, Honest Jons, Kristina, Eldica, Sounds of the Universe and a few others. The Matsuli store is also on vacation and will open once more in early January. Thanks again for your support. We're already working on MM103.

INGOMA WOW!

Tipped via Africa is a Country. With a clear nod to the Spoek Control video

BATSUMI FLAC version

A number of people have asked if a FLAC version of the Batsumi is available for purchase - well here it is. Also for those struggling with the online stores to purchase the MP3 version you can now also buy this directly. Follow the links on the right hand side to purchase. (Please note that this is not an immediate download as it requires verification and email of the download link.)

Good Vibes for Batsumi Reissue

Just under a week since its release and a wonderful response. Amazon had the digital download sitting at number three on its most wanted Jazz downloads and the Guardian featured it in its "World Music" pages. Here's a sample of whats being said:

"What a nice edition of this Holy Grail!!!" - Dick d'Alaise

"It should be in every serious South African collection." - Gwen Ansell, Business Day.

"Such an incredible record" - Paulo, Superfly Records.

"A true gem that has been hidden from siight for far too long." P. Warner

"Landmark Afro Jazz from South Africa, 1974 — urgent, spiritual, political; shimmering, propulsive, surging. Reverbed traditional and trap drums, mesmeric bass, soaring flute and tenor sax. Warmly recommended." - Honest Jons

"The music is stunning... (As it builds, it swings, coalescing into a uniquely compelling statement of intent. By the time and sax and flute solo over organ, bass and drums, Batsumi has got you." - Dan Magaziner, Africa is a Country Blog

"Wonderful LP with hints of Abdullah Ibrahim in the piano work. Stunning stuff." - Phillippa, Picadilly Records

"Remastered from the original Batsumi tapes, and best played very loud, it's a vibrant, energetic workout in which slinky, repeated riffs are matched against wailing, sometimes psychedelic effects" - Robin Denselow, The Guardian

BATSUMI Reissue Now Available Worldwide!

For the first time in over 35 years Batsumi's glorious 1974 debut album is finally available once more. The remastered reissue is the second in Matsuli's ongoing programme to restore important but neglected South African afro jazz recordings back into print.

Francis Gooding, who wrote the detailed sleeve notes, had this to say:
"Almost as if it was unexplored territory, the extraordinary landscape of South African jazz is frequently mapped out by reference to a few well known landmarks: the glorious township swing and hot jive of the 1950s; the fame and misfortune of the modern jazz exiles of the 1960s, and their energising presence in Europe; the towering trans-national figures of Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim. For the jazz music and musicians of South Africa that did not by chance or choice fall into one of these categories, the long silence of history has only intermittently been broken, and the legacy of past iniquities has served to consign many names on South Africa’s long roster of jazz giants to an undeserved obscurity. A wealth of music does not yet appear on the map, but when the contours of the jazz scene under apartheid begin to be surveyed in more detail, it is clear that a space must be marked out for the Soweto-based group Batsumi."

Honest Jons says:
"Landmark Afro Jazz from South Africa, 1974 — urgent, spiritual, political; shimmering, propulsive, surging. Reverbed traditional and trap drums, mesmeric bass, soaring flute and tenor sax. Warmly recommended."

Dan Magaziner says:
"The music is stunning...As it builds, it swings, coalescing into a uniquely compelling statement of intent. By the time and sax and flute solo over organ, bass and drums, Batsumi has got you."

Take a quick listen here and make your own mind.


The reissue is available on vinyl in a limited edition of 500 copies, each hand-numbered and provided on heavyweight 180g vinyl with detailed sleeve notes. It is also available as a digital download from online music retailers such as iTunes, Amazon and eMusic. It can even be streamed via Spotify.

To get a copy of this landmark album you can purchase using the following options:

MATSULI DIRECT

DIRECT for buyers in SA

CD on Demand via Amazon

MP3 via Amazon UK

MP3 via iTunes USA

For wholesale orders of more than 10 copies please
contact me

BATSUMI Pre-order Offer Details

Matsuli Music continues its reissue program of rare indigenous afro-jazz sounds from South Africa with the release of Sowetan group Batsumi's self-titled debut from 1974. The reissue has been lovingly re-mastered from the original tapes and features material compiled on the recent Next Stop Soweto series from Strut.

The album arrived amidst a period of intense political, intellectual and artistic ferment stimulated in large part by the teachings of Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement. ‘“Say it loud! I’m black and I’m proud”. This is fast becoming our modern culture,’ wrote Biko in 1971, ‘a culture of defiance, self assertion and group pride and solidarity.’ Drawing partly on the insights of Frantz Fanon and the poets of Négritude, and partly on the contemporary US Black Power politics of figures such as Eldridge Cleaver and Stokely Carmichael, Biko forged a visionary and potent message of South African redemption, pride and defiance. It took culture to its heart, and in the wake of Biko’s message a burgeoning arts scene rooted in the black and African experience began to flourish.

Batsumi is a masterpiece of spiritualised afro-jazz, and a prodigious singularity in the South African jazz canon. There is nothing else on record from the period that has the deep, resonant urgency of the Batsumi sound, a reverb-drenched, formidably focused pulse, underpinned by the tight-locked interplay of traditional and trap drums, and pushed on by the throb of Zulu Bidi’s mesmeric bass figures. The warm notes of Johnny Mothopeng’s guitar complete a soundscape that is at once closely packed with sonic texture and simultaneously vibrating with open space, and in whose shimmer and haze Themba Koyana and Tom Masemola soar. A sonorous echo emanating from an ancient well, reverberant with jazz ghosts and warmed by the heat of soul and pop, Batsumi is nothing short of revelatory.

Many groups from this period did not issue recordings at all, and Batsumi are unusual in even having left an official recorded legacy. Out of print since the 1970s, and never issued outside of South African in its entirety, Batsumi is a landmark South African jazz recording, and a key musical document of its time. Out of sight for far too long, Matsuli Music is proud to be able to bring this back into view, and award it the prominence it so richly deserves. Available from 28 November as a digital download and in a limited edition hand numbered vinyl print run of 500.

PRE-ORDER OFFER: Orders are expected to ship from 28 November and all orders received before the 28th will receive an MP3 download of the album as well as a CD copy of Dick Khoza's Chapita album released by Matsuli Music in 2010. For multiple or wholesale orders please contact me.

BATSUMI LTD. EDITION 180G VINYL

Inc. P&P to UK £28.98 GBP Inc. P&P to Europe £30.98 GBP Inc. P&P to Rest of World £33.98 GBP

NB: ORDERS WILL ONLY SHIP FROM 28 NOVEMBER!
LISTEN HERE:

Batsumi Tapes Found!

One of the pitfalls of reissuing old material is not knowing if the master tapes are available. For the planned Batsumi reissue these were not uncovered until earlier this month when they turned up in an old plastic bag on the bottom shelf of a warehouse in Johannesburg. I was delighted - even though I had already completed an audio restoration, remastering and test pressing from a vinyl transfer. So its now time to get these down to the studio and see how they sound. Stay tuned!
Matt

Matsuli to reissue Batsumi's 1974 Debut

One of the key spiritual jazz LPs in the canon of South African jazz will be reissued by Matsuli Music later this year. Initially I was unable to locate the master tapes and the recording was restored from a clean vinyl pressing. But the master tapes have now been located and I will be travelling to South African later this month to collect them and to speak to remaining members of the group. Tracks from the 1974 debut have appeared previously on the Comet Records compilation Ouelele as well as on the Strut Records compilation Next Stop Soweto. I have previously written about them here.

The recording will be available as a limited edition 180g vinyl release as well as MP3 and FLAC digital editions. If the research goes well then I expect that the release will be available for purchase from 1 November 2011.


The excerpts above come from a BBC documentary and feature Batsumi's bass player Zulu Bidi.

NOTE TO BUYERS: The matsuli store will be closed during the period 27 July - 18 August

'Scuse me whilst I kiss the Soweto sky

Includes great interview (4m50s in) with Funky Masike (ex Harari)

In Trance

From the duo behind 2008's Soul Science and 2009's Tell No Lies comes a new recording. Seven tracks wrapped up in an austere and over-designed CD package from Peter Gabriel's Real World Label. Once free of the neo-futurist packaging the weaving of shared and separate paths from Justin Adams and Julden Camara takes centre stage. Together and free and summoning the spirits...

Hamba Kahle Mama Sisulu...

© 2003-2011 Zapiro (All rights reserved), Printed with permission from www.zapiro.com, For more Zapiro cartoons visit www.zapiro.com

This week Albertina Sisulu passed away. Former President Nelson Mandela said ANC stalwart Albertina Sisulu was part of his being, in a tribute read out at her funeral by his wife Graca Machel at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
“I want to bid farewell to a comrade and friend,” Machel read to the crowd. “You are part of my being, you and Walter...I want to express my deep gratitude to you.” (from iol.co.za)
The cartoon was drawn by the ever brilliant Zapiro reflecting on the death of Walter Sisulu back in 2003.

God Bless Africa, the Black Diamonds and the Dawn label

Another 45 gem from South Africa but issued in Angola just after the Portuguese military coup that led to the independence of Mozambique and Angola in 1974. It's a rendition of God Bless Africa, which was for most the anthem of South Africa's new nation rising.

The Dawn label specialised in South African soul and instrumental groove and spanned the early half of the seventies. Co-incidentally it was also the name of the journal of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the guerilla army of the African National Congress. Today the term Black Diamonds has come to refer to the increasingly affluent black middle class in South Africa.



DOWNLOAD

Retromania and the Poverty of Abundance

I had meant to post this last weekend but life got in the way. Just love this excerpt from the review of Retromania in the Observer paper in the UK:
'Retromania is a book about the poverty of abundance. At malls, on mobile-phone ads, in the background as we work at our computers: pop, usually in the form of anorexically thin MP3 sound, is everywhere these days. Perhaps that ubiquity puts a brake on its ability to astound or shape-shift. Perhaps the process of circulating and accessing music has become more exciting than the practice of listening to it. And perhaps pop's status as a futurist genre has been supplanted by the giddying, immersive realm of video games."

Re-issues like those of Sun Ra's club residencies are part of what's holding modern pop back apparently...I don't agree BTW. Back to normal (ish) programming soon with a bunch of 45s.

Brill

Big up to Jeremy of Brill Music, Coffee and Bagels. Up early he dug into his LP collection and had this display up before the shop opened. Respect too to Sounds of the Universe for wall to wall Gil sound today.

Blackclassical has put together an incredible tribute which you should check out ASAP.

Who will tell the truth now Gil Scott-Heron is gone?

Peace go with you brother.

Hey You! What Song You Listening To?

Thanks to Cortez for the link. Enjoy!

Continental Shift

Another month and another label joins the recycling of material from Africa's golden past. Indie-label Thrill Jockey, home to African-American cross-over band Extra Golden, are releasing what would appear to be a two volume retrospective of Sorry Bamba. This release - with the direct input of Sorry Bamba himself compiles some very rare, never before released tracks from his time as leader of the Regional Orchestra of Mopti (later Kanaga Orch.)

Thrill Jockey join Teranga Beat (Idrissa Diop), Continental Records (KP Frimpong & His Cuban Fiestas), Academy/Voodoofunk (Psychedelic Aliens, Marijata), Kindred Spirits (L'orchestre Kanaga De Mopti), Mississippi Records (L'Orchestre National A de la Republique du Mali), Superfly Records (Rail Band), Hot Casa (Ivory Coast Soul), Daptone (El Rego) as well as "old-timers" Strut, Analogue Africa, Honest Jons and Soundway in what appears to be a rapidly overcrowding sector.

I've been busy too preparing three new releases for the matsuli label. More news as soon as the contracts and details are done.
(I hope there is still room on the shelves)!

Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky

Classic stuff from the almighty Bembeya Jazz National. And even more incredible material at Graeme Counsel's Radio Africa site including the following version of Sara from Syli Orchestre National performing in Algiers.

Music is a Physical Thing!

Put the Money in the Bowl

Thanks to Whats Up Africa once more for this video tip. Reminded me a little bit of the big cross-over track Hello Africa by the Nigerian/Swedish dentist Dr Alban.

Sweet Times with Strut

The Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination by Strut
To promote their Spring releases the Strut label are giving away some free MP3s. First off from the 3rd instalment of the Nigeria 70 series is the track Ire from the Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination (mediafire download).

The original Nigeria 70 compilation was one of the forerunners of the so-called Afro-funk reissue genre - other early titles include AfroRock on Kona records and the Afrofunk and ClubAfrica compilations by Russ Dewsbury. Nigeria 70 has been compiled by Duncan Brooker (the man behind Kona's AfroRock) and is out now!


Ebo Taylor- Peace On Earth by Strut
Now this retrospective on Ebo Taylor keeps on burning bright and just grows and grows. Seriously recommended. Listen via soundcloud or download via mediafire.

Other releases from Strut to look out for include a new album recorded by funk legend Dennis Coffey as well as the Club Cotonou LP from Orchestre PolyRythmo. These can be sampled at the Strut soundcloud page here

Desert garage dub....

Deep hypnotic guitar grooves from youngsters on the Toureg blues scene - Tamikrest. A killer debut last year and now a new album Toumastin.

Elvin Jones' Midnight Walk featuring Dollar Brand

Elvin Jones - Tintiyana (written by Dollar Brand) from the 1967 LP Midnight Walk on Atlantic Records.

I've been hunting down a copy of this LP for many moons when out of the blue I saw one of my favourite stores (Honest Jon's in London) advertising a new vinyl reissue from Rhino. It's a lesser known sixties recording featuring Dollar Brand that I was first alerted to by Rashid Vally and came just a year before Dollar returned to South Africa to "clean out". The album features a stellar cast including: Elvin Jones (drums), Thad Jones (trumpet), Hank Mobley (tenor), Dollar Brand (piano), Donald Moore (bass), Steve James (electric piano) and George Abend (percussion).

The track I'm sharing today has been recorded many times over the years by Abdullah Ibrahim. If you're interested in Abdullah Ibrahims' collaborations then be sure to look out for his sets with Don Cherry, Carlos Ward, Bea Benjamin, Gato Barbieri, Kippie Moeketsi, Archie Shepp, Buddy Tate, Max Roach and Johnny Dyani. A shortened discography is published at flat international here.

"In Africa" via Nomade Radio

Thierry invited me to share some background on Matsuli and some of the reasons why I love records...check it out here

In Africa by Nomade Radio on Mixcloud

"Big, big show! We spend 2 hours in Africa. First, We're sending much love to the people in Ivory Coast. Hope that Peace and Fraternity will lead everybody there including the new government. We also have a great words and music session (via Internet) with Afro label owner, Matt Temple, Matsuli Records - http://matsuli.blogspot.com/ - we talks about music in his country, his projects, the record market, diggin' and more... In the second hour, we focus on the afro upcoming and news releases. Get ready for some treats from Strut, Analog Africa, Kindred Spirits, Vampisoul, among the others. We're ending up the show with a Spiritual Anniversary tribute to the late Babatunde Olatunji (7 avril 1927 - 6 avril 2003). Enjoy! "

Record Store Day Winners

We have ten winners nicely spread across Africa, South America, Europe and the U.S.A. - please let us have your mailing addresses so that we can post you the promised packages. Thank you to all who took the trouble to write in. The overall message was "more of the same please". So, we will continue as we have been doing. Your comments really do make a difference, so please do keep them coming. Requests are always welcome.

The winners are:
John Warr (Chapita LP); Rob Lischke (Chapita LP); Tim Clifford (Mahotella CD); Olivier Ledure (Mahotella CD); Frank (dr.crackle) (Mahotella CD); Greg Davis (Mahotella CD); Fabian Romero; David Sullivan; James Silberbauer; Pieter Remes (the last four will each receive a 5-pack mbaqanga 45rpms from the 1970s).

Record Store Day Jive Bonanza - A three way giveaway!

Electricjive, flatinternational and Matsuli Music have joined forces for a Record Store Day giveaway.

So we don't have a retail store made from bricks and mortar. But that doesn't stop us from spreading our love of records. And better still no money changes hands. We simply give the records to you. We won't even ask you to pay the postage.

We get lots of pleasure out of sharing great music, honouring the musicians who make it, and we hope to turn on a whole new audience to fantastic out-of-print sounds that might otherwise become lost to global memory. We avoid sharing music that can still be legitimately purchased.

The offer comprises
- two copies of the Dick Khoza Chapita reissue LP from Matsuli Music;
- four 5-packs of seventies mbaqanga/jive singles mostly on the King, Soweto and Groove labels; and
- four copies of the electric-jive assisted Mahotella Queens/Soul Brothers CD compilation on Nascente Records

So ten winners in total and all you need to do is to send an email to recordforthe AT gmail.com telling us why you visit our sites and what music you would like to see more of. We will select the winners at random and close the competition after 5 days.


For more info on World Record Store day visit here

Baloji Cha Cha Cha!

Another killer video versioning off the original. Thanks to WUA for the links.

RIP Balla Onivogui

Balla Onivogui, chef d’orchestre of Balla et ses Balladins, died on Sunday. May he rest in peace.

Spoek loses control

Channeling Ian Curtis via David Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and shot by Pieter Hugo this is the best thing I've seen all year.

Woza Friday

Fully appropriate for the end of the week. Woza Friday - literally "come here Friday" - by the Big Four is another South African 45 that saw issue "overseas". Classic early seventies mbaqanga that someone thought could sell in the UK. (Perhaps to all those miners in Wales? But thats another story) The Big Four comprised Moses Dlamini, Hamilton Nzimande, Isaac Luvuno and Brown Duma and they called the music they created "monkey jive". Hamilton moved into production for EMI whilst Moses and the other band members acted as talent scouts for Hamilton. In 1966 Hamilton moved over to the Gramaphone Record Company. In 1974 Moses was approached by Titus Masikane to help find a recording contract for a group of four youngsters from Hammarsdale in Natal. They were David Masondo, Zakes Mchunu, Duza Mthethwa and Mpompie Sosibo, initially known as the Young Brothers. GRC changed their name to the Soul Brothers and with a lot of pushing and promoting from Moses the rest is history. I have just one copy of this 45 over in my shop here.

Hamilton Nzimande at the controls

DOWNLOAD RS / MF