Christmas Greetings

Here's a Chrismas record put out by Gallotone in the late '60s.
"Peter Molobye is 10 years old. He and his brother Laban (age 13) have been playing the piano every minute of their spare time for 3 years. Now Laban's rendering of Schubert's Impromptu comes to you on this record. Along with 150 other pupils, Peter and Laban come to Union Artists to learn music theory, jazz improvision, piano, drums, guitar, saxophone and drama. Over the years Union Artists has put on over 50 productions, many of which have been smash hits. 'King Kong' played to over 100 000 people in South Africa before going to London with its full cast. 'Sponono' went to New York. Recently the songs and jazz of 'Thembeni' (also on this record) provided the highlights of the Lesotho Independence Celebrations. Union Artists itself is a non-profit association, kept going almost entirely by subscriptions, of which the profit on the sale of this record forms a small part. All the artists gave their services free and we hope you enjoy 'Something Out of Africa' and the wealth of talent it enshrines."

More info on Union Artists here. This must be one of the first benefit records in South Africa.

And so from me to you all the very best for the holidays and best wises for 2009.

Tracklisting
Impromptu (Schubert) by LABAN MOLOBYE
Tula Baba (Trad.) by VINAH BENDILE
Shaweni (Trad) by BETTY MTHOMBENI
Abie's Mood by THE MALOMBO JAZZMEN
LINK

All Change Please! (2008 Rewind part two)

2008 has been a lot of different things. I was in the lucky position of being able to visit Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban as well as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Manama and Mallorca. And again I've got to say that I love Africa. Its that simple.

I'm also loving that Barack Obama has lit the hopes and imagination of people all around the world. We need more of this hope. And along the way I've also loved the following things:
2008 New Releases, Compilations and Reissues
Flying Lotus :: Los Angeles (Warp)
Al Green :: Lay It Down (Blue Note)
Toumani Diabate :: Mande Variations (World Circuit)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds : Dig Lazarus Dig (Mute)
Duffy :: Rockferry (Polydor)
Gnarls Barkley :: The Odd Couple (Warner)
Evangelista :: Hello Voyager (Constellation)
Santogold :: Self Titled (Warner)
Erykah Badu :: New Amerykah Part One (Universal)
Trus'me :: Working Nights (Fat City)
Heliocentrics :: Out There (Stones Throw)
Bako Dagnon :: Titati (Discograph)
Glasvegas :: Self Titled (SonyBMG)
TV on the Radio :: Dear Science (4AD)
Portico Quartet :: Knee Deep inthe North Sea (Vortex)
Menahan Street Band :: Make the Road by Walking (Daptone)
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog :: Party Intellectuals (Tzadik)
John Zorn :: The Dreamers (Tzadik)
Amadou Sodia :: Ça Va Se Savoir (Sterns)
Les Amazones du Guinee :: Wamato (Sterns)
Karl Hector & the Malcouns :: Sahara Swing (Stones Throw)
The Bug :: London Zoo (Ninja Tunes)
Amadou & Mariam :: Welcome to Mali (Because)
Bronx River Parkway :: San Sebastian 152 (Truth and Soul)
Keep on Struttin' :: Imitations, Interpolations & the Inspiration of the Meters (Le Smoke Disque)
Kon and Amir Off Track Volume Two :: Queens (BBE)
African Scream Contest :: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin & Togo 70s (Analog Africa)
Bala et ses Balladins : The Syliphone Years (Sterns)
A Night at the Jazzrooms compiled by Russ Dewbury(Mr Bongo)
Spiritual Jazz (Jazzman)
Sir Victor Uwaifo :: Guitar Boy Superstar 1970-1976 (Soundway)
Franco & TPOK Jazz :: Francophonic Vol 1 1953-1980 (Sterns)
Amadou Balake :: Senor Electico (Oriki)
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo :: The Vodoun Effect - Funk and Sato from Benin's Obscure Labels 1973-1975 (Analog Africa)
Living Is Hard - West African Music In Britain 1927-1929 (Honest Jons)
Good God! Soul Messages From Dimona (Numero)
Rodriguez :: Cold Fact (Light in the Attic)
Orchestre Regional de Kayes (Mississippi Records)
Chrissy Zebby Tembi & Ngozi Family :: My Ancestors (Humming Bird Songs)
Salah Ragab & Cairo Jazz Band :: Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard)
Bobby Williams :: Funky Superfly (Jazzman)
Wee :: You Can Fly on my Aeroplane (Numero)
Hugh Masekela :: Home is Where the Music Is (Verve)
Jonas Gwangwa and African Explosion :: Who? Nugubani? (Jamal)

Still more:
The Santogold Diplo mixtape
Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour
Analog Africa mixes
Malcolm Catto podcast on Paris DJs
Mulatu with the Heliocentrics live at Cargo London
Grace Jones at Meltdown live at Massive Attack's Meltdown
Bjork and Nick Cave at the Hammersmith Odeon
Gilles Peterson on Radio One
Discovering Sgt Katapuwa's vault
Wax Poetics, Shook and The Wire magazines
Design, packaging and research from Analog Africa, Honest Jons, Soundway and Numero

Finally a very big thank you to the following bloggers: Worldservice, Global Grooves, Likembe, KenTanza Vinyl and VoA. Keep the faith!

2008 Rewind :: Break on Through to the Other Side

December draws to a close and the Christmas/New Year break is almost here. Time then for a sampling of music that found its way into my head over the past year. Eclectic grooves, juju dub and afro funk outernational. In the next post I'll run the voodoo down with some of the stand-out LPs so in the meantime - between time - enjoy this mix.
01. Sabali - Amadou & Mariam ("Welcome to Mali", Because)
02. Shout Me Out - TV On The Radio ("Dear Science", 4AD)
03. Only Good For Conversation - Rodriguez ("Cold Fact" reissue, Light in the Attic)
04. Angry ft.Tippa Irie - The Bug ("London Zoo", Ninja Tune)
05. News from Verona - Portico Quartet ("Knee Deep in the North Sea", Vortex)
06. Dance Dance Dance - Lykke Li ("Youth Novels", LL Recordings)
07. Ole (Cairo Version) - Salah Ragab/Tony Allen ("Lagos Shake" compilation, Honest Jons)
08. Break on Through - Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog ("Party Intellectuals", Tzadik)
09. Massamba JM - Mando Negro Kwala Kwa ("Congo 70 Rumba Rock" compilation, Discograph)
10. General - Buraka Som Sistema ("Black Diamon", Fabric)
11. Get Up (Diesler Remix) - The Hot 8 Brass Band ("Hot 8 Remixes" compilation, Tru Thoughts)
12. You'll Find A Way (Switch & Sinden Remix) - Santogold (download)
13. ME - Erykah Badu ("New Amerykah Part One", Universal)
14. Who's Gonna Save My Soul - Gnarls Barkley ("The Odd Couple", Warner)
15. Roberta Flack (feat Dolly) - Flying Lotus ("Los Angelese", Warp)
16. Toure Samar - Karl Hector & the Malcouns ("Sahara Swing", Stones Throw)
17. Se Na Min - El Rego Et Ses Commandos ("African Scream Contest" compilation, Analog Africa)
18. Doro Magni - Amadou Balaké ("Senor Electico" compilation, Oriki)
19. Soumbouyaya - Balla et ses Balladins ("The Syliphone Years" compilation, Sterns)
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African Audio Archives

Audio archivist Graeme Cousel was recently awarded Guinee's highest honour, the Palme Académique en Or, for his tireless work on the Syliphone Archive. Do yourself a favour and read the full story here. Graeme has been behind the recent Sterns' compilations Authenticite, Bembeya Jazz National, Balla et ses Balladins and the forthcoming Keletigui et ses Tambourinis. Matthew LaVoie over at the VoA African Music blog recently run a story on the early days of recording in Guinee with some excellent samples of work by Bembeya Jazz amongst others.

In South Africa similar work has been done by a number of individuals and institutions to protect the musical heritage. The most famous of these is the International Library of African Music (ILAM) based in Grahamstown which was founded by Hugh Tracey (1903-1977) in 1954 at the apex of 25 years of field recording and research into African music. In Durban David Marks holds an impressive archive of mostly live recordings of concerts and performances made during the late sixties, seventies and eighties. You can read all about his Hidden Years Archive here. At the oldest record company in South Africa Rob Allingham runs the Gallo Archives which he uses to reissue classic material fromthe sixties, seventies and eighties. On the web there are some interesting sites such as this one proving some interesting facts on South Africa's vinyl history.


But so much is missing from this mozaic. I spoke at length to fellow collector Siemon Allen about his Makeba project and other ideas that contribute to protecting a heritage that slips a little further away each day. I am very happy to say that Siemon has dug deep into his collection and provided a small insight into some of the varied styles and genres that make up this heritage. Most of this material has never been reissued in any form previously. So a big thank you to Siemon for sharing.

01 Unknown — Animal Imitations — Folkways (1966)
02 Leslie Nkosi y Muchachos de Alexander Dead End — Baleka — Vik (1950s)
03 Letta & the Safaris — Walkin’ Around — Columbia (1966)
04 Nzimande All Stars — Side by Side — Masterpiece (1980)
05 Zuluboy — Amagwala — Native Rhythms (2008)
06 Kabasa — Uzozibona — Atlantic (1980)
07 Uwandile — Tie Breaker — Mother Africa (1987)
08 (David Thekwane) — Amanzi Ayeza — Star Black (1979)
09 Woody Woodpeckers — Welele — HMV — (1959)
10 Louis Moholo’s Viva-La-Black — Woza — Ogun (1988)
11 Dorothy Masuka — Ingalo — Starplate (1980s)
12 Sophie Thapedi — How Long (1975)
13 Phillip Tabane & his Malombo Jazzman — Kathlogano — Atlantic City (1969)
14 The Wanders & The Syndicate — Pezulu — Soul Brother (1975)
15 The Movers — Jacaranda — City Special (1975)
16 Gideon Nxumalo — Jazz Fantasia / 2nd Movemnet — Renown (1962)
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01 Unknown — Tula Mtwana with conversation — Tegnidisc (1960s)
02 Princess Constance Magogo w/ Gatsha Buthelezi — Bambulal’ uJesu yama Juda — Gallo / ILAM (1972)
03 Martha Mdenge & Harmony Crotchets — Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone — Trutone (1950s)
04 Dollar Brand — African Sun (excerpt) — Spectator (1971)
05 Johnny Dynai / Okay Temiz — Yesil Fener —Yonca (1976)
06 Kabasa — Burning Splinters — Atlantic (1980)
07 The Soweto Boys — Woza Sibali — Disc Jockey (1977)
08 Nico Carstens met Rassie Erasmus — Boland Boogie — Columbia (1950s)
09 Amandla — Gumboot Dance — a disc (1980)
10 The Singing Zulus —Zinyakanyaka Zimkhonto Impela — Skyline (1976)
11 Green Pastures — Don’t Cry Baby — Raj (1960s)
12 The Savers — Brother — Pathe Marconi (1976)
13 The Movers — Soul on the Moon — City Special (1970)
14 Beaters — Thiba Kamoo — The Sun (1975)
15 Jabula — Journey to Africa — Jabula (1975)
16 The Kings Messengers Quartet — My Lord — HMV (c1964)
17 Banda Six — Khomba Ka Mina — Motella (1984)
18 Ebrahim ‘Brian’ Isaacs — Meadowlands — Team (1970s)
19 Dark City Sisters — Ngiboniseleni — HMV (1959)
20 Boogies — Did you Know it’s Soul? — Trutone (1969)
21 Malombo Jazzmakers — Abbey’s Mood — Gallotone (c1965)
22 J. Lenkoe — Tshaba Tshaba — Trojan (1970s)
23 The Movers — Correction — City Special (1975)
24 Eric Nomvete’s Big Five — Nomvete — New Sound (1962)
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Today in Matonge

Chris - a Matsuli regular and my partner in bringing you a number of vinyl treats - has been in Kinshasa this week. We spoke prior to his visit about the chances of finding any musical treasures and were put off by what a number of people said and the advice received. Imagine my surprise when he sent me this picture today and news of a few LPs he had picked up. Safe journey home Chris.

To the Slaughter

In 1968 Winston Mankunku Ngosi - together with bassist Agrippa Magwaza, pianist Lionel Pillay and drummer Early Mabuza - recorded and released the LP "Yakhal' Inkomo" (the bellowing bull; the noise made by cattle as they go to the slaughter). In the same year Winston received the Castle Lager jazz Musician of the Year Award. "Yakhal' Inkomo" became one of the biggest selling jazz albums of all time in South Africa, re-released by Teal in 1975, 1985 and 1989 before making it to CD in 1996.

Imagine how frustrated Winston must have been when this show (and recording) was set up by Ray Nokwe's Jazz Appreciation Society and he found himself stranded at Johannesburg Airport! Its a very good recording of a great evening. Who knows what might have been if Winston had made it. To my knowledge this LP has never been anthologised or re-issued. Looks like a short-run private pressing. I found it by chance in a pile of reject LPs at Chilli Vinyl in Johannesburg on a recent trip. The cover grabbed me and then I couldn't quite believe what I was holding. Funny how the LPs find you.


Mankunku Jazz Show - Live at the Y
1. Love for Sale :: Soul Jazzmen
2. Give Me The Simple Life (feat Vuyiswa Ngwangu) :: Soul Jazzmen
3. Dongmana :: Jazz Faces Quintet
4. My Heart Stood Still :: Lionel Pillay Trio
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More information on Winston