Africa reviews soul into reggae. Given this array of players, the overall sonic spread is often surprisingly sparse, the band reining in their parts out of respect for the overall minimalist sound. The main signature might be classic reggae, but then a soku (one-stringed fiddle) solo rears up, or a tama (drum) skitters across the stereo field; shadings of kora or ngoni flit across the rolling lines of dub. Numbers by Burning Spear and Peter Tosh are well-chosen, but there are also more obvious selections by Bob Marley, Junior Murvin and Buju Banton. The concept might initially seem an unnecessary one, but steady listening uncovers a subtle dynamic between styles. Martin Longley
TRACK TO TRY One Step Forward
Le Sahel La Légende de Dakar Celluloid (54 mins)
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Senegal supergroup show all and sundry how it’s done One thing that can never be faked or replicated is the easy, yet supertight swing of a band that has a history of working together that goes back decades. This 13-piece supergroup, consisting of the best Dakar musicians of their day, made only one album – Bamba – in 1975. Its most noteworthy element was the title-track, which was apparently the first ever mbalax song. However, after this memorable debut, the band’s star players including founder members, vocalist and percussionist Idrissa Diop, organist and guitarist Cheikh Tidiane Tall and saxophonist Thierno Koite went their separate ways. But now here they are reunited and sounding absolutely magnificent. If anyone’s been waiting for a potential new Buena Vista Social Club-style global phenomenon then these are your guys. Diop’s vocals are the star ingredient, thanks to a compelling combination of a smoothness and natural gravel. The man has also done an excellent production job too; catching a vibrant live vibe without recourse to any distracting studio embellishments. But actually there’s not a step, or beat, or note misplaced by anyone here. Let’s hope that this long-overdue renaissance for Senegal’s finest is sustained for years to come. Howard Male
TRACK TO TRY Myster Tier
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Sea Slugs Women, They Cause Fear Sea Slugs (54 mins)
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UK Afrobeaters slugging it out The Sea Slugs are an 11-piece Afrobeat ensemble from Southampton. This is their second release, which has its targets firmly set against a UK government that they believe is imposing a unilateral regime of intolerance and mistrust. There is no doubt that there are good intentions behind this. However, the slightly tired rhetoric fails to carry the indignation and relevance of their all-too-evident predecessor Fela Kuti in his scathing criticism of the state of play in post-civil war Nigeria. Fela Kuti’s influence is clear throughout, but it is too overarching and apparent. The guitar line from the title-track is indistinguishable from Fela & Africa 70’s ‘Shakara’, while the song structures hint at Kuti’s lengthier work without reaching his level of groove or intrigue. It must be said that the soprano saxophone work on ‘Party Benightedness’ is marvellous, however there needs to be more forward momentum in the accompaniment. Unfortunately this record is far too conscious of a legacy that it’s trying to invoke, and the general antiestablishment narrative just doesn’t quite carry the same punch. Alex De Lacey
TRACK TO TRY Party Benightedness
VARIOUS ARTISTS Senegal 70 Analog Africa (65 mins)
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Unearthing new old classics This trip back in time – some 40 years – is all courtesy of Analog Africa’s crate-digger extraordinaire, Samy Ben Redjeb. The dozen tracks here have never been heard on CD before and capture an exciting moment in Dakar. An extraordinary burst of musical creativity, in part inspired by the visits of artists such as James Brown, the Jackson Five and Celia Cruz, injected a new diversity and experimentalism into Senegalese music. We hear the first classic Afro-Cuban recordings by Orchestra Bawobab (sic) and Amara Touré et le
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Dizu Plaatjies & Friends Ubuntu: The Common String
track 10
Mountain Records (58 mins)
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Musical bow-man takes a bow In 1979 Dizu Plaatjies created the South African percussion ensemble Amampondo in Cape Town. Initially they were a street-busking group and eventually they toured internationally, climaxing at the 1988 Mandela birthday celebration at Wembley. For many years, Plaatjies has been working with different fusions of African and Western music – always with an emphasis on percussion and the presence of his Xhosa roots. He currently leads a cultural group called Ibuyambo Ensemble and here they are joined by several friends from different musical disciplines.
Star Band de Dakar in similar vein, but the rest of the names here will be less familiar to listeners. Fangool play a dub-heavy reggae with a muezzin-style vocal. Orchestra Groupement Mobil d’Intervention offer an early Senegalese take on a kind of psychedup Afrobeat. King N’gom et Les Perles Noires play Cuban son with a Dave Brubeck ‘Take Five’-style beat. Orchestre Laye Thiam’s three tracks sound gloriously out of this world,
Plaatjies is a specialist of the musical bow and this instrument combines discretely with guitars, percussion and horn section on six of the 11 tracks. Ubuntu: The Common String is a very varied and enjoyable mixture of styles encompassing traditional, pop, rock, reggae and jazz – all with a South African flavour. Included are excellent tributes to Nelson Mandela and Stephen Biko, and a rocked-up remake of ‘Inkomo’, an old Amampondo song. As a bonus there is an exceptional and beautifully arranged version of Miriam Makeba’s Swahili classic ‘Malaika’ sung by Ibuyambo lead dancer Thabisa Dinga. Martin Sinnock
TRACK TO TRY Izalwa Algiers
fusing African rhythms, garage rock, James Brown funk and mariachi trumpets in futuristic fashion. A meticulous 44-page booklet recounts in loving detail the life stories of the bands and producers and includes a fantastic selection of evocative period photos to round out what may be the best archive release of the year. Nigel Williamson
TRACK TO TRY Massani Cisse by Orchestre Laye Thiam
issue 114
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