Tuesday 18th August 2009 9.05pm
Just chilling like i mostly do listening to an album that was recorded 30 years ago!!! men not only does it bring back sweet sweet memories but most of all reminds me how old i am or should i say how young i am (just trying to console myself).
The album is the classic (connoisseurs of jazz would understand what i am talking about ) grammy award winning, one million copies selling ONE ON ONE by bob james and earl klugh. This album takes me back to were it all started for me and how i got involved in jazz and how i still am in love with jazz and its varying off shoots 30 years on.It all started at 46 Bode thomas Street, Union Bank Sports Club and in particular a friend called Innocent Akpan (baba inno)!!.He used to have a red peugeot 305 and all he played in his car was jazz, strictly jazz. After we finished playing hockey, we will go to his car and will be playing earl klugh and humming along as it played, initially i thought the music was snubish and but as time passed i fell in love with jazz and especially earl's music.Mr Akpan was older than i was and for some strange reason we seem to get along cos at that time most people felt he was snubbish but personally he wasn't to me.
On this album 'One on One' there is a particular song called 'KARI' which in my humble opinion is probably the best jazz piece every written and that became an anthem for the hockey club back in the day (For anybody that played for the club at that time just mention Kari or play it ) and i can guarantee you that it would take them back to good good times in Lagos!! Part 2 coming soon, my daughter wants to use the laptop kids these days !!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, August 07, 2009
TONY ALLEN SECRET AGENT
Friday 7th august 2009 21.o3 pm
listening to tony allen's latest 'cook up' Secret Agent'
Tony oladipo allen born of nigerian/ghananian parentage and co-creator of afrobeat and the man who put 'beat' in afrobeat.He was fela kuti's greatest drummer and band leader for about 20 years and played drums on fela's classic albums like zombie, jjd, kalakuta show, power show etc from the late 60's to late 70's when he left out of frustration and lack of recognition from fela.
When Dr T or Uncle T left the africa 70, legend has it that fela found it hard to replace him because tony allen sounded like four drummer playing different beats at once, the same legend has it that when James brown visited Lagos in the 70's members of the flames used to sit next to tony Allen and write down drum patterns and if you listen to early James brown records you would hear the tony Allen influence.
Tony Allen was the ONLY member of fela's band that was allowed to create his part of the music, fela basically wrote out parts for every body in the band and told them what to play and left uncle tony to just .... do his thing .Even Damon Albarn of BLUR fame paid homage to Tony Allen in one of their songs and has been a recent collaborator and even featured on Tony Allen's HOME COOKING cd which also featured TY the British/Nigerian rapper.
After he left fela's band in 1978( I think) he moved briefly to London but due to the usual visa problems he had to move to Paris,France where he lives till date.
.
Now what can i say about SECRET AGENT? classic afrobeat or future afrobeat or a mix? mostly recorded in lagos nigeria to give it that authentic afrobeat feel with new singer/song writers like king odudu, ayo, wura samba, keefee, switch and tony Allen playing drums, precussions and vocals on the title track secret and elewon po.The drum part were programmed in Paris then taken to lagos and recorded, then brought back to paris and the programmed beat were basically erased and tony played all the drum part live.
For me Stand outs are ALUTERE ( which has a samba, highlife and afrobeat kinda of feel good groove)and not forgetting wura samba use of Yoruba proverbs and idioms. CELEBRATE featuring King ODUDU on vocal. then for new kids on the block SWITCH ,which had a modern feel to it(a poetry/rap kinda African thing) but all in all it's one for the collection.This album i highly recommend
Also worth checking out from Uncle Tony are HOME COOKING, LAGOS .. NO SHAKING .. LAGOS SHAKE A TONY ALLEN CHOP UP ..anthology of tony Allen which has all his earlier classics and playing with fela's africa 70 and produced by fela himself . like the late great fela anikulapo kuti would say ENOUGH TALK lets get down into the underground spiritual game.
listening to tony allen's latest 'cook up' Secret Agent'
Tony oladipo allen born of nigerian/ghananian parentage and co-creator of afrobeat and the man who put 'beat' in afrobeat.He was fela kuti's greatest drummer and band leader for about 20 years and played drums on fela's classic albums like zombie, jjd, kalakuta show, power show etc from the late 60's to late 70's when he left out of frustration and lack of recognition from fela.
When Dr T or Uncle T left the africa 70, legend has it that fela found it hard to replace him because tony allen sounded like four drummer playing different beats at once, the same legend has it that when James brown visited Lagos in the 70's members of the flames used to sit next to tony Allen and write down drum patterns and if you listen to early James brown records you would hear the tony Allen influence.
Tony Allen was the ONLY member of fela's band that was allowed to create his part of the music, fela basically wrote out parts for every body in the band and told them what to play and left uncle tony to just .... do his thing .Even Damon Albarn of BLUR fame paid homage to Tony Allen in one of their songs and has been a recent collaborator and even featured on Tony Allen's HOME COOKING cd which also featured TY the British/Nigerian rapper.
After he left fela's band in 1978( I think) he moved briefly to London but due to the usual visa problems he had to move to Paris,France where he lives till date.
.
Now what can i say about SECRET AGENT? classic afrobeat or future afrobeat or a mix? mostly recorded in lagos nigeria to give it that authentic afrobeat feel with new singer/song writers like king odudu, ayo, wura samba, keefee, switch and tony Allen playing drums, precussions and vocals on the title track secret and elewon po.The drum part were programmed in Paris then taken to lagos and recorded, then brought back to paris and the programmed beat were basically erased and tony played all the drum part live.
For me Stand outs are ALUTERE ( which has a samba, highlife and afrobeat kinda of feel good groove)and not forgetting wura samba use of Yoruba proverbs and idioms. CELEBRATE featuring King ODUDU on vocal. then for new kids on the block SWITCH ,which had a modern feel to it(a poetry/rap kinda African thing) but all in all it's one for the collection.This album i highly recommend
Also worth checking out from Uncle Tony are HOME COOKING, LAGOS .. NO SHAKING .. LAGOS SHAKE A TONY ALLEN CHOP UP ..anthology of tony Allen which has all his earlier classics and playing with fela's africa 70 and produced by fela himself . like the late great fela anikulapo kuti would say ENOUGH TALK lets get down into the underground spiritual game.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista social club held dances and musical activities becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s Cuba .In the 90's about 50 years after they closed, Ry Cooder and especially Juan Marcos De Gonzalez got together aging veterans like Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo, Rubens Gonzalez ,Omara Portuondo,Barbarito Torres, Manuel Mirabal,Eliades Ochoa to record the Grammy award winning album by the same name, an ode to Cuba's golden musical age of 1930s and 1950s
The recording of the album was filmed by wim wenders as a documentary and after the success of the album, it was taken on the road to Amsterdam and Carnegie Hall in New York.Most of the original member of BVSC had not left Cuba before and never thought it would happen, anyway because of the trade embargo placed on the USA on Cuba but sometime in July 1999 they arrived in Amsterdam before playing Carnegie Hall in New York with full line up.
The success of this album sprung solo albums for Ibrahim ferrer, Compay Segundo, Rubens Gonzalez, Manuel Ochoas and Omara Portuondo which would later be known as the BVSC series
The international success of the Buena Vista Social Club generated a revival of interest in traditional Cuban music and Musical director Juan de Marcos felt that the recordings serve "as a symbol of the power of Cuban music, and which to a certain degree have contributed to Cuban music regaining the status it always had in Latin American and world music. Sadly Compay Segundo, Reubens Gonzalez and Ibrahim Ferrer died in 2003 and 2005 respectively but not without leaving us with Classics like 'Buena Vista Social Club CD and the award winning BVSC DVD of the same name and Buena Vista Social Club live at the Carnegie Hall New York and the BVSC series
The recording of the album was filmed by wim wenders as a documentary and after the success of the album, it was taken on the road to Amsterdam and Carnegie Hall in New York.Most of the original member of BVSC had not left Cuba before and never thought it would happen, anyway because of the trade embargo placed on the USA on Cuba but sometime in July 1999 they arrived in Amsterdam before playing Carnegie Hall in New York with full line up.
The success of this album sprung solo albums for Ibrahim ferrer, Compay Segundo, Rubens Gonzalez, Manuel Ochoas and Omara Portuondo which would later be known as the BVSC series
The international success of the Buena Vista Social Club generated a revival of interest in traditional Cuban music and Musical director Juan de Marcos felt that the recordings serve "as a symbol of the power of Cuban music, and which to a certain degree have contributed to Cuban music regaining the status it always had in Latin American and world music. Sadly Compay Segundo, Reubens Gonzalez and Ibrahim Ferrer died in 2003 and 2005 respectively but not without leaving us with Classics like 'Buena Vista Social Club CD and the award winning BVSC DVD of the same name and Buena Vista Social Club live at the Carnegie Hall New York and the BVSC series
K'naan-the dusty foot philosopher
Took back Vieux Farka Toure new cd 'fondo' to HMV cos i didnt really feel it on first listen, the big question was what do i exchange it for? I looked around and after about 10 minutes and a bit of confusion, i settled for K'naan's nu cd Troubadour, i had passing knowledge about k'naan and had seen his video for his song ABCs from this album on BET a couple of times before .I really did not know what to expect but this somailan broda blew me away with his skills and word play, it is a real good cd from 1st listen to repeat listens ( he sounds at least to me like eminem, the earlier version of him).You can feel that he rapping from what he saw and is NOT a 'studio' gangsta.
Production of the album is handled by track and field(themselves canadian r & b singers) and recorded mainly at Tuff Gong studio at 56 hope road famously owned by Bob Marley, guesting on the album are Mos Def,Adam Levine, Damiam Marley, Charli 2na, Kirk Hammett and 80's legend chubb rock .It mix of african sensibility and phat hip hop beats which work really well.
Standouts Waving Flags, T.I.A (This is Africa) sampling Bob Marley's 'Simmer Down', America, Then not forgetting the autobographical.. Somali, 15 Minutes away & People like me. This CD is barbeque in the park or garden music ...put the cd in, press play enjoy the music and barberque or whatever else you are having and the neighbours and people in the park are sure to ask who's that playing . Some of the songs on this cd has been used on recent video games !!
some reviews Africa is coming... T I A!!now to complete the mix i will get his first cd 'the dusty foot philosopher'
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