{"title":"Afrobeat Vinyl Records","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA selection of Afrobeat records, from the Nigerian scene around Fela Kuti and Tony Allen to lesser-known recordings, recent reissues and newer releases. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfrobeat developed through the meeting of West African musical traditions with funk, soul and jazz, particularly the Black American music circulating in Nigeria during the 1960s and 70s. That crossover remains a useful way of understanding what sits in this collection. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside the established names, we keep an eye on archival releases and compilations bringing harder-to-find material back into circulation, as well as contemporary artists working within Afrobeat. The selection changes regularly with new arrivals and restocks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"fela-kuti-afrodisiac","title":"Fela Kuti - Afrodisiac (LP)","description":"","brand":"Fela Kuti","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34136594874427,"sku":"Y2020,Y2021,Q3 - 2022","price":25.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/0720841206811_front.jpg?v=1597667095"},{"product_id":"fela-kuti-zombie","title":"Fela Kuti - Zombie (LP)","description":"","brand":"Fela Kuti","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":34213476040763,"sku":"O30 - 2023,O31 - 2023,O36 - 2023,O40 - 2023,O1 - 2024,O8 - 2024,O14 - 2024,O17 - 2024,O19 - 2024,O20 - 2024","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/R-14579824-1577539262-1848_jpeg.jpg?v=1601072450"},{"product_id":"seun-kuti-egypt-80-black-times","title":"Seun Kuti \u0026 Egypt 80 - 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Pigeon","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn out of an impromptu post-pub jam session in Margate, the 5-piece group Pigeon swoops onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Yagana.\n\nAs the tracks cross effortlessly between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz, the cohesive symbiotic relationship of the band members is obvious from the start. The powerful vocals of Guinean singer Falle Nioke are complemented by a wealth of talent from Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.\n\nHaving moved to the UK from West Africa in 2018, Falle Nioke has recently been in the spotlight with EPs heavily supported by indie radio and BBC 6 Music playlisters. On Yagana, he continues to sing in a multitude of languages, but this time shifts towards a more organic musical direction, showcasing his incredible versatility as a vocalist.\n\nThis new path can be attributed to the pedigree of the rest of the group – veteran musicians Steve Pringle and Graham Godfrey are key members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band, the latter also performing with Little Simz, Cleo Sol and SAULT, among others.\n\nFurthermore, Tom Dream and Josh Ludlow are electronic artists in their own right – with a number of artistic projects in the works, as well as having performed together as ambient duo Soma World. Both used to play in metal and grunge bands in earlier years, an influence which has made its way into Pigeon’s distinctive sound.\n\nThe Yagana EP is an emotionally-charged offering, exploring themes of lust, saudade, homesickness, and hope for peace. The title track ‘Yagana’ translates to “it’s been a while”, and though its up-tempo disco rhythm and wild synth solos lend a cheerful disposition, the lyrics describe a melancholic yearning for Africa. Nioke sings in Susu, Wolof and Malinke – as he describes the struggle of being separated from one’s family, as well as hustling to support them financially from afar.\n\nAs a teenager, Nioke would train his voice by the great river Rio Nunez in Boké, among the remnants of the slave trade, pathways and crumbling buildings being swallowed up by the forest. While most Western teenagers grew up with traditional pets, Nioke disclosed to his band members that his closest animal friend in West Africa was the pigeon – and so the name of the group was chosen.\n\nMoving through the record, ‘Nothing Grows’ follows on from the Afro-disco opener, bringing down the tempo and intensity. The heavily swung jazz rhythm is driven by the drums, while soft guitar tremolo picking and synth pads produce a delicate atmosphere over which the singer mournfully longs for a lost love.\n\nBut having lured the listener into a meditative and pensive state in ‘Nothing Grows’, feathers are suddenly ruffled by the entrance of “It’s You” - a sultry story of burning desire. Channelling grunge and elements of no wave, the song is defined by a rumbling bass that pulses alongside the kick, while an atonal synth riff and fuzzy guitar licks provide the minimal melody. Piercing through it all is the hypnotic spoken word of Nioke, switching between French and English, as he beckons – and at times even demands - a lover to enter his room.\n\nFinally, ‘War (Jam)’ returns the record to its 4x4 disco pace, featuring rapid-fire hats and high-pitched guitar riffs seemingly nodding to Mugithi, a genre often associated with political commentary. This concept is built upon with lyrics sung in Susu, as Nioke condemns wars around the world and their ongoing futility, pleading for people to unite and create a better place. Running just over 7 minutes, ‘War (Jam)’ is an improvised long take which continuously evolves, allowing each musician an opportunity to shine.\n\nRecorded in a single weekend, Pigeon’s Yagana EP is a clear testament to each member’s skilfulness and varied experiences, creating a fully-fledged being that is greater than the sum of its parts. With an opening hand like this, we await with bated breath to see what more the humble Pigeon can bring to the world.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Soundway Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39927421304891,"sku":"","price":20.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/a2831162654_10.jpg?v=1641512125"},{"product_id":"k-o-g-kweku-of-ghana-zone-6-agege","title":"K.O.G (Kweku of Ghana) - Zone 6, Agege","description":"\u003cp\u003eZone 6 Agege - the album title, K.O.G. shares, refers to a little coastal suburb in Accra the capital of Ghana, where he “grew up and the vibe, culture and social structures enhanced and developed my creativity and love for art,” adding that the album is his “ode or a tribute to my nature, nurture and future” – is his first solo release for Heavenly Sweetness. It was recorded in November, 2020 at Yellow Arch studios (Sheffield) by David Haynes and produced by Tom Excell and Guts. Two years ago, K.O.G. released Wahala, Wahala (the album title, Swahili for trouble, or problem, also on Heavenly Sweetness) with The Zongo Brigade. Zone 6 Agege is a dramatic development: as much homage to the Accra-born artist’s musical roots, as an expansive engagement with music of the Black Atlantic, most notably hip-hop and dub\/reggae.\n\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Heavenly Sweetness","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40075081515067,"sku":"W15 - 2022","price":23.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/a3051092604_10.jpg?v=1645377993"},{"product_id":"ebo-taylor-my-love-and-music","title":"Ebo Taylor - My Love And Music (LP)","description":"","brand":"Ebo Taylor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40289867235387,"sku":"Q2 - 2022","price":25.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/NC00NjY4LmpwZWc.jpg?v=1649871809"},{"product_id":"raul-monsalve-y-los-forajidos-calipso-time-deo-e-mono","title":"Raúl Monsalve Y Los Forajidos - Calipso Time \/ Deo E' Mono","description":"\u003cp\u003eCommissioned for Fela Day in Amsterdam Paradiso Noord, Raul Monsalve y Los Forajidos celebrates the legacy of the father of Afrobeat, Fela Anikolapu Kuti, with this new 10’’ vinyl on Super Sonic Jazz Records, where Nigerians rhythms travel the Atlantic ocean to meet Venezuelan Calipso , sangueos, and more.\n\nFirst in Venezuela, Monsalve played with a number of bands before forming the first incarnation of his Forajidos band. A move to Paris, via London, led to opportunities to share stages with a vast array of musical giants, not least of all the legendary Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius, as well as the Heliocentrics, Venezuelan master percussionist Orlando Poleo and members of Fela Kuti’s legendary bands, Afrika 70 and Egypt 80.\n\n“Calipso Time” is none other than a cover of Fela’s Koola Lobitos’ “Highlife Time. Taking the original track to the region of El Callao in Venezuela, where the population from Trinidad \u0026amp; Tobago and other islands in the Caribbean settled themselves at the end of the 19th century when they started to work in mineral exploitation. As a result, this region of Venezuela has a particular language, mixing English and Spanish elements, and of course the celebration of the Carnival and the birth of Venezuelan calipso .\nSide B brings the Afrobeat madness of “Deo e’ Mono”, the very first track Monsalve did for the project back in the day. As Raul says “I just took the opportunity to celebrate Fela’s anniversary by recording this track as I dreamed it should sound when I was starting the project, learning Afrobeat only through records” . For this Monsalve called Chief Uduh Essiet, the original percussionist of the Egypt 80 and with the Forajidos’ Mario Orsinet on drums the rhythm section was without doubt cooking immediately. 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A titanic musical and sociopolitical voice, Fela’s legacy spans decades and genres, touching on jazz, pop, funk, hip-hop, rock and beyond. Shakara is the 6th in the series of celebratory Fela 50th Anniversary reissues. Like its predecessors in the series, this version will be on color vinyl and the LP will be wrapped in a gold foil obi strip with a brief essay on the album and Fela's global impact on music. Like Fela's other early 70's releases, he used each side of his LPs to create a deep groove that pulls the listener in and follows with metaphoric lyrics that call out and critique the corrupt hangover of colonialism.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe album is the sound of Afrobeat's maturation as a global music. Fela's Pidgin English lyrics extend his music's audience beyond Yoruba speakers and make his words understandable across the Anglophone world. In \"Lady,\" Fela highlights the adoption of European social habits to the detriment of African culture. \"Shakara\" is a mainly instrumental track, with a brief lyric, sung in Yoruba, warning against boasters and braggarts. The song pacing is festive and typically up tempo, with boisterous horn arrangements, with strong solos from Fela on keyboards and the fearsome Igo Chico on tenor saxophone.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThis 50th anniversary edition is pressed on limited edition pink vinyl, with a gold foil obi strip, and is packaged with a yellow 7\" featuring covers of \"Lady\" and \"Shakara\" by London band Ezra Collective.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fela Kuti","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41071252013115,"sku":"Q1 - 2023,O36 - 2023,O45 - 2023,O50 - 2023,O15 - 2024","price":32.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/0720841206781_front.jpg?v=1673633986"},{"product_id":"v-a-kenya-special-selected-east-african-recordings","title":"V\/A - Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings","description":null,"brand":"Sound Way","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46369265156440,"sku":"O10 - 2023,O17 - 2023","price":39.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/5060091552845_front.jpg?v=1678280783"},{"product_id":"shina-his-african-percussionists-williams-african-dances","title":"Shina \u0026 His African Percussionists Williams - African Dances (LP)","description":null,"brand":"MR.BONGO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46540457738584,"sku":"643405","price":15.59,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/files\/njwc3t87.jpg?v=1738838683"},{"product_id":"kiko-navarro-ft-kaleta-the-ibibio-horns-funky-man-dey-sleep","title":"Kiko Navarro Ft Kaleta \u0026 The Ibibio Horns - Funky Man Dey Sleep","description":"\u003cp\u003eModern Afrobeat productions.\n\n\"New collaboration with the impeccable and diverse studio skills of Spanish producer Kiko Navarro, pairing him with the vocals of veteran Beninois powerhouse Kaleta and the indefatigable talents of The Ibibio Horns, who are both fast becoming a label staple.\n\nOn the title track Kiko lays down a superbly inspired afro groove which takes its lead from the funk, disco \u0026amp; afrobeat which were causing profuse sweating and serious inflammation of dancefloors across Nigeria and West Africa in the late 1970s. Over these rhythms The Ibibio Horns conjure up a powerful concoction with their blazing horn section and scintillating keys, peppered with Afla Sackey's bouncing balafon. Kaleta reigns supreme on the vocal delivery, serving a challenge with his call to the dance... \"Funky man dey sleep? You go wake him up!\"\n\nOn the flipside Kiko drops the clutch and sets the thrusters to full force. In his tougher KOKI guise he jettisons the live bass and horns, switching up the groove with an insistent and throbbing, acid inspired, electronic bassline. Weighted down by chunky electronic beats KOKI turns away from the funkier vibes and looks toward a more house oriented vision. Over this solid framework Kaleta's vocals stand front \u0026amp; centre while the synth stylings of Scott Baylis lift the groove into the outer atmosphere. Both versions provide instrumental mixes which allow the arrangements to breathe deeply, the non-vocal elements to shine and provide serious creative tools for the club jocks.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CANOPY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46662831407448,"sku":"O31 - 2023","price":16.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0259\/9403\/5259\/products\/CS938743-01A-MED.jpg?v=1682255770"},{"product_id":"black-flower-artifacts","title":"BLACK FLOWER - ARTIFACTS","description":"\u003cp\u003eStirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.\n\n\"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls.\"\n\nPiloted by saxophonist \/flutist \/composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.\n\nFor many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.\n\n...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel\n\nAfter their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. \/ Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.\n\nBrilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6\n\nOne of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique\n\nUncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. 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