AFRICAN MUSIC LINEUP Chris Stapleton
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34 December 1982 Marxism Today AFRICAN MUSIC LINEUP Chris Stapleton Jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, reggae . about to be flooded with talent on a prodi- sooner or later the Western craving for black gious scale. And in the case of Sunny Ade, music was bound to lead back to the source: you can start checking your music paper at Africa. This year has seen a few tentative any time from . now. steps in that direction. Some were financial, For whatever reason, and it may depend record companies indulging in a small scale on student numbers or better established scramble for the continent to see what they commercial routes, the largest stock of Afri- could pick up. Others were dance steps. A can music reaching Britain comes from the community of African and African west coast, with Nigeria amongst the most influenced bands has grown up, the odd club prolific. At least in English speaking West giving mid-week slots to the new sound. And Africa. In the Francophone countries, from in the hipper places, people wore earnest Senegal to Zaire, they arrange things slightly expressions and distinguished between 'tra- differently. ditional stuff and the new, compelling Afri- Juju music is one of the best selling forms, can pop. Whether such distinctions can be one which is largely confined to the Yoruba made is doubtful. Yet people were suffering people of western Nigeria. It mixes studio from a minor culture shock. Here was a fully technology with lilting guitar work and developed modern sound, spanning dozens thunderous talking drums into a sound that of styles and peoples, doing very well on its recasts traditional lyrics and proverbs into own, and no one even bothered to tell us... the most subtle and sophisticated modern Sudden evidence of this appeared at the music. Island Records have already released World of Music Arts and Dance festival held 'Juju Music' by one of the giants, perhaps near Bath this summer. Artists like Prince the giant, King Sunny Ade. The other big Nico Mbarga leapt fully fledged into view. figure is Ebenezer Obey, although with up Talk of tours by Sunny Ade, Fela Anikulapo to 1,000 bands to chose from, name drop- Kuti and a possible package from Zaire sug- ping can be a lengthy business. gest that sometime in the near future we are Another significant figure is Fela Kuti, a Marxism Today December 1982 35 radical iconoclast tipped by the Western Bondi, from the Gambia, once purveyors of press as the next Bob Marley and the subject highlife and western pop, have turned of overseas exposes of his private life and aggressively rootswards and the same constant harrassment from the authorities in uncompromising style runs through bands Nigeria. Fela has fused Western and Nige- like Etoile de Dakar, Ouza et ses Ouzettes rian sounds to create Afro-beat, a mixture of and Bembeya Jazz. jazz, funk, highlife and Fela, of which he is But perhaps the most influential of all the sole and leading exponent. African forms, firmly established since the The 70s were a crucial period for Nigerian late 60s, has been Zairean music. Today's music. Artists like Sonny Okosun and giants, like Franco with his TPOK Jazz or Prince Nico Mbargo brought new strength Tabu Ley, have been around for 15 years. to the recording scene. Ghanaians, attracted They started off with rhumba rhythms, by the prospect of work, arrived in some intricate guitar lines and two or three singers force, bringing their expertise in one of west turning out sweet, but not saccharine har- Africa's most potent forms: highlife. monies. A new generation has now grown Highlife was born from traditional Ghan- up, promising few revolutionary changes, aian rhythms, crossed with guitar and some- but more a 'new' rhumba with a tougher times horns, to give an irresistible, sound, thicker bass and more prominent percussive, slightly melancholic dance drums. Names to watch: Pablo Porthos, music. Ghana's golden period was during Sam Mangwana and Pamelo Mounka. the early 60s, with artists like ET Mensah Cameroonian music, with its heavy mokossa and the Ramblers chalking up massive repu- rhythms first popularised by Manu Sunny Ade tations. Today's economic climate has Dibango, is tipped as the follow up. Like exponents of Zaire-type music up to now blown a hole through the music business, Zairean music, it has a strong foothold in have been the Ivory Coasters, currently and although bands like the Super Sweet Paris, is well recorded and sounds harder undergoing personnel changes. Guitarist Talks, the Sunsum Band and the African with each album. Musawa has split to form his own Zaire/ Brothers have kept their fans, it is the Nige- The latest rumbles from the record makossa outfit, Banana Bunch. One of the rian highlifers like Prince Nico, Oliver de industry in Britain suggest a new push longest established musicians in Britain is Coque and Warrior who sound the crisper towards southern African music, with Island Nigerian percussionist Gasper Lawal, who and more forceful. contemplating a compilation from Zim- has an album and a single out to match his West Africa as a whole has seen a huge babwe to go with their two Sound D'Afrique rated live act. At the other extreme, My growth in disco music, largely imported, compilations from French speaking West Silent War are young and forceful and mix although artists like Bunny Mack, from Africa. They have already released a single benga from East Africa with highlife and Sierra Leone, and Sonny Okusun have by the South African band Joy. Virgin have punk styles. Solo singer and guitarist Spar- developed their own disco and funk alterna- gone east with an exhilarating set from Tan- tacus R has recently returned to Britain from tives. In other places, like the Gambia, Sene- zania's Orchestra Makassy. But it would be travels in Australia and Fiji, with a new gal and Guinea, a strong roots movement wrong to spend your time just scouring the acoustic set and cassette album entitled has emerged, fusing electric jazz and dance import racks. Britain has a number of bands 'Africa I See'. Finally the South African styles with strong cultural rhythms. Ifang well worth checking out. Orchestra Jazira is community in Britain has produced some of one of the best, a twelve piece outfit special- our best jazz bands, notably Dudu Puk- Orchestra Jazira ising in Ghanaian highlife. The leading wana's Zila and Julian Bahula's Jazz Afrika..