For today, I wanted to share with you “Kourounougnon Watoro“, a mesmerizing balearic 80s Afro Mandingo Soul Boogie Funk Synth track from Mali with Afrobeat flavors, taken from the 2nd album of the band “Les Asselars“, recorded in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) in 1983 and composed with 4 musicians from Mali & Burkina Faso (formerly “Upper Volta”) :
Some great African musician are hosted on that album, such as the Ivorian Divas Chantal Taïba & Nayanka Bell and the mythical trumpetist Kabiné Traoré “Tagus” from the legendary Malian band “Les Ambassadeurs”.
The album presented today is really hard to find now, so it was important for me to share it with you to preserve them from oblivion, as those kind of songs are unfortunately not available on digital format (not digitized at the time), so hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
Les Asselars – Kourounougnon Watoro (Mali, 1983, Sacko Production)
For today, I wanted to share with you “Yaoundé By Night“, a instant catchy groovy 80s Afro Boogie Funk track from Cameroon with killer horns & synth, taken from the 1st album of the Cameroonian composer & musician Nya Soleil, recorded in Paris at “Johanna” recording studio during the 80s, and that includes some of the finest Cameroonian & French musicians of that era such :
Nya Soleil : Arrangements, Composition, Lead Guitar, Vocals ;
Jules Kamga : Rhythm Guitar, Sound Engineer ;
Michel Alibo : Bass Guitar ;
Valery Lobe : Drums ;
Joel Daroux : Alto Saxophone ;
Justin Tchounou : Keyboards ;
Jean-Marie Bolangassa : Percussion ;
Jimmy Mvondo Mvele : Tenor Saxophone ;
Fredo Tete : Trumpet ;
Philippe Brieghmann : Violin ;
One of my favorite DJ Tool when I play records during parties, excellent track to warm an ambiance – Enjoy !
Nya Soleil – Yaoundé By Night (Cameroon, 1980, MROL Production)
Following to this former article, I wanted to share with you for today “Roots“, an instant killer Afro Disco Boogie Boogie track from Nigeria, recorded in 1979 and taken from the fifth and last album of the legendary band “BLO“, named in reference to the initials of its founders :
Berkley “Ike” Jones (guitar)
Olaoluwa “Laolu Akins” Akintobi (drums) ;
Mike “Gbenga” Odumosu (bass) ;
Odumosu left the band later and was replaced by Lemmy “Otu” Udofa (also known as “Lemmy Jackson” in his 80s solo carrer !).
This song is always a dance floor burner when I play it in my DJ Set, hope you’ll like it and dance – Enjoy !
As a celebration of this Christmas Day 2024, I wanted to share with you for today “La Pli“, a super nice catchy syncopated Island Soul Cadence Biguine Jazz track from Martinique with beautiful violin & flute parts, recorded in the 70s by the mythical composer, musician, painter, sculptor and ceramist Henri Guedon !
Featuring legendary West Indian musicians such as Claude Vamur, Jean-Claude Naimro & Alain Jean Marie, this song includes the following musician :
– Lead Vocals, Arrangements, Composition, Percussions, Bells : Henri Guédon ;
– Chorus – Jackie Defoi, Jean Claude Naimro ;
– Drums, Congas, Drum [Tiboi] – Claude Vamur ;
– Organ [Eminent], Synthesizer : Alain Jean Marie ;
– Acoustic Guitar, Cuatro – Virgilio Araque Reyes ;
– Congas, Synth [Shasha] – Raymond Betzi ;
– Drums, Percussion – Alfred Varasse ;
– Electric Bass [Fender] – Philippe Neveu ;
– Flute, Chorus, Percussion – Clémente Lozano ;
– Harp [Indian] – Gerardo Servin ;
– Keyboards, Congas – Roland Malmin ;
– Mandolin, Violin : Maurice Lagier ;
– Maracas, Guiro, Chorus : Fabien Bannet ;
– Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes] : Michel Pacquit ;
For today, I wanted to share with you “Ain’t No Sunshine“, a splendid cover of Bill Withers‘ timeless hit, reinterpreted here in a beautiful & ultra groovy Island Soul Jazz way by the Dominican Diva Ophélia Olivaccé-Marie, taken from her only live album recorded in 1981 in Paris at the Theatre de la Renaissance concert hall.
One of my favorite version of this classic, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
For today, I wanted to share with you “Choual Dam Ba Lad“, a fantastic deep rootsy frantic Cadence Folklore Biguine with a psychedelic swing, one of the multiple versions of the Haïtian Traditional song “Zanmi Camarade“, interpreted here by an Haitian Folkloric Troup leaded by Pierre Benedict Joseph, and recorded in 1974 during a trip of the band to Paris (France).
The band included :
Pierre Benedict Joseph : Leader, Flute, Saxophone ;
Louis Larose : Organ, Piano, Accordion ;
Dieujuste Dorlette : Bass Guitar ;
Ednor Cherisme (Percussions) ;
Mrs Louis Larose, Helene Joanis : Vocals, Chorus ;
Different & really hard to find beautiful LP from start to finish, hope you’ll like it !
Pierre Joseph & La Troupe d’Haïti – Choual Dam Ba Lad (Haïti, 1974, Song Records)
For today, I wanted to share with you “Noumta“, an percussive Afro Disco Soul track with killer catchy horns & synth parts, recorded by the mythical Cameroonian composer & musician Pierre Didy Tchakounté in Paris (France) in the 80s, and that features some of the best African, West-Indian & French musicians of that era as :
Percussion : Pierre Didy Tchakounte ;
Guitar, Arrangements : Jacob Desvarieux ;
Bass : Christophe Zadire ;
Chorus ; Chantal Curtis, Sylvie Drai ;
Drums : Claude Vamur ;
Piano : Mbida Douglas, Jean-Claude Naimro ;
Saxophone : Mahmoud Houari, Patrick Bourgoin, ;
Synthesizer : Robert Benjamin ;
Trombone : Christian Guizien ;
Trumpet : Kako Bessot ;
Violin : France Dubois, Jean Gaunet, Michel Cron, Roger Berthier ;
Instant dance floor burner, driven by a furious bass line, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !
Pierre Didy Tchakounté – Noumta (Cameroun, 1984, Magabe Song)
For today, I wanted to share with you “I Shot The Sheriff“, timeless Reggae classic track by the legendary composer & musician Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, reinterpreted here in a slightly more Soulful Rocksteady way by the Jamaican reggae musician, vocalist, engineer, and producer Leighton Keith “Pluto” Shervington, and taken from his 1st album recorded in 1974 and out on the mythical Jamaican record label “Wild Flower”.
Cherry on the cake : maybe the sole album sleeve from all around the world that features a goat !
Refreshing version, that is my favorite of that cult song, another sweet summer anthem – hope you’ll like it, enjoy !
Pluto Shervington – I Shot The Sheriff (Jamaica, 1974, Wild Flower)
For today, I wanted to share with you “Farafin’A“, a minimal deep bouncy trippy Afro Soul Funk Lo-Fi track with crazy Synth parts a la Onyeabor, taken from the sole & only album auto produced in the 80s by the Burkinabe composer & musician Kaboré Dieudonné Parfait, recorded & self-released in Paris (France) in the 80s.
Including the legendary Congolese musician Théo Blaise Kounkou, it also features :
For today, let’s travel a bit far from our casual Pan African, Middle Eastern & West Indian countries to discover “Volao” (“Fly” in Spanish), an instant catchy Euro Boogie Disco Soul track with funky Flamenco parts, taken from the 1st album of the Spanish Rumba band Chipen aka Juan Tarradellas Giménez & Pedro Reyes Juan – better known as “Johnny Tarradellas & “Peret Reyes” – and recorded in 1984.
Cherry on the cake : that so 80s cover (including the moustache !).
Summer anthem, perfect crossover of Flamenco & Boogie influences – hope you’ll like it, Enjoy !
Fond of this kind of Spanish funky sounds ? Run on my Soundcloud to discover the 1h mix I recorded a few months ago here !
