For today, I wanted to share with you “Gypsy of Love“, a deep Soul track from Miami (United States) with Caribbean & Reggae flavors and driven by a bewitching synth, taken from the 1st album of the singer & musician Betty Padgett, recorded in 1975 only one evening the local ‘Criteria Studios” and really hard to find nowadays.

Born in Newport (New Jersey) in the late 50s, she moved to Miami (Florida) during her high school. There, as a talented teenage singer, she joined her 1st band “Joey Gilmore and the T.C.B Express”. After a gig at the Elks Club (Fort Lauderdale), she was approached by soul legend Milton Wright (responsible for the rare groove classics “Keep It Up” and “You Don’t Even Know Me.”) to record her first album, released on the mythical Miami-based record label “Alwa” (subdivision of “Ultra”, label known for its Caribbean Soul & Funk releases – remember Frankie Zhivago Young’s ones ?).

Shortly after the release, some of the tracks from of her album created quite a buzz & became hits, such as “Sugar Daddy” or “Gypsy of Love“.

The years after, she recorded tracks for TV/radio ads, released several albums until 2013 and toured a lot sharing the scene with great figures as Little Beaver, Gwen & George McCrae, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, Latimore & Jackie Moore.

Here is the Nigerian release of her debut album, out in 1979 on the legendary Nigerian label “Tabansi“, as a proof of its interplanetary success – Enjoy !

Betty Padgett – Gypsy of Love (United States/Nigeria, 1979, Tabansi)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/bKE51s_A998

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical rediscovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Kpalanuma“, a mind-blowing 70s Highlife Soul track from Nigeria with Afrobeat influences & instant catchy horn & synth parts, taken from one of the several albums composed by the very prolific Nigerian composer & musician St. Augustine Anwunzia backed by his “Rovers International“, recorded in 1978 on the Nigerian branch of the mythical label “Polydor”.

St Augustine’s albums are known to be upper-class Highlife, but that one remains my favorite, blending many genres as it contains outstanding Afrobeat, Highlife but also Reggae tracks.

More, it features some of the greatest Nigerian & Cameroonian composers of that era, as :

St. Augustine Anwunzia : Lead Vocals, Composition, Arrangements ;

Tony Bonny Wailer, Johnny Woode : Drums ;

Frankie Ntoh Song : Guitar Synthesizer ;

Fred Fisher Atalobhor  : Trombone ;

Willie Nfor : Bass Guitar ;

Joe Chiejina : Maracas ;

Andrew Kisito : Vocals ;

Abi John : Lead Guitar ;

Jossy Egele : Congas ;

Sharp Mike : Trumpet ;

Killer album from start to finish, hope you’ll like it – enjoy !

St. Augustine & The Rovers International – Kpalanuma (Nigeria, 1978, Polydor Nigeria)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/Hq69T1vH96w

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical rediscovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Maze (Part 2)“, an instant feel-good Afro Soul Funky Soukous Masterpiece from Democratic Republic of The Congo (former Zaïre) with frantic guitar, taken from a compilation of previously released singles out in the early 80s (in Kenya & Nigeria) and recorded by the mythical Congolese composer & musician Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu, better known as “Tabu Ley Rochereau“.

He started his career in the 60s, playing alongside with legends as “Dr Nico” (Nicolas Kasanda Wa Mikalayi) in famous band such as l’African Jazz, l’Afrisa International & l’Orchestre African Fiesta.

Tabu Ley is famous for having pioneered Soukous music, and to have internationalized Congolese music by mixing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American rumba. He’s considered by one of the giants of Congolese & more widely, African music.

Hope you’ll enjoy this sweet nugget !

Tabu Ley Rochereau – Maze (part 2) (Democratic Republic of Congo, 1981)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/Sgv5PGm2dPw

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical rediscovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Caution“, a groovy psychedelic funky 70s Afro Soul Rock track from Nigeria, taken from the only & ultra hard to find LP from the band “Voices Of Darkness“, recorded in 1974 in Lagos & released on the mythical Nigerian label “Afrodisia“.

Leaded by Joe Brown, the group was composed with the following Nigerian & Cameroonian musicians :

Organ, Lead Guitar, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano : Joe Brown ;

Bass Guitar, Vocals : Celestine Nyam Anderson ;

Alto Saxophone, Percussion : Denise Kenneth ;

Congas, Vocals, Timbales : Emmanuel Ebot ;

Trumpet, Congas : Emmanuel Ovo ;

Drums : Paul Mony ;

The version presented here is the ultra rare misspress of the LP (pressing plant error !), released in the mid 70s in France with the (wrong) cover & labels of an (existing) album from the Juju & Highlife Nigerian master Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, but hopefully with the same tracks as on the original “Afrodisia” press of the Voices Of Darkness album – Hope you’ll like it, enjoy !

Voices Of Darkness – Caution (Nigeria, 1974,  Ebenezer Obey’s Decca Misspress) 

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/AgQ5w4RiMsI

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Wednesday, see you on next Sunday for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Iduke“, a catchy uptempo Afro Boogie Disco track from Gabon, recorded in 1981 by the Gabonese composer & musician Jean Mabika (seems it’s his only track released, any additional infos are welcome), and released on the rare double album compilation “Les 9 Révélations de l’Année 1981” (“The Revelations of the year 1981”), produced & released locally in 1981 by the National Gabonese TV & Radio to promote the rising artists of that year.

Alongside to the legendary French musicians Michel Alito & Jean-Claude Naimro (from the mythical Kassav), this compilation includes the following musicians :

Backing Vocals : Makaya Madingo, Yolande Yeno-Anotho ;

Bass Guitar : Michel Alibo ;

Drums : Valery Lobé ;

Guitar : Jacky Arconte, Jerry Malekani ;

Percussion : Jean-Marie Bolangassa ;

Piano : Jean-Claude Naimro ;

Saxophone : Mam Houari ;

Synthesizer : Fred Grenier ;

Trombone : Alex Perdigon ;

Trumpet : Kako Bessot ;

Super hard to find album now, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !

Jean Mabika – Iduke (Gabon, 1981, Radio Télévision Gabonaise)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/v0goyEw79aA

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Meaculpa Mawewe“, a bouncy joyful tropical Afro Soukous Funky Rumba Soul track from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, former Zaïre), taken from the sole album of the Congolese composer & musician André “Zorro” Lumingu Puati, recorded in Nigeria in 1979 on the legendary label “Tabansi“.

This album features great musicians from Congo, Nigeria & Cameroon as :

Lumingu Puati (Zorro) : Leader, Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Percussion ;

Nico Ossomba : Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone ;

Charlie “Boogie” Kamga : Bass, Percussion ;

Joe Dikson : Bass, Percussion ;

Babila : Congas ;

Alhaji Steven : Drums ;

Essoa Richard : Lead Guitar ;

Joe Neng : Rhythm Guitar ;

Tina Maya Eric : Vocals, Backing Vocals.

Sweet palm wine tropical dancefloor tool, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !

Lumingu Puati Zorro – Meaculpa Mawewe (Democratic Republic Of the Congo, 1979, Tabansi)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/Lltcdkujxvs

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

Following this former post, I wanted to share with you “Ndeg Meyok“, a bouncy syncopated psychedelic 70s Afro Soukous Soul track from Cameroon with furious Balafon (drums) & guitar parts, taken from an ultra hard to find single recorded in the late 70s by the mythical Cameroonian musician Messi Martin & backed by his legendary band “Los Camaroes” formed in the 60s in the city of Maroua, in the extreme north region of Cameroon.

It included some of the finest musicians of that era : Jean Gabari, Johnny Cosmos, Sala Bekono, Mpoudi Emmanuel, Jean-Marie Ngoembang, Kwanga Roger or Paul Bingue.

If you’d like to know more about the band, don’t hesitate to (re)discover “Los Camaroes – A Journey Into Cameroonian Music“, the compilation (digital + vinyl) I released in 2019 that includes a very detailed story of the group, exclusive pictures and 10 of the best tracks of the group :

Los Camaroes – A Journey Into Cameroonian Music

Instant tropical stormer, always a banger when I play it in clubs – Hope you’ll like it, enjoy !

Messi Martin & Los Camaroes – Ndeg Meyok (Cameroon, 1970s, Editions Chic Sound)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/SXSVHv58KZw

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

Following this former post, I wanted to share with you today “Oui Verckys“, an insane crazy 70s Afro Organ Funk Soul Mod instrumental track from Congo with catchy Organ parts & powerful horns, taken from an ultra hard to find single recorded in the early 70s by the legendary Congolese composer & musician Georges Kiamuangana Mateta aka “Verckys”, and backed by the almighty Orchestre Veve.

One of the heaviest & funkiest instrumental from Congo (and really hard to find too, unfortunately..), and one of my favorite track from the band, so hope you’ll like – Enjoy !

Verckys & L’Orchestre Veve – Oui Verckys (Democratic Republic Of Congo, 1970, African)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/HAvyfH6UwGI

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

For today, I wanted to share with you “Love Affair“, an explosive Afro Soul Funk Boogie track from Nigeria with devastating horns, taken from the 2nd album recorded by the Nigerian Band “SJOB Movement” (or “SJOB“), recorded in 1977 on the mythical Nigeria record label “EMI Nigeria” by the mythical Nigerian sound engineers Kayode Salami & Monday Oki and produced by the famous Odion Iruoje.

The band took the name “SJOB” after taking the first letter of the name of its founding members :

Samuel Abiloye (Spark) : Guitar, Vocals ;

Johnnie Woode Olima : Keyboards, Vocals ;

Ottay Imah Blackie : Fender Bass, Percussions ;

Bolla Prince Agua : Lead vocals, Drums, Percussions.

Some of the greatest nigerian musicians of that era are also included on that album, such as Ignace de Souza (Trumpetist, leader of the legendary beninese band “The Black Santiagos”), Fred Fisher (Trombone), Akin Nathan (Vocals) & Friday Pozo (Congas).

One of my favorite record of the genre, always a dance floor burner, hope you’ll like it – Enjoy !

SJOB Movement – Love Affair (Nigeria, 1977, EMI Nigeria)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/SswUYJhqBl4

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau

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)

You can also listen to this song on my Youtube Channel here : https://youtu.be/ATxHODhVOh8

Follow me on Instagram too for more exclusive contents : https://www.instagram.com/armand_de_preseau/

Have a nice Sunday, see you next week for another musical (re)discovery !

Armand de Preseau