Solo Hit (Nigeria/1981)

I discovered this Solo Hit on Analog Africa label and I can't help sharing it

"Solo Hit's real name is Ohieirme, which means 'God gave me'. He was born in 1954 in Avbiosi, Western Nigeria. His father, Igbuan, was a popular guitar player and his mother composed and sang songs in the local idioms, while she worked at home. Legend has it the people of Avbiosi were known for their ability to soothsay.

After college Solo Hit went to the North to pursue a career playing rock music, but was lured back to play in Waziri Oshomah's highlife band before joining Sir Victor Uwaifo's Titibitis band in 1978 as the 2nd Rhythm guitarist. He stayed with the band for 5 years, before forming his own, which went under the names Solo Hits and his Ododo Soundz International. The word Ododo refers to the Edo people and is sometimes translated as the word 'rare truth' or 'beautiful flower'. He then began recording LP's with several of the top record labels in the area including: Iroube Records in Eruere, Atose records based in Sabongidda-Ora and Akpolla Records in Benin City.

Most of the music on these LP's is listed as Owan Native Blues or Luleha Native Highlife. The two tracks presented here were released on an earlier LP he did in 1981 when he was still a member of the Titibitis. Recorded at the Victor Uwaifo's Joromi studio, ths unique sound was dubbed Oba Afro Funk. According to Professor Victor Uwaifo it was a mixture of Ekassa music and pop sung in the Ora dialect of the Edo language. The sound on all his recordings reflects the way Solo Hit mined the local Edo folklore for rhythms and stories to use in his songs."

EBO TAYLOR, PAT THOMAS & SUPER SOUNDS (Ghana/1981)

Here is a great record to start 2013. In this album, recorded in Togo in 1981 under Super Sounds' name, is featuring the two biggest stars of Ghana: Pat Thomas and Ebo Taylor. This record is rare but known for its wonderful aofrobeat piece: "Yes Indeed".

Ebo Taylor is a figure in Ghana Highlife music. His career reflects his artistic vitality. During the 50s and 60s, after the explosion of pioneers highlife bands like E.T. Mensa, Taylor became a figure of this movement, beginning with bands like Stargazers and Broadway Dance Band. Highlife music appeared to Ghana in the 20s, it was born from the meeting of portugese guitars, western brass bands, african rhythms, american big bands and carribean styles like calypso. Thus in the mid-70s and 80s, Ebo Taylor recorded a number of solo projects, exploring unique fusions and borrowing elements from traditional Ghanian sounds, Fela's afrobeat, to jazz, soul and funk.

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Voici un excellent disque pour commençer l'année 2013. Dans cet album enregistré au Togo en 1981 sous le nom de "Super Sounds", figurent les deux plus grandes stars du Ghana: Pat Thomas et Ebo Taylor. Cet album est rare mais connu pour son redoutable morceau afrobeat: "Yes Indeed".

Ebo Taylor est une des figures de la musique Highlife au Ghana. Son parcours témoigne de sa vitalité artistique. Pendant les années 50 et 60, après l’explosion des orchestres de highlife pionniers comme E.T. Mensah, Taylor est devenu une figure de ce courant en se faisant les dents avec des grands groupes comme les Stargazers et le Broadway Dance Band. Courant apparu au Ghana dans les années 20, le highlife est né de la rencontre des guitares portugaises, des fanfares occidentales, des rythmes africains, des big bands américains et des styles caraïbes comme le calypso. Ainsi, au milieu des années 70 et 80, Ebo Taylor enregistre un certain nombre de projets solo, explorant des fusions uniques et empruntant des éléments de sons ghanéens traditionnels, de l’afrobeat de Fela, de jazz, de soul et de funk.

The End ?

Oro ne sera jamais mort.

On peut censurer la musique mais pas les mots,

Oro n'est pas mort, il est le souffle des ancêtres.

Oro will never be dead.

They can censor music but not words,

Oro is not dead, he is the breath of ancestors.

Pour survivre aujourd'hui, voici le souffle du Ghana. J'ai trouvé des extraits de ces trois albums sur Ebay. Je n'ai pas noté le nom du vendeur de ces disques mais j'espère qu'il se reconnaitra pour que je puisse le remercier. 

To survive today, here is the breath of Ghan. I found those rips on Ebay. I did not notice the seller's name so I hope he will recognize so that I may thank him.

RIM AKANDOH & HIS PRINCE SPARROWS BAND (1979)

Rim Akondoh est un artiste de highlife méconnu. Il est était connu à son époque pour être un redoutable chanteur sur scène.

EXECUTIVE 012 (side 1)

Rim Akondoh is one of the forgotten classic highlife musicians in Ghana. In this days, he was a crowd puller at concerts in Ghana.

OBIBA COLLINS & HIS SUPER STARS (1981)

Obiba Collins est connu pour avoir joué, comme bassiste et percussionniste, avec Fela Ransome Kuti.

SFLP 2001 (side1)

Obiba Collins used to play bass and percussion with Fela Ransome Kuti.

PAT THOMAS

Cet album enregistré sur le label GAPOPHONE est très rare. Voici la Face B, "One More Time"  un bijoux highlife chanté en anglais.

GAPO LP 773  (side2)

This rare album was recorded on the label Gapophone. I only have Side B ("One More Time") a jewelry highlife sung in english.

Yedenou Adjahoui (1981)

I have not posted Yedenou Adahoui's music for a long time. As before, I grew in time and suggest two LP's recorded in 1981 at Lagos, Nigeria. Adjahoui recorded dozens of albums, he was the most popular and prolific traditional singer of his time. He was part of Goun community, as Danialou Sagbohan, highly represented in the region of Badagri, Ogoun State, Nigeria...

SMRLP 38

Il y a longtemps que je n'ai pas posté de la musique de Yedenou Adjahoui. Comme précédemment, je progresse dans le temps et je vous propose deux 33 tours enregistrés en 1981 au Nigeria, sur le label nigérian S.M. Record. Adjahoui a enregistré plusieurs dizaines d'albums, il était le chanteur le plus populaire et prolifique de son temps. Il faisait parti de la communauté Goun, comme Danialou Sagbohan, très représentée dans la région de Badagre au Nigeria...

SMRLP 51

Orchestre Sympathic de Porto-Novo (ALS 100/1981)

The Sympathic orchestra from Porto-Novo, led by Herman Layele, is part of the major bands of Benin. They recorded five albums on Albarika Store label. The first was recorded in 1978 and had been already posted HERE. This album, the fourth, is rare. It has been released in 1981 and composed by unknown artists: Jean Ngoma Gomez and Jean Marie Efoya.This LP is unfortunately sung in french but the soukous orchestration is very nice.

L'orchestre Sympathic de Porto-Novo, crée par Herman Layele, fait parti des groupes majeures de la scène Béninoise. Ils ont enregistré cinq album sur le label Albarika Store. Le premier a été enregistré en 1978 et a déjà été posté ICI. Cet album, le quatrième, est rare. Il a été produit en 1981 et composé par des artistes totalement inconnus: Jean Ngoma Gomez et Jean Marie Efoya. Si quelqu'un a des informations. L'album est malheureusement entièrement chanté en français mais l'orchestration soukous est très pointue.

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Angelique Kidjo (first album/1981)

Angelique Kidjo was born in Cotonou, Benin. Her father is from the Fon people of Ouidah and her mother from the Yorouba people. By the time she was six, Kidjo was performing with her mother's theatre group, giving her an early appreciation for traditional music and dance. She started singing in her school band les Sphinx and found success as a teenager with her adaptation of Miriam Makeba's "Les Trois Z" which played on national radio. In 1981, She recorded hef first album "Pretty" with the Cameroonian producer Ekambi Brillant and her brother Oscar. The success of the album allowed het to travel all over West Africa.

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Angélique Kidjo est une chanteuse béninoise née en jullet 1960, quelques semaines avant l'indépendance de l'ex-Dahomey. Son père est un Fon de Ouidah et sa mère, Yorouba. Dès l'âge de six ans, elle intègre la troupe de théâtre de sa mère, ce qui naitre en elle le goût pour les musiques et les danses traditionnelles. Elle commence à chanter au sein du groupe Les Sphinx et, adolescente, rencontre le succès grâce à son adaptation pour la radio nationale de la chanson de Miriam Makeba "Les Trois Z". En 1981, Elle enregistre son premier album "Pretty" avec l'aide de son frère, le célèbre trompetiste Oscar Kidjo, et du producteur Camerounais Ekambi Brillant. Le succès de cet album lui a permis de faire un grande tournée en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Agbadja

Before posting an album from Gnonnas Pedro, the creator of modern Agbadja rhythm, let's discover traditional Agbadja, a rhythm that comes from the Mono region, to the west of Benin, and which belongs to the Mina tribe.

Avant de poster un album de Gnonnas Pedro, créateur du rythme Agbadja moderne, découvrons l'Agbadja traditionnel, un rythme qui vient de la région du Mono, à l'ouest du Bénin, et qui appartient à l'ethnie Mina.

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Avolonto Honore & T.P. Poly-Rythmo

"La mort n'a pas de date fixe" (means: death has no fixed date) is another LP from Honoré Avolonto with Poly-Rythmo Orchestra. This album, recorded in 1981 on Libert label, is a classic. The famous afrobeat title "Na Mi Do Gbe Hue Nu" was a hit all over Benin. Avolonto began is career thanks to Sagbohan Danialou who brought him into "Les Volcans" Orchestra. Thanks to Vivien for this nice record.

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"La mort n'a pas de date fixe" est un autre album d'Honoré Avolonto accompagné de l'Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. Enregistré en 1981 sur le label Libert, cet opus est connu pour son terrible titre afrobeat "Na Mi Do Gbe Hue Nu" qui fit danser tout le Bénin. Avolonto a débuté sa carrière grâce à Sagbohan Danialou qui le fit introduire auprès de l'orchestre "Les Volcans". Merci à Vivien pour ce super album.

T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo & Adjaho Coffi feat SAGBOHAN DANIALOU

This fantastic album was recorded in 1981 with Poly-Rythmo Orchestra. When I heard it I discovered that Sagbohan Danialou was singing the chorus and playing drums. Adjaho Coffi is known to be a famous comedian but also a great composer and singer. Some of the songs are purely inspired by traditional rhythms like Kakagbo. We can feel in those rhythms Sagbohan's arangements.

Cet album absolument génial a été enregistré en 1981 avec l'orchestre Poly-Rythmo. En l'écoutant j'ai découvert que Sagbohan Danialou chantait les choeurs et qu'il était à la cession rythmique. Adjaho Coffi était un fameux comédien, diplômé en France, mais aussi un grand auteur compositeur, ainsi que chanteur. Certains des titres de cet album sont merveilleusement inspirés par des rythmes traditionnels tels que le Kakagbo. On peut sentir dans les arrangements la pâte de Sagbohan.

T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo & Vicky (1981)

Album recorded on label Aux Ecoutes in 1981. Joseph Vicky Amenoudji composed and sung. As always during this period record contains reggae, soukous and afro-latin beat tunes.

Album enregistré sur le label Aux Ecoutes en 1981. Joseph Vicky Amenoudji compose et chante. Comme souvent à l'époque, plusieurs rythmes: soukous, reggae, afro-latin ou même slow.