My my, this afro-beat thing is getting a bit popular at the moment. Or, more accurately, it’s getting more popular for record labels to buy up a bunch of old recordings in this style (the rights for which are presumably available at very competitive rates), compile and release these on CD.
Afro-beat is characterised by the cross-breeding of traditional African music (typically involving simple but relentless grooves which can sometimes persevere for upwards of ten minutes) with the more American and European influences of ‘70’s funk and jazz. While the man generally considered to be the founding father of the Afro-beat movement, Fela Kuti, does not appear on here (at least not under his own name), those acts who do make a generally excellent job of representing the genre.
It is unlikely that artists such as Steele Beautttah (n.b. – three T’s!) or K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas will be familiar to anyone other than true Afro-beat connoisseurs, but that is not to denigrate their contributions – this is a record of consistently high quality, both in the standard of production, which is generally warm and rich, and the standard of musicianship it repeatedly showcases. A worthwhile purchase, whether as an introduction to the world of Afro-beat or to add to a burgeoning collection.
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