Showing posts with label Dele Sosimi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dele Sosimi. Show all posts

Friday, 12 July 2024

As if to celebrate the Euro 2024, RAH & The Ruffcats party from 'Orile To Berlin' this summer.


Wah Wah 45s' championed 'From London To Lagos' (see review HERE) and Fela Kuti's own right hand man, Dele Sosimi (see HERE) and now Sonar Kollekitv have gone all Afrobeat as RAH (original from Orile, Lagos) and joined up with supergroup backing band The Ruffcats (Berlin).

The vocals are in a combination of English and Nigerian and cross between soul, funk and Afrobeat with the added 'seal' of approval as the nine tracks have been produced by Jochen Ströh (he of Ebo Taylor's classic 'Love & Death').

There's certainly some Ebo in RAH's vocals ('Agidi') and the band are just as tight as Afrobeat versions of Timmion's Cold Diamond & Mink or Daptones Menahan Street Band. 

There's a couple more with guests, the slightly dubbed 'Wake Up (They Are The People Of The Myths) featuring the Afro-space futurism poety King Khan (in an Anthony Joseph way) and the sultry jazz sax of 'Inside Out' featuring Melane on vocals.

Fans of Fela, Taylor, Pat Thomas, Sosimi, BBE Africa and similar will love this and it is setting a high crossbar this summer.  Prepare to have; 'MoonSun', 'Ide Osun (Mantra)', 'Sorry' and 'Kaya' on repeat

So different to the label's last release, Feiertag's EP. 'ON/OFF' (see review HERE) but you can tell from the cover artwork the Sun Ra connection with the planets - Rapturous Apollo Helios is about to move your world.


Title: RAH & The Ruffcats 
Title: Orile To Berlin
Release date: 12th July, 2024
Label : Sonar Kollektiv
Catalog Number : SK487D 
Format: Digital / Bandcamp 


Friday, 17 May 2024

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : , , ,

I think it was Wah Wah 45s that first drew attention on Sam Redmore and it was certainly Wah Wah 45s that re-injuvinated the Afrobeat legend that's Dele Sosimi, so it seems appropriate that when they meet, it's on a track called 'Home'.


I say that with the added connection that Dele sings of his connection to 'home' (Lagos) as that's where his heart is, with years of being an important part of Fela Kuti, The Shrine and the roots of Afrobeat (you may recall the Dele link with Eparapo 
'From London To Lagos' with a Sam Redmore remix of their 'Black Lives Matter' - see review HERE).

Sam's home is in Birmingham (just so happens that's where I was born) but his musical home stretches far and wide from soul, funk, disco, house, Cumbia, Afrobeat, broken beat - like a Brummie Will 'Quantic' Holland meets DJ 'Pura Vida' Guts.

Dele's putting himself out a bit as this follows his collab with another Sam Duckworth (formerely known as Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly) on the album, 'The Estuary' (see review HERE) and I'd definitly call Mr. Redmore if I needed a remix of any of the tracks.



Artist:  Sam Redmore 
Title:  Home feat. Dele Sosimi
Release date: 17th May, 2024 
Label : Jalapeno Records
Catalog Number :  -
Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Tuesday, 9 April 2024

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : , , ,

This confluence is the meeting of the musical minds of the Thames Estuary and the "Afrobeat Ambassador" from The Shrine, Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and cofounder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force. 

That's a pretty big body of water (no get enemy) as once aain, Dele Sosimi (formerly keyboardist and other musical duties with aforementioned Afrobeat legends) who is now based in the UK joins Sam Duckworth (formerly known as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly).  "Hang on", you may be thinking to yourself, "Didn't this come out this time last year and still sounds brilliant?" We'll you'd be right on both counts except that this is the new LP verson and it's bigger and therefore even more brilliant!

As this album is firmly rooted in Afrobeat, the obvious tracks that will engage are the previous singles, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' (see review HERE) and 'You Don't Have To' (see reveiw HERE) and, again, 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' (albeit my calls for longer versions has been unheeded) along with 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove).

Other top musicans featured include Alfa Sackey (percussion), Callum Green (drums), Philip Van Den Brandeler (bass), Pete Fraser (sax), Sam Eagle (voice/guitar) and Lizzy Dosunmu (vocals) along with multi-instrumentalist Duckworth.

'Stories' is at the carib-pop-end of this meeting of minds but the new 'BIG' tracks are 'Alagbara Ma Me Ro' that's a time-after-time winner plus the Essex Go-Go of 'For The Love Of It' and at 60s jazz club towpath shuffle of 'The Ramblings'.

This is no Sosimi-lite (or Mr Get Cape etc 'heavy' for that matter) as this is all giving it their all and finding something special.  Who'd have thought that chance radio interview Dom Servini (now Jazz FM DJ you know) did with Dele did all those years ago would find us at 'The Confluence' (LP version). Who indeed.

P.S, get lively as the vinyl is likely to sell out quick.
 

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence LP
Release Date: 5th April, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP025 
Format: Vinyl 12 - Limited Edition / Digital / BANDCAMP







Friday, 11 August 2023

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : , , , ,

Dele Sosimi's "eparapo” with Eparapo means you've got a direct link between the Afrobeat supergroup, Tony Allen and Fela Kuti which gives this album a big power when it comes to tracks (the titles almost speaking for themselves being) 'Follow The Money'. 'Who Invented Black & White', 'From London To Lagos' and 'Black Lives Matter' (which all feature Dele); so much so, it's the closest you'll get to The Shrine this side of Abuja .  

Not forgetting Afla Sackey on the more chilled, 'My Beautiful City' and the band's instrumental 'Take To The Streets', (Nearly 12 minutes of Afro-Centric Sons Of Kemet?) this is going to be so good on the limited vinyl release; if not, the digital release is equally essential. 

Artist: Eparapo feat. Dele Sosimi & Afla Sackey

Release: Take To The Streets
Release Date: 11th August, 2023
Label: Wah Wah 45s

Catalog Number: Vinyl / Digital / BANDCAMP

Sunday, 14 May 2023

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : , , ,

As you may have seen elsewhere, I have already pronounced this album is "BIG".

There's a number of reasons for this confident assertion as it was original a seven track album released by Dele Sosimi on Wah Wah 45s in 2015.  Back then it was a mere 7 tracks and featured the realitively unknown Tamar Osborn (and is now better known as leader of Tamar Colocutor and has appeared with world star plus jazzers like Emma-Jean Thackray, BunnDebrettQuintett, Emanative and Liz Elensky) and was produced/mixed by Ben Lamdin (aka Nostalgia 77).

As a former 'pupil' of Fela Kuti the album had many instant hits like 'E Go Betta', 'You No Fit Touch Am', 'Where We Want Be' and 'I Don't Care'.

Such was the attention, the Deluxe Edition re-issue features the original tracks together with previously unreleased and classic remixes, edits and dubs; including Dele's new best mate, Medler (the 'You No Fit Touch Am' remix got these two together and it's a match made at 'The Shrine' so to speak) together with the whole Prince Fatty vs. Nostalgia 77 dub album and old favourites like Modified Man, Paper Tiger and DJ Khalab.

Dele's just had a BIG 60th birthday bash at the Jazz Cafe and the album that came out last month as Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21, 'The Confluence' (see review HERE) so it's worth checking out what is now a 27 track option!

Now that is BIG! 


Artist: Dele Sosimi 

Release: You No Fit Touch Am (Deluxe Edition) 

Release Date: 12th May, 2023

Label: Wah Wah 45s

Catalog Number: Digital / BANDCAMP