Simigwa
Strut Records is proud to announce a new official reissue of Simigwa by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, launching a series of releases on Strut celebrating the legendary Ghanaian label Essiebons. Essiebons, founded by Ghanaian music producer Dick Essilfie-Bondzie in 1959, is one of Ghana's most important independent labels featuring prominent artists such as Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, C.K. Mann, and Ebo Taylor. Ambolley’s Simigwa is a groundbreaking album, recognised as a Ghanaian classic and boasting one of the…
Wagadu Grooves Vol.2: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1991-2014
In Paris, a creative force of artists molded the cultural identity of the Malian diaspora, infusing the city’s eclectic mix of sounds with their own rich heritage. At the heart of it all was Gaye Mody Camara, a towering figure in Malian music and culture since the late 1970s. Born in Abidjan and raised in Kayes, he grew up fascinated by the rhythms of Wassoulou, steeped in the rhythms of a land shaped by diverse ethnicities and traditions, including the Peul, Bambara, and Dogon. His migration to…
Friday Night
Livy Ekemezie’s Friday Night is widely recognised by DJs and afro-funk aficionados as a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) grail record. It is one of those rare dance music albums that sounds like a record of its’ time but also has a timeless quality that makes each listen an immensely rewarding experience. Fueled by teen spirit, every track slaps leaving little or no opportunity to skip. The song concepts circle around sweaty, afropolitan nightly excursions into the nightclubs of Aba, Port Harcou…
La Danza della Giungla / Quella è una Bambola
Maledetta Discoteca proudly announces the birth of their first daughter La Sirenetta (*The mermaid) and the release of her first record! An hommage to the Italian Afro scene of the late 80s, La Sirenetta is a sub-label born to take World Music to the next level for the contemporary Dancing Club Scene. We aim at digging, selecting and editing obscure bangers from our analogue record collections, travelling from Martinique to Ivory Coast, from Nigeria to Haiti, and giving them back to deejays and …
Ethiopian Modern Instrumental Hits
This work is a masterpiece compilation released from Ethiopia’s in 1972 on the eve of the release of Mulatu Astatke’s masterpiece “Ethio Jazz”, and is a companion to “Ethio Jazz”, which is touted as a masterpiece. It is also known as the most difficult to obtain super rare board in the history of Afro Rare Groove.
Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1987-2016
The Soninke collective consciousness finds its origins in a founding myth, a blood pact: the legend of Biida and the decadence of the empire of Ghana or Wagadu (evoked by Léopold Sédar Senghor as a land of plenty in his poem Le Kaya Magan). From the 3rd century AD, gathered in the region of Sahel, on the edge of the Sahara desert, the Soninko ruled over their kingdom and its capital Kumbi Saleh. According to folklore, they were blessed with abundant rain and nuggets of gold could be picked direc…
If You Want to Make a Lover: Palm Wine, Akan Blues & Early Guitar Highlife, Pt. II
The second part in a collection encompassing Akan blues, palm wine and early guitar-based highlife music, with recordings dating from the late 1920s through to the end of the 1950s.
If You Want to Make a Lover: Palm Wine, Akan Blues & Early Guitar Highlife, Pt. I
The first part in a collection encompassing Akan blues, palm wine and early guitar-based highlife music, with recordings dating from the late 1920s through to the end of the 1950s.
Stridulum (The Visitor)
Quartet Records, in collaboration with the Riz Ortolani estate, presents the premiere CD edition of one of the titles most requested by maestro Ortolani’s fans: the bizarre 1978 mondo movie Brutes And Savages (aka Savana Selvaggia). Written by Jenny Craven and directed by Arthur Davis, this belongs to the select group of mondos that became notorious not for their shocking content, but for their lack of understanding of the genre. Surviving in two different cuts (92 mins vs. 107 mins), Brutes An…
Brutes And Savages (Original Soundtrack Music)
Quartet Records, in collaboration with the Riz Ortolani estate, presents the premiere CD edition of one of the titles most requested by maestro Ortolani’s fans: the bizarre 1978 mondo movie Brutes And Savages (aka Savana Selvaggia). Written by Jenny Craven and directed by Arthur Davis, this belongs to the select group of mondos that became notorious not for their shocking content, but for their lack of understanding of the genre. Surviving in two different cuts (92 mins vs. 107 mins), Brutes An…
Exotic Dreams – Martin Denny Presents The Enticing Voice Of Ethel Azama
Exotica masterpiece finally re-issued ! Which record is produced by Martin Denny, arranged by pianist Paul Conrad and features vintage Exotica's second lady who is only outclassed by the Peruvian chantress Yma Sumac? It's Exotic Dreams, released in 1958 that puts – so tells the cover artwork – "the enticing voice of Ethel Azama" (1934–1984), a Hawaiian Jazz singer, into the spotlight. Martin Denny discovered her a few years later and was able to negotiate with his house label Liberty Records, wh…
Mganga
Japan goes to Africa ! It's more than a bit ironic that Tak Shindo's most "exotic" album, the superb Mganga!, boasts no connection to his own Japanese heritage, instead focusing on the primal rhythms and tribal chants of Africa. Rooted largely in the arranger's experience on the Latin jazz circuit, its Afro-Cuban rhythms, sampled animal sounds, and chants capture an African musical culture based far more in fantasy than reality, much as rival exotica maestros like Martin Denny and Les Baxter con…
Music From Saharan WhatsApp
In 2020, Sahel Sounds hosted a project called Music from Saharan WhatsApp. This series consisted of ephemeral digital EPs, documenting live performances by some of the most exciting acts in the Sahel playing music, including Nigerién techno, wedding rock, Woodabe guitar, WZN, traditional music, Mandingue music, and more. Responding to an open call from our network of artists, musicians recorded a handful of tracks on their cellphone and sent them over the popular mobile app WhatsApp. Each sessi…
Afro Psych (Journeys Into Psychedelic Africa 1972 - 1977)
Whilst the continents contribution to the global funk, boogie and disco canon has been well documented for decades, the strong presence of rock and psychedelia in 1970's African music has been a more slowly evolving story over the years. Pockets of young Africans, turned on by Hendrix, the Doors, Santana and more, started to add heavy guitar riffs to rumbling, ever present funk, and built an afro psych scene that is still turning up gems to this day. With Lagos an epicenter for the emergent scen…
Music From Africa Vol. 2
* 2021 Stock * The Music From Africa series comprises two volumes of never-heard South African library music from the early '80s.
They were recorded and produced by Johannesburg musician/producer Tom Mkhize and released then on vinyl only to be sent to TV and radio stations, as well as cinema productions (never commercially available). Traditional South African rhythms re-imagined, dubbed-out and disco-fied by this legendary producer!
Each side of each volume is an A-Side of the original LP's,…
Ethiopiques Box Vol. 2 (6 x 7" Box)
* 2021 Stock* Next volume in Heavenly Sweetness' 'Ethiopiques Box' series with some real rarities from the likes of Alemayehu Eshete, Ali Mohamed, Mahmoud Ahmed and more. The boxset contains a poster and 6 stickers of all the original covers.
Ethiopian Hit Parade 2 (LP)
The 2nd volume of Ethiopian hit-parade. The hottest tracks of 1972. Original LP Reissue. The follow up to the highly acclaimed reissue of the first volume, Ethiopian Hit Parade. The track layout is identical to the original record released in 1972. "After releasing around fifty 45 rpm singles and his first 33 rpm album (Ethiopian Modern Instrumental Hits AELP 10, re-released by Heavenly Sweetness HS092VL), Amha Esthèté set about compiling his best 45s on a series of now legendary albums (the or…
Heavenly Ethiopiques - Best Of Ethiopiques Series
** 2021 Stock ** 'Heavenly Ethiopiques' presents the best of the legendary Ethiopiques series of Ethiopian jazz and funk, compiled by Francis Falcetto, the founder of the series and an expect in Ethiopian music. Featuring tracks by Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Tilahun Gessesse and others. Falcetto opened his large collection of pictures, vinyl records and memorabilia to make the artwork of this double LP gatefold. 'Heavenly Ethiopiques' is the perfect introduction to the world of Ethiopian m…
Ethiopian Urban Modern Music Vol. 3
A few years ago the world discovered a unique sound coming from the distant Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The emotional blow was only matched by the brightness of this original and magnificent discovery. The "Ethiopiques" series directed by Francis Falcetto and edited by Buda Musique provides a comprehensive landscape of this subtile musical universe where local and western cultures do magnify each other.
This new "Ethiopian Urban Modern Music" release follows the first "Soul & Groove" installm…
Ethiopian Soul And Groove Vol.1
"Urban Ethiopian music stands out within the African continent thanks to its creativity and originality. Whatever the shade -- pop, blues, jazz or soul -- it comes from a fusion of local musical traditions mixed with an echo of Western music. It bewitched Ethiopia during the Swinging Addis decade before recently winning the favors of a well-informed audience all over the world. This first vinyl volume of Ethiopian Urban Modern Music presents some of the Ethiopian grooves & jewels drawn from the …