Thursday, April 02, 2009

More Edo rock n' highlife

I don't know if it's a matter of Victor Uwaifo leading and everybody else following, or if it was just something in the air around Benin in those days, because it seems like a disproportionate number of these Edo guys were just coming with that revival-style, rock n' soul-inflected, get-down-and-dirty dance party highlife that Uwaifo had on lock in the 1970s.

This LP was fully composed, arranged, and produced by Douglas Osakwe himself. Wish I knew something about him; the name is familiar to me, but I might just be confusing him with someone I went to school with.

Ah well... Just groove to this, willya?

DOUGLAS OSAKWE AND THE ABOBOKOS - UKHUKHUE (EMI RECORDS, NEMI (LP) 0405, 197?)

SIDE ONE
1. Aganokpe
2. Enyi Jen Enyi Eru-Olo

SIDE TWO
1. Eboigbe
2. Okwunwene

DOWNLOAD ZIP

15 comments:

kreismyr said...

Thanks, dude. All of these last nigerian guys bring something of their own to the table, and all of them come really out of nowhere, at least rarely mentioned on the web... Much obliged.

btw, do you know where to go african music huntin' in nyc?

Comb & Razor said...

Yeah... That's the thing I like most about doing this: Shining at least a spark of light on all these unsung guys.

I actually don't do too much African music hunting in NTC, but I'm lining up a few spots to check out. I'll let you know...

woset said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
woset said...

Wow! This record is fantastic! I am new here, just found you last night. I live in Tallahassee, Florida, where there is little to no chance of ever finding any of this music. I just want you to know how grateful my friends and I are, that you are sharing.

Comb & Razor said...

that surely warms my heart to hear, Ian... The jams are gonna keep coming!

Anonymous said...

wow !! one more fantasdtic record
many many thanks

calumbinho said...

Man, you've been posting so much and such great stuff lately! These last posts are like a summary of the highlife I like best - the really rootsy stuff like Otarus, and the rockish (yet not all that popish) stuff like these two other guys I'd never heard of before. I'm having such a great time listening to all three of them - thanks a lot !!!

Comb & Razor said...

Glad you're feeling it, calumbinho!

Brooklynite said...

Your site is amazing. Thanks for sharing your collection and your knowledge of this music.

Comb & Razor said...

Thank YOU for reading (and listening), Brookynite!

John B. said...

Kreismyr: I've mentioned it on my blog, but when you're in NYC, take the uptown train (don't remember which one; consult a map) to 116th St. & Frederick Douglass Blvd. About 1/2 a block east on the north side of 116th there is a little store that has 100s of pirated CDs & videos. I don't remember the name but you'll recognize it by the speakers that blare out mbalax & other cool stuff. A few doors west there is a store that sells all kinds of Senegalese Islamic music & paraphernalia. If you nose around the neighborhood you might find other stores that sell music, also there are plenty of African restaurants.

Anonymous said...

first time visiting your site -- referred by Helmut from Phronesisaical
http://phronesisaical.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the cool tunes and commentary

Comb & Razor said...

Thanks for stopping by... and for hipping me to Phronesisaical!

kreismyr said...

Thanks, John, and comb'n, went there yesterday and picked up a sizable bunch of cdr's, and had a nice chat. -Viviane? Oh, that's the one who married Youssous' brother, right? Eyebrows were raised...

Comb & Razor said...

Nice to hear... Hope you found some good stuff!