...features the excellent collaboration of two american artists from the detroit scene tall black guy and andrès.

reggae roots created in the 80s

soul jazz presents the first ever comilation of apala music outside of nigeria. comes on double vinyl with download code included.

double vinyl compilation, showcasing the influence of funk, rock and disco on nigerian music during the 1970s.

for fans of: fela kuti, king sunny ade, victor uwaifo, seun kuti, lijadu sisters, william onyeabor, ebenezer obey, africa express, tony allen, odion iruoje, orlando julius, francis bebey, e.t. mensah

fuji is the heavily percussive and improvisational style of nigerian popular music, at once modern and yet deeply rooted in the traditional islamic yoruba culture of nigeria.
here on this album nigeria fuji machine’s striking and powerful lead vocalist taofik yemi fagbenro soars above a wild and energetic backdrop of polyrhythms played on traditional talking drums, trap drums, electronic and street percussion to create a powerful wall of intense sound.
this album is released as a limited-edition heavyweight vinyl edition with free download code included.

classic afro-compilation on triple vinyl back in stock!

available now soul jazz records’ record store exclusive limited-edition soul 7” box set comprising five heavyweight 70s afro-funk, afro-disco & afro-rock seven-inch singles all with unique bespoke label artwork and all digitally re-mastered. seriously rare, killer and classic nigerian 70s afro-funk, afro-disco & afro-rock tunes bought together here in this unique one-off record store day box-set edition. this unique box-set edition is only available as a one-off pressing especially for record store day 2017.

repress available! soundway records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. comes on triple 12 inch + bonus 7 inch vinyl, download code and 8-page booklet in gatefold sleeve.

soul jazz records’ new nigeria soul fever is their first release to explore the vast wealth of nigerian music recorded in the 1970s. the new album comes with introductory sleevenotes by bill brewster (author of last night a dj saved my life).
packed-full with afro-funk, disco and boogie all from nigeria, this triple album set brings together a stunning collection of diverse west african sounds. whilst a small handful of the artists featured (joni haastrup, tee mac, christy essien) have seen the light of day outside africa, this is essentially a collection of killer tracks by an array of artists completely unknown outside of nigeria.

reissue coming soon!

for fans of: fela kuti, king sunny ade, victor uwaifo, seun kuti, lijadu sisters, william onyeabor, ebenezer obey, africa express, tony allen, odion iruoje, orlando julius, francis bebey, e.t. mensah

classic afro-compilation on double cd.

one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year, alpha steppa meets nai-jah Òthe great elephantÓ. tge is the product of a year-long collaboration between renowned uk dub reggae producer alpha steppa and nige- rian-french singer / songwriter nai-jah. tge tells the story of nai-jah&#700,,,,,,,s reality growing up in nigeria, the album paints a picture of corruption, greed, and suffering, a narrative each and everyone accross the globe can relate to. nai-jah points to strength through unity and provides great inspiration and hope through his thoughtful lyrics and sincere delivery. steppas records is overjoyed to present all 10 original vocal tracks plus the full dub album as one. a truly unique and powerful protest album sure to provoke, inspire and uplift.

limited edition green coloured vinyl.

eine geheimnisvolle aura umgibt dieses wunderbare album, das 1974 auf emi nigeria erschien und heute ein kultobjekt für sammler ist, weil es als einziges den namen moonrakers band trägt.

eine weitere boogie-funk wiederveröffentlichung die zum ersten mal im jahr 1982 in lagos (nigeria) aufgenommen wurde. mit dem großartigen nkono teles am clavinet und e-piano und jojo kuo, schlagzeuger, der unter anderem mit manu dibango und fela kuti spielte.

eine der besten boogie-platten nigerias zum ersten mal neu aufgelegt. produziert 1981 von jake sollo und von ihm selbst eingespielt, flankiert vom herausragenden funky-bass von randy taylor und den großartigen gesangsleistungen der galaxy girls. aufgenommen und produziert in england, aber ursprünglich nur in nigeria veröffentlicht.

originally released by emi-nigeria in 1973.
repressed for the first time. limited edition.

das debütalbum der nigerianischen black children sledge funk group von 1976 ist ein klassiker voller positiver schwingungen und wohlfühl-grooves! eine sonnige mischung aus reggae und afro-funk mit viel percussion, psychedelischer und rhythmischer gitarre und orgel. mitte der siebziger jahre waren sie in nigeria in aller munde, sie waren ein symbol und der stolz von afrika.

first ever reissue of a rare 1978 afrobeat classic from nigeria. pressing on 180 gram vinyl.

ursprünglich erschienen 1976, ist das album während einer besonders fruchtbaren zeit entstanden, der purple period. in den jahren 1975-77 veröffentlichte fela allein in nigeria 24 alben. das titelstück gehört zu felas unbestrittenen meisterstücken. bisher war yellow fever nur als teil eines box sets erhältlich. nun zum ersten mal einzeln mit dem original artwork.

bonus 7 inch from the album “warmth” by fredfades with exclusive tracks.

the 1980 album from nigeria’s “first lady of song” back on vinyl via afrodisia.

reissue of this rare nigerian/ghana funk record. incl. the jam african soul power which you might have heard getting spins in the clubs. incl. a poster+extensive liner notes. fela kuti believed the identical twins of basa basa to possess magical powers, bringing luck and prosperity. fela co-produced their first lp, and played on their second. but the wondrous powers of the nyaku twins from ghana reached their summit on their third album, which basa basa recorded with producer and multi-instrumentalist themba t-fire matebese in nigeria. this collaboration resulted in the bewitching homowo album, which combines the earthy mood of the twins and the futuristic vision of themba matebese as well as the hot and sweaty afro disco sound of lagos, where the album was recorded. from the blue title track homowo to the afro disco floor burner african soul power, the album makes a consistent listen. amsterdam based dj collective and vinyl shop vintage voudou makes the highly sought-after lp available again after almost four decades, working in close collaboration with the artists.

one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year, alpha steppa meets nai-jah “the great elephant”. tge is the product of a year-long collaboration between renowned uk dub reggae producer alpha steppa and nige- rian-french singer / songwriter nai-jah. tge tells the story of nai-jah&#700,,,,,,s reality growing up in nigeria, the album paints a picture of corruption, greed, and suffering, a narrative each and everyone accross the globe can relate to. nai-jah points to strength through unity and provides great inspiration and hope through his thoughtful lyrics and sincere delivery. steppas records is overjoyed to present all 10 original vocal tracks plus the full dub album as one. a truly unique and powerful protest album sure to provoke, inspire and uplift.

the 4th edition in the acclaimed sterns edits series sees curator ben gomori open up the sterns music catalogue to other keen re-editors with brownswood / worldwide genius smbd (aka simbad) the first to step up to the plate. nigeria s segun adewale is sometimes referred to as the crown prince of jùjú music, but in the 1980s he developed a sound all of his own, which he called yo-pop. a mixture of jùjú, funk, reggae, afrobeat and jazz, its vibrant melange can be heard on his 1986 record ojo je , where both these originals are taken from. smbd delivers too superb flips of the title track a gritty funk-fuelled disco version with live bass, and a deliciously deep dub-house version. gomori, meanwhile, takes the haunting atewo-lara ka tepa mo se for an extended hypnotic, tribal trip. the stunning artwork comes from kofi ankobra, the son of radical white south africans who grew up in ghana and studied art at oshogbo, nigeria the place adewale himself was born. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and londons ben gomori.

nashville s dusty funkateers magic in threes return to rnt reserve with a triptych of low-strung grooves, each complimented by a superlative remix. chupa cabra, a sweet soulful joint, is reimagined as a devilishly pulsating and funky burner by rnt mainstays fouk on their remix. parisian patchworks takes the 70s-cop-show funk of work tapes straight to nigeria with a beautifully crafted highlife remix. finally there s come on down, reminiscent of classic donald byrd in the larry mizell days, which is beefed up and readied for the dance floor by analog wizard lay-far. a lovely package for listening, or bumping!
pressed on limited 12 inch blue vinyl and housed in the new reserve generic sleeve

soul jazz records’ latest album ‘yoruba! songs and rhythms for the yoruba gods in nigeria’ is newly recorded in lagos, nigeria. the album is co-produced by laolu akins, founding member of the legendary 1970s nigerian afro-funk/rock group blo, and soul jazz records label head stuart baker. the heavyweight double vinyl comes in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

the chisa years: 1965–1975 (rare and unreleased) is a compilation album by south african jazz trumpeter hugh masekela. the album consists of 14 rare or forgotten tracks recorded by stewart levine and hugh masekela from 1965 to 1975 when they ran their own chisa records label. thom jurek of allmusic wrote “in sum, there isn’t a weak moment on this entire collection. it’s appeal is wide and deep and one can only hope this is the first of many volumes of this material to appear. bbe records has done a stellar job in making this slab available.” dan nishimoto of the prefix magazine stated “the compilation focuses on masekela’s original idea of “african american music.” from the early experiments of the zulus (a group featuring m’bulu) in mixing doo-wop, rhythm & blues and south african gospel and the mbaqanga/”grazing in the grass”-style work of the generically named johannesburg street band to the clearly fela-influenced ojah (masekela’s band in the mid-’70s, consisting of players from ghana and nigeria) and the readyfor-primetime belting of m’bulu, each track reveals a multi-pronged effort to find and challenge the notion(s) of how african and american cultural forms could interact.”

born in cameroon, vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. by 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the castel douala cabaret. at the age of 19 vicky moved to paris to study banking and commerce and cram in even more music. he took classes at Épinay-sur-seine conservatoire music school and it was here that he met bandmates of his dikalo project. word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the afro arena. his session work features on many scenes stars, manu dibango, eko tala am, kemayo, sammy massamba, toto guillaume and many more. a chance meeting with the gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. in the 80s vicky moved to the us for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician. we pick up the story in 1981. with his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to nigeria to record with the afrodisia label in lagos. the thank u mamma album is the result. it is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised afrodisia label. musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother thank u mamma, smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. marina driv slows things down with its smoldering jazz. side two opens with its not serious a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. stormy rain is lazy guitar jazz swansong. we close off the album with the ever so funky you. slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. as a side note vicky actually plays left handed but with a upside down right handed bass. this upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive. vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

a chance encounter in barcelona, spain brought us together to make this record happen. it’s a precious little marvel of love from kou keri kou and electric cowbell. based in barcelona, spain, the group began with the aim of making music to dance to, taking inspiration from all over the world with no fear: the music from cuba, perú, jamaica, congo and nigeria is as important for kou keri kou as the music played in europe or in the united states. los zafiros, gary numan, los destellos, radio futura, sunny ade and kiko veneno share place in their imagination and help them create open-minded pop that always looks to the future. their lyrics are sometimes open, sometimes a bit more cryptic, sometimes political and sometimes biting, but always try to communicate with the listeners while trying to make them dance. they’ve been playing together for two years, creating songs that didn’t exist before, urging the people to dance and singing about their issues, which may also be yours.

drums of passion was the first album released by babatunde olatunji (1927-2003) in 1960. olatunji was a drummer, social activist and musician, born in ajindo, nigeria. in this album he has recaptured some of his early impressions in his drum beats and giving them new zest. the african drum rhythms are not only musical melodies and songs but also ways of communication. for instance, the first track -akiwowo- was the name of a train conductor who shouted his humorous cry against the fading rhythm of the freight train. -baba jinde- is a dance play and the title track -gin-go-lo-ba- was sampled by many contemporary artists (santana and fatboy slim amongst others) and covered in 1979 by latin jazz/percussionist candido for his disco chart smash -jingo-. drums of passion is mainly a danceable album and often cited as one of the first african albums recorded in (then called) stereophonic sound in the united states in 1960. pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

mix righteous fuzz guitar, bad-ass keyboards and ecstatic african rhythms and what have you got? celebration by aktion - a slab of of heavy afro-funk-pysch-rock from the hardest working band in 70s nigeria.

baad john cross’s new revolution is a afro-electro-funk-boogie-disco banger that could only come from 1980s nigeria. bright, optimistic, with an unrelenting eye on the dance floor, it is regarded by many as a prototype of the electro rhythms that would become the signature sound of nigerian boogie.

strut present a brand new 12” reissue of shina williams monster nigerian disco anthem “agb’oju l’ogun”, pairing the rare original album version (originally released on phonodisk nigeria) with the more sparse 12” remix which surfaced later internationally on earthworks. this is the third release on strut’s new original masters series.

reissue of belmond black s forgotten album from nigeria, originally releases in 1979. incl. standout track. its never too late

first official reissue of nigerian boogie disco grail lp produced by grotto for emi nigeria and originally released in 1978. contains dance classic bad city girl. liner notes by nigerian music expert uchenna ikkone, include previously unpublished photos and extensive interviews by temitope kogbe

heaven sent from nigeria’s tumultuous east, the apostles have been preaching a particular blend of funky psychedelic soul/rock fusion for over forty years. on banko woman they threw a little afrobeat into the mix, creating an afro-funk disco bomb that has been energising dance floors ever since.

nigeria’s kingsley bucknor’s ‘just u and me’ lp gets the long-awaited reissue treatment from melbourne’s left ear records. after cutting his teeth playing with fela in the 70’s and releasing two afrobeat lp’s kingsley travelled the globe before finding himself in london, it’s here that he laid down 6 distinctive electro-funk tunes inspired by african rhythms and music he’d heard through his travels in the states and in europe. originally issued on kinglsley’s own kab records in ’85 and according to kingsley the release was well received at the time, but due to constraints of international marketing the record remained mostly unknown outside of his homeland. fast-forward to 2017 and the stage is set for a new global audience to appreciate the distinct sound of kb.

the ken boothe masterpiece from 1978 gets the long overdue remastered re-issue. -got to get away- was produced by phil pratt, features additional deejay vocals by jah walton (aka joseph cotton) and has extensive sleeve notes. packaged in the original sleeve design by anthony nero it is now available for the first time on cd and the high collectable lp-vinyl is here in a great 180 gram edition with leaflet including credits and linernotes.

in 1973, emi records nigeria released the 45 rpm disc fuel for love b/w soundway, credited to a mysterious band called wrinkar experience. the record was a finely-crafted gem of pop-rock and funky soul as had never before been heard coming out of the countryÆs nascent rock scene, and it ended up being the biggest selling nigerian single up until that point. the success of wrinkar experience effectively demonstrated that was a market for homegrown pop and rock, and sent record labels scrambling to sign similar bands, kicking off the nigerian rock revolution that is still being celebrated and discovered by new generations today. but while wrinkar experience launched the movement, the group itself would be short-lived: after another hit single in 1973, the bands frontman danie ian split for a solo career. the remaining principal players in the group cameroonian musicians ginger forcha and edjoo jacques racine tried to keep the wrinkar name going before giving it up and rebranding themselves as rock town express. rock town expresss debut lp funky makossa was recorded in 1974 for arc records, the cutting-edge studio and label established in lagos by english drum legend ginger baker. the album showcased in long format the qualities that had only been hinted at on the wrinkar experience singles: bright, confident pop melodies, articulate lyrics, and darkly potent funk-rock. comb & razor sound is proud to present a new, fully-authorized reissue of funky makossa, featuring the seven tracks from the original release, plus i am a natural man and i dont want to know, from wrinkar experiences seldom-heard third and final single.

for over forty years, the apostles of aba have stood as the jewel in the crown of the music scene in eastern nigeria. since their formation in 1973, the band has turned out memorable performances in a variety of styles including rock, soul, funk, pop and reggae. even today, the apostles continue to thrill audiences in their hometown of aba with dazzling shows. cultures of soul is proud to present one of the apostlesã more obscure¨yet relentlessly funky recordings in a full-color custom reverse board jacket. banko woman, originally released on the eponymous lp on love day records in 1977. straddling the world realms of afro-funk and disco, the track has long been a coveted dance floor filler amongst djs, and for the first time is available for a wider audience. on the b-side is faith, luck & music, also from the original banko woman album.

with the second release noland tracks moves from nigeria to poland: non human persons saturn melancholia is an early song of the polish band based on guitar & voice + processor, recorded in warsaw some years ago. with their remix gebrüder teichmann turned the song into a sacral techno anthem. a deep and dark trip with nico in the heart and mdma in the blood. the b-side features the original track plus a beautiful hand carved image by brenda alamilla.

reissue of the highly sought after nigerian funk-rock album, moving effortlessly between reggae, jazzy afrobeat and psych rock. soundway fans first got a taste of jay-u’s infectious beats with the track ‘some more’, featured on the soundway compilation “nigeria disco funk special: the sound of the underground lagos dancefloor 1974-79”. originally released by emi nigeria in 1977, this now-rare album was written by jay-u and engineered by disco-boogie artist goddy oku. opening with the up-tempo reggae number “reggae deluxe”, the album descends into mind-blowing jazz-funk featuring several killer saxophone solos. the journey ends with a trip into psych-prog rock, with a sound not dissimilar to that coming out of the early 70s british rock scene.

2017 reissue - aufgewachsen zwischen london, coventry und nigeria mit uk-grime, fela kuti, radiohead, badly drawn boy und squarepusher, liefert ghostpoet sein debutalbum auf gilles petersons brownswood-label ab. mit seiner minimalistisch-trippig-intimen mischung aus hip hop, blues, dub, trip hop und electronica macht sich der junge poet daran, in die fussstapfen von tricky zu treten.

triple lp and bonus 7 inch with 8 page booklet. includes free mp3 download with 8 extra tracks.
soundway records present kenya special: selected east african recordings from the 1970s & 80s - a treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from east africa. kenya special is accompanied by detailed liner notes, original artwork and photographs. it follows on from soundways much acclaimed african special series that to date has focused on the highlife and afrobeat output from 1970s nigeria and ghana.

a fantastic afro-beat album from a fela anikulapo kuti disciple and kalakuta republic member. a sublime spiritual and political session recorded in 1979 at the emi studio in lagos (nigeria). arranged and self-produced, this second kingsley bucknor‘s album, hopelessly obscure and impossible to find ranks alongside the best afro-beat album in history!