first pressing of 750 individually numbered copies on orange marbled audiophile 180 gram vinyl.
the ghanaian afrobeat band osibisa released their sixth studio album welcome home in 1975. since their formation in 1969 they played an important role in bringing the world music to a bigger audience.

excellent freakin techhouse groover made for advanced djs! tip

fresh from touring with hugh masekela (the boys doin it), gboyega adelaja goes into the lab to drop heavy keyboard science on his moog and fender rhodes. its joe sample meets the afro funk of blo. with names like jake sollo on guitars, mike odumusu (blo, osibisa) on bass guitar and gasper lawal on percussion. this is a top quality, afro-funk, all-stars affair that shines from the inspired interventions, masterly arrangements to the sublime production.

kalita records release their first in a series of coveted reissues, starting with the three choice cuts from nst cophie s 1980 private press ivory coast afro-disco album mon da center. after moving to paris in 1976 and having played with other well-known bands such as n bamina, osibisa, and with numerous artists including jimmy hyacinthe and papa wemba, mon da center was ernest s first solo album. recorded at studio caroline in paris s 20th sector over the space of one week, this self-funded ultra-rare album regularly exchanges hands for eye-watering prices. pretty much unknown except to the most hardened of diggers, bian kou , e clolo and mioukouna are guaranteed to set any dance floor alight, with hypnotic afro-disco grooves, killer drums and angelic female vocals.

kiki gyan’s star didn’t burn long, but it burned bright. drafted into the afro funk super group, osibisa, at 15, he was millionaire by 18 and regarded as one of the best keyboardists in the world by 21. ‘life was good, man,’ he told journalist kweku sakyi-addo. ‘too good!’. in 1983 he dived head first into the new york party scene. he took a lot of drugs, spent a lot of time in clubs and got together a team of crack local musicians to record feelin’ alright, his third and final solo album. all the kiki gyan trademark elements are present and correct. the album is unique a blend of highlife music with electronic funk and disco. ‘rosemary’ follows the formula most closely and was a hit across nigeria and ghana. but on ‘give it to me’, ‘love to love you’ and the title track, you’ll hear a slicker, boogie-influenced sound that has made feelin’ alright one of his most sought-after albums. kiki gyan would never hit such heights again. his addictions eventually took hold and he died aged 47, destitute and alone. feelin’ alright remains one of the brightest stars in his extraordinary constellation.
(peter moore)