African Jazz/Funk/Psych

Formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums; Khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of world music infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. Their 2015 debut album ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s Thai cassettes the band listened to on their long car journeys to rehearsal in the Texan countryside. ‘Con Todo El Mundo’ takes inspiration not just from South East Asia but similarly underdiscovered funk and soul of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly Iran.

In Ghana “to chop” is to eat, so the phrase No Funk, No Chop quite simply means; deliver afro funk and disco bombs, or no one will eat today.

2000 Blacks Got To Be Free is a musical collaboration between the African American vibraphone player Roy Ayers and Fela.

Get out! Fight!” The Lijadu Sisters’ Horizon Unlimited is the insurgent afrofunk their second cousin Fela strived to create.

Live! is an album recorded in 1971 by Fela Kuti's band Africa '70, with the addition of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker on two songs.

Hailu Mergia weaves Moog and DX7 synthesizers, Rhodes electric piano and rhythm machine into the rich harmonic layering of his accordion, creating hauntingly psychedelic, elegantly arranged instrumentals.

This disc is an overt response to the consistent harassment afflicting Fela Kuti's Kalakuta Republic in the early '70s under the oppressive Lagos authorities.

It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, a time of celebration and wealth but, ultimately, of political oppression. 

Next up on Africa Seven is the second edition of our "African Funk Experimentals" LPs. With these we took some of our favourite African artists, choose the most funky we can find and then put together a compilation of their choicest and funkiest tracks.

Living near Dortmund, Atta worked as a day-laborer, farmhand and English teacher, but he was also absorbing Stevie Wonder, the Staples Singers, KC and the Sunshine Band, Michael Jackson and the disco movement.

Africamore: The Afro-Funk Side of Italy (1973-1978) Continuing Four Flies' dedication to delving into lesser-explored periods of Italian music, Africamore takes us on a captivating journey into the intersection of Afro-funk and the Italian soundscape during the six years between 1973 and 1978 

Soul Jazz Records' new Nigeria Soul Fever is their first release to explore the vast wealth of Nigerian music recorded in the 1970s.

Soundway Records presents a collection of nineteen tracks chronicling a time when drum machines, synthesisers, imported pop, reggae, disco and soul collided with highlife, juju and cultural music in Nigeria.

Afrique Victime sounds and feels like a Tuareg hand reaching down from the sky, and we are very lucky for this chance to get lifted.

Archival reissue of the Afroprog-psych Zamrock masterpiece.

On the title track Fela and the backup singers ridicule the mindset of men in uniform over an urgent, quick-march accompaniment from Afrika 70.

In the early 1980s, a particular alchemy between new musical technologies and significant social, cultural, and political transformations in Ghana gave rise to a new style of highlife.

Gentleman is both an Africa 70 and Afro-beat masterpiece.

First full length album since 2020! Third full-length LP from the band. Recorded live to tape. Features a locked-groove on the B-side.

Sahra Halgan, Somaliland's iconic singer, freedom fighter, and cultural activist, returns with third album Hiddo Dhawr, a culmination of enduring friendship and global exploration

This definitive reissue features the original LP remastered and pressed on 180 gram triple vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.

Funeral For Justice is the new album by Mdou Moctar. Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2019 breakout Afrique Victime, it captures the Nigerien quartet in ferocious form.

Reissue, originally released in 1962. 

Les Amazones d’Afrique is a creative force that embraces international voices; sweet, strong harmonies that summon the rights of women and girls; and a meltdown of heritage and new gen talent.

Over the past few years Acid Jazz has released a series of reissues from the enigmatic ‘Albarika Store’ – a goldmine of records from Benin, West Africa from the late ‘60s through to the early ’80s. 

Following the first in a series of his classic recordings reissued in collaboration with Awesome Tapes From Africa, Mergia assembled a band and began performing live again after many years driving a cab in Washington, DC.

Fela Kuti lives on! This is the 10th Anniversary reissue of the classic tribute album pressed on opaque banana yellow and opaque red vinyl benefiting the Red Hot organization. 

After what seemed like ages we finally tracked Eko down in Cameroun and persuaded him that a re-issue was most definitely needed.

The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa’s electronic music movement born in the townships of the country’s Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple.

Saci Pererê is an album by Banda Black Rio, a Brazilian music group from Rio de Janeiro, formed in 1976.

Berlin based Ruffcats are something of an institution. This eight-piece outfit made up of some of the country’s most revered session musicians, pool all of their diverse influences and come together as "The Ruffcats" to create a unique take on the music they love.

The Joy, a five-piece acapella group from South Africa, release their selftitled debut album, which was recorded and captured on film in one take at Paul Epworth’s Church Studios in late 2023.

The ultra-rare holy grail masterpiece by Elcados originally released by EMI-Nigeria in 1973 and recorded by Kayode Salami.

High-quality vinyl old school jacket faithfully reproducing the iconic “mermaid” design from the 1973 release.

Inspired by his cultural background Bukky goes in search of the cuisine traditions of his mother land Nigeria.

Raised on Colombia’s Caribbean coast and united by it’s capital, Bogota, Ghetto Kumbé combine the rich musical heritage of their home, to invoke the spirit of digital rumba in audiences all over the world.

From the landlocked tropical savanna of Upper Volta, an ever-evolving cast of musicians brought the world's rhythms to the streets of their native Bobo-Dioulasso.

For 20 years the Tuareg culture and music has fascinated the world.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fela Kuti's classic Open and Close, Partisan release the first vinyl pressing since the 1980s.

Florence Adooni Unleashes A.O.E.I.U. – An Afro-Futuristic Highlife Odyssey: Step into the future of highlife with Florence Adooni’s debut album, A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity). 

When a passionate DJ and crate digger intuitively selects music for a DJ compilation, without artistic compromise and without the burden of trends, AfroMagic vol.2 emerges from the depths of his soul.

When a passionate DJ and crate digger intuitively selects music for a DJ compilation, without artistic compromise and without the burden of trends, AfroMagic vol.1 emerges from the depths of his soul.

First official reissue of this essential Zamrock album, painstakingly restored, remastered and pieced together from multiple copies of the incredibly rare original album.

Intimate early recording by Malian icon. Awesome Tapes From Africa the label began over 10 years ago with the reissue of Nahawa Doumbia’s Vol. 3.

The massed horns, relentless grooves, and bold improvising that would come to define Fela's aesthetic sound positively revolutionary on these essential early recordings.

Getatchew Mekurya is probably the most revered veteran of Ethiopian saxophone.

1979 township disco funk masterpiece from one of South Africa’s most prolific bands of that era.

This is the third volume in Luaka Bop’s critically acclaimed World Spirituality Classics series, illuminating the relationship between music and belief.

Wah Wah 45s are proud to present the debut LP on the label from Ghanaian vocalist and djembe drummer Afla Sackey. With his band Afrik Bawantu, he has fulfilled thedreamof blending traditional Ghanaian music with sizzling Afrobeat grooves, topping it off with anirresistibly funky twist! Their unique blend of vibrant African rhythms with brisk, animatedhorn sections and heavy bass-lines bring a fresh perspective to the Afrobeat genre.

Following the great success of BBE’s 2023 reissue of Remi Kabaka’s 1976 lost masterpiece 'Son of Africa' comes yet another neglected and hitherto-hidden slice of pure Kabaka goodness: 1980’s 'Roots Funkadelia'.

The Jazz Epistles were the very first South African jazz group who broke away from the swinging and danceable jazz forms in vogue during the 1950s.

Never content with the ordinary, Baba Sissoko started his personal outstanding musical journey in Bamako, Mali, several years ago.

Abacothozi were formed in 1973 by bassist Berthwel Maphumulo, formerly of the Elite Swingsters.

Intuitive, authentic, and full of ruthless rhythms, Madalitso will make you clap, dance, smile, and rethink everything you thought you knew about African sound and instrumentation.

Nigerian classic Black Children Sledge Funk Group 1976's debut album full of positive vibrations and feel-good grooves! A sunny blend of Reggae and Afro-Funk with a lot of percussions, psychedelic and rhythmic guitar and organ.

Lo-fi Tuareg guitar from renowned Timbouctou musician Abba Gargando.

Digitally remastered from the original tapes, Ali Farka Touré’s ‘Green’ album showcases Ali's acoustic guitar and vocals, both alone and accompanied by calabash and ngoni (traditional four string guitar)

The first vocal album by beloved Ethiopian nun, composer, and pianist Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru - profound and deeply moving home cassette recordings made amidst political upheaval and turmoil.

By 1972, when Music of Fela: Roforofo Fight was originally released (on two vinyl albums, Music of Fela Volume One and Volume Two), Fela was becoming one of the most avidly followed musicians in West Africa. 

The deepest song here is the second track, "Mr Grammarticalogylisationalism Is The Boss,” which ridicules the notion that speaking ""proper"" English demonstrates superior intelligence, and bemoans the fact that doing so is, unfortunately, a requirement for upward mobility.

This epic Afrobeat album contains just one eponymous track clocking in at just over 25 minutes in length, and beginning with a mysterious and psychedelic musical interplay between Fela on organ and Tony Allen on drums. 

Gratitude is the eagerly anticipated new solo album from Abiodun Oyewole, the poet, teacher and founding member of The Last Poets.

Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia.

Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia.

Immy Owusu’s debut LP LO-LIFE! draws on the work of West African giants such as Ebo Taylor and William Onyeabor as well as psychedelic troubadours like Rodriguez.

Since the 60s, Congolese guitar combos and orchestras have always been popular across West and Central Africa. 

The album is a fusion of highlife and soul.

It’s a voice that soars – pure, clear and true — above bass and synths, traditional percussion and infectious Mande guitar grooves. A stop-you-in-your-tracks voice instantly familiar to anyone in Mali, West Africa: Rokia Koné, aka the Rose of Bamako.

Sometimes a musical message is so urgent that questions of recording quality are almost beside the point. Informally recorded in 1969 in a noisy club – Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre – the flavour of this album is ‘documentary’ rather than luxuriantly hi-fidelity, yet the essence of Abdullah Ibrahim’s communication comes through loud and clear. 

After “Afro Exotique – Adventures In The Leftfield, Africa 1972-88” was enthusiastically embraced by heads, collectors and core Africa Seven enthusiasts alike, we dived back down into the vaults, and hope we’ve come up with another volume of listenable esoterica from roughly the same period.

Ebo Taylor is one of Ghana's finest producer/arrangers. Taylor was heavily influential in the unique sound that emerged from the country in the 70's; a combination of traditional Ghanaian with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk rhythms. He worked with bands including Stargazers Band, Broadway Dance Band, Black Star Highlife Band (with Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio who later joined Osibisa), Apagya Show Band and fellow musicians C.K. Mann, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and the legendary Pat Thomas.