Papa Noel "Bel Ami" (Stern's Africa, 2000)
A reissue of eight lovely later tracks from Congolese master guitarist Papa Noel (ne Antoine Nedule Montswet) who was born on Christmas Day in 1940, which was the source of his colorful nickname. Like many of the musicians from his era, Papa Noel played in many bands, most notably in a late 1970's edition of Franco Luambo's groundbreaking Orchestre T.P.O.K. Jazz, as well as in the classic 1960's rumba band, Les Bantous De La Capitale; in later years he co-founded the neo-traditionalist rumba band Kekele, which was formed around the same time this collection came out. This album includes four tracks drawn from Papa Noel's 1984 album Papa Noel Nono and four more from 1994's Haute Tension. It's generally quite lovely, relaxing material -- modern production, but firmly rooted in the mellow, unhurried sounds of the past. Recommended!

Papa Noel "Papa Noel Nono" (Industrie Africaine Du Disque, 1984)
(Produced by Martin Balkala, Basile Nganga & Freddy Kabano)

Papa Noel "Ya Nono" (Industrie Africaine Du Disque, 1987-?)
(Produced by Martin Balkala)

Papa Noel "Allegria" (Vilnair Production, 19--?) (LP)

Papa Noel "Haute Tension" (Yard High Records, 1994)

Papa Noel & Adan Pedroso "Mosala Makasi" (Yard High Records, 2001)

Papa Noel & Papi Oviedo "Bana Congo" (Tumi Music, 2002)
Cuban tres picker Oviedo and Congolese guitarist Papa Noel explore the interconnections of African and Latin American pop, in this fluid and super-listenable collaboration. The back-and-forth history of Afro-Cuban music isn't exactly news to world music fans, but this disc is notable for its inclusion of newer, post-1960s styles, such as NYC-style salsa, as well as for its economy and grace. Nice record; a little heavier on the Latin side of the equation. Worth checking out.

Papa Noel "Cafe Noir" (Tumi Music, 2007)

Pazy And The Black Hippies "Pazy And The Black Hippies" (EMI, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Odion Iruoje)

Pazy And The Black Hippies "Wa Ho Ha" (Secret Stash, 1978/2012)
(Produced by M. Oki)
Electrified African reggae and rock-flavored highlife played at a manic, breakneck pace... This record, originally released in 1978, was the second album by Nigerian guitarist-bandleader Edire "Pazy" Etinagbedia who put a clear "American" stamp on his band's name and their sound. It's a little too hyperactive for me (I prefer more laid-back stuff) but it's certainly an impressive bit of crate-digging, uncovering yet another layer of rare, obscure, ecstatic African pop from the golden era of the '70s. Standout tracks include the disco-funk of "Papa's Black Dog" and the straight-up electric rock'n'roll of "Elizabeth," which is perhaps the least typical track on this collection.

Gnonnas Pedro "The Best Of Gnonnas Pedro And His Dadjes Band" (African Songs, 2003)
One of the few African reissue discs of this era's music that just left me cold... I think it's mostly a sound production issue, but for whatever reason, I wasn't able to really enjoy a single track on this set, which collects nine vintage songs from Gnonnas Pedro (ne Gnonnan Sossou Pierre Kouassivi (1943-2004) a bandleader and multi-instrumentalist born in Benin who leaned heavily into Cuban-influenced dance pop, as well as a pop style called agbadia, which built on the traditional folkloric music of the Fon people, of southern Benin. There's something a little off about this collection, which was pressed by a specialty label in London -- the sound's a bit murky and the source material seems to have come exclusively from old, scratchy vinyl, and while I find the muffled pops and scratches charming, they hint at a lack of access to the master tapes, and perhaps a certain bootlegginess that subliminally detracts from what should be an otherwise super-groovy set. At any rate, I have an extra copy, if anyone's interested...

Gnonnas Pedro "La Belle Epoque, Volume One" (Syllart Records, 2011)
I think if I go back to the wellspring for classic tracks from Gnonnas Pedro, this 2-CD set from Syllart will be my next stop. It has more music, the legit-label imprimatur of Syllart, and probably much better sound quality. If I get a chance to check it out, I'll probably elevate it over the African Sounds collection above.

Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats "Heavy Heavy Heavy" (Retroafric Records, 2005)
A welcome collection of formative Afro-funk by a Sierra Leone bandleader who was a major influence on Nigeria's legendary Fela Kuti.

Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats "Afro Soco Soul Live" (Soundway Records, 2005)
A vinyl-only release of more vintage Afro-funk by Geraldo Pino...

Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats "Let's Have A Party" (Soundway Records, 2005)
A vinyl-only release of more vintage Afro-funk by Geraldo Pino...

The Psychedelic Aliens "Psycho African Beat" (Academy Records, 2010)
Cool vintage recordings of a Ghanaian band with an audacious mix of African funk and '60s-style American hippie rock -- soul rhythm riffs and soaring electric guitars worthy of a night at the Fillmore. Indeed, if it weren't for the African dialect, you'd be hard-pressed not to think that this was a board recording of one of the opening acts at a Big Brother & The Holding Company gig. This disc collects three rare singles that the band put out between 1970-71, gathered together courtesy of cratedigger Frank Gossner (of the band Squarepusher) who researched the group and found that several band members were of non-Ghanaian backgrounds (perhaps explaining their affinity for American-style rock and soul...) The early songs are spaced-out jam sessions, without a lot of pop concision or melodic drive, but by time they recorded "Gbe Keke Wo Taoc," a clearer-cut, more aggressive, Fela-influenced Afrobeat sound emerges, although still with a little Summer Of Love twist. Not necessarily the most awesome Afro-pop ever, but definitely a nice time capsule... Nice to hear an entire album's worth of material by one of these long-forgotten bands, and not just have them sandwiched in on a compilation album.

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African Music Index
World Music Index

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