Afro

Reissue of ultra rare 7" from the cult, Orchestre Rail Band.- ”Moko Diolo" on side A, a beautiful long trippy deep afro jazz with very funky rhythms sections, great garage sounding guitar and fantastic hypnotic voices! - “Tama Diyara Mali Deun La" on B side is a massive funky afro track with killer sax solo. For sure a real crowd shaker with killer breaks.Along with the Bembeya Jazz or Orchestra Baobab, the Rail Band of Bamako is one of the most prolific bands in all of West Africa. This legendary orchestra has launched, among others, the careers of Salif Keita, Mory Kanté and Djélimady Tounkara and has bequeathed in just fifteen years one of the most important work in Malian and West African music.

Following successful excursions into rare tropical and island sounds with the ‘Sofrito’ series, ‘Haiti Direct’ and ‘Calypsoul 70’ albums, Strut Records turns its focus to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius for a new compilation, ‘Soul Sok Séga’. Séga first developed as an insular music and dance form after slaves arrived on Mauritius (then île de France) from East Africa and Madagascar during the 17th to 19th centuries, using Créole language and rhythms played on the large ravanne circular drum, the triangle and the maravanne, a box filled with dried seeds. Séga was essentially frowned upon and marginalised by the Mauritian bourgeois until the 1950s when singer Ti Frère began to play a more Westernised fusion of séga. Through Ti Frère and his contemporaries like Serge Lebrasse, the music began to be popularised during the ‘60s and became fully accepted after the ‘Night Of The Morne’ event in 1964 as the Créole community asserted ist cultural identity. ‘Soul Sok Séga’ documents the heyday of séga in Mauritius during the 1970s as a new generation of contemporary artists broke through. Jazz, soul, funk and rock elements all began to be effortlessly infused into traditional séga folk roots to create some inspired fusions. A talented new wave of artists including Jean- Claude, Claudio, Marie Josée and Roger Clency became domestic stars and began to take the music to international stages for the first time. Meanwhile, cult artists like the James Brown-influenced Ti L’Afrique, Coulouce and Christophe all enjoyed a more brief but important moment in the spotlight. Since this era, séga has now been adopted as the national music of Mauritius and the original ‘70s music is a revelation for any fans of tropical music and world sounds. Strut’s album features extensive sleeve notes from long time Mauritian cultural champion, Percy Yip Tong, including new artist interviews, photos and original vinyl artwork. The compilation is by DJ duo La Basse Tropicale (Natty Hô and Konsöle), based in the neighbouring island of La Reunion. All formats (1CD / 2LP / digital) are unmixed, with all tracks never reissued internationally since they were originally available. An accompanying European tour featuring Ti L’Afrique, Jean Claude and Claudio with an all-star band of original musicians is planned for Summer 2016.KEY POINTS- first official international compilation documenting séga music from Mauritius- key artists involved in album and promotion including Ti L’Afrique, Jean Claude and Claudio- features exclusive artwork by Lewis Heriz and sleeve notes by respected Mauritian cultural journalist and promoter, Percy Yip Tong- strong addition to Strut’s tropical reissue range following the Sofrito series, Haiti Direct and Calypsoul 70- supported by DJ dates by album compilers La Basse Tropicale with plans for séga legends live tour during 2017

4 years in the making, in partnership with Teranga beat the current leading label for Senegalese music, Analog Africa proudly offer an insight into the musical adventures that were taking place in the major Senegalese cities during the 60s and 70s. This compilation, reflects the unique fusions of Funk, Mbalax, Cuban Son and Mandigue guitar sounds that transformed Dakar into West Africa´s most vibrant city.It all started in 2009 when Adamantios Kafetzis travelled from Greece to Senegal with a brand new tape machine that he used to digitise the musical treasures he had discovered in the city of Thiés. These treasures took the form of reel tapes, and had been recorded by sound engineer Moussa Diallo, who had spent the previous four decades immortalising, onto magnetic tape, the bands that would perform in his club, the legendary Sangomar.300 Senegalese songs that nobody had ever heard before were discovered - five of them were selected for this compilation.Thanks to its history of outside influences, Senegal - the western point of Africa - had become a musical melting pot. Cuban and American sailors had brought Son Montuno from Cuba, Jazz from New Orleans and American soul tunes: sounds that were swiftly embraced and adopted by urban dance bands and intuitively merged with local music styles.One band in particular excelled at this fusion. 1960 marks the formation of Star Band de Dakar, a milestone that left an indelible imprint on Dakar's musical landscape. Indeed, the whole country was soon grooving to their intoxicating mixture of Afro Cuban rhythms and Wolof-language lyrics.The 1970s brought a new generation of stellar bands, Le Sahel, Orchestre Laye Thiam, Number One de Dakar, Orchestra Baobab, Dieuf Dieul de Thies and Xalam1 who fused traditional Senegalese percussion instruments such Sabra, Tama and Bougarabou with organs and keyboards, giving birth to new hybrids. Merging the folkloric and the experimental, these sounds, embraced by the youth, took centre stage and gave the previously dominant Cuban music a run for its money.With this burst of musical and artistic creativity, driven predominantly by the modern vision of President Senghor, Dakar began attracting international stars. The Jackson Five, James Brown, Tabou Combo (Haiti), Celia Cruz (Cuba) and an array of African stars like Tabu Ley Rochereau (Congo), Manu Dibango (Cameroon) and Bembeya Jazz (Guinée) joined in with the local scene, improvising jam sessions and bringing new flavours to a music scene that was always open to new inspirations and influences. Johnny Pacheco immortalised his passion for the city with a song called "Dakar, Punto Final".The comprehensive booklet that comes with the CD - 44 pages and with the Double LP - 12 pages LP size - is a precious document attesting to the decades of transformation that led to modern Senegalese music. Featuring biographies of music producers and a legendary record cover designer, as well as the life stories of all the groups represented here, the booklet also includes a fantastic selection of photos that have never seen before.