Music And Arts Scene
African Records Review
By Kwabena Asamoah
ONWENU ONYEKA: "Trina Four (Highland Town)'/'Ekwe' (MOTHER AFRICA MAS 01)
This week of singles begin with Onyeka, the Nigerian girl who appears to have wonders for the listening public after flirting with journalism in both Nigeria and the UK. I have had the opportunity to hear almost all of the songs on her forthcoming debut European album and the two songs on this single are definite precursory pieces which will, I am sure, impress most people.Onyeka's producer/manager, Kenni St. George (also from Eastern Nigeria) fell in love with the Scottish town - Trina Four - when he was returning from a show in Scotland and decided to compose a song for it. Many years ago it would have been unthinkable for an African musician to try other non-African tunes, but things are changing. 'Trina Four' is a reggae-based song which relies on J.J. Belle's strong bass line, synthesizers and, of course, Onyeka's sweet voice. To convince the listener of the Scottish side of the song, Onyeka adds Scottish pipes to complete her material.
The B-side 'Ekwe' sounds much more exciting, with tight percussion and stronger guitar works. There's hardly any doubt that this is the track which is going to lift the spirit of both Onyeka and the listening public high to tide up with reality. An Ibo folksy tune with a nice arrange- ment, 'Ekwe' is a dance floor material which is well produced for action. There is a heavy presence of studio gadgets but the music does not stray from its African purity. 'Ekwe' is a killer track.
GONGON: 'One Man No Chop'/'Kofi Kofi' (BLACK IMAGES SRT4KL277)
Co-produced by Kobena Brako from Ghana and his British friend, Paul Greenstein, this single is yet another addition to the African pre-Christmas materials. 'One Man No Chop' already sounds like a Billy Joel song, but Brako's voice might make a small difference. It is doubtful whether it will make any impact as a song for lack of any novelty but the music industry is full of surprises.The side marked AA Kofi Kofi' provides a better material for musical entertainment and analysis. Sounding like a children's folk song done in the streets in Brako's native Ghana, it begins with sharp horns backed by beautiful rhythm guitar before Brako sets in with the story of Kofi. The portion which will most intrigue listeners is the short synethesizer introducing the chorus. The percussive support makes a lot of difference to a track which could have been more interesting on the dance floor if the speed was faster. Can you win all the time?
SOUZY KASSEYA: Le Telephone Sonne'/'Ulta Ntima Tony' (EARTH- WORKS DIG 12in 004)
If Souzy Kasseya is new to you, my conclusion will be that you are new to modern Zairean music. Having produced Bebe Manga, Tshala Muana and Francois Lougan, Kasseya Where will your heart be in eternity? sat down to work out something that was to conquer the African charts in France for a complete year - Le Telephone Sonne. It attracted airplay in Paris which stepped up general interest in African music in the same way that George Darko's 'Hi-Life Time' did in London.Released as a re-mixed single by Earthworks, London is fortunate to have a perfect dance floor music that will make Christmas hotter in spite of the weather. The sharp horns prepare the scene for Kassey's hot guitar licks which underlie his music. Those who had the chance to see him live in Sam Mangwana's band at the Venue last May were definitely convinced of his prowess on the guitar.
The brand of soukoss is wickedly vibrant here and there is the talk of an Italian version. Can one track permeate the whole of Europe? The B-side begins as a rhumba but later identifies with mainstream soukous to complete the success story of Souzy Kasseya whose guitar rings just like his telephone.
