Music And Arts Scene
African Records Review
LES OFFICIERS: 'Les Officiers Attaquent' (MCL 00217)
Les Officiers Attaquent' 'Yo Ekelamu Yeles'/'L'Argent Domine Le Monde' 'No Yo Leya' 'Dis Moi Qui Es Tu?'
After the heat of 'Nostalgie d'Afrique' Tchico and his officers (music officers, of course in military uniforms and titles) sail home once again with another place well done in a Parisian studio. Choosing a sunshine day in Paris for a photo session for the album cover, les Officiers might have at- tracted quite a large crowd especially after their TV show outside Paris some weeks before recording this beautiful LP.The A-side opens with an attack as the title suggests but quickly turns round to let the officers take a phone call on board their ship from a sweet female voice swallowed in a solid guitar display. Let us dance throughout 'Les Officiers Attaquent' while not thinking of the frequent coups d'etat in the Third World. Handsome Passy Jo who has already appeared live with Sam Mangwana and others in London throws in perhaps the best song on the album 'Yo Ekelamu Yeles' to close the A-side without necessarily sounding boring. The throbbing bass and the soothing synthesizer combine to make a happy end of the song.
The music on the B-side merely confirms what you might have already on the other side. Tchico reminds us in the opening track that 'money rules the world'. The tight percussion and the attacking guitar in 'Dis Moi Qui Es Tu?' adorn the track well enough to compete with 'No Yo Leya' which sounds the best on the side. On the whole, this album should make one of the best around especially for 'Yo Ekelamu Yeles' and 'No Yo Leya' for tightness and melody while 'L'Argent Domine Le Monde' offers some advice for the modern world. Party time assured.
SANKOMOTA: 'Sankomota' (EARTHWORKS ELP 2007)
'Madhouse' 'Monoana' 'Uhuru' 'Woza' 'Mope'/'Ramasela' 'Vukani' 'House On Fire' 'Hero'
From Lesotho comes Sankomota who are currently enjoying a fair amount of popularity in London with live jigs. It is a good thing by Earthworks to release another thing from southern part of Africa. If you can't hear them live you can taste them on vinyl.Some African music lovers including myself think that Hugh Masekela has gone too electro with his latest 'Waiting For The Rain' but Sankomota are definitely more than qualified to continue where Masekela is leaving off not as substitutes but in their own right and musical identity.
Except the odd reggae in 'Mope' Sankomota have presented an album everything on which one can draw interest and peace. A well-balanced production and arrangements, this LP will draw a sizeable crowd for each of the tracks. From nice vocal harmony in 'Madhouse' to tight percussion and brass in 'Hero' Sankomota have stretched far and wide enough to reach every corner of the musical world. There is a Masekela-feel about 'Monoana', 'Woza' and 'House On Fire' but there is nothing strange as there is virtually no big difference between South Africa and Lesotho which is in fact buried in South Africa.
The melody, orchestration, vocals and the flugel horn in 'Monoana' stamp Sankomota's music apart from its uni- queness. The slow starts of 'Woza' and 'House On Fire' beg for appreciation. Give them a big hand while listening. The soothing sax riffs in 'Woza' would remind punters of Barney Rachabane while Frank Leepa sings a song of hope-tomorrow might be better. 'Vukani' is one of the rare tracks in which Hugh Masekela might have let himself go on the horn but Sankomota need no Masekela to do the job. I can't stop dancing. Am I supposed to be do- ing that? Before considering that let me serve myself first with 'House On I which is another nice track. I h houses are not burning in Leso Humble beginnings are in this t which gradually develops into animated melody with 'House On I hook lines. The bass throbs eloque while the keyboards and the horns across beautifully behind the hot but soothing vocals. The guitars sit accord and the drums beat. The house is not on fire, the music is. Thank Earthworks.
AFRO HOT CHART
1. NEW AFRICA Various Artistes (STRAND SOUNDS) Inter-Afrique2. BANDONA Nyboma (SYLLART) Zaire
3. DANCE 4 Stars (TANGENT) Zaire
4. LES OFFICIERS ATTAQUENT Les Officiers (MCL) Zaire
5. NGOBILA Olomide Koffi (AFRO RHYTHMES) Congo
6. IL Y A UN SOLEIL Nya Soleil (MROL) Cameroon
7. NDE YEN DA A. K. Yeboah (ASONA) Ghana
8. MR. SIMON Souzy Kasseya (EARTHWORKS) Zaire
9. ARMY ARRANGEMENT Fela Anikulapo Kuti (CELLULOID) Nigeria
10. PLAYS BROADWAY & UHURU Redcap Jan (AFROBOOM) Ghana
11. OYO MOBALI SANS MANIERE Fidel Zizi (FIDEYI) Congo
12. OYE ODO Pat Thomas/Ebo Taylor (DAN) Ghana
13. MR. MUSIC Thomas Mapfumo (EARTHWORKS) Zimbabwe
14. OJO JE Segun Adewale (STERNS) Nigeria
15. SANKOMOTA Sankomota (EARTHWORKS) Lesotho
Chart courtesy of AFROBOOM RECORDS, 135 Clares Road, London E5 8EE (Mail Order & Distribution )
Highlife dance
The Ghanaian Association of W London invites all to their annual celebration dance at Fulham Town Hall near Fulham Broadway Train station on Sunday 25th August 19 Gates open at 7 pm for £4. Music be provided by K.K.'s and Nsoroma Highlife Kings.Contact telephones: 226-04 274-1612, 679-4702, 472-10-203-5944.
New York caucus get-together
A regional get-together of Santaclausians has been scheduled Saturday August 31 at Ossining, New York (30 miles north of New York C in the Hudson Valley).The get-together will be held at t Ossining Community Centre from 8p- to 2am.
All Old Santaclausians are invite Those intending to attend should ca Olu Akiwumi Assani at (914) 831 0260
