Classic Sounds From The Pioneers Of African Dance Music
Endurance - Music on the march across Africa (RETRO21CD)
Based in Nairobi, Les Mangalepa are sovereigns in their own musical kingdom 'Le Royaume Mangalepa' - which extends far beyond Kenya to encompass Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia and DR Congo (ex-Zaïre).
HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY (RETRO20CD)
The long-lost hero of Afro Soul Funk
Geraldo Pino is one of the hidden heroes of African popular music. Geraldo had a major influence on the burgeoning soul/funk/Afrobeat scene in West Africa during the 1960s and 70s.
Pino’s party grooves and the Funk Imperative which underlines his musical philosophy make these dance tracks sound just as vital today as they did back then.
Gaby Lita Bembo
and Orchestre Stukas du Zaïre
Kita Mata ABC (RETRO18CD)
Lita Bembo – the great showman of Congo-Zaïrean music – was one of the most inspirational musicians of the 'new generation' that stormed Kinshasa in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Stukas du Zaïre. His unique blend of impassioned Ekonda vocal styles and frenetic guitar patterns turned his compositions into instant hits, while his eccentric stage antics and innovative dance routines endeared him to young and old alike. The music, like the man, remains larger than life.