Congo band with both Kenyan and French pressings. You can find some great stories about this and others bands in Gary Stewart’s book “Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of  Two Congos”. Orchestra Bella Bella released this single in 1974 and the lyrics of this particular song deals with prostitution; “I Nganga, … Continue reading Orch. Bella Bella ‘Nganga pt 1&2’ Ed.Elengi

A sweet vocal number by the Elgonets, a group that had quite a few releases on different labels. Listen to the great driving guitar/drum shuffle beat that lays the mood for the crooner ending the track; “God bless Africa, Africa we love, with wild animals, with oceans and woods, god bless the continent Africa, Kilimanjaro … Continue reading The Elgonets ‘Umoja Wa Africa’ Kasanga

Another goodie from Santa Loi-Toki-Toki Jasta, a lovely tune with mod feeling. Check the superb organ & guitar solos. They recorded several funky pop songs such as ‘Ware Wa’ or ‘Lakusema Mimi Sina‘ on Pathé, and one 45 on Angel, which is a bluesy, melancholic afro-ballad with deep wah-wah guitar licks. Very unique sounds. One … Continue reading Loi Toki Tok ‘Wakati Nilikuwa Na Baba’ Pathé

Today’s selection comes from our good friend Philippe Noël (Canicule Tropicale) from Montréal, Canada. Phil chose this obscure 45 pressed in Kenya – probably another Congolese band based in Kenya at that time – because the guitar seems to be doing both the melody and the rhythm at the same time. Really unique sound, especially … Continue reading Medico Voice of Africa ‘Mtoto Wa Mama’ EMI

Probably a hit song, as this is one of the more common Ahma singles. Appears to be the Greece pressing without the picture sleeve. Great double sider in typical hypnotic Ethio-style fashion, oozing with timeless quality.  Arrangements provided by the all famous Mulatu Astatke, vocals by  Menelik Wossenachew and The All star band providing the … Continue reading All star band ‘Belew Bedubaye’ Ahma

Digging through thousands of Kenya 45’s has proven one certainty, labels marked “Afro rock” provides positive results and usually in a funky manner. In this case, a full on quality double sider from Latapaza Band. The single was unearthed sometime in the 90’ties by Duncan Brooker, if you haven’t read the story check out this … Continue reading Latapaza Band ‘Maziwa ya chai’ Sirocco

No it’s not the new IPHONE 5 we are presenting here, it’s the B-side of a Kenyan single released on the Kikuyu label late 70’ties. It’s one we’ve come to like during the last few months as it features some cool drumming, a distorted wah-wah guitar and wicked bumpin’ base. In typical Kikuyu style you … Continue reading Kiratu & his group ‘Yanagiria Kayo’ Kikuyu sounds

We keep the trend of posting dancefloor oriented material and this track is no exception. It’s a cover tune of a Loi Loki Tok song. And it’s a hard one;  heavvy driving  percussion with a neat chant, dirty wah-wah, fierce horns and a wicked synth riff. Released by Polydor East-Africa, judging from the Mijikenda tag … Continue reading Cobras ‘Wari-Wa pt 1&2’ Polydor

About time we posted something proper funky. A Killer ghetto production with a huge break, catchy horns and a infectious moog lick high up in the mix. And wait till the trumpet solo hits in the end. We’re suspecting this might be a cover of something coming out of the US in mid seventies? The … Continue reading Silver Survivors experience ‘Funky Station’ WRC

The cool label name pretty much sums it up. We can’t find any info on the band and our KENTANZA source tells us it’s the only release on the label out of two singles. A top notch traditional track here with a happy driving beat and a great guitar lick.  And we love the way … Continue reading Gonda success ‘Gonda ya bara isanga’ africa sounds

It’s late 1980. Imagine yourself sitting in a local bar downtown Harare with a cold Zambezi by your side. The comfort and mood is just right as the red neon light paints a positive atmosphere in the bar. There is a stage there and it’s starting to get crowded! L’Orchestra Les Igao band has come … Continue reading Les Igao ‘African disco Zimbabwe’ City Boom

We haven’t found any information on the label nor the artist here, looks like a private one off. Great label design, is that a horn upside down? The music speaks for itself here, a religious Kikuyu duet with a great slab of horns and funky guitar drive. In tradition of similar sounding Kikuyu groups at … Continue reading Band Sauti Popote ‘Adam na Hawa pt1&2’ Ruhia

We have been up and down the coast of Kenya’s Swahili land scouting for records but we never came across this little 45. It was just a few years ago tropical master digger Rickard Masip turned up a copy in his own homeland of Sweden. Obviously a souvenir brought back from the Reef  Hotel Mombasa … Continue reading Mombasa Vikings ‘Kibe Kibe’ Beach Rhythms

One of many Lulu’s band singles. A prolific Kikuyu group that recorded for several labels, the groups private D.K. Undugu Sounds was run by the groups leader Daniel Kamau. Expect excellent loud pressing and tight production,  simple funky aural esthetics’s as tight drumming, catchy vocals and a thousand dollar guitar riff! Perfect for the dancefloors … Continue reading Lulus band – Nguinio nuu DK Undugu sound

Another Kenyan Congolese import band. And another AIT subsidiary label. There is no information to scout on the NET whatsoever on the band,  although they released three other singles on the same label.  Build up around a lovely hummin’ chorus,  great atmosphere  and a kickass tropical guitar harmonic ostinato,  listen when it goes jazzy and the … Continue reading L’orchestre Teke-Teke – Libala Bombanda Pasi Ed. Bonga

Here is a gem of a tune from Orchestra Bana Ekanga.  Apparently a group that was an offshoot of the famous BABA NATIONAL, read more about the band and Baba Gaston on the excellent Muzikifan’s article Congolese bands in east Africa,  The song features an Intricate drum beat with a beautiful female vocal effort by … Continue reading Orch. Bana Ekanga Haraka Haina Baraka Shika

A duet for a change, a very sweet growing slow-burn track musically labeled Coast, strangely it has this Ethiopia vibe to it. The Famous Nyahururu Boys was a Kikuyu band with frontman James Wahome who is credited for the tune and the label. As it is sung in Kikuyu we can’t find anyone who can … Continue reading Famous Nyahururu Boys Mwendwa Wahome super sounds

If we got our facts straight ‘L’orchestre Masantula’ is a Tanzanian group, released on an AIT subsidiary label. ‘SAUDA’  A nice traditional track with a nice uplifting edge: driving percussive backing, guitar, sax and cool chorus. Curious about the message of the song we had to consult with our man in Nairobi, unfortunately he lost … Continue reading Orchestra Masantula – Sauda pt 1&2 ed. Masantula

Massive thanks to MitMitta music for supplying us with another winner from Mahmoud Ahmed. Built up around a thriving beat, majestic horn section and a great poppy chorus, it sounds as fresh today as it did back in 1974.  We are thrilled to hear that Mahmoud Ahmed is still around and performing. Next 45 update … Continue reading Mahmoud Ahmed Gebtout yehon fikren MA

So it wouldn’t be long before we featured our first Ethiopian Track. Big thanks to our man Vemund in Addis for sorting out a trade.  Mahmoud Ahmed a veteran on the  Ethiopian scene for nearly five decades delivers here a great mellow soulful performance, backed up with a great rhodes lick and horn section by … Continue reading Mahmoud Ahmed Yefikir Wuha Temu MA

We hit the first day of 2012 with this brilliant track from The Uppers hailing from Ghana. Unfortunately we don’t have much information on them except their former band name was Uppers International and they released a couple of singles on Polydor. With a mellow groove, keys, funky drumming and a jazzy trumpet and tenor-sax … Continue reading Uppers Chapter two Samari Bolga Polydor

Happy X-MAS to all our followers! Here is a track on the polygram subsidiary label Tsavo. For those of you who are familiar with the name your reference might be the Kenya  national parks; Tsavo east and west. Although the name has a more dreadful meaning in Kikamba, check the facts on Wikipedia.  This Lingala … Continue reading Orch Sombo Sombo Sombo Sombo Tsavo

Johnny Bokelo, the counterpart of Congos renowned Franco Luambo had a belt of labels and groups during the seventies and eighties. Like many other Congolese musicians he went to Kenya to finance and release his music. In this case, the song “Nakupenda Sana” is sung in Swahili, meaning again “I love you ..” A tight … Continue reading Orch Conga Internationale Nakupenda Sana Ed. Nana

I’m wondering if this group is the same group as the Eagles lupopo, if anyone have any information please let us know. The track is credited Yusuf Omar and Suddy Mohamed. Lupopo released several singles on the same African Eagles label so there must be some connection. I’m loving the sax work on this track, … Continue reading The Eagles band Nyumba imepigwa na radi African Eagles

Here is a tune that is fairly easy to find if you scouting eBay regularly. One of the coolest artistic label designs, and a definite standout when you are digging through hundreds of 45’s. The music is a powerhouse of a lingala tune, starts in usual traditional style and  slowly builds up with a killer … Continue reading Izile Topoke Butu pt1&2 Bana Moja

The Green rovers, a band that released several 45’s with some of Kenyas biggest labels. One of their better tracks is this very righteous take with the AIT subsidiary label Moto Moto.  A cool baseline hook with a sweet vocal chorus and an underlying synth line. Even the drummer get’s his due in the cue! … Continue reading Green Rovers Band Utapendwa na nani/Masikini

The small Umoja label only released this and two other singles as documented on the great KenTanziaVinyl site. Dug up by Sweden’s own tropical master digger Rickard Masip. A cool synth line sets the pace with a nice vocal harmony effort. And wait until the horn section let’s loose. Great track. In Swahili Umoja means … Continue reading Orc. Bimalee – ‘Asia pt 1 & 2’ Umoja

Kenyas answer to beach boys!  Bahari in Swahili means ocean and what a great label it is! One of those us label nerds drool over. A private press where the name of the band is the same as the label. Great logo graphics too. The song is sung in the Bantu language, with a traditional … Continue reading Bahari boys ‘Bado tu/Msinzili’ Bahari

Sometimes you find something special, this is one of those tunes. Funky base, a nice guitar lick and a crazy cool vocal effort. It has this melancholy vibe. I bet he is singing about a lost girl or a failed marriage.  Pressed on the prolific east African ASL label that had signed a wealth of … Continue reading Bernard Ntone ‘Mussoloki’ ASL

We open this blog with a 45 I found in Linkoni outside Mombasa Kenya in 2007. It was stored by a woman who had a coastal distribution business of recorded music back in seventies and eighties. There was shitloads of 45’s there all stacked in three meter towers. I only had a few hours so … Continue reading Hafusa Abasi & Slim Ali Sina Raha/Hayes Mawazo