Lagos Chop Up: Fuji & Afrobeat, Highlife & Juju cover

Lagos Chop Up: Fuji & Afrobeat, Highlife & Juju

Recorded
1968-1985
Released

The companion to another compilation from the Honest Jon’s label, Lagos All Routes, this is a grab bag of various Nigerian musical styles from the ’60s to the ’80s. On the more modern side, Sir Shina Adewale’s “Awa Ni Superstars” is a short but raucous juju music blast, full of talking drum and live-wire guitar; Dr. Victor Olaiya’s “Omelebele” is rattling, fuzzed-out psych-rock with a blasting organ solo and punchy horns; the Ikenga Super Stars Of Africa’s “Soffry Soffry Catch Monkey” is wah-wah Afro-funk with a shaker-driven rhythm; Oliver De Coque’s “The Tragedy Story Of Two Friends” is a lilting highlife number with beautiful vocal harmonies that runs more than nine minutes. On the other hand, there are traditional styles represented too, like Etubom Rex Williams’ “Uwa Idem Mi,” which features mbira, hand percussion, and call-and-response male vocals, and Kollington Ayinla’s “Alhaja Sikira Adunni/Ayinla Fuju E Ga Pupo,” a remarkable vocal-and-percussion workout that sounds like an Islamic rite staged in a junkyard. The album ends with Shina Williams & His African Percussions’ “Ise Aje Male/Egbe Kegbe/Emi Koni Koja Ayemi,” a 15-minute medley that blends Afrobeat with Memphis soul to thrilling, “what if King Curtis was Fela, and vice versa?” effect.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Makorokoto cover

Makorokoto

The Four Brothers
London Is the Place for Me 3 cover

London Is the Place for Me 3

Ambrose Campbell, West African Rhythm Brothers
Eternel Docteur Nico (Merveilles Du Passé 1967) cover

Eternel Docteur Nico (Merveilles Du Passé 1967)

L'Orchestre African Fiesta Sukisa, Docteur Nico
Oriental Brothers International cover

Oriental Brothers International

Oriental Brothers International
Lagos All Routes cover

Lagos All Routes

Various Artists
Shakara cover

Shakara

Africa 70, Fela Kuti
Synchro System cover

Synchro System

King Sunny Adé and his African Beats
Musicatelama cover

Musicatelama

Mose Se 'Fan Fan'