Africa Seven レコード& CD

Review: A veritable French fusion institution; classically trained Cameroon musician Eko Roosevelt Louis was responsible for a catalogue of exciting jazz funk, disco and afrofunk records throughout the 70s and remained active touring Europe until the 90s when he returned to Cameroon to inherit the role as tribal chieftain from his grandfather. Released in 1979, Funky Disco Music was his third album and packs some of his most powerful compositions. The triumphant title track says it all; laidback, charming and full of positivity it sets the scene for the whole trip. Highlights include the rock-tinged soul chugger "Une Chanson Sans Paroles", the highlife uplift of "Doi Da Manga" and the smouldering showstopper finale "Emen Ango". Dig deep and enjoy... Africa Seven promise more Eko reissues in the near future.

Review: In terms of being an afrobeat legend, Pasteur Lappe is Cameroon's Fela Kuti, an unsung hero who was ahead of the game back in the 1970s and 1980s, and one whose been famous for burning the pockets of many diggers nowadays. Luckily, Africa Seven have compiled some of his best work onto a ten-track LP, ranging from the funky oddities of "More Sekele Movement" or "Na Real Seke Fo'ya", to the future-zouk sound of "Sanaga Calypso", and plenty of jazzy, popped-out, disgruntled soulfulness to satisfy anyone from Gilles Peterson to Cherrystones. Heavy and warmly recommended.

Review: Having previously reissued Pasteur Lappe's sought-after 1979 sophomore set, No Man Pass Man, the crew behind the Africa Seven label has turned its attention to the Cameroonian artist's similarly impressive debut, We The People. It's a vibrant and hugely entertaining six-track set, with Lappe offering up a range of dancefloor-ready cuts that variously touch on heavy Afro-disco ("More Sekele Movement (Papa Ni Mama)"), horn-heavy tropical funk ("Dora"), saccharine English language ballads ("Watcha Get Ma Day Dreams"), thrusting disco-funk righteousness (Clav-happy smasher "Sekelimania (Nku Bilam)" and "The Sekele Movement") and laidback, Steely Dan style West Coast jazz-rock ("As Far As I Can Remember").

Review: For their latest flight on "Africa Airways", the Africa Seven collective has decided to treat us to some in-flight "Mile High Funk", all of which was recorded between 1974 and 1981. In practise, that means a mixture of disco-funk, boogie, Blaxploitation-style heaviness, Afro-disco and slap-bass-propelled goodness from across the African continent. Highlights are plentiful, with our picks including the Hammond-sporting heaviness of Akwassa's "Be Yourself (& Don't Let Nobody)", the synth-sporting highlife style revelry that is Eko's "Ndolo Embe Mulema" and the horn-heavy voodoo funk-soul cheeriness of Jude Bondeze's "Ndomo".