Dig This Way Italy レコード& CD

Review: A mock-vintage version of a well-known but also tragic reggae classic, 'Satta Massagana' by the Abyssinians. Legend has it that the original tune was slated for release on Studio One, but, for reasons unknown, the dubplate ended up rejected by the label's founder, Coxsone Dodd. Indeed, sometimes it's a record's repression, not its release (get it?), that lends it its staying power. To add insult to injury, this new cover version by the Dig This Way All Stars and Yakka was first produced in acetate form and ended up cracked and unplayable only weeks after its receipt. A miracle cure, in the form of a vinyl restoration service in Rome, salvaged the record: just know that you're in an extra lucky position to be hearing this one at all. A cursed record? Perhaps, but the release of 'Sata' also implies proof of the original song's point; that some higher power really did give praise.

Review: The late Helen Nkume began her music career in Nigeria in the early 70s, forming the Young Timers and crafting a strain of highlife which caught on in the East of the country. By the late 70s she had self-produced her two best albums, which were constrained to the region she resided in and were of course incredibly hard to come by. The diligent folk at Dig This Way came across those records in a village near Umahia and embarked on a mission to connect with her family, gather any material they could about Nkume and present some of her incredible music to the world, which has resulted in this perfectly formed four-tracker of Afrobeat goodness.