British groups playing in an African style

[Charlie]

Looking back, the origins of what we call world music all began in the years 1980-81.

In New York, Brian Eno and David Byrne came up with their album Life in the Bush of Ghosts, laying sampled vocals over drum machines and programmed rhythms.

In London, Ivory Coasters put out a 3-track 12" single on their own Politone label, which I bought at the old Sterns Electrical Supply shop on Tottenham Court Road. What became of these guys? Dave Draper (guitar & sleeve design), Dave Rackal (guitar), Martin Robinson (bass), Bud Hooper (drums) Stuart Boardman (alto & baritone sax), Joe Szarowicz (trombone) and Jon Corbett (trumpet). The only musician I still see occasionally (most recently at Darbucka) is percussionist Seddick Zebiri.

In Brighton, a group of expatriate South Africans formed O.K.Jive, whose first single, 'On Route' (CBS), was produced by Joe Jackson. I think they recorded an album but if they did, I didn't keep it and don't t remember anything about it.

In London, Orchestra Jazira made two 12" singles, the first for Beggars Banquet ("Love") and the next for Earthworks. On guitar: Ben Mandelson.

[kevin]

In Brighton, a group of expatriate South Africans formed O.K.Jive, whose first single, 'On Route' (CBS), was produced by Joe Jackson. I think they recorded an album but if they did, I didn't keep it and don't t remember anything about it.

The album was called "Life at the Blue Chonjo Sky Day & Night Club" which I think was produced by their guitarist "Bavon Wayne Wayne" (so named in honour of Bavon Marie Marie, Franco's brother) The original line up featured Chopper on bass although he had left by the time they recorded the album. He went on to be a founder member of the Mustaphas with Ben Mandelson.
Lee Partiss was on drums and he subsequently joined Chopper in the Oysterband.

I think they released a couple of singles off the album without much success

In London, Orchestra Jazira made two 12" singles, the first for Beggars Banquet ("Love") and the next for Earthworks. On guitar: Ben Mandelson.

The drummer was Nigel Watson who joined Ben in the Mustaphas. I wonder what happened to him. He was a fantastic drummer who could turn his hand to any style.

[Papa M]

I hadn't rememberd OK Jive as being a Brighton band. We had another great African inspired group here in Brighton called Radio Kalimba.

Incidently - the first time I got to play records at a concert was with the Ivory Coasters. I believe they call it being a DJ.

[kevin]

There was also the Piranhas who had a hit with Tom Hark which was a cover of a South African Kwela song. Funnily enough I think they were also from Brighton.

[Papa M]

There was also the Piranhas who had a hit with Tom Hark which was a cover of a South African Kwela song. Funnily enough I think they were also from Brighton.

.....and the first time I got to DJ at a gig where there was an almighty punch-up was The Piranhas.

[Charlie]

I hadn't remembered OK Jive as being a Brighton band. We had another great African inspired group here in Brighton called Radio Kalimba.

Don't believe my memory about the Brighton connection until somebody else confirms it.

[Papa M]

We had another great African inspired group here in Brighton called Radio Kalimba.

I forgot to mention that Radio Kalimba were preceded by another Brighton group called Rhythm Tendency. I have a fantastic 12" they made in 1982 called "Come Back" - a tribute to Spokes Mashiyane.

Same era and two Brighton bands had picked up on the Kwela/Jive vibe. Of course The Piranhas cover of Elias and the Zig-Zag Jive Flutes became anthemic. I suspect that it is still sung on football terraces.

[Adam Blake]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but don't Osibisa count? They were an African Rock band marketed at a prog rock audience in the early 70s. Then there was that band Steve Winwood had with Remi Kabaka and Lofty Amao - Aiye Keta: Third World. And from the East there was Stomu Yamashta. I'm sure there were more attempts to introduce western rock/pop audiences to music that would now be called World. What about George Harrison introducing Indian Classical music and musicians on his "Wonderwall" album as far back as 1968? (A seriously overlooked sampler of different musics)

Am I being obtuse? Maybe you are talking about something quite different.

[Papa M]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but don't Osibisa count? They were an African Rock band marketed at a prog rock audience in the early 70s.

They were made up of African musicians. I think we speak of bands made up primarily of English musicians.

How about Demon Fuzz, and Noir. I seem to remember seeing them in the seventies and they were playing Prog Rock with African influences.

[Charlie]

Am I being obtuse? Maybe you are talking about something quite different.

You may be obtuse, Adam (only you can know that) but no, you're not being obtuse. It's just that those examples you give didn't seem to lead anywhere at the time. They were isolated moments disconnected to each other or anything that immediately followed.

Whereas, from 1980 onwards, it felt as if there was one thing after another. Apart from those homegrown efforts I mentioned, King Sunny Ade's Juju Music came out on Island in 1981 (or was it 82?) and Ben Mandelson's two compilations, Sound d'Afrique and Sound d'Afrique 2 came out in '81 & 82. I'm still getting my timeline sorted out, so excuse me if I've got things out of sync by a year.

What with Youssou N'Dour's Immigres, Djeli Moussa Diawara, Nyboma's Double Double, Orchestra Baobab's album (later reissued as Pirates' Choice) and Orchestra Virunga (much released later under several names) all in '82-83, it seemed like it was all meant to happen then and there.

This, I suggest, was when and how it all began.

[Adam Blake]

Oh, OK, I see what you mean. But a few seeds were definitely planted by that stuff - Osibisa, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Assagai etc, and quite a few hip cats were listening to Fela Kuti too. I know this from a long and illuminating chat with Dawson Miller one time when he was giving me a lift home after a gig. He said he fell in love with African music in 1971 and that he was far from the only one who did!

[Ted]

Wasn't Juju Music 82?

I understand what you're saying Charlie.

But as musicians who brought African sounds to us, what about Chris McGregor, Louis Moholo, Johnny Dyani, Dudu Pukwana and co? They were in London from the mid 60s.

[Adam Blake]

Yeah, who was that guy who played in Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames? Must have been the first African musician in a British r'n'b/pop group. My old music teacher Lyn Dobson gigged with him in the mid 60s and got turned on to a lot of (again) what would be called World now. But he was a jazzer...

[Adam Blake]

Yeah, who was that guy who played in Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames? .

Well, Adam, since you ask, his name was Neemoi "Speedy" Acquaye - A Ghanian percussionist. Read all about him here:

No sign of your old music teacher in these lists. Maybe he was too stoned to remember accurately.

http://tinyurl.com/6kydf3

[trisonic]

Ha!
This was me taking a leap on a very old bandwagon earlier this year -
"West from East"

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6473553

I was actually testing out a new (for me) software recording program that came with my new Mac.

Best, Pete.