Afrobase

Rediscovered tracks from Cameroun’s Pasteur Lappe, Ghana’s Jagger Botchway Group, Nigeria’s Fela Kuti for Record Store Day, and limited vinyl of a rumba classic from Samba Mapangala. New reworks from Daniel Haaksman, Schnitzel Cuts, and more of Rocky Marsiano’s brilliant Lusophone adaptations. Preview of Kenya’s new band Kaya Collective who are coming to Cornwall’s Tropical Pressure Festival in July, Brazilian dub from producer Victor Rice with Bixiga 70, and rare old vinyl from Sonny...

This week heralding previously unreleased tapes from Ghanaian guitarist Jagger Botchway (Hedzoleh Soundz, Kelenkye Band) playing funky highlifes and soca. London’s collective Afriquoi have a new album in June, more from Konono No1 & Batida, Rocky Marsiano returns with another stunning LusAfrican mashup, and jazzy Antillean biguines, tumbeles, merengues and mazurkas from Ryco Jazz, Les Vikings, Le Grand Kalle, and Eddy Louiss. Plus dusting off some rare vinyl from Zimbabwe, and some rocking...

Focussing on Fela Kuti and afrobeat covers and reworks this week (though not entirley!), given the imminent release of rare work from his period with Koola Lobitos from 1965-69 and previoulsy un-reissued track I go Shout Plenty that gets to see the light of day via Knitting Factory on Record Store Day April 16. Plus rare Congolese vinyl from Les Ya Toupas du Zaire, ndombolo from Rento Vena, limited 7” from Egyptian keyboardist Magdy El Hosseiny, and preview of the electrified Konono No1’s...

Afrobeat, African Club Music, Soukous, Reggae and Benga all feature on this weeks show. New releases include great tracks from; DJ Spoko (South Africa) and Afrologic (Nigeria). There is a special track from Kenya’s Les Mangelepa produced and recorded by the show’s host with Ketebul Music in Nairobi about to be scheduled for release on the influencial World Music Network label. To celebrate a rare live show with Brighton’s Saidi Kanda coming up at the Brighton Dome on the 11th March the...

This week a touch of rumba house from Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band, and a round of afro remixes from Houon Pierre, Ogyataana Show Band, and Son Palenque. New releases from the Renegades of Jazz, Etienne de la Sayette, Pasteur Lapp?, and Jimi Tenor playing an early synth from 1961. Also focussing on music from Ethiopia featuring Ayalew Mesfin & the Black Lion Band, on Ghana with old and new Pat Thomas classics, and the music of Congo/Zaire with old vinyl from Pierre Moutouari and...

New artists from Kenya's Kato Change, and Senegal’s Moh Dediouf take us into some popular territory while Sauti Sol also from Kenya is a reminder that Brighton is hosting Fashion Cities Africa in April. Brighton is also hosting a film about Cuban Rumba courtesy of Gilles Peterson featuring Cuban singer Dayme Arocena. With new reissues due shortly from Cameroun’s Pasteur Lappe (Africa 7) and Ghana’s Ebo Taylor (Mr Bongo) and brand new release from seperewa master musician Osei Korankye...

This week from Ghana music includes rappers M.anifest, M3nsah & Fokn Bois, and Kusasi music from Alhaji Zampark. The big stars of the 80s from one time Zaire (now Congo DRC) Pablo Porthos, Lea Lignanzi, and Dally Kimoko and from Cameroun Francis Bebey. A reissue from distant Surinam by Ai Sa Si and a rare 45 from South Africa’s sax/organ jivesters Trevor Roskin and his new Elricas, plus Tanzania’s Mr Saidi JJ Kanda and Mvula Mandondo due to appear in Brighton next month.

Two amazing tours here recently from Mali’s Vieux Farka Toure and Brazil’s Bixiga 70, plus we visit the Anatolian heights of funk with Mustafa Ozkent, and Karl Hector and the Malcouns. Heading to gentler territory with laid back keyboards and sax with Sir Waziri Oshomah and the enveloping voice and music of Bony Pascal & Ariko Kouadjo Bernard band from the Ivory Coast. More from Kenya’s Sauti Sol, and music by South Africa’s Dudu Pukwana. New releases from Haiti’s Lakou Mizik, Italy’s...

This week’s tropical spectrum is wide rangeing; Afrobeat, Nigerian Dancehall, Ethio-electronica, Highlife, Afro Hiphop, Soukous, Soca and Benga. The show covers new releases from E.R. in Addis Abeba, Zimbabwean orientated Hiphop from from Glitterbeat’s Chimurenga Renaissance and the deep percussion of Cape Verdian crew Alma Negra who have a new release out on Sofrito. There is a special track from Kenya’s Les Mangelepa produduced and recorded by the show’s host with Ketebul Music in...

Jazzalicious and afrocool inspirations this week with poetry from Anthony Joseph, jazz from South Africa’s Chris McGregor, and Nigeria’s Funsho Ogundipe and Ayetoro, and Congolese rumba from Franco’s OK Jazz. Plus some funkified treats from Karl Hector & the Malcouns, Andre Marie Tala, The Rail Band and an extended session of Victor Olaiya’s All Stars Soul International from the 70s. Not forgeting the slow burner South African funk classic from Dick Khoza with the full length version of...

New remixes from Akal? Wub?, Mali’s Luka Productions, and fresh reissues from Puerto Rico’s Cortijo on Vampisoul, and Letta Mbulu classic on Mukatsuku. Plus Heavenly Sweetness release Koute Jazz compilation from the Antilles, South Africa’s sax legend Bra Sello in a full length bump jive & jazz track from 1977, more Ibo highlife from Super Negro Bantous and soca spiced rhythms and hot guitars from Afro National Band. Old Congolese vinyl with Ammy Coco, Jeanpy Wable Gypson, and African all...

Bonne Ann?e 2016 in the words of Sam Mangwana and Lokassa Ya M’Bongo and the African All Stars! The last Xmas song of the season ‘We Three Kings’ is an inspired rendition by The Souljazz Orchestra in Ethiopian style. New releases for 2016 with Tiliboo Afrobeat mixing afrobeat with Manding influences and Sidestepper’s Colombian vision. More superb long lost tracks now reissued by the Rocafort label with its Africa Gone Funkee series. The rapid fire drumsticks of the biguine from Les...

What ingredients are needed for an AfroBase Chritmas show? A pinch of rare African Christmas songs of course. So the show features two seasonal High-Life and Rumba songs from Ghana/Nigeria and Kenya to put you in a tropically festive mood. New tracks include; South African House from DJ Menace, Afrobeat from Dele Sosimi, Chicha from Peru’s Maurizio Fabbi and Cameroon’s Blick Bassy. There is a special new relase from Cuba’s Obba Tuke, who are ambassadors for next May’s Manana Festival in...

Soul brother #1, aka James Brown, takes responsibility for much of the music on this weeks show being so highly influential on so many artists in Africa. With great organ breaks, thumping guitar vamps, and wild vocals from Voltaic diamond Abdoulaye Cisse, Congo’s Orchestre Sosoliso, Verckys Orchestre Veve, Ibadan’s Bola Johnson, Amadou Balake. Plus afrojuju’s Sir Shina Peters, Tuareg rockers Tisdass, the golden voice of Tchico Tchicya, and Kenya’s Luo band Kendu Revolution 73. Look out for...

The legendary reggae album Drum Talk by Jamaican band Mabrak finally gets a well deserved reissue as does an exceptional afrobeat track from Manding band Sidi Yassa de Kayes. Rarities this week include Les Volcans, and Bluecky d’Almeida both from Benin, Kenya’s Migwena Boys Band, LusAfrican stars from Os Kiezos (Angola), Mendes Brothers (Cabo Verde) and Super Mama Djombo (Guinea Bissau), and from Ghana the Kyeremateng Stars and the hiplifers VVIP. With an Ethiopian jewel Dexter Strory on...

This week’s show features a great new Afro record label, Afro 7, run by Fredrik Lavik from Finland. It has recently put out an excellent 12” of Kenyan retro disco funk and an album of super rare 70s Somalian music. Fredrik has produced a mix of gems from East Africa for the show which includes a new track from The Scorpios about to be released on the label. Also featured are new releases follow from clubbers Soundspecies and Obba Tuke from the upcomming Manana Cuba festival 4-7 May 2016....

This week a touch of Afro Electro with sUb_modU, Africaine 808, El B?ho, and Umeme Afrorave. Further new releases with LCA’s dub of Son Palenque de Colombia, Ata Kak (Ghana), Songhoy Blues (Mali), SSCK (Zani Diabate), M’Toro Chamou (Comores), Temesgen (Ethiopia), and Pheno S (Sahel). With Nzongo Soul, an unreleased track from Brighton’s own Lakuta, and some rare East African rumba from Tanzania and Kenya.

This week new tracks from St Germain, Baloji, and Dele Sosimi, and a selection from Analog Africa’s imminent compilation called Senegal 70 featuring a host of lost gems and previously unreleased recordings. Plus a selection of Ghanian tunes reissued on Mr Bongo 45s, and Fela Kuti’s Alagbon Close is reissued by Knitting Factory. Out of the crates, Tanzania’s The Black Warriors (offshoot of Mlimani Park Orchestra), Zimabawe’s Devera Ngwena Band, and Mali’s Ousmane Kouyate. Next Week: Soundway...

This week Soundway Records mastermind, Miles Cleret, returns to host the show. While based in Brighton he was an essential part of AfroBase on the radio and in the club and released the legendary Ghana Soundz compilation in 2002. Miles brings an all vinyl and fresh selection to the decks with rarities and new releases including previews of imminent Soundway specials. The Flamingos, Dexter Story, Fantasma, The Flaming Gods, Herman Prime and Nicola Cruz side by side with hard to find crackers...

This week's show focuses on African influences rather than its music, so expect Yoruba and Orisha chants from Liviana Ferri, the Ibeyi twins, Deep Tenor City, and Orlando Julius, Brazilian rhythms and psyche guitars from The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Samba, afro jazz from Gerard Frisina, Fela Kuti, and Osemako with ex-Egypt 80s Muyiwa Kunnuji. Plus new release this week from Congolese born poet and rapper Baloji, along with the Kasai sounds of Dieudonne Dikita, and ex Wenge Musica man...