Nigeria 70 (The Definitive Story of 1970's Funky Lagos)

This is an absolutely stellar collection of 70s Afrobeat tunes from the 1970s, focusing on Nigerian artists. Of course the mighy Fela is on here, as is a mesmerizing track from King Sunny Ade, but there are many lesser known names on here that provide plenty of rhythm and harmony. My favorite new discoveries on here are Sir Victor Uwaifo (I since went and bought a compilation of his best tunes; great guitar playing!), the Lijadu Sisters, and Orlando Julius. But that's only a few of the powerful tunes on this very funky and lively 2-CD collection. If you enjoy African music, 70s funk, or any sort of "world beat" with soul and passion, you NEED to get this collection. Lively up yourself! The 3rd CD "Nigeria 70 The Documentary" had a manufacturing defect in many copies of this set. Around the time of its release Quinton Scott and his original Strut team would sent out replacement discs free of charge when contacted.

Nigeria 70 - The Definitive Story of 1970'S Funky Lagos - 2001

Originally released back in 2001, there's a reason why Strut have reissued Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story Of 1970's Funky Lagos so many times; it's superb and totally lives up to the title! if you've not yet indulged in the compilation, this 2012 triple vinyl pressing is the even more definitive edition, slipping in the 2CD version along with the Nigeria 70 audio documentary that Strut originally included in the 2001 CD issue but has been absent since. With the vinyl now pressed on heavyweight 180g wax, this makes for the perfect introduction into the vivid story of 1970s West African funk. Well done Strut!

 Nigeria 70 - Lagos Jump - 2008

It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, a time of celebration and wealth but, ultimately, of political oppression. The music reflected the times - a heady mix of traditional rhythms and big band highlife with the new rock, soul and jazz sounds crackling through transistor radios from Europe and the U.S. The rulebook of Nigerian musical heritage was ripped up as SANTANA, THE BEATLES and JAMES BROWN became as relevant to young players as HARUNA ISHOLA, VICTOR OLAIYA and E. T. MENSAH. Led by the towering influence of FELA KUTI, established Nigerian stars and the rawest of college bands alike forged new fusions and began using their music confidently as a vehicle for new variations of traditional parables and social commentary. Back in 2001, the first edition of 'Nigeria 70' on STRUT broke the mould for African compilations, a 3CD powerhouse featuring a wide spectrum of musical styles from across the 1970s and an audio documentary tracing the music's history. For 2007, Strut delve deeper into the Lagos underground for another essential box of West African dynamite. Compiled by leading Afro archivist DUNCAN BROOKER and Strut's QUINTON SCOTT, 'Nigeria 70' comes packaged in a deluxe digipak with 16pg booklet featuring extensive sleeve notes by author JOHN COLLINS.

Nigeria 70 - Sweet Times - Afro-Funk, Highlife & Juju from 1970's Lagos - 2011

Strut announce the return of their pioneering 'Nigeria 70' compilati- on series with an exclusive new third volume: 'Sweet Times: Afro Funk, Highlife &Juju from 1970s Lagos' compiled again by series curator Duncan Brooker. Excavating another choice batch of rare grooves from Nigeria's label archives, the new edition places the spotlight on some of the deeper fusions happening across the country during the 1970s as traditional guitar highlife blended with jazz and funk, hypnotic juju grooves became more progressive and young Nigerian bands came through with their own heavy West African take on U.S. soul, funk, disco and rock. As on the previous Nigeria 70 volumes, all of the featured selec- tions are previously unissued outside of Nigeria. Tracks range from the dynamite big band workout of Alex Ringo's Moneyman & The Super 5 International to the Congolese guitar-drenched 'Hen- rietta' by the late Ali Chukwumah, former member of Stephen Osita Osadebe's Sound Makers. Darker psych grooves from Don Isaac Ezekiel sit alongside raw college funk from college band Tabanaku comprising students from the University Of Ife. Highlife legend Victor Olaiya unleashes a slow, languorous Afro jam lifted from a rare Polydor 45 and juju legend Ebenezer Obey cooks up a lilting, deeply beautiful mid-tempo groove from 1970 in a musical plea for peace. 'Nigeria 70: Sweet Times' is another essential celebration of the glut of incredible music that surfaced in post- independence Nigeria.

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