Manu Dibango – Africadelic (1973) (2006 Hi & Fly reissue)

Manu Dibango
Africadelic
1973 (Original release)
2006 reissue Hi & Fly Records HF00019

RIP Emmanuel N’Djoké Dibango, 1933 – 2020, a victim of COVID-19.

1 The Panther 2:27
2 Soul Fiesta 2:07
3 Africadelic 2:14
4 African Battle 2:59
5 Black Beauty 2:48
6 African Carnaval 3:14
7 Moving Waves 4:01
8 Afro-Soul 2:42
9 Oriental Sunset 1:45
10 Monkey Beat 2:40
11 Wa-Wa 3:02
12 Percussion Storm 1:54

Play this loud, they some grooves in the great hereafter.

Well, we may be witnessing The End Times, but we still need music.  I hope that anyone reading this is doing whatever it takes to keep their shit together — whatever that means for you – and staying safe.  Part of me wants to launch into a jeremiad right now but another part says “save it for another post”.   My moods have been oscillating more than a vintage synthesizer over the last few weeks, but I figured I had better share something by one of the many brilliant musicians who have recently left us.  Some, like Manu Dibango, were taken from us by the pandemic – John Prine, Elis Marsalis, Bucky Pizzarelli – and others have passed for other reasons like Bill withers and Moraes Moreira.  Broken hearts and bodies all around.   So blast this blazing Afro-funk album from Manu Dibango, which may not be as well known as Soul Makossa but is just as solid.  In fact Soul Makossa was still getting plenty of play when this album was released, and inspiring cover versions of the title song all over the world.  There’s a few tunes on this that are “Santana-esque”, and that’s alright by me.

There are a couple of alternate album covers for this.  The bottom one, credited only to “African Pop Group” was released in France in 1972 with no names of individual tracks besides “Theme No.1” etc.  Possibly sent out for use in TV production after the runaway success of Soul Makossa?  Not sure.

16-bit 44.1 khz

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