The Groove
Saturday February 3rd, 2024 with ELORIOUS CAIN
BLACKS IN EUROPE! part 1
---- ( a BLACK HISTORY MONTH FOCUS)
We are fully aware of the fact that dozens of African American Jazz, Blues and Rock artists took up residence in Europe in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. We are not including most of them in this show. As THE GROOVE is a DISCO show, we are concentrating on and celebrating SOME of those Black artists that contributed directly to the growth and diversity of the European discotheque industry along with the development and enrichment of EURODISCO music in all of it's various forms and categories like ITALODISCO, NEWFORM, SPACE, the FRENCH SOUND etc.
As EURODISCO became the most influential of DISCO genres. the contribution of Black artists coming from various parts of the world helped make it all the more desirable and powerful. We are focusing on solo artists and groups. Some EURODISCO groups like SILVER CONVENTION, NEW PARADISE, BELLE EPOQUE and TANTRA had black members. We are not including those groups. Also major EURODISCO artists like CERRONE and ALEC R. COSTANDINOS featured black vocalists in some of their productions. We are not featuring them either. We celebrate some of those amazing talents that contributed to the scene in a somewhat chronological order in these 4 shows:
| MANU DIBANGO (1961 and 1962)
When JOSEPH "LE GRANDE KALLE" KABASELE welcomed the late Cameroonian multi-instrumentalist MANU DIBANGO into the legendary band AFRICAN JAZZ he sensed that this talented and well trained musician would become important. He encouraged MANU DIBANGO's ambitions to experiment with combining Congolese music with Funk and Soul just as almost everybody else was doing the same with Latin and French Caribbean musical styles. MANU DIBANGO opened his own club that was called The TAM TAM. His productions during the 1960's and early 1970's proceeded to change the course of popular music. His impact on the development of different genres of discotheque music has been monumental. No other single artist has provided a direct connection between the richly musical passions of the Congolese Rumba "belle epoque" and the explosive "disco boom" that dominated the 1970's. The very impact of his experiments in the 1960's and 1970's are still being felt today! Even before MANU DIBANGO set up permanent residence in France, he was acutely aware of the demands of French discotheque industry. First and foremost there was his early "Hallelouia" 7" single from 1961 combining Rumba with the wildly popular (in the European discotheques at the time) TWIST. It is demanding and endearing. DJs are still spinning in; if they're fortunate enough to find it! Italian dj Luis Soulful Torino wrote, "Whenever I play it, in Italian clubs, around Europe and even at wedding parties, the crowd goes crazy. What a record!" We have also featured his TWIST hit from 1962 "Twist A Leo". Both of these tracks were popular in discos like Chez Regine in Paris that could not find enough TWIST records to program. (We shall get back to MANU DIBANGO later!) |
| HALLELOUIA MANU DIBANGO ET SON ORCHESTRE - 7" - SURBOUM AFRICAN JAZZ |
| TWIST A LEO MANU DIBANGO Et SON AFRICAN SOUL QUINTET - 7" - SURBOUM AFRICAN JAZZ |
| LE RY-CO JAZZ (1962)
JOSEPH "LE GRANDE KALLE" KABASELE may have been considered to be "the great internationalist". His vision of people around the world dancing together was foreshadowing and grandiose. It was really another CONGOLESE RUMBA group from the 'belle époque' of the Congo that truly personified that vision with music that complemented the vast musical complexities of the African diaspora. They were RY-CO JAZZ. Their musical flexibility was utterly breathtaking, inspiring generations of musicians and dj's throughout Africa, french Europe and the Caribbean. RY-CO JAZZ left the Congo for France and eventually the Caribbean. Record after record would expand their popularity throughout Africa, France, the Caribbean and Latin America. In the original tradition of Congolese Rumba, they would reinvent various Latino and Caribbean genres of DISCO and dance musics. They would influence early EURODISCO producers and pioneers of ZOUK. In 1962 they would release some TWIST recordings that were popular in French discos also. "Docteur" is a choice example: |
| DOCTEUR LE RY-CO JAZZ - LE TWIST AVEC LE RY-CO JAZZ- Vol. 8 (7") - VOGUE |
| DOUG FOWLKES AND THE AIRDALES (1962)
African Americans also came to Europe and contributed to the demand for TWIST records to compete with the CHUBBY CHECKER imports: - The drummer DOUG FOWLKES , the bass player DON BORJA, guitarists CHARLES BARRON and JERRY ARMSTRONG, saxophonists FRED LAWRENCE and BOB GEVEN, the pianist JERRY HENDRIX along with the singer ROCKY ROBERTS made up the band DOUG FOWLKES AND THE AIRDALES. After forming while serving in the U.S. Navy at Boca Chica Naval Air Station, Key West Florida, the band eventually ended up winning a talent contest in Paris in 1962. Barclay Records signed them and quickly released their 10 inch album that offered more badly required (by the discos) TWIST recordings like "Twist Twist Señora". |
| TWIST TWIST SENORA DOUG FOWLKES AND THE AIRDALES, VOCAL - ROCKER ROBERTS - TWIST TWIST SENORA (10"LP) - BARCLAY |
| ROCKY ROBERTS (1967 - 1970)
In the second half of the sixties the late ROCKY ROBERTS moved to Italy where he recorded most of his songs as a solo artist, using the remaining members of THE AIRDALES as a back up band in many instances. He was a guest in every other popular TV music show because of his dancing and magnetic stage presence. His American accent didn't stop him from having hits like "Stasera Mi Butto" and various energetic Italian language cover versions of Motown SOUL songs. With the invasion of American SOUL and FUNK plus the raging popularity of THE EQUALS from the U.K., the Italian discotecas had, with ROCKY ROBERTS records, marvelous Italian language SOUL of their own to spin! He also dabbled in ITALIAN POP and early ITALODISCO. |
| STASERA MI BUTTO ROCKY ROBERTS AND THE AIRDALES - 7" - DURIUM |
| SONO TREMENDO ROCKY ROBERTS & I PIRANAS - 7" - DURIUM |
| PER CONQUISTARE TE ROCKY ROBERTS AND THE AIRDALES - 7" - DURIUM |
| LA BELLE DONNA ROCKY ROBERTS - 7" - DURIUM |
| THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS (1969)
The Liberian band THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS settled in Hamburg, Germany in 1969, It didn't take them very long to release 'Mademoiselle Ninette" which would become a humungous disco hit in the SCHLAGER/BUBBLEGUM sound of early EURODISCO with various established competing artists making cover-versions like THE WALKERS, HAJO and MICHAEL HOLM, (We shall get back to THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS later.) |
| MADEMOISELLE NINETTE THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS - 7" - PHILIPS |
| MANU DIBANGO (1968 - 1972)
Numerous funky MANU DIBANGO records in the late1960's and early 1970's became popular in discos in France and Italy like "Salt Pop Corn" and "Soul Machine". His albums like 'Saxy-Party' from 1969 were vital parts of the collections of thousands of European and Nigerian discotheques. The impact of DIBANGO'S 1972 song "Soul Makossa" is also still being felt around the planet. The fact of the matter is that no other recording has had so much influence on the development of discotheque music. It radically altered the atmosphere of the industry in the early 1970's while it slowly became one of the most popular discotheque standards. By 1974 there were numerous cover-versions of "Soul Makossa" by acts like THE LAFAYETTE AFRO-ROCK BAND, THE GAYSTONES, ALL DIRECTIONS, AFRIQUE and THE MIGHTY TOMCATS from the USA, THE GAYTONES from Jamaica and the Nigerian-American artist BABATUNDE OLATUNJI. By the early 1990's there were countless additional cover-versions, samples and musical allusions: tributes to a gem that has entered the consciousness of billions! The most popular and notable of which is by the late MICHAEL JACKSON with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" from the 'Thriller' album." (And again, we shall get back to MANU DIBANGO later!) |
| SOUL MACHINE MANU DIBANGO - 7" - PHILIPS |
| SALT POP CORN MANU DIBANGO - 7" - PHILIPS |
| DOWN & HIGH JR. DIBBS - 7" - LONDON |
| SOUL MAKOSSA MANU DIBANGO - 7" - ATLANTIC |
| JO BISSO (1972 - 1974)
JO BISSO left Cameroun in 1971 to pursue his musical career in France. By 1974 he had a hit single on the DECCA label called "Flying To The Land Of Soul". JO BISSO was more than just a singer and musician. He produced disco as in the case of the track "Dashiki" in 1975. He would move for a while to the United States. (We shall get back to JO BISSO later.) |
| FLYING TO THE LAND OF SOUL JO BISSO - 7" - DECCA |
| THE CRAZY FOOL JO BISSO - 7" - LONDON |
| DASHIKI JO BISSO - 7" - EDITIONS MAKOSSA |
| M'BAMINA (1973 - 1975)
M'BAMINA means 'lightning", The 8 piece band was formed in Italy in 1972. They were a exceptional live act combining Cameroun music with LATIN variations and EURODISCO appearing on the same stages with the likes of MANU DIBANGO, CLAUDE FRANCOIS, and JAMES BROWN, |
| WENDO M'BANINA - 7" - FONIT CETRA INTERNATIONAL |
| BENGUELA M'BAMINA - AFRICAN ROLL (LP) - BARCLAY |
| BLACK SOUL (1975 - 1976)
Formed in Dakar, Senegal, BLACK SOUL quickly became one of the favourite African acts in Europe for a while with the series of wicked DISCO albums that combined Senegalese music with LATIN variations and EURODISCO. Members included DOMINIQUE PELON and MASSAMBA M'MDIAYE on drums and percussion, JACQUES QUENEM on organ, JEAN TAMEGNON on bass guitar, DIEGO KOITE on saxophone and clarinet, FRANSISCO WALLACE on lead guitar and vocals, and also ALPHONSO BLAMO on tuba and vocals. Many early BLACK SOUL recordings could be mixed with the BRAZILLIAN inspired early EURODISCO of BIMBO JET and CHOCOLATS. They also offered unforgettable versions of Senegalese gems like "Mangous Ye" which has been sampled by various HOUSE MUSIC producers over the years. |
| BRASIL AFRICA BLACK SOUL - BRASIL AFRICA (LP) - VOGUE |
| MANGOUS YE BLACK SOUL - 12" - BEAM JUNCTION |
| BINGO FIESTA BLACK SOUL - BINGO FIESTA (LP) - VOGUE |
| BLACK BROTHERS BLACK SOUL - 12" - BEAM JUNCTION |
| THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS (1971 - 1976)
Various SOULFUL DYNAMICS records came out in the early 1970's with songs like "Saah-Saah-Kumba-Kumba", "Annabella" and "Coconuts From Congoville" continuing their popularity in discotheques that still played the SCHLAGER/BUBBLEGUM sound of early EURODISCO. Although none of them ever matched the popularity of their 1969 hit "Mademoiselle Ninette". By 1976, the SOULFUL DYMANICS had fully adopted the standard EURODISCO sound with their most successful single of all time "Jungle People"! |
| SAAH-SAAH-KUMBA-KUMBA SOULFUL DYNAMICS - 7" - DECCA |
| COCONUTS FROM CONGOVILLE SOULFUL DYNAMICS - 7" - DECCA |
| JUNGLE PEOPLE SOULFUL DYNAMICS - 7" - METRONOME |
| MANU DIBANGO (1972 - 1979)
Even with the immense impact of his 1972 classic "Soul Makossa" still manifesting itself, MANU DIBANGO did extremely well in the rest of the 1970's with amazing albums like 'Africadellic', 'African Voodoo', and 'O Bosso' in 1972, 'Makossa Man' in 1973, 'Pepe Soup' and 'Super Kumba' in 1974. 'Afrovision' and 'Manu 76' in 1976, 'Manu Dibango' in 1978 and also 'Gone Clear' and 'Home Made' in 1979. These albums along with some soundtracks he released offered a rich selection of his unique blend of MAKOSSA, AFROBEAT, AFRICAN DISCO and REGGAE. Here are some of the more memorable tracks from this impressive collection from an artist whose name had become a household word in large parts of Europe: |
| SOUL FIESTA (CHATEAU FLIGHT REWORK) MANU DIBANGO - AFRICADELIC (LP) - DIGGERS FACTORY |
| WILDERNESS MANUDIBANGO - AFRICAN VOODOO (LP) - PSI |
| NEW BELL (HARD PULSATION) MANU DIBANGO - O BOSSO - LONDON |
| BIG BLOW MANU DIBANGO - 12" - FIESTA |
| PEPE SOUP MANU DIBANGO - PEPE SOUP (LP) - DECCA |
| SUN EXPLOSION MANU DIBANGO - MANU DIBANGO - LONDON |
Subscribe to The Groove
WHAT AN EDUCATION! Far a above the call here!
8:56 PM, February 1st, 2024