On this show we mix it up with a selection of AFRICAN DISCO. According to many sources (including us!) the Africans invented DISCO MUSIC. The Congolese created their own versions of LATIN and CARIBBEAN music mixed with AFRICAN variations in starting in the late 1940's. That was the first DISCO MUSIC! We are not playing any of that music. We are playing AFRICAN variations of the standardized AMERICAN DISCO, BRITISH DISCO, MONTREAL SOUND and EURODISCO that swept the planet in the 1970's.
Ironically much of this selection here on the show was recorded and programmed in the 1980's after the supposed "death of disco".
We include white artists like South Africa's HOT R.S. known for certain EURODISCO gems and also CERRONE. Although CERRONE is one of the greats of EURODISCO, he began as a member of KONGAS in the early 1970's producing AFRICAN DISCO. His legendary 'Africanisms' album from 1977 inspired the whole "AFRICANISMS" movement in the 1990's and early 21st Century in France. CERRONE has never stopped coming out with his own AFRICAN DISCO!
| TEMPTATION HOT R.S. - FORBIDDEN FRUIT (LP) - BUILDING |
| AFRIC SIMONE
AFRIC SIMONE is a Mozambican vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and dancer who enriched Europe with his energetic and addictive live performances and records offering his unique blend of musical influences. He enjoyed considerable commercial success throughout Europe with the 1975 spunky exotic song "Ramaya". He continued releasing his Jazzy AFRICAN DISCO until 1981. |
| TODO PASARA MARIA AFRIC SIMONE - RAMAYA (LP) - BARCLAY |
| BLACK SOUL
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. |
| BINGO FIESTA BLACK SOUL - BINGO FIESTA (LP) - VOGUE |
| DEVIL'S GONNA GET YOU TIROGO - FLOAT (LP) - EMI |
| AFRICA AFRIC SIMONE - EVERYBODY CALLS ME CRAZY (LP) - DISQUES ESPÉRANCE |
| GORILLA MAN CONDRY 'SKOROKORO' ZIQUBU - GORILLA MAN (EP) - CCP RECORD COMPANY |
| CHICCO
SELLO "CHICCO" TWALA is a South African singer and record producer who was born in 1963. Still active, he is widely loved in many circles for hits like "I Need Some Money" in 1986 and "We Miss You Manelow" in 1989. |
| I NEED SOME MONEY CHICCO - I NEED SOME MONEY (LP) - ROY B. |
| WE MISS U MANELOW CHICCO - THE BEST OF CHICCO (LP) - TEAL |
| WE CAN DANCE CHICCO - 12" - ROY B. |
| ZERAK MASTER MIX SENYAKA - FUGUZA DANCE (LP) - ERIC FRISH PRODUCTIONS |
| LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL ALI KATT - 12" - MFM |
| FLASH A FLASHLIGHT BENJAMIN BALL - 12" - THIRD WORLD MUSIC |
| AIYE PEOPLE TIROGO - AIYE PEOPLE (LP) - EMI |
| LAGOS CITY ASIKO ROCK GROUP - ASIKO ROCK GROUP (LP) - SUPERFLY |
| JO BISSO
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. Eventually he would move back to Europe and establish his own label and produce other African artists. |
| FLYING TO THE LAND OF SOUL JO BISSO - 7" - LONDON |
| MASAWANE CJB - THIS IS MY COUNTRY (LP) - SOUND RAYS |
| COME DUZE ZIZI KONGO - COME DUZE (LP) - LEOPARD |
| THANK YOU MR. D.J YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA - 7" - WORLD |
| HAFANANA 2023 (THEREMIXERRMX) AFRIC SIMONE - . |
| IT'S NICE TO BE WITH PEOPLE BRENDA & THE BIG DUDES - LET'S STICK TOGETHER (LP) - EMI INTERNATIONAL |
| THE SOULFUL DYNAMICS
The SOULFUL DYNAMICS moved from Liberia to Germany in the 1960's to become one of the most popular African bands in the early EURODISCO market. 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" which was covered by various other artists. By 1976, the SOULFUL DYMANICS had fully adopted the standard EURODISCO sound with their most successful single of all time "Jungle People"! |
| JUNGLE PEOPLE SOULFUL DYNAMICS - 12" - METRONOME |
| JULUKA
JULUKA was South Africa's supergroup in the 1980's which was formed by JOHNNY CLEGG and SIPHO MCHUNU. Their were closely associated with the mass movement against apartheid in South Africa. Their 1982 hit "Scatterlings of Africa" was a massive international sensation played in discos throughout Africa and Europe. Many sources identify them as 'JOHNNY CLEGG and JULUKA'. |
| SCATTERLINGS OF AFRICA JULUKA - SCATTERLINGS (LP) - WARNER BROS. |
| JOHN OZILA
JOHN OZILA is the Senegalese bass guitarist - JEAN TAMEGNON who was a member of BLACK SOUL and also OZILA in 1977. He started using the name JOHN OZILA and he has enjoyed a lengthy career as a solo artist. Two outstanding hits dominated his solo career; "La koumba" in 1978 from his highly successful 'Africa Goes Disco' album, and "Funky Boogie" from his second album 'Boogie Salsa". "La Koumba" was a relaxing tropical pseudo-tribal version of a Senegalese song that dancers found exotic and appealing. It felt like a LATIN dream track. That was no surprise as JOHN OZILA had recorded LATIN DISCO with BLACK SOUL. As a member of the legendary Senegalese group TROPICAL JAZZ DE DAKAR back in the 1960's and early 1970's, he had recorded incredible AFRICAN SALSA tracks like "Kiko Medina"! |
| LA KOUMBA JOHN OZILA - 12" - VOGUE |
| BIG BLOW MANU DIBANGO - 12" - FIESTA |
| AFRICAN VOODOO CERRONE - 10" - BECAUSE MUSIC |
| MANGOUS YE BLACK SOUL - 12" - BEAM JUNCTION |
| OZILA
OZILA was an AFRICAN SPACE DISCO band featuring Cameroonian musicians DOUGLAS MBIDA and JIMMY MVONDO MVELE, JACOB DESVARIEUX from the SWEET BANANAS group in 1976, TOM STEVENS, and the Senegalese bass guitarist - JEAN TAMEGNON who was a member of BLACK SOUL. One album was released with considerable international success! The title of that album making a clear allusion to the vanguard film of STANLEY KUBRICK "2001, an odyssey in space." Yes, "Ozila 2001" was an AFRICAN DISCO version of "Also Thus spoke Zarathustra" that was warm, energetic and commanding! |
| OZILA 2001 OZILA - OZILA 2001 (LP) - VOGUE |
| AFRICAN SOUL POWER BASA BASA - HOMOWO (LP) - VINTAGE VOUDOU |
| 5TH BEETHOVEN AFRICANA GERALDO PINO - BOOGIE FEVER (LP) - BLACKSPOT |
| MATSHIDISO ZONE 3 - HOT OFF THE PRESS! (LP) - MFM |
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9:14 AM, December 21st, 2024