MUYEI POWER Vinyl & CDs

Review: Soundway's debut Sierra Leone exploration introduces us to Muyei Power who toured their country (and, on occasion, the US) throughout much of the 70s. With only a handful of 45s recorded, their sound has been largely unheard for the last 30/40 years. Until now. Complete with detailed liner notes and artwork, this album is a fantastic document. More importantly, it sounds fantastic: stretching from the more western influenced funk dynamic of "Bi Loko" to the frenetic percussive fusion of "Be Patient" via the smoky, mournful horns on the folky "Ben Ben Bee" there's a unique sound that resonates with everything else you know and love about African music during the ever-fertile 70s, yet rings and stamps with a life of its own.