Funk

Review: Campania-based combo Asakaira has delivered a genuinely brilliant debut album here. Rooted in improvisation and the collective's combined love of jazz, Afrobeat, jazz-funk, hip-hop and the Afro-cosmic sounds that have long been a staple of Italy's underground music culture, the album's six original tracks (the seventh is an alternate 'Night' take on the jaunty, energetic and percussive 'Skijii') bristle with imagination and inventiveness. For proof, check the tropical disco delights of 'Night Tales', the head-nodding hip-hop-jazz of 'Chatting With You' and the dubby jazz-not-jazz shuffle of 'Moon Phases', a track that just intensifies and gets bigger as it progresses.

Review: This is a historically significant album now gaining deserved recognition with this anniversary reissue. Born George Folurunsho Johnson in Nigeria in 1916, Ginger's Yoruba heritage shaped his music and by the late 1940s, he had moved to London and was busy collaborating with British jazz icons like Ronnie Scott, Phil Seaman and Kenny Graham's Afro-Cubists. A pioneering figure, Ginger recorded some of Britain's first African music releases and mentored a young Fela Kuti and became a cornerstone of the African and West Indian musical community. By the 1960s, Ginger's mastery of Afro-Cuban percussion cemented his legacy across genres and performances, including the Notting Hill Carnival, and this album shows why he was such a singular artist.

Review: Few sounds transcend time like Afrobeat, and few artists defined it as profoundly as Tony Allen who has long been the genre's legendary heartbeat. In 2011, Allen recorded a masterful rhythmic session for Comet Records' Afrobeat Makers Series where his drumming, unconstrained and deeply expressive, speaks a universal truth through its unique cadence. On this album, La BOA-La Bogota Orquesta Afrobeat-engages Allen's legacy in a remarkable dialogue led by Daniel Michel. The Colombian band blends Afrobeat's essence with their unique rhythms and merges Caribbean beats, Pacific grooves and Andean influences into a fittingly lively tribute and a seamless cultural exchange where Bogota meets Lagos.

Review: The collaboration between the hip-hop godfathers and Afrobeat's explosive rhythms is nothing short of electrifying. After the session in Harlem, the project moved to Prince Fatty's studio, now in South East London, where the rhythm section was filled out by two key members from Seun Anikulapo Kuti's band, Egypt 80. Akinola Adio Oyebola and Kunle Justice's enthusiasm brought an authentic Nigerian Afrobeat vibe to the music, setting the stage for a unique fusion of revolutionary poetry and progressive jazz. UK-based jazz talents like Joe Armon Jones, Kaidi Tatham and Courtney Pine joined in to create a vibrant soundscape. With live, non-sampled instrumentation and impeccable mixing from Prince Fatty, the music feels as groundbreaking as the Poets' lyricsiperfectly capturing today's eclectic musical tastes.

Review: This compilation is a vibrant celebration of Gnonnas Pedro, the legendary Beninese composer and musician. Spanning his career from 1967 to 1985, it showcases Pedro's remarkable versatility and eclectic musical palette; featuring 21 tracks that traverse genres with ease, from the Afrobeat energy of 'Pas De Petard' and 'L'Indomptable Gnonnas Pop' to the salsa rhythms of 'Tembleque' and the soulful grooves of 'How Much Love Naturally Cost'. Pedro's music is a fusion of influences, blending traditional African sounds with funk, soul and Latin flavours and highlights here include the irresistible 'Dadje Von O Von Non', the funky 'Yiri Yiri Boum', and the soulful 'Bailando Mi Solo'.

Review: Analog Africa is back with a dedicated project celebrating Gnonnas Pedro, the king of Modern Agbadja, and they press it up on a marvellous double album that includes an eight-page booklet with a ton of extra info. This bumper pack features 16 of Pedro's best works, all of which captivated Africa at the time. His vibrant blend of Agbadja, Cuban fon, jerk, highlife and more unique styles, all of which come with vocals sung in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish, add up to one hell of a rich sound. A great testament to the artist's extraordinary legacy.

Review: Ottawa's Afro-jazz-funk collective returns with a limited 7" showcasing two dynamic tracks that highlight their genre-blending prowess. Originally released in 2014 on Inner Fire, 'One Life To Live' kicks off Side-1 with an exhilarating fusion of funk, Latin and Afro rhythms. The track's lively horn arrangements and tight percussion create an infectious groove, balancing intricate musicianship with danceable energy. On Side-2, 'Kingdome Come' dives deeper into jazz territory, merging Afro-Cuban jazz with jazz-funk and Latin jazz elements. The result is a richly textured piece that moves fluidly between laid-back grooves and vibrant, rhythmic bursts. The percussion is sharp, and the brass shines with both restraint and exuberance, highlighting the band's ability to navigate complex arrangements while maintaining a relaxed, natural flow.

Review: At 88, Ebo Taylor, the legendary Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat pioneer, made his U.S. debut at the Jazz Is Dead concert series, captivating audiences nationwide. This historic visit coincided with the recording of Ebo Taylor JID022, a groundbreaking psychedelic afrobeat album produced with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Younge expressed the significance of this collaboration, likening it to working with Fela Kuti, emphasising the dream of capturing Ebo's essence on analog tape. The album features swirling horns, gritty guitars and polyrhythmic percussion reminiscent of Taylor's seminal 1970s work, alongside spiritually rich backing vocals that evoke a sense of nostalgia. Ebo's heartfelt lyrics, exploring themes of love, peace and spirituality, resonate with nearly a century of wisdom. Tracks like 'Beye Bu, Beye Ba' and 'Kusi Na Sibo' impart life lessons on gratitude and divine provision, solidifying Ebo Taylor JID022 as an essential addition to his storied catalogue and a crown jewel for Jazz Is Dead. This release coincides with his eagerly anticipated tour across the Americas, showcasing the enduring legacy of a true musical icon.

Review: At 88, Ghanaian highlife and afrobeat legend Ebo Taylor made his first-ever journey to the US, performing in the Jazz Is Dead concert series. These shows, which sold out across the country, led to an unexpected and electrifying collaboration between Taylor, Adrian Younge, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The result is a psychedelic afrobeat album, recorded at Younge's Linear Labs studio, that's bound to thrill fans of both classic West African funk and afrobeat purists. The album channels the raw energy of Ebo's 70s recordings, with swirling horns, fuzzed-out guitars, and the unmistakable polyrhythmic percussion that made Taylor a revolutionary figure in African music. "Collaborating with Ebo Taylor is a bucket-list accomplishment," says Younge, likening the experience to working with another afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti. The analog recording style, embracing the gritty textures of 70s Africa, gives this album an authenticity that's impossible to ignore. Tracks like 'Beye Bu, Beye Ba' and 'Kusi Na Sibo' exemplify Taylor's profound lyricism. His reflections on love, spirituality, and gratitude echo his decades-long career, while the ensemble of Ghanaian vocalists adds a spiritual depth that transports listeners back to his prime. Ebo's son, Henry Taylor, also features, proving himself a formidable talent in his own right. This album is not just a nod to the past but a crowning achievement in Taylor's enduring legacy. For connoisseurs of afrobeat, it's a standout moment in both Ebo's catalogue and the growing canon of the Jazz Is Dead series.

Review: Asiko Tito is one of many lost gems of Nigerian music. It has been curated by Lagos' legendary Jazzhole and feature music first recorded in the late 90s. The 10-track compilation captures Afrobeat, Yoruba-funk, Afro-funk, highlife and spiritual jazz gems that reflect Lagos' rich musical tapestry. Each track blends traditional rhythms with modern influences which are the hallmarks of the city's vital scene. Jazzhole is a label led by Olakunle Tejuoso and his son and has been a cultural institution for over 30 years thanks to its championing of African and Afro-diasporic sounds. This is another welcome reissue that reminds us of Nigeria's enduring creativity.

Review: Hot Casa has always been a proverbial hot pot of international sounds from across several rhythmic and cultural worlds. The New Year starts off on a strong footing for the French crew with a new album from Afro funk collective Vandou Game. It finds them reaching outside their usual Togolese confines to take inspiration from across the Atlantic. The record was made in the legendary OTODI studio with Peter Solo on hand to add his expertise to a bunch of feel-good, horn-laced workouts that are laden with percussion, have endlessly catchy rhythms and plenty of soulful, authentic vocal charms.

Review: Columbian Afro-cumbia sensation Wganda Kenya drew acclaim for their group excursions in dance music, not least for the huge ensemble cast of nine-plus musicians that made them up. 'Shakalaode' came in 1976 as the infectiously slackened cover of Fela Kuti's 'Shakara', released five years earlier. Colombian Afrobeat leant more heavily on diasporic rhythmic elements, which differed from Nigerian Afrobeat in that these used regional cumbia, porro and mapale, descending from Afro populations who had settled along the Pacific and Caribbean coast. Less polyrhythmic and perhaps more tropical in feel, the A-side serves as a shining example, with rushy plucks and strident shouts intro'ing a flavoursome shakedown, and 'El Abanico' follows up as a surpriser Fatback Band cover.