People sometimes ask me why I do this blog, how did I get into African music, etc. I first heard this tape as a 19-year-old college student and it just destroyed me in ways I can’t describe. Like some kind of junkie, I’ve been chasing the dragon ever since, and this is the awesome tape from Africa that started it all for me.
Side A
Kpabi
Aashola
Ataa
Odonkpoto
Side B
Ataa Oblanyo
Bijou
Esi Ekua
Awuma Yeli
37 Comments
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Hey there…do you still use brianshimkovitz@yahoo.com? I sent an email to that one a while back…
yes!!!! i’m really touched by your comments on this post… i can’t wait to listen to this one, hopefully after a joint (or three)…
I’m grateful to rolling stone magazine for mentioning your blog a while back. It was a gateway to Voodoo Funk, Likembe, Global Grove, and others. Life changing. Thanks for all your work. From what I’ve heard so far I’m gonna love this post too.
Still looking for some Philip Tabane.
Thanks again.
Hey Anonymous, I share your gratitude for the Rolling Stone mention…it got me here and I can’t let go.
Thank you thursdayborn for sharing your epiphany with us! I’ve tried to describe to friends the allure of African music for me, and it always comes back to the line it starts that runs straight through Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Can and even Kraftwerk…the blood red thread of rhythm and melody. It’s all right here.
meda’wase papapa for this rare Wulomei tape again.
take care
bala
Its definitely a sweet album. Where is it from, is it ghanaian, nigerian?
Such a cool blog. Thanks for doing it!
It’s all just too damn easy these days, thursdayborn. Time was you ransacked import shops, waited weeks for seamailed vinyl, and scoured obscure brochures to feed your obsession. Tonight, I Googled “african music blog,” and voila — I am overwhelmed with the garden of audio delights you have laid before me. I’ve been into African music of all persuasions since I was a kid in the ’50s, growing up in S. Africa. Yet there’s tons of stuff I have never even heard rumors about here! Blessings on you for this labor of love. I look forward to delving deeper…
how can anyone who reads this blog resist this one? thanks so much for it and all it led to for you.
Amazing! Blowing my mind!
wow thank you for sharing this! its sweet paaaaaa and very moving! i had the honour of meeting nii tei ashitey in ghana this year… he’s pretty frail by now but still has a sparkle in the eye!
this is fabulous,
glad I found your blog today
Incredible blog, many songs that i love so much!
I ve following this blog some times, i have a blog too thats call http://www.riogroovefm.blogspot.com
and i will make a homage to you, hope that u enjoy and visit us!
Cheers!
thank you
thanks everyone for the positive feedback, this tape is best, it means so much to me.
wow thank you for sharing this! Thank you thursdayborn for sharing your epiphany with us! I’ve tried to describe to friends the allure of African music for me, and it always comes back to the line it starts that runs straight through Charley Patton.
I ‘accidentaly’ googled to this blog, but well, stayed a while. Cool stuff here
can’t believe i slept on this! sounded so unbelievable loud last night at zebulon. fun times man. cool places / awesome tapes world takeover!
Beautiful.
Great post.
Such a cool blog. Thanks for doing it!
Work from home India
you are the man. how can i thank you for this jewel? this is a good beginning to a new year.
wishing you the best of the year and may the music flow forever.
And now it is my first awesome tape from africa as well. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your memories on this one. I already love it.
nice article.
Thank you so much…this is almost bringing me to tears. As someone whose young and relatively new to African music this is coming to me at a perfect time. Keep it up.
Hello,
Some weeks ago found an Album from Ghana here in a bookshop in Budapest, called “Wulomei – mibe shi dinn” (label: Agoro, Accra, Ghana). There was no info about year etc., so searched the net and even found a myspace page from them: http://www.myspace.com/wulomei. So they’re still going strong and my album is their debut from 1974. Really like it, so now downloading your K7, so thanks for these tracks.
Greetings, SeeYa, Szia, mangue
PS: Unfortunately, I don’t know (yet) how to digitize the album, when will, send you those tracks!
Hey, can you please re-up this tape?
I’m dying to hear it based on all the other great stuff I’ve found here.
Thanks
Nevermind. It works! thanks
Saw your blog in the NYT – thank you so much for sharing.
I can say why this music grabbed you (and never let you go). For me, it was S E Rogie. NPR was asking musicians about the music they were listening to currently, and Ry Cooder played Rogie’s music. I actually managed to track down a record seller who [much to my amazement] knew exactly who I was talking about. This is before CDs and before Internet. I still have that album. Your efforts are well appreciated.
hello, i am doing a research on this group, do you by any chance know when this particular tape(Kpabi)? Aby hwlp will do. Thanks in advance
Africa is nice. i love africa. I Googled “african music blog,” and voila — I am overwhelmed with the garden of audio delights you have laid before me. I’ve been into African music of all persuasions since I was a kid in the ’50s, growing up in S. Africa. Yet there’s tons of stuff I have never even heard rumors about here! Blessings on you for this labor of love. I look forward to delving deeper…
Holy fucking shit. This tape (and this blog) is my essence! Love it!
The first track is great but the rest is on the eh side. Serious Club Med vibes here.
Thanks a lot for this great resource!
My girlfriend is trying to find the Wulomei album with the song Maafio on it. Any idea what album it is and where to find it?
Hi Mads,
Maafio is actually by another band from the 1970s, Blemabii. They were contemporaries of Wulomei but they never recorded or released a full album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpzhjwSV_LE