Willy Nfor- Movements-Boogie Down In Africa

Official reissue of tracks from Willy Nfor’s three Nigerian Disco Boogie albums, audi-restoration by Colin Young and Dan Elleson. Premastering and remastering by Dan Elleson. Design by Javi Bayo. Out Late Fall 2018.

Tracklisting
DISC ONE
A1. BOOGIE DOWN IN AFRICA
A2. HAPPINESS
A3. LYNDAA
B1. SUNSHINE
B2. HUSTLE (FROM THE JUNGLE)

DISC TWO
C1. DO YOUR THING
C2. WON´T SOMEONE OPEN
D1. STAR LIFE (LET´S GO TO THE DISCO)
D2. LIZZY
D3. MY TURN (TO LOVE YOU)

Willy Ngeh N’for
(born 24th February 1956, died 28th February 1998)

Cameroon has a tradition of great bass players, names such as Jean Dikoto Mandengue (of Osibisa fame), Vicky Edimo (Black Blood, Manu Dibango, Gibson Brothers), Alhadji Toure, Basil Barap, Armand Sabal Lecco, Felix Sabal Lecco, Raymond Doumbe, Guy Nsangue, Etienne Mbappe, Francis Mbappe, Richard Nguini, Jay Lou Ava, and Richard Bona. He was in that tradition. His Nigerian career was not well distributed outside Nigeria so that didn’t help but when he got to Paris, he quickly became one of the hottest African musicians on the circuit, playing with Mory Kante (for whom he played on three albums and enjoyed a global hit, Yeke Yeke which took them touring around the world), Tulio de Piscopo, David Sancious, Charlelie Couture, Mbilia Bel (with whom he toured Southern Africa), Kante Manfila, Manu Dibango, Aicha Kone and a host of others.

Willy was special, before ending up in France, he played in the East of Nigeria and in Lagos both as a session man and as a member of The Mighty Flames, Sonny Okosun’s band, and Bongos Ikwe’s Groovies. The tracks on this compilation album are selected from three albums, Mighty Flames’ Willie Nfor, Feel So Fine and My Turn. All highly sought after album of quality Nigerian Boogie Funk.

Migration has become one of the biggest global news items in recent times. Willy Ngeh Nfor was a migrant before the word became so popular and tinged with a bad connotation. Music travels, men travel. Willy made music to travel. His music allowed him to travel. His choice of Nigeria as a destination and of English as a working language was strategic. This is what we hope to honour by virtue of this release. A celebration of music as a space capsule and of man as a vector of creativity, inventions, love and energy. Everybody migrates at some point in history. We need to celebrate humanity and free the migrant from bad energy, bad choices and a bad image.

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