Releases
Friday Night by Livy Ekemezie (ODILIV001)
In 1983, Livy Ekemezie dropped this funky bomb of an album and moved on. A heavy slab of synth funk masterminded by 2 young men (*livy, Frank Izuora) and a seasoned session player (Jules Elong).
”I was into disco and funk at the time and I was looking for a bass-driven funky sound”.
Releases
At Last (ODILIV002)
"Grotto started in Gregs (St Gregory’s College) around 1973/1974, the original lineup was:
1. Soga Benson (Lead guitar/Bass guitar)
2. Martin Amenechi (Lead guitar/Bass guitar)
3. Jimi 'Skid' Ikemefuna (Drums)
However over the years the group went through several other members. Ofege was also in the same school, I was also lead guitarist for Ofege, we were all in our teens.
”We played Rock/Funk fusion. We were probably 15, 16 or thereabouts, heavily into music, we listened to Jimi Hendricks, Carlos Santana, and lots of rock bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin etc... We listened to a lot of rock to learn guitar solo's..”
Releases
Mind Twister by APPLES (ODILIV003)
I hung around friends in St Gregs (St Gregory’s College, Lagos), I must have been 19 years old when I met Clifford. We used to hangout on the Island, watching bands play and jamming with them. We listened to Jimi Hendrix, Santana idris muhammed
One of our popular hangouts was Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, where the house band played Salsa, Pop and South American music, Yom Yem was the singer.
George whose dad was a diplomat met us there and things evolved, pretty fast, we started jamming with Clifford on the guitar, his brother Gerard on the bass and George on the guitar. We chipped in with song ideas, with the group contributing arrangements until we were satisfied.
I arranged an audition with Mr Odion Iruoje and he was happy with the material, he said something like, “this is what I’m looking for”. So we arranged recording dates and cut the record.
The core band was;
Clifford Nadi (Rhythm Guitar).
Frank Ikpefuran (Drums, Vocals)
Viera Georges (Vocals, Lead Guitar)
Gerard Nadi (Bass)
Releases
Wait No Hurry by Grotto (LIVST004)
I“As I grew older I think I got a bit jazzier,” Benson says. “I also listened to Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Isley Brothers, Prince and a lot of funk groups from that era.”
“Hard rock was the content of the first album,” Amenechi agrees, “and funk/jazz/R&B the focus of album number two. Especially with the late Toma Mason Jr. joining as bassist.” The group’s second album, Grotto II: Wait... No Hurry (released in 1979) reflected the growing sophistication of its members’ musical outlook. Fat, funky bass grooves rubbed shoulders with jazzy flute lines; space-age synthesizer tones punctuated good, old-fashioned crunchy rock riffs.
Uchenna Ikonne.
Releases
VA : Duomo Sounds Ltd. - Nigerian 80s Disco Music To Move Your Soul (LIVST005)
Amazing collection of Disco Music released in the 80s (1980-84) on the Nigerian label Duomo Music Ltd. and reissued here for the first time.
Includes much sought-after tracks by the likes of Mike Umoh, Bindiga, Goddy Odili, Christy Ogbah...
Liner notes by Nigerian Music expert Uchenna Ikone, including previously unpublished photos.
Releases
Colourful Environment by Gboyega Adelaja (LIV006)
“Brother Hugh abandoned his backing band, Ojah band in Accra, and we fended for ourselves by organizing local shows etc. After staying in Ghana for more than 8 months Hugh came back from the US and officially dissolved the band, he flew with me home to Nigeria to meet my parents and to hand me over. He met my parents at our home in Bariga and handed me over to them.”
“When I returned home, I worked with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) because I also studied TV Production, it was while working at NTA that my cousin, Mike Odumosu (Bass Player with BLO, Osibisa) visited Nigeria and I mooted the idea of recording an album to him. Before then I had played with Tee Mac at the Suru-Lere Night Club, I also did some session work and played in a group called Spirit Connection a group that always opened for Fela when he played outside the Shrine.”
“The compositions on Colourful Environment were inspired by my new life in Lagos after returning from the US where I had spent 6 years, Lagos looked different, FESTAC 1977 was coming on and the environment looked Colourful indeed, so I was inspired so when Mike and I decided to record Colourful Environment, we recorded some tracks at EMI Studios Wharf Road Apapa, and we recorded the rest at Regents Park Studios in London, Gasper Lawal helped out with percussion on some of the
tracks and the late Jake Solo too on guitar.”.
Releases
Boogie Down in Africa by Willy Nfor (LIVST007)
For any budding African musician in the mid-seventies, Nigeria was the place to be. “We left Cameroon without any contacts in Nigeria, we were young and to us it was a big adventure. We had heard about the upcoming FESTAC Arts Festival and we felt we needed to get involved." "The first band we played in was, Pentagon Funk Band, a band
sponsored by the 5th Brigade in Port Harcourt. From there we moved to Onitsha to sign with Right Time Stores (RTS), we recorded Sweet Love (RTLPS 011) as The Mighty Flames. The sessions were at Decca Studios at Akoka area of Lagos, they had a 16 track analog recording unit. It was like jazz, you had to be on top of your game as a musician,
you couldn’t erase the guitar lines or drums and redo it like with digital, one person slips up, you start all over again... So we rehearsed and rehearsed and then we went down and recorded the takes".
Vinceent Ekedi
Releases
Iyawo by Osunfisan Brothers & Sisters (ODILIV008)
IThis is the first album by Dr Seyi Osunfisan and his band made up of mostly family members and cool acolytes like Art Alade.
”The album was a foray into yoruba folklore using disco and funk instrumentals”. Afrobeat was trending but we were doing something different. We wanted a groovy sound pluged into Yoruba music culture and history”
Releases
YOGA - Be an enlightened Soul -Stay Young and Pure with Yoga (LIV010)
This is the last and third album for EMI, it was produced by the sound master, Odion Iruoje and features some great guitar work by Segun Haastrup (Joni Haastrup’s brother”.
Some heavy numbers on this one, Yoga, Animal Doctor and Dancing Mood are all dancefloor killers.
Releases
Safari by Gboyega Adelaja (LIVST010)
In 1983, Gboyega dropped this inspired set. The concept was an afrocentric future funk workout. Wankandaesque in parts, it slaps hard on standout disco boogie tune, Weekend Nights.
Dan Elleson remastered the album, restoring and “fixing” loose bits along the way. The majestic sound is testament to his genius. Enjoy.
Releases
Linda is my best girlfriend by Jonathan Uwuama (LIVST011)
In 1983, this concept album was crafted by Jonathan Onwuama. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics, on disco boogie breaks are half wacky, half genius, 100% magic. It never takes itself too serious.
The stand out tracks are Linda, Let my love go down and rock yourself.
Releases
Where Are My People by M.F.B
For Afro-funk fans, this is the last album from the Ofege family opus. (Soga Benson played on Try and Love, Last of the Origins and Higher Plane Breeze. Melvin Ukachi is a founding member and vocalist of Ofege). Where are my people is a stoner classic, trippy, thoughtful lyrics about a house that is falling… Sour and sweet. (ODILIV012)
.
