My Top Ten Highlife Jazz tunes

Let’s go.

Araba’s Delight, is an amazingly dynamic highlife jazz song penned by J.O. Araba. the arrangement employs the woodwind and brass to great effect, with looping riffs on a percussive backdrop driven by Henry Koffi and Tony Allen. Tight and funky.

Abiara is traditional song adapted by Fela. The intro is a jazzy with horns creating a call and response dynamic behind the melody, the tempo goes into double time at the chorus, changing into a twist rythmn before quoting Guantanamera as the rythmn breaks into 6/8 blarring highlife horns go into a bridge then Fela solos on the trumpet to a call and response as the song slides to the door.

Onidodo is another traditional song, that was very popular in the late 50s early 60s, everybody covered the song, Victor Olaiya, Dele Ojo, Fatai Rolling Dollars, Tunde Nightingale. Fela’s arrangment starts with jazzy horns blasting the melody, before providing a countermelody to the singing the countermelody continues throughout the singing. The band is tight and as usual after two verses, Fela goes into his solo. The band comes back roaring in typically bigband fassion.

Starts with a pulsating bassline accompanied by funky snarework. The song is accompanied by the horns in typical highlife style playing a counter melody. The breaks are funky and the chorus a furious interplay of woodwind and brass. Top shelf highlife.

On this number, Fela works his band like it was the Count Basie big band. The horns are sharp and everything slides and jumps like a Swiss watch movement in a mass riot. He sings a bit behind the melody adding extra sauce to the proceedings. He even throws in a scat at the end. I can imagine a club furiously jumping to this song circa 1962.

This is proper funky highlife. Lai Se with horns blarring behind and providing accompaniment. The energy keeps building till Igo Chico takes flight, Fela responds with his own solo. The band returns to the counter-melody, the bassline always a menace, congas popping all the place. A hot mess. Highlife Jazz masterpiece.

Radio Lagos used a segment of this song as an intro for a morning show for years. Lyrics are laced with Lagos Island slang. The song castigates lovers of the “fake” life (instagram life). The band is rocking with horn blasting. They rock so hard atimes that you expect the whole thing to tilt over. But no, instead, the tempo picks up, so Lagos.

Lagos baby is a highlife standard that was big in the 40s and 50s. Fela kicks off the rendition in a classic style, before highjacking proceedings with clever jazzy arrangments.

Omuti is special. It’s a jumping highlife tune for the jazzheads, Fela quotes “salt peanuts” and “when the saints go walking”. It is more jazz than highlife.

Ladies Frustration is a pure afrobeat, it was written at the tail end of Fela’s stay in the US. The arrangment complements Tony Allen’s snare which is crisp and funky. Igo Chico’s solo is heavenly, raw and poignant. Fela’s trumpet solo is equally inspired. One of my favs from the fabulous, “1969 Los Angeles Sessions”.

Make it stand out

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Make it stand out.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

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