WORLD reviews
Max Pashm 78s From The Sir Victor Uwaifo
Never Mind
Emi Archive
Guitar-Boy Superstar
The Balkans
Various Artists
1970-76
Elektrikos Organikos
Honest Jons Records
Soundway Records
EO102
HJRCD36
SNDWCD012
JR
GC
GC
“This is Radio Pashm calling” proclaims the
Legendary Portobello Road record shop/label
Brighton’s Soundway Records have released a
voice that opens this latest from Brighton based
Honest Jon’s has spent the last eighteen
brilliant series of Nigerian recordings of the 60s
godfather of global groove Max P and with that
months delving through more than 150,000 78
and 70s under the banner Nigeria Special. With
we’re off on a 12 track odyssey of sun kissed,
rpm records in the extensive EMI Archives at
this focus on Nigerian attempts to make rock,
klezmer infused dancefloor mayhem, all shot
Hayes, Middlesex. The results of this trawl is an
disco and funk, Soundway have unleashed a
through with a healthy dose of humour.
epic series of compilations covering recordings
lost seam of West African music making, one
of music made early in the 20th Century and
that existed alongside the efforts of Fela Kuti
Pashm originally emerged as a producer,
drawing on recordings EMI talent scouts made
and King Sunny Ade but never gained any
remixer and DJ back in the globalbeat boom
in Iraq, Turkey, Caucasia, the Lebanon, Greece,
international recognition (until now).
of the mid 90s, here he’s supported by a
Iran (including sides made in Old Street,
fine five-piece band (including the excellent
London, in 1909), Egypt and the Belgian Congo.
Sir Victor creates a languid funk enriched by
klezmer clarinet Merlin Shepherd and Bulgarian some brilliant guitar playing. While he never got
singer Eugenia Georgieva) who strut their stuff
Much of this music has never been made
a knighthood from the Queen he definitely is
over Max’s bubbling base of percussion and
commercially available before – EMI seemingly
musical nobility! Indeed, reading the informative
electronica.
filed it in Archives and forgot about it: until
sleeve notes it appears Sir Victor is a superstar
now. The first two volumes – Living Is Hard:
in his home state of Edo, Nigeria. The music
Highlights include the peacenik’s call to
West African Music In Britain, 1927-1929 and
here is extremely supple, Victor singing and
arms Fight On The Streets, a riotously radical
Give Me Love: Songs Of The Brokenhearted
playing superb guitar, while the band build
reworking of Shepherd’s The Tongue and
– Baghdad, 1925-1929 have been released to
a very organic groove around him. There’s a
Klezmernaki, which manages to be sexy, silly
huge acclaim. Volume 3, Sprigs Of Time, is a 30-
psychedelic funk feel to some of the tunes so
and rootsy, all at once. Any album that features
track compilation that pairs archive recordings
making for a music that cooks both on the
samples of Groucho Marx and Joyce Grenfell all
of well known names (Fairuz, Mighty Sparrow)
dance floor and the hi-fi.
in one tune is surely worthy of your attention.
with field recordings from Georgia, Indonesia
www.maxpashm.com
and beyond. A fascinating and very listenable
“Brilliant eccentric funk”
document.
Word
Far Out
www.honestjons.com
Grupo Fantasma
Bossa Nova
Sonidos Gold
Various Artists Big Blue Ball
Far Out Recordings
Various
Me & My Other records
MMOCD2005
FARO133CD
Real World Records
C
CDRW150
JL
HM
Hailing from Austen, Texas, this 10-piece Latin
Far Out’s contribution to the celebrations
funk orchestra arose from the ashes of two
surrounding fifty years of bossa nova was
The most extraordinary thing about Peter other bands in 2000, and have since carved
originally intended for download only but such
Gabriel’s epic international project is not that it out a hard-gigging reputation. Sonidos Gold is
was the success of these thirteen tracks that
took 18 years (from first performances to final album number four, and continues their high-
they decided to make it available on CD, quite
mix) to complete, but that it’s such a cohesive octane exploration of diverse Latin sounds from
rightly so as it is a fine selection drawing on
recording. Considering the vast number of a refreshingly different perspective.
their rich archive of recordings that the label has
musicians who dropped by the idyllically
amassed over the last decade.
situated Real World studios in Wiltshire to
Colombian cumbia is one major obsession,
Generally I am not really a huge fan of the genre
strum, hit, blow or simply sing something, credit
although their take on it veers towards its
but this compilation is fresh and appealing
must be given to producer, Gabriel, for the fact
psychedelic Peruvian cousin chicha on the likes
precisely because it steers away from the
that the end result isn’t a muddled, over-egged
of El Sabio Soy Yo, Cumbia De Los Pajaritos,
obvious well-worn bossa nova standards in
pudding.
Rebotar, and Soltero which feature plenty of
wah-wah guitar and some delightfully luminous
favour of some excellent new compositions.
The opener Whole Thing with its epic drum keyboards. Elsewhere, there’s a distinct
There is a well-worked balance between
sound and warm, embracing chorus is Afro-Cuban vibe, with Naci De La (Rumba
original bossa nova artists like Roberto
reminiscent of the man’s best work of the Y Guaguanco) offering a convincing take on
Menescal, Marcos Valle and Victor Assis Brasil
1980’s and would make an excellent single. But rumba – complete with a Yoruba chant – as
and the younger generation including the
the best track here is Jijy with its warped drum well as a zestful cover of the Irakere classic
delightful chantueses Sabrina Malheiros and
‘n’ bass rhythm and the seismic throb of Jah Bacalao con Pan. Gimme has strong echoes
Clara Moreno.
Wobble’s bass. Some Madagascan rapping and of Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va and there’s a
There are also some interesting collaborations
swaggering blasts of brass complete the barmy Brazilian carnival feel to the samba-driven Arroz
including Ivan Lins and Arthur Verocai , but
but oddly compelling picture. Roll on Big Blue Con Frijoles.
perhaps the most engaging is that of Joyce and
Ball 2, I say!
“Real musicians playing real music.”
Dori Caymmi who open up the album with an “Among the most exciting moments I have Prince
enchanting duet Rio Bahia setting the standard
ever had”
for the rest of the album.
Peter Gabriel
www.faroutrecordings.com
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Sprigs Of Time
Properganda 10 34
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