Roots Archives Forum

I bought the Heart Beat "Black star liner" a few months ago and I'd like to find other african releases from the late seventies. Did you hear it? This is real oldschool sound, sometimes so kitschy, but very good songs.

Sorry to insist, but I think it's worth listening to this compilation if you did not, and please, if some of you know other african releases from this period, tell me !

Have you taken up talkin' on your own Ben?

you don't give me the choice, nobody cares, so I talk to myself. Come on, isn't it a good topic.. What were doing our african brothers in the seventies, let's go !

It occurred to me I got this cd called From the Heart of the Congo by Lee Perry, Seke Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo.
Seke and Kalo went from Africa to Jamaica with the promise of a contract but were let down; they were bound to starvation when Perry came up to rescue them and produced this record.
I also have a few interesting records of african music of different kinds (it varies a lot from region to region actually) that you may enjoy but no reggae I am afraid.
But there is a record that everybody should listen to, although no reggae at all: it's called Djam Leelii by Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck: two acoustic guitars, balafon and breathtaking vocals.
A masterpiece, highly recommended to everybody who loves music.
But isn't Alpha Blondy african?

The album Heart of the Congo by Lee Perry, Seke Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo is a great example of African Reggae. Did you know that the master tape (which was just an ordinary cassette) popped up in the Congolese scene in Brussels? This belgian friend of mine took it to Perry in Switzerland for approval to release it. This cassette was used as master to press it on lp for the Belgian "Jolie Zaire" label (it was the only release). Later it was released again on cd by Runn Records.

Henrik

Nice thing, I'll manage to listen to it, indeed a collaboration at the black ark can offer a lot.
To answer lately Guido, yes, Alpha Blondy is african (Ivory Coast like Tiken Jah Fakoli) but his first release 'Jah Glory' is post 1980.
For the moment we got only two releases of 70's african reggae ; the lee perry one and the Heart Beat, which also comes from an old tape..
Other old tapes to better our collection ?

The real black star liner is best by Culture!!

"from the heart of the congo" is one of the better scratch recordings out there, and that's saying a lot... the riddims have a more african feel--i think some of the guitar work is done by kalo and seke themselves. anyone been able to track them down? do they live in jamaica still?

thanks ben for the heads up on black star liner.

and i agree culture's black star liner from two 7s clash is a masterpiece... fierce march riddim style

any idea of how I could get this exciting album or its copy ?