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Product Description
CD Description
Original recordings from Orchestra Makassy's stellar album AGWAYA * The long awaited CD release * Plus two previously unreleased tracks * In 1980 a 15-man band from Dar Es Salaam got together in a Nairobi studio with some young Brits who wanted to cash in on the Afropop boom that was sweeping the nation thanks to Nigeria's King Sunny Ade. Mzee 'Elder' Makassy was the leader and principal vocalist of the band named after him; Tshimanga Assosa of Maquis Original contributed singing and songwriting skills. The songs are sung in Shona, Swahili and Lingala. Mose Se Sengo a.k.a. 'Fan Fan' is often mentioned in connection with the band as he had been chef d'orchestra before striking out on his own. The excellent, bustling Kasongo Shinga played bass, there were two drummers, a tumbador, and four horn players, including Twalib Mohamed as trumpet soloist and Akuliake Saleh on alto sax. In short, a classic East African dance-band line-up. The opening track 'Mambo Bado' become a dance-floor hit. It still gets you going from the first note. 'Mambo Bado' should have prompted the group to international stardom but Virgin failed to promote them. In 1984, they broke up after the release of a little known album Muzuki Orchestre Makassy. Fortunately, guitarist Mose Fan Fan used some of the bands early recordings on an album called Agwaya. The CD is a mixture of haunting ballads such as 'Nakolela Cherie', about a man whose wife has abandoned him and their kids and 'Kufisilika Sio Kalema', a mover and shaker in the Virunga style. Most of the songs contain wry social commentary. 'Mosese', a track written by FanFan, is about a man complaining to his fiancée, this is followed by 'Athumani,' a song in which a young married woman complains about her husband running around. The bass is high in the mix for the moody 'Mke Wangu' another classic track in which the singer tells of a man who lavished material goods on his wife only to have her leave him. It's as if Fan Fan, Makassy and his many disciple's had never been away. 'The Original Recordings' is a fresh, retro sound - which will leave you wanting an extra helping.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Delightful light sound of Kenyan soukous from the eighties. If you want to sample try Mambo Bado or Nakolela Cherie - they will not disappoint. If you like this, then look up Super Orchestra Mazembe too..
Format:Audio CD
this CD really captures the feel of East African Sound. it recalled some wonderful nights in Nairobi. this gets many plays in my car
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Exquisite!
1 Dec 2005
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This definitely is one of the best CDs I have ever listened to (and now own - thanks to Amazon). This is the real deal, all songs are ORIGINAL Makassy recordings - no 'mordenized' renditions, and no filler material. Excellent artistic quality expected of Mzee Makassy when he teamed up with the likes of Fan Fan Mosese and Ongala Remmy. 100% pure, authentic enjoyment from the first to the last track...and I'm talking as an 'expert' on East, Central and Southern African music (I own at least 200 African CDs and grew up in the region).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
finnaly released, what a great album
7 Mar 2005
Format:Audio CD
This cd is one of the best albums of all time.Unbelievable that it took 24 years to get this music on cd.The album came out as an LP close before the CD was introduced.The 8 first titles are from the original agwaya album and are of a level african music you probably never heard before.If you like african music, do yourself a big favor and buy this one.The only weak spot on this cd is the end, when I have to press on the play button of my cd player again.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Legends of East Africa Orchestra Makassy
6 May 2005
Format:Audio CD
This is one of the finest records ever to come out of Africa, and is one of the planet's finest popular music recording. I have Agwaya (original LP) and have been searching for these guys on CD for years. An absolute must have.
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