International

Review: Eroya is a Lagos-based collective bridging generations of musicians who trace Nigerian music from the 1940s to today's Naija grooves. Their sound weaves so called styles such as palm-wine, agidigbo, juju, highlife, Afro-funk and Afrobeat traditions. Key members include Sina Ayinde Bakare, son of juju pioneer Ayinde Bakare, juju legend Fatai Rolling Dollar, Afro-funk saxophonist Prince Eji Oyewole and Afrobeat pianist Duro Ikujenyo of Fela Kuti's Egypt 80. Highlights on this album include Alaba Pedro's soulful 'Ekaete', Tejebaby's hypnotic 'Africa', and Oyewole's flute-led 'Experience'. With its bubbling jazz textures and deep rhythmic energy, Eroya is a perfect tribute to Nigeria's enduring musical contributions.

Review: This compilation is a vibrant celebration of Gnonnas Pedro, the legendary Beninese composer and musician. Spanning his career from 1967 to 1985, it showcases Pedro's remarkable versatility and eclectic musical palette; featuring 21 tracks that traverse genres with ease, from the Afrobeat energy of 'Pas De Petard' and 'L'Indomptable Gnonnas Pop' to the salsa rhythms of 'Tembleque' and the soulful grooves of 'How Much Love Naturally Cost'. Pedro's music is a fusion of influences, blending traditional African sounds with funk, soul and Latin flavours and highlights here include the irresistible 'Dadje Von O Von Non', the funky 'Yiri Yiri Boum', and the soulful 'Bailando Mi Solo'.

Review: Analog Africa is back with a dedicated project celebrating Gnonnas Pedro, the king of Modern Agbadja, and they press it up on a marvellous double album that includes an eight-page booklet with a ton of extra info. This bumper pack features 16 of Pedro's best works, all of which captivated Africa at the time. His vibrant blend of Agbadja, Cuban fon, jerk, highlife and more unique styles, all of which come with vocals sung in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish, add up to one hell of a rich sound. A great testament to the artist's extraordinary legacy.

Review: Released in 1977, this Nigerian rock album remains a hidden gem, rediscovered by a new generation thanks to recent reissues. Produced by Odion Iruoje, the album features a group of college students whose music captures the vibrant, post-civil war Nigerian rock scene. With a sound that blends Western rock influences like The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield and early Genesis with a distinct African touch, the album is a joyful yet melancholic exploration of love and harmony. Tracks like 'Love', 'Be Nice to the People' and 'Mary Enne' showcase the band's signature blend of fuzz guitar and heartfelt vocals. The music resonates with the exuberance of other African bands like Blo and Witch, yet it stands out with its heavy fuzz guitar and English vocals, steering clear of political or social activism in favor of pure, emotional expression. This album, recorded in Kenya, captures a moment in history when African rock was evolving, bridging cultures and sounds. It's a timeless piece, equally nostalgic, fresh and perfect entry point into African psychedelia for new listeners and a rewarding revisit for those already familiar with the genre.

Review: Prepare yourself for a wry chuckle, as we impart the fact that the compilation you see hyperlinked before you was not at all prepackaged, with work cut out for its curators. Rather, it came from the source, having first manifested as a pile of Ghanaian highlife LPs buried at the bottom of DJ Jerry Frempong's wife's garden. Frempong is the son of one of one of the most prominent former Ghanaian-British label owners, Anthony Roberts Frempong of Asona Records, whose founding movements in the South East London district of Peckham proved highly popular helping disseminate highlife music in the English capital. BBE Music owner Pete Adarkwah caught wind of the serendipitous discovery and approached Jerry to discuss the reissue of this historic catalogue, which you hear here. The sweetest of early and untrodden highlife highlights are heard here, including sparklers by Kantata, Jewel Ackah, Sam Yeboah, Mr Cee and even Thomas Frempong himself.

Review: The impeccable Soundway Records is back with another essential companion, this time in the form of Nigeria Special Volume 3: Electronic Innovation Meets Culture & Tradition 1978-93, which presents a collection of 19 tracks capturing the unique musical transformation in Nigeria during a pivotal era. This compilation reflects the fusion of drum machines, synthesisers and Western influences like pop, reggae, disco and soul, all blended with traditional Nigerian genres like highlife and juju. It represents a period of innovation where new technology was used to reimagine and refresh cultural sounds and what results is a bold new sounds that is going to be lapse dup by fans of names like Steve Monite and Charles Amoah.