Kalita Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The hard-digging record fiends at Kalita are back with more brilliance. This one is the first-ever retrospective of work by Jamaican-born artist Desmond Chambers. The first tine is a proudly politically aware tune previously only avialbel on his 1987 album Tiger Born, while the single 'The Morning Show' has before now only been available as the B side of little known single 'I Have Seen Love In Your Eyes.' The two other tracks are mega cult, hugely loved acid-infused dub snakers with boogie-infused rhythms. Original copies will cost you a huge amount so make sure you snap this one up asap.

Review: Were you aware of the burger highlife phenomenon that swept through Ghana in the 1980s? Taking the West African sound of highlife and infusing it with the synths and drum machines of disco and boogie, a vibrant fusion culture emerged with hit upon hit of infectious, funky-as-hell party gear undeniably rooted in African culture. This diligent compilation from Kalita looks to some of the most important artists from this wave of electrified highlifers, including Thomas Frempong and George Darko, and of course looking between the cracks for the more obscure gems that should get even the well-schooled excited to check this one out.

Review: Kalita's Borga Revolution compilations are pure joy, tapping into the boom in electronic music in Ghana in the 80s and 90s. The first volume came out last year and carried work from the likes of Thomas Frempong and George Darko. On this second instalment we get a whole host of new names to bring us more of that West African heat, and the hits just keep spilling out. Check the urgent stomp of 'Soca For Your Pleasure' by Alan Cosmos & His Bam-Baara Soundz, or the rugged soul and deadly grooves bursting out of Pope Flyne Ackah's 'I Think You Are Right (Jepense Que Tu A Raison)'. If you were into the first edition, this is only going to bring you more delights from an overlooked corner of Africa's musical history.