Tags: Reggae Disco

Review: Initially released in South Africa in 1982, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley's sophomore set is now regarded as a boogie-era Highlife classic. Here issued on CD for the very first time via Mr Bongo, the album features the Ghanaian star brilliantly joining the dots between driving disco-funk, jazz-funk, intoxicating slow jams, calypso, dub reggae and his beloved highlife. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, with standouts including heavy percussion jam "Simigwa", the boogie-dub skank of "Adwoa", the down-low grooves of "Walking Down The Street" and the killer disco highlife anthem "It's High Life". Simply essential.

Review: The Light Touches label and production crew brings their magic fingers to another series of hot and lesser known tunes and forgotten classics here, all with something of an Afro tinge. 'Vera' kicks off with a playful and funky disco sound that is riddled with Afro vocals and melodies that make you want to move. There is more energy to the bristling drums and flailing hits of 'Savage' which has plenty of effects and loops bring the energy then the final cut is 'We De Youth'. It's a loose-limbed and percussive workout with big horns leading the way. Glorious stuff.

Review: It's back to 1989 for this classic bit of Nigerian ecological soul. Filled with six dubby manifestos to the beauty and importance of the environment and nature around us, Green Leaves has sublime vocals by the late, great, Guatemala born, Nigeria based Sheila Majekodunmi over an electric dub sound with old school synth sounds and nice rolling rhythms. This marks her only album as she sadly died in her forties. It's a great mastering job by Superfly that makes this an essential one for any time of year, but particularly as the weather starts to warm up.