Soundway Records' vibrant and diverse compilation album unearths some of East Africa's lesser-known artists.
Soundway Records, along with other labels such as Analogue Africa, have continued the recent tradition of rediscovering and exploring Africa's forgotten musical past.
With Various Artists - Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings from the 1970s & '80s, Soundway's excellent African 'Special' series switches its attention across the continent to East Africa.
Kenya's vibrant and eclectic music scene of the '70s and '80s highlights the transition from more conventional, acoustic formats to modern and innovative influences. What emerges is really a history lesson.
From the benga explosion of the '70s to the latin-infused rumba invasion of touring Congolese bands, the 'Kenya Special' does well to capture the diversity of the music scene. The driven 4-4 beat of benga, coupled with its smooth and intricate guitar riffs, is shown off to full effect by the Gatanga Boys Band and their lively track 'Wendo Ti Mbia'.
There's a lovely little rumba number by Orchestre Veve Star, overseen by influential music producer 'Verckys' Kiamuangana Mateta. Here he plays the saxophone. Soul is infused with the more traditional chakacha by the Mombasa Vikings as they embrace their Swahili coastal heritage.
Most of the songs sampled on the album were only released on small-run, 45-rpm, 7" singles, meaning those compiling and researching the album, at times, must have felt like treasure hunters.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
And the production values are surprisingly good, considering the relatively basic equipment the Kenyan engineers would have worked with. Many of the touring artists ended up settling in Kenya - further establishing the importance of Nairobi as hub of musical talent.
The album comes with extensive linear notes, original artwork, and photographs.
Whilst it may be considered an overly ambitious goal to attempt to epitomise an entire music scene on 2 discs, Kenya Special delivers a varied and diverse taster menu for any wishing to discover more. And for those wishing to whet their appetite further, there is an excellent blog by Soundway selector Fredrik Lavik to be found at afro7.net.
'Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings from the 1970s & '80s is out now by Soundway Records.
Robert Jamieson is an English Literature graduate from the University of Sussex. He has travelled extensively through South Africa and Tanzania, where he taught English as part of a volunteer project.
