THE FELA SOWANDE RHYTHM GROUP - MOONLIGHT AND ROSES

Olufela (Fela) Obafunmilayo Sowande (b. Abeokuta, Nigeria, May 1905; d. Ravenna, Ohio, United States, 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works in the European "classical" idiom. Sowande was born in Abeokuta, near Lagos, the son of Emmanuel Sowande, a priest and pioneer of Nigerian church music. As a child he sang in the Choir of the Cathedral Church of Christ. He studied at the C.M.S. Grammar School and at King's College, Lagos. The influence of his father and Dr T. K. Ekundayo Phillips (composer, organist and choirmaster) was an important factor in his early years. At that time, Sowande was a chorister and was introduced to new Yoruba works being introduced into the churches. During that period, he studied organ under Phillips (including works by Bach and European classical masters), and earned the Fellowship Diploma (FRCO) from the Royal College of Organists. At that time, he was also a bandleader, playing jazz and popular highlife music. All of these had considerable influence on his work. In 1934 Sowande went to London to study European classical and popular music. In 1936, he was solo pianist in a performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. He also played as duo-pianist with Fats Waller, and was theatre organist for the BBC as organist and Choirmaster at Kingsway Hall (unfortunately recently demolished) London and as pianist in the 1936 production of Blackbirds. He also played organ in some recordings by Dame Vera Lynn. Later, he studied organ privately under Edmund Rubbra, George Oldroyd, and George Cunningham and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1943, winning the Limpus, Harding and Read Prizes. He also won several prizes and obtained a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of London and became a Fellow of Trinity College of Music. He also worked as musical advisor for the Colonial Film Unit of the Ministry of Information during the Second World War, providing background music for educational films. From 1945, he was a renowned organist and choirmaster at the West London Mission of the Methodist Church until 1952, and a considerable amount of organ music dates from this period. These are based on Nigerian melodies that gave a special appeal to the Black members of his congregation in the early years of migration from Africa and the Caribbean. Also during this time, he became known as a dance pianist, bandleader, and Hammond organist, playing popular tunes of the day. Western and African ideas prevail in his music which included organ works such as Yorùbá Lament, Obangiji, Kyrie, Gloria, Jesu Olugbala, and Oba Aba Ke Pe. Most of these show a strong influence of Anglican Church music combined with Yoruba pentatonic melodies.

His orchestral works include Six Sketches for Full Orchestra, A Folk Symphony, and African Suite for string orchestra, and show African rhythmic and harmonic characteristics. The final movement of African Suite became known to Canadian audiences as the theme of the popular CBC music program Gilmour's Albums, and is now a Canadian orchestral standard. He also wrote a significant amount of secular and sacred choral music, mainly a cappella. Some of these works were composed during his period with the BBC Africa Service. He went back to Africa to scholarly work with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation and later the University of Ibadan. In 1968 he moved to Howard University in Washington, D.C., then the University of Pittsburgh. In the last years of his life Sowande taught in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, and lived in nearby Ravenna, Ohio with his wife, Eleanor McKinney, who was one of the founders of Pacifica Radio. He is buried in Randolph Township, Ohio. Sowande also held the title "Chief Bariyo of Lagos". GET IT HERE Enjoy!

MARLENE MARIDJAN - KEMBANG MELATI

An album from from Marlene Maridjan from Suriname and from Javanese descent, krontjong songs, pop songs and a bit of a reggae vibe at times... GET IT HERE Enjoy!

ORKES PSP (PANCARAN SINAR PETROMAX) - KOMPILASI LAGU LAGU TERBAIK

Here's a great cassette from Orkes PSP aka Orkes Pancaran Sinar Petromax.... GET IT HERE Enjoy!

SOUND'S OF PAPUA ISLAND VOLUME 1

Pop and pop-reggae songs from West-Papua by the Nayak Group, Rio Grime and Herry W..... GET IT HERE Enjoy!

VEENA AND THE CRUCIAL MATES - ABSOLUTELY PASSION

Here's an album from Bandung pop group Veena and the Crucial Mates. Got this cd years ago from the singer, the very lively Veena Mutiram who was also very sick, she was suffering heavily from lupus at the time, great album, jazzy pop songs mainly.... Hope she's ok, was driving passing her house and saw it's for sell right now.... GET IT HERE Enjoy!

MOLENVLIET - NIGHT & DAY

Here's an album from Indeonesian band Molenvliet and this came out around 2010.... GET IT HERE Enjoy!

YOCKIE SURYO PRAYOGO - POP INDONESIA

80's Pop album from Yockie S. with Harry Sabar and Eros Djarot, and this is a promotional copy for radio stations....

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JODI IN THE MORNING GLORY PARADE - EVERY MORNING WE MUST SAY GOOD MORNING

Great ep from Bandung band Jodi In The Morning Glory Parade....

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TIKA - FROZEN LOVE SONGS

Here's a 2005 album from Jakarta based singer Tika, reminds me a lot of Moloko....

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UNKNOWN ARTISTS - TENDERNESS DANCING MUSIC

I can't find any information about who made this record, all I can tell you is that it's from Hong Kong, maybe late 60's, maybe early 70's and this album ROCKS!!! Starting with an unbelievable funk-banger, there's a few more funk songs, lots of very, very dreamy, sometimes very trippy stuff, a GREAT album!!!!

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CLOVER LEAF

Well, back in Indonesia again. Here are two 7 inches from Achmad Albar's old band Clover Leaf. He was with them from 1968 till 1972 when he was staying in Holland. They had a couple of hits, and these 7 inches are quiet rare....

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MELKY GOESLAW - TIMOR TIMUR

Here's an album from Melky Goeslaw with The Meicy. First song is some damage but I'm giving it anyway, mostly just a standard pop album, but check out the excellent psych-pop track Ombak Ombak....

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MORE 78'S

Here's a nice bunch of 78's again!

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MORE YAO SU RONG

Got some more music from Yao Su Rong for you and this album is fantastic....

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And this one is also fantastic....

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This is a live album, Yao Su Rong and singer/actor Zhang Di performing on a Hong Kong stage in 1971....

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This one, honestly, I'm not so crazy about, just standard pop fare....

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This one she did with singers Yang Yan and Zhang Di and came out in 1971....

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GRAB EM HERE

enjoy!