ghana Soundz Afrobeat, Funk And Fusion In 70s Ghana (Soundway) Rating: NNNN Rating: NNNN
In an attempt to one-up fellow deep digging African music explorer Duncan Brooker, who put out the stupendous Afro-Rock (Kona) collection last year, Miles Cleret concentrates on uncovering even more obscure, funky James Brown-inspired artifacts recorded in Ghana during the 70s. With hard-bangin’ tracks by the likes of largely forgotten greats like Oscar Sulley, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and the Apagya Show Band, Ghana Soundz clearly proves that Fela Kuti didn’t have a monopoly on Afrobeat. Yet Cleret is so determined to come up with the rarest tracks — at least rarer than Brooker’s — that he unfortunately misses the incredible music made by Ghana’s true stars of the period, C.K. Mann and Geraldo Pino. Bring on Volume 2.
