Credits:

Tony Allen 、 Hugh Masekela

Description:

The meeting of two giants of the African music scene, this album is, in Allen's words, "a mixture of South African and Nigerian elements, a mish-mash of swing and jazz. The album is a "jumble of swing and jazz" in Allen's words, "Agbada Bougou" with its parallel harmonizing horns and hanging drums, "Coconut Jam" with its swinging percussion and lively brass, and "Obama" with its fast-moving snare drum that creates a sense of movement. Shuffle Strut Blues," in which the snare drums create a lively atmosphere. While playing the flugelhorn with grace, Masekela also takes on vocals on several songs. For example, the vibrant "Robbers, Thugs and Muggers," which opens the album, and the haunting chants of "O Galajani," slang for a gang of thugs in a non-white neighborhood, are sung in everyday Zulu, and the " The "Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be The Same)," a "jazz meets afrobeat" tribute to Fela Kuti, is sung in English. Allen also contributes his own unique drumming style as well as spoken word on "We've Landed," the first single from the album. Allen says the song is aimed at "the youth of today.The lyrics are aimed at the 17- to 19-year-olds, the ones who are slowly becoming adults, exploring who they are and realizing it's time for their generation to wake up," Allen recalls of the original sessions. Allen recalls the original session: "Everyone thought we were going to overdub here with percussion, keyboards, vocals, etc., etc. It was an exciting idea. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for the busy duo to find time in their studio schedule to do so. They met frequently at festivals in Europe, and each time Masekela would ask, "How is the project coming along? A short time later, Allen contacted Nick Gold to listen to the tapes and try to get the project back on track. However, not long after that, Masekela passed away. As a result, Allen says he is happy with the album, which was finally completed after a long period of time. Ten years is a long time to complete an album from scratch," he said. But everything appears at the right time and for the right reason...I have that philosophy. The miraculous album born from the encounter of these two legends, finally delivered to listeners after a long period of time, has been revived in a new form. (2/2)

Tracklisting:

1.Robbers, Thugs and Muggers (O'Galajani)
2.Agbada Bougou
3.Coconut Jam
4.Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same)