Sold Date: July 13, 2014
Start Date: July 7, 2013
Final Price: $135.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 1206
Buyer Feedback: 322

Hugh Masekela ‎– Presents The Chisa Years 1965-1976
(Rare And Unreleased)

Label: BBE ‎– BBE LP 069
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 27 Mar 2006
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk

Condition: NEAR MINT 2x 12“ LPs comprise this full release. 14 tracks. RARE!

BBE Records is proud to release the new album from World music and South African trumpet great, Hugh Masekela, Presents: The CHISA Years 1965 – 1975 (Rare & Unreleased). The tracks on the album come from the vaults of CHISA Records, the label formed and run by Hugh Masekela and producer Stewart Levine.

Hugh Masekela has enjoyed major success as one of the earliest leaders in fusing Pop, Funk, R&B, Disco, Afropop, and Jazz. Masekela’s vibrant trumpet and flugelhorn solos have been featured on hundreds of recordings. He’s had American and international hits and worked with bands all around the world, including Paul Simon’s Graceland. In addition to being an accomplished mucician, Masekela has produced for World music great Miriam Makeba and others.

Stewart Levine has produced music over the years for Hugh Masekela, Simply Red (“Holding Back The Years”), The Crusaders, Dixie Dregs, Minnie Ripperton, Sly & The Family Stone, and B.B. King. Recently, Levine has produced Jamie Cullum’s Twentysomething and Catching Tales albums.

1. Afro Beat Blues
2. Mahlalela
3. Amo Sakesa
4. Joala
5. U Se Mcani
6. Tepo
7. Za Labalaba
8. Witch Doctor
9. Melodi (Sounds of Home)
10. Ahvuomo
11. Aredze
12. A Cheeka Laka Laka
13. Awe Mfana
14. Macongo

_______


"Whether or not you know much about Hugh Masekela's career or not this will probably interest you musically. Through a number of conversations I've had over the last couple of years with a few friends,particularly those living on the West Coast it was made apparent to me that during the 60's and 70's there was a strong musical and cultural cross pollination of soul and funk music as they were really beginning to grow by leaps and bounds with the traditional music of Africa. Some have called the music Afro-beat,afrofunk and especially even in the early years African Soul. It's become very much in vogue since the mid 1980's and is such a staple these days of just about anyone in any style wishing to add a world music flavor to their sound that a lot of people may have forgotton how important and innovative this music was and still is. Not only is a lot of the original music itself hard to come by but this is a collection of Chisa label rarities and unreleased material. Now being what seems like a various artist compilation this album isn't as much that as it is different songs featuring a collective lineup of singers and musicians such as Hugh himself,O.J Ekemonde (whom I was lucky to see live with his Nigerian All-Stars when I was 12 years old),singer Letta Mbulu and members of The Crusaders such as Wilton Felder,Wayne Henderson,Joe Sample and Stix Hooper. Even though the music has a strong unified flavor throughout the songs are also credite to different people:Ojah,The Zulus,Baranta And Miatta Fahinbulleh and Letta Mbulu to be exact and the range of variations on the sound is about as broad.Letta material such as “Mahlaela”,“U Se Mcani” and “Macongo” all have a mixture of both 60's Motown and African township sounds;musically and the language of the singing itself. Other songs such as “Tepo”,“Ahvuomo”,“Za Labalaba” and “Joala” all showcase a more progressive afro-beat sound similar to what groups such as Osibisa were doing in the early/mid 70's whereas the serious funk/disco elements show up on the openening “Afro Beat Blues”,which strong resembles the title song to Hugh's 1975 album Boy's Doin It and who knows; could be an outtake from those sessions. Same goes for the hardcore afro-disco of “Witch Doctor”. As a sampler of what was going on within the African music world in the original funk/disco/world music during the most innovative years of those genres from the mid 60s to mid 70's this really gives you the flavor of a certain musical revolution in a certain place."

Posted with